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It is perhaps a foregone conclusion to many in the industry but not Kirstine Stewart.

The chief of the CBC’s English services said this week she has every intention of bringing back the National Hockey League to the public broadcaster when the current contract with the league comes due two years from now.

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“We’re going to,” the executive said forcefully during a panel discussion Thursday with the heads of the country’s networks. “That’s our plan.”

But it’s perhaps a brave face and false hope given her opponents. Both Rogers Communications Inc. and CTV— now Bell Media — were already formidable foes before BCE Inc. bet on TV content to fuel its telecom businesses and acquired the network and specialty-channel operator, a strategy that has raised the stakes for all.[np-related]

“What we provide is different from what TSN and Sportsnet do”

Since being acquired by the telecom giant last spring, the new Bell Media has lapped up sports broadcast rights left, right and centre in a race only Rogers has been able to keep pace with (Shaw Media, formerly Canwest, backed down from a sports network launch last year).