TASMANIAN media legend Tim Lane has been appointed ambassador for the Christmas carnivals series.
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Widely regarded as Australia's best all-round sports caller, Lane will appear in a series of television commercials for the carnivals at Latrobe, Launceston, Devonport and Burnie.
He will make a guest appearance at the Burnie criterium on New Year's Eve and at West Park the following day.
``This is a fantastic stroke of good fortune,'' Sports Carnivals Association of Tasmania president Mike Gunson said.
``Tim lived in Launceston and Devonport as a youngster and has fond recollections of the carnivals and it is great that he is now supporting the carnivals as our ambassador.''
Lane is a member of the MCG's hall of fame, and is also an inductee in Tasmanian football's hall of fame as a legend in the media category.
He has called a wide variety of major national and international sport for radio and television, including Test cricket, tennis, athletics and football.
He has been athletics commentator at Olympic Games in Los Angeles, Barcelona, Atlanta and Sydney.
He famously called Cathy Freeman's 400-metre victory at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 and regards it as the highlight of his broadcasting life.
Lane's broadcasting career began in the early 1970s in Hobart before he moved to Melbourne with the ABC in 1979.
He quickly became one of the ABC's most talented and popular commentators and since then has been involved with Channel Nine and Network Ten in their football coverage.
Lane now calls the AFL for Radio 3AW and writes a weekly column in The Age .
He will be a key player in 3AW's coverage of the Ashes tour and commitments to the Melbourne Test will keep him away from the carnivals until Burnie.
Lane said he had happy memories of the Tasmanian Christmas carnivals and the popular six-day races at York Park.
``I was fascinated by the likes of Sid Patterson, Peter Panton and Hilton Clarke at the six days,'' he said.
``The Christmas carnivals on the North-West are unique and you couldn't help but be aware of them and their impact on the local sports scene.
``They galvanised the whole region and there is something about them that other sports could do with today, they have a real grassroots flavour about them,'' he said.
Carnivals promotions director John Craven said Lane had no hesitation accepting an invitation to be the series ambassador.
`It's an honour to have him aboard and despite his immense achievements in a brutally tough media world he has not forgotten his Tasmanian background,'' he said.