Burning Log

Last updated

Burning Log is a television program which airs traditionally on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning on the Shaw Spotlight community channels in Canada, replacing the remainder of the channel's programming for the time frame.

Contents

The program is a film loop of a wood fire burning in a fireplace; an unidentified individual can periodically be seen stoking the fire. It airs free of charge, without any commercial interruptions, compared to US fire logs on local stations in that country which do so.

Origins

Burning Log was shot in 1999 by a Shaw Cable staffer named John. It was conceived as a means by which Shaw employees could stay home with their families, instead of working over the holidays. [1]

The original film was shot by John at his home in Victoria, British Columbia.

The video became famous when university students Rodger Banister, Brian Berglund and Paul McTaggart in Victoria staged a mock protest through a fake not-for-profit called BLOWS (Burning Logs of the West Coast Society) after Shaw took it off the air in 2000. The program was both a critical and ratings success,[ citation needed ] and by popular demand, it has been rebroadcast ever since.

The program is a Canadian counterpart to the older (unrelated) WPIX Yule Log.

Ownership controversy

Craig McAllister of North Vancouver has claimed that it was he that shot the video, not John. [2] John prefers to maintain anonymity, but his sister in Victoria confirms that the original Shaw video, which led to the mock protest, and a humorous piece on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart & Steve Carell, was indeed shot by her brother in 1999, as a way to allow Shaw staff to have time off over Christmas. The original video was subsequently replaced by Shaw with another version, which may or may not have been shot by Craig McAllister.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yule log</span> Log burnt on a hearth as a Christmas tradition

The Yule log, Yule clog, or Christmas block is a specially selected log burnt on a hearth as a winter tradition in regions of Europe, and subsequently North America. The origin of the folk custom is unclear. Like other traditions associated with Yule, the custom may ultimately derive from Proto-Indo-European religion as similar traditions have been recorded in Celtic, Germanic, Baltic and Slavic paganism, among others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CHUM Limited</span> Defunct Canadian media company

CHUM Limited was a Canadian media company based in Toronto, Ontario in operation from 1945 to 2007. The company was founded in 1945 as York Broadcasters Limited when it launched CHUM-AM 1050 but was acquired by salesman Allan Waters in 1954. CHUM had expanded to and owned 33 radio stations across Canada under its CHUM Radio Network division and also owned other radio stations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Much (TV channel)</span> Canadian music television channel

Much is a Canadian English language discretionary specialty channel owned by BCE Inc. through its Bell Media subsidiary that airs programming aimed at teenagers and young adults. Prior to 2013, the channel was officially known as MuchMusic, though "Much" has been the branding most commonly seen on-air since 1997.

<i>Yule Log</i> (TV program) Seasonal television show

The Yule Log is a television show originating in the United States, which is broadcast traditionally on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning. It originally aired from 1966 to 1989 on New York City television station WPIX, which revived the broadcast in 2001. A radio simulcast of the musical portion was broadcast by WPIX-TV's former sister station, WPIX-FM, until 1988.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">YTV (Canadian TV channel)</span> Canadian childrens specialty TV network

YTV is a Canadian English language discretionary specialty channel owned by YTV Canada, Inc., a subsidiary of Corus Entertainment. The channel and its programming is targeted at children and young teenagers; consisting of both original live-action and animated television series, movies, and third-party shows from various U.S.-based kids networks such as Nickelodeon. Its name was originally thought to be an abbreviation for "Youth Television", though the channel's website has denied this.

CTV 2 is a Canadian English-language television system owned by the Bell Media subsidiary of BCE Inc. The system consists of four terrestrial owned-and-operated television stations (O&Os) in Ontario, one in British Columbia and two regional cable television channels, one in Atlantic Canada and the other in Alberta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NHL Network (Canadian TV channel)</span> Television channel devoted to professional hockey

NHL Network was a Canadian English language Category B specialty television channel broadcasting ice hockey programming. The channel's primary focus was on the National Hockey League (NHL), although it occasionally aired games from other leagues, such as minor league and international circuits, to fill its schedule.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History (American TV network)</span> US-based international satellite and cable TV channel

History is an American pay television network and flagship channel owned by A&E Networks, a joint venture between Hearst Communications and The Walt Disney Company's General Entertainment Content Division.

