So, is anyone else head spinning after all the changes in the sports media world? The changes keep rolling in and the intrigue growing with the passing of each and every day.
Let’s look at where things stand:
TSN appears to be ready to launch a full out assault on the sports radio business. First up, it seems will be 1050 Chum here in Toronto. Mike Richards, from the Fan in Calgary, as we told you first here and on twitter, has left that station and will be the lead man on the radio show in the morning. Richards apparently turned down the other Fan, 590 earlier to take the same job there. That has to hurt. You know it does when Mccown takes a shot at you.
Speaking of hurt, Damien Cox (again who we told you first was staying at the Toronto Star and adding Sportsnet duties) was going to be the centerpiece of TSN’s drive home show at one point, left TSN at the altar and is now going to be sitting across from Mccown’s desk as opposed to fighting him on the air. Cox remains at the Star, to be honest, the place where he belongs. TSN radio now needs to find their drive home show personality. Cox was going to be the other bookend to Richards. There’s now a gaping hole at the end of the day slot. Look for it to be filled soon.
The pressure over at the Fan to improve the morning show has to be immense. Pelley is a sports guy. There is little question in my min that his MO is 100% sports oriented. Having Krystal on in the mornings talking sports isn’t cutting it as a sports show. This isn’t a knock on Krystal by the way. Asking him to do a sports show isn’t drawing on his strengths, nor the skills which made him the least bit attractive as a personality. It’s akin to bringing in Howard Stern (no, I am not saying Krystal is Howard Stern) and asking him to do a sports show.
Up the dial, or in between 1050 and 590 is 640 Toronto. They appear to be waving adieu to sports leaving Bill Watters and Brian Hayes in limbo. Hayes by the way is good on the air. I am impressed with him. He knows his stuff and can talk all major sports with ease. Watters I have to believe is done. I would like to think that Hayes finds a gig.
TSN radio needs more than Richards to fill it’s day and there’s a long list of folks who I am sure would love to work opposite the Fan. Names that I am sure are watching with great interest are Norm Rumack, Mike Hogan, Don Landry, Darren Dreger, Bill Hayes, John Derringer, Charles Oakley and more.
The biggest winner in all of this is us, the fans. How often do you get to say that these days?
Speaking of which, am I the only one who really misses the good old fashioned trade rumor? Forget the new each rumor crap. Long gone are the days where we actually heard names possibly moving. We don’t hear crap anymore. Seriously, all these insiders and all we get is radio silence. When is the last time a real trade was made and anyone predicted it? No one, and I mean no one had tonight’s Blue Jays trade on the radar. No one had last years Maple Leafs deals. All these reporters covering all these days and we got nadda. Fascinating now?
If you were TSN, which personality would you run up against PTS? Would it be a big name like Landsberg? Would you try to grab someone like Steve Simmons? Would you try to poach someone from Sportsnet/Fan 590?
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56 Comments
According to Fybush.com, Launch date for TSN radio is set for April, which concurs with what The Globe said…
“But sometime in April, that will change once more, when CHUM becomes the flagship of the new TSN Radio Network.”http://www.fybush.com/nerw.html#can
Dsscpu – Very interesting…I suspect TSN will model their stations along the lines of the ESPN radio network in the US. ESPN has a full schedule of programming (run from HQ in Bristol CT??…I don’t know) with a national focus/scope that their affilitate stations (i.e. 1000 WMVP in Chicago) seem to be able to pick and choose to fill their broadcast schedule, based on local broadcasting needs (i.e. in lieu of “The Herd” that is currently available nationally, Chicago has a full block during the daytime today that will be focussed on mourning the Bears loss to the Packers
as I am a Bears fan from birth). The local stations can then also plug in their local game broadcasts as scheduled while at the same time the next night, the national content can be offered.
Should be interesting to see how this all comes together.
Pudge, I agree that is the formula that is going to probably make the most sense. When you consider that a lot of these stations have regional radio rights for NHL and CFL games, they need the option to not always be on the main network. Plus they have local radio hosts some of whom draw decent numbers and they will want to maintain.
What I also hope happens is that some of these local voices get some national exposure with their shows… I could easily see, for example the morning show in Toronto also airing in Vanouver because of the time difference, but morning drive in Vancouver wouldn’t air in Toronto. But the late night show in Vancouver could fill the overnight gap on the east coast, etc…
I won’t even tune in to sample if they put on Oakley or Derringer. Terrible terrible radio.
Daniel opinion on Oakley is so right on, the sad thing is he was the most talented radio host when he was doing afternoon radio on RB, but went to 640 I am sure got paid great (which of course is fine) and just turned int what you said. I hear he does good ratings but the quality and “personality” have become something so different than his RB days. But hey back to sports
Mike in Barrie I really liked Todd Wright on ESPN late night, he was so entertaining. I remember he had a thing for Jodie Vance lol. He really balanced sports with pop culture as well as I heard anybody did and worked well overnight. He just had this friendly personality that I liked. Since Jason Smith took over, I can’t listen to it at all. It was such a drop off for me. Other ESPN show the Herd (off WGR) I don’t like either. Weekend overnights are okay.
As for Jim Rome, I like him. The thing I will give him is he has such a different type of show than what you hear