Sports Media Canada at Vancouver Games

The venerable sports journalists’ umbrella organization A.I.P.S. regularly has an office at an Olympic Games to serve and service the electronic and print media assigned to cover the Games. And Vancouver, later this month, will be no different.
With the next Games in Canada – one of Sports Media Canada’s most experienced members has agreed to work out of the AIPS Office in support of the large Canadian media contingent expected in Vancouver – as well as assisting members of the international media corps who will be covering the Games.
Sports Media Canada member John Iaboni will be a busy guy during the Games. He and Roslyn Morris, the Secretary General of AIPS will run an open-door drop-in information and problem-solving service for individual members of sports media. There’s no ‘menu’ of services they’ll offer. They’ll be expected to respond to whatever legitimate concerns media members may have which might affect their ability to carry out their coverage responsibilities.
The AIPS office often performs a sort of ombudsman function when sports media members feel they have no other recourse as they pursue access, information, transportation, phone service — or any one of dozens of elements which might be central to their getting results, reports, interviews and meeting deadlines.
Sports Media Canada President Steve McAllister will also be on hand for the Winter Games — but he’ll be on assignment in his role as Managing Editor, Sports for Yahoo! Canada.

Steve McAllister

Steve McAllister

Steve and John iaboni will be in regular contact and will trade viewpoints on any general media matters. Steve’s primary concern will be directing Yahoo! Canada coverage with Iaboni concentrating on those general media needs.
John Iaboni is well suited to take on this challenge. He’s widely experienced both as a ‘front line’ sports journalist, as a manager and problem solver in a sports department and through covering nine Olympic Games.
A sports writer since 1968 — he was 18 when his first by-line appeared in The Toronto Telegram on November 6, 1969. — Iaboni is one of 62 original members of The Toronto Sun which was launched on November 1, 1971. He was one of five originals in The Sun’s Sports Department, a full-time position he held while taking a full academic program at the U of T — where he graduated with a B.A. in 1973.
He wrote the first-ever article in a major publication (The Toronto Telegram) on 10-year-old Wayne Gretzky on October 28, 1971 (two days before The Tely folded). He worked with Bobby Orr in writing the popular Bobby Orr Hockey Tips series during the 1970s and his ghostwriting over the years included articles for the likes of NHL icons Punch Imlach and Harry Sinden.
John will provide several ‘blog’ reports from Vancouver expressly dealing with the Canadian and International media at the Games. His first report will appear here tomorrow.