With the intention of provoking serious consideration of the historical impact of the mass media on sport in Canada, this thesis examines the relationship between the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and sport in Canada. The development of this relationship has occurred in three distinct phases, corresponding to the 1936, 1958, and 1968 revisions in Canadian broadcasting legislation. The critical analysis of the impact of these developments in broadcasting on the evolution of sport in Canada is based on the underlying assumption of the CBC's special role in the Canadian broadcasting system. The conclusions drawn on the basis of oral history interviews and materials in the archives of the CBC Sports Department bring into question this special role.