Canadian promotion hits the airwaves
By GREG OLIVER -- SLAM! Wrestling
This Saturday afternoon in Canada, you'll find a wrestling show in an
unexpected place. No, this isn't about a switch of the WWF to TNN, or
ECW's new home.
It's a pro wrestling pilot on the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network.
According to Jim Compton, Programming Director at APTN, their decision
to air the pilot for All Canadian Wrestling was based upon the success
of wrestling on other networks.
He called it the station's "first foray" into sports.
"The reason that we're going with these guys [ACW] is that they've
promised us a stable full of Aboriginal wrestlers," Compton said.
The pilot will air on Saturday, September 30 at 3 p.m. ET, again at 10
p.m. ET.
All Canadian Wrestling is based out of Cambridge, Ont., and run by Joe
Frocklage and Waldo von Erich. It's the former ICW promotion.
ACW expects to have six or seven Aboriginal wrestlers in the stable, and
the pilot was done 100% by Aboriginal audio and visual production
houses. "We met the criteria, which is having three Aboriginal people
and we've got more," said Frocklage.
Frocklage is excited by the chance to air the pilot, and said that "it's
looking really good" to run more episodes, possibly starting as early as
January.
Compton, however, was not able to commit to any more than the initial
airing of the pilot. "[We're going to] see what happens with it. Based
on the ratings and viewer response, we'll decide whether or not we
continue with it," he said.
In fact, he's not completely sure what to expect from ACW. "We're not
sure of the calibre, we're not sure of the talent and the production
values."
The Aboriginal Peoples Television Network should be available in your
area, as it is a channel mandated by the CRTC to be carried on all cable
stations.
