One of the faces of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s sports coverage is exiting that company. The CBC announced Thursday that veteran journalist Scott Russell, who’s set to cover his 16th Olympics for the network (and host their coverage for the sixth time) beginning in late July, will be retiring from hosting duties after that and the Paralympics. He’ll be moving on to other projects, including serving as chancellor of Nipissing University). Here’s more from that release:
After nearly 40 years with CBC, Canadian Screen Award and Gemini Award-winning sports broadcaster Scott Russell has announced that he will retire from hosting duties at the end of the summer. Russell will unite audiences across the country around high-performance sport one more time as host of CBC’s Olympic Games Paris 2024 afternoon show Bell Paris Prime from July 26 to August 11 and coverage of the 2024 Paralympic Games from August 28 to September 8. His final broadcast will take place on the last day of the Paralympic Games.
“CBC Sports has been home for my entire career in broadcasting. The places I’ve been, the friendships I’ve made, and the sport I’ve witnessed, leave me with a lifetime of memories. On top of that, I’ve been fortunate to work with the best people in the business,” said Scott Russell. “It’s time for the next chapter, and I’m excited to see what the future holds, including my appointment as Chancellor of Nipissing University in North Bay, Ontario.”
…“Scott’s genuine passion for sports and his vast knowledge of athletes past and present has helped to inspire and ignite the country around global sporting competitions for close to four decades,” said Barbara Williams, Executive Vice-President, CBC. “His contributions to CBC Sports’ coverage over the years, across all platforms, cannot be understated, and his authentic commitment to Canadian athletes and Canadian sport remains unwavering. ”
Born in Oshawa, Ontario, Russell began his broadcasting career in 1985 as a reporter for CBC Radio in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. He transitioned to sports in 1986 and quickly wound up with more and more prominent roles, including serving as a sports reporter and anchor for CBC Montreal from 1988-92 and spending 14 years as a host and rinkside reporter on Hockey Night In Canada beginning in 1989. He moved to Toronto after his time in Montreal and began a long run as a national CBC Sports host.
On the Olympics front, Russell has contributed to CBC coverage across 16 Summer and Winter Games. He’s been particularly known for his hosting work (especially at the Winter Olympics) and his lead broadcasting of the gymnastics at the Summer Olympics. And he’s been a key part of many of their other broadcasts and events, working on coverage of six Pan Am Games, six Commonwealth Games, two FIFA World Cups, two FIFA Women’s World Cups, Canadian Football League games, curling telecasts and more. In 2014, he spoke to George Strombopolous about some of his many sportscasting experiences:
Russell has certainly been a massive part of the Canadian sports landscape, and CBC coverage will be quite different without him. We wish him the best in his new role in academia.
About Andrew Bucholtz
Andrew Bucholtz has been covering sports media for Awful Announcing since 2012. He is also a staff writer for The Comeback. His previous work includes time at Yahoo! Sports Canada and Black Press.