<i>Breakfast Television</i> Canadian morning program television brand

Breakfast Television is a Canadian morning television program that is broadcast on Citytv. As of 2023, BT only broadcast from Toronto as a four-hour morning show, while a national edition aired in 8:30-10 a.m. local time on all Citytv stations. Versions were formerly broadcast in Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg, Edmonton and Montreal, but have been canceled and replaced with alternative programming. The version broadcast by the Atlantic Satellite Network continued to use the brand under license from Rogers until 2011, when it was re-launched as CTV Morning Live upon the service's rebranding as CTV 2 Atlantic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CHAN-DT</span> Global TV station in Vancouver

CHAN-DT, branded on-air as Global BC, is a television station in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, serving as the West Coast flagship of the Global Television Network. Owned and operated by network parent Corus Entertainment, the station has studios on Enterprise Street in the suburban city of Burnaby, which also houses Global's national news headquarters. Its transmitter is located atop Mount Seymour in the district municipality of North Vancouver.

CHEK-DT is an independent television station in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, serving Vancouver Island and Greater Vancouver. The station is owned by the CHEK Media Group, a consortium made up of station employees and local investors. CHEK-DT's studios are located on Kings Road in Victoria, and its transmitter is located atop Mount Warburton Pike on Saturna Island.

CityNews is the title of news and current affairs programming on Rogers Sports & Media's Citytv network in Canada. The newscast division was founded on September 28, 1975 as CityPulse as a standalone local newscast on the network's Toronto station owned by CHUM Limited. Through the acquisitions of the Edmonton, Winnipeg and Calgary A-Channel stations in 2004, it was relaunched under the CityNews brand on August 2, 2005 and later expanded to Montreal in 2012. The remaining Citytv stations airs the news headlines segments during each station's Breakfast Television morning show.

<i>EP Daily</i> Canadian daily entertainment news television program

EP Daily is a daily news television show that covers video games, movies, TV shows, comic books, collectibles and gadgets. Created and executive produced by host Victor Lucas, and his Vancouver, British Columbia production company EP Media Ltd, EP Daily was a staple on airwaves since its debut in September 1997. The show continues to produce and publish content on the Electric Playground Network's YouTube channel.

Christmas themes have long been an inspiration to artists and writers. A prominent aspect of Christian media, the topic first appeared in literature and in music. Filmmakers have picked up on this wealth of material, with both adaptations of Christmas novels, in the forms of Christmas films, Santa Claus films, and Christmas television specials.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vancouver Police Department</span> Municipal police of the Canadian city of Vancouver

The Vancouver Police Department (VPD) is the police force in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several police departments within the Metro Vancouver Area and is the second largest police force in the province after RCMP "E" Division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hallmark Movies & Mysteries</span> American cable television network

Hallmark Movies & Mysteries is an American digital cable and satellite television channel owned by Hallmark Media, a subsidiary of Hallmark Cards. The channel was spun off from sister network Hallmark Channel, and airs family-oriented feature and television films along with a limited number of murder- and mystery-themed television series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shaw Spotlight</span> Community channel based in Canada

Shaw Spotlight is the name of locally based community channel services operated by cable TV provider Shaw Communications. The channels are available only to Shaw Cable subscribers and are produced in communities throughout western Canada.

Colin Lewis McAllister and Justin Patrick Ryan are Scottish interior decorators and television presenters, often billed as Colin and Justin.

As of the 2022 NFL season, CTV and TSN broadcast Sunday games. Monday Night Football airs exclusively on TSN. TSN and CTV 2 own rights to Sunday Night Football and Thursday Night Football. RDS carries games in the French language from all timeslots. U.S. network television feeds may also be available, often from multiple markets, on cable and satellite ; all games are subject to simultaneous substitution. Monday Night Football also airs in simultaneous substitution with the ABC feed on CTV2 beginning with the 2023 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Global News</span> Canadian news network, division of Global Television Network

Global News is the news and current affairs division of the Canadian Global Television Network. The network is owned by Corus Entertainment, which oversees all of the network's national news programming as well as local news on its 21 owned-and-operated stations.

References

  1. Cooper, Sam (December 23, 2010). "The long arm of the log: How the 'burning log video' became a Christmas tradition". The Vancouver Sun. Vancouver. Retrieved 28 December 2010.[ permanent dead link ]
  2. Lazaruk, Susan (December 26, 2010). "Origin of 'burning log' video ignites debate". The Province. Retrieved 28 December 2010.