Playing Chicken With Canada's Real Anthem

From the "nobody comes out of this one looking good" department:

The Hockey Night in Canada theme song, considered by many as this country's “second anthem,” has been silenced after talks between its creator and the CBC broke down late Friday afternoon.

Kevin Kemp, a lawyer representing composer Dolores Claman, said the broadcaster stopped the process: “We asked for a meeting to continue negotiations,” he said. “They weren't prepared to agree to that.”

Just a few hours later, the CBC put out a statement saying that the broadcaster was “saddened” that it couldn't reach a deal, and formally announcing a competition for a new theme song. The winner will receive $100,000.

Despite the ominous finality of the story, this still looks like a public game of chicken.

The publisher knows that without Hockey Night, the tune hasn't much value.

The CBC knows that it stands to take a massive public relations blow to the solar plexus.

That would seem enough incentive for compormise. But that's assuming everyone involved is rational enough to act in their own best interests.

Since word of the impasse emerged on Thursday, the fate of the real national anthem has stirred outrage.