Chris Hebb has had many jobs in the media business over the last 30 years, from producing news and documentaries to serving in broadcast executive roles with two major sports organizations 鈥� Orca Bay, which owned the NHL鈥檚 and the NBA鈥檚 Grizzlies, and Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, one of the world鈥檚 biggest sports entities on the planet.
He was an early-adapter on the Internet 鈥� helping launch the Canucks鈥� first website, and even selling the Maple Leafs their domain name (for the whopping sum of $1) after scooping it up on the cheap in the early 鈥�90s 鈥� and was a pioneer in the online-streaming business.
But all that success aside, it鈥檚 a little local, late-night sports show he hosted in the mid-1980s that he鈥檚 perhaps best associated with: Sports Page.
Hebb, a White Rock resident and former University of Victoria basketball player 鈥� hosted the show, alongside the late Paul Carson from 1983 until 鈥�88. The show itself 鈥� remembered fondly by local sports fans for its quirkiness, attention to local teams and slew of young broadcasters who went on to become household names in the industry 鈥� ran first in the late 鈥�70s before, after brief hiatus, being reborn in 鈥�83 and running until 2001.
And though it鈥檚 been off air for years, Hebb said he鈥檚 always amazed at how fondly people remember the show 鈥� which in its heyday was a half-hour broadcast every night at 11:30 p.m. on CKVU.
Last week, the show 鈥� and its bevy of former employees 鈥� was thrust back into the spotlight when the BC Sports Hall of Fame opened its Sports Page exhibit, which is scheduled to be on display for at least the next 12 months.
鈥淚鈥檝e been stunned by it, honestly,鈥� he told Peace Arch News earlier this month, a few days after the exhibit opened.
鈥淲hen I started, I was 25, so I wasn鈥檛 doing anything but having fun. But having gone back through this (Hall of Fame exhibit) process, I鈥檝e found pictures and tape and stuff like that again鈥� and then to see the exhibit? It鈥檚 amazing 鈥� I鈥檓 just so humbled by it.鈥�
Aside from Hebb 鈥� who now runs his own sports-media consulting business 鈥� the history of Sports Page anchors is a who鈥檚 who of Canadian sports media: Don Taylor, Barry MacDonald, Scott Rintoul, Dave Randorf, Dan Murphy and Craig MacEwan all went on to high-profile careers in Vancouver sports radio and television, while another former host, John Shorthouse, moved from Sports Page to become the Canucks鈥� play-by-play broadcaster.
And Hebb is quick to point out it鈥檚 not just on-camera talent that cut their teeth on the show, naming former Page producer Mike Hall (now the Canucks鈥� director of game presentation), Randy Stephens (now executive director of Atlanta-based Fox Sports Southeast) and Larry Isaac (Hockey Night in Canada producer) as alums of the long-running broadcast.
During the 鈥�80s and into the 鈥�90s, Sports Page, Hebb explained, was up against the 鈥渙ld guard鈥� of established Vancouver sports media members, but the show succeeded by having a fun, light-hearted vibe that made viewers think they were just talking sports with a friend over a couple beers.
鈥淲e felt like the peons 鈥� there were still guys like (John) McKeachie, Bernie Pascall over at BCTV making the big money鈥� then J. Paul McConnell and Steve Armitage were over at CBC,鈥� Hebb explained.
鈥淲e operated out of the smallest little corner of our studio, and were doing it with no much in the way of a budget鈥� we were just so happy to be there. We weren鈥檛 announcers who happened to take the easy way out and cover sports 鈥� we loved it. We were fans.
鈥淲e were young, and energetic 鈥� you could feel it. Dan Rather wrote a book called The Camera Never Blinks 鈥� if you watch someone on television long enough, you know who they are. And we were who we were鈥� people knew we loved the teams as much as they did.鈥�
The show was also successful, Hebb said, because they made a conscious effort to report on local stories none of the other major networks usually touched 鈥� local university sports and , among them.
鈥淭hat was one of the secrets 鈥� seeing your (high school) or your , or your swim meet on TV,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he way they do it now, is that the host never leaves the studio. But back then, we reported all day. We鈥檇 be at your high-school basketball game, and you鈥檇 see me, and if they meet you, they鈥檙e watching you that night, and then they see it on TV and they鈥檙e a fan for life. That鈥檚 how audiences are built.鈥�
Two weeks ago, on a Friday night before the exhibit opened to the public, the hall-of-fame held a gathering for Sports Page alums, which included a panel hosted by Tom Mayenknecht, a sports-business expert, radio host and former co-worker of Hebb鈥檚 with Orca Bay.
The exercise quickly devolved from an organized discussion into 鈥渟tory time.鈥�
鈥淭om kept asking questions that nobody answered,鈥� Hebb laughed.
| CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Part of the BC Sports Hall of Fame's Sports Page exhibit features a living room set up to mimic the show's heyday during the 1980s and 鈥�90s; former host Craig MacEwan signs his photo at the exhibit; Part of the exhibit includes a replica of the show鈥檚 studio. (BC Sports Hall of Fame photos) |
And while the stories told that night 鈥渨ere the tame ones鈥� the longtime broadcaster and executive has a few favourites himself 鈥� from watching Pavel Bure鈥檚 first game with the Canucks, to Wayne Gretzky鈥檚 kindness, to the time, during a 1983 informal meet-and-greet with new BC Lions鈥� head coach Don Matthews that two Vancouver radio legends, Neil MacRae and Tom Larscheid, nearly came to blows in a Holiday Inn hotel suite.
鈥淚t was just supposed to be a casual get-together with the media, and as soon as Matthews walks in, MacRae takes him out on the balcony, closes the sliding door, and does like 40 minutes with him 鈥� a taped show. And let me tell you, people were not impressed鈥� They come back in, and Tommy goes after MacRae. He grabs him by the lapels 鈥� he鈥檚 steaming 鈥� and says, 鈥榊ou ever do that again MacRae and I鈥檒l throw you right off that balcony and don鈥檛 think I won鈥檛,鈥� Hebb explained, with a laugh.
鈥淢atthews is there staring at this 鈥� that was his introduction, and my introduction, to the Vancouver media.鈥�
With sports television today dominated by the two major Toronto-based networks - TSN and Sportsnet 鈥� Hebb isn鈥檛 sure a show like Sports Page would be able to survive from a business perspective, but he does think there鈥檇 be an appetite for it from sports fans, especially those who miss the old show鈥檚 local touch.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just not the way things work anymore,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 think there would be an audience today for something hyper-local鈥� that stuff doesn鈥檛 get covered anymore, and I think that鈥檚 a shame, but it鈥檚 just changed so much.鈥�
