Hockey Night in Canada: the impact of a television program on white-collar workers

Abstract

As media theorists neglect the temporal aspects of the effect of television and survey analysts probe this medium in generalized fashion, a fundamental consequence of television is overlooked - the effects of a specific program on particular segments of society. Searching for a suitable program from which to explore this problem, I selected Hockey Night in Canada, the twice-weekly telecast of National Hockey League games which has persisted as the top Canadian television program for more than twelve years. -- My initial hypothesis was that the effect of Hockey Night in Canada on the social and family lives of the white-collar workers in any city (especially St. John's) varied directly with their degree of interest in the program. The effects of the program influence their interpersonal relationships to such a degree that they are unaware of its total impact. -- The lack of sociological research in this area left me with few guidelines on how to gather data bearing on my hypothesis. The method of questionnaire survey was ultimately selected as the most workable approach. The enduring problems of a new major professional hockey league and a historic series between Canada and Russia which may have affected viewers' response, I believe, have been successfully controlled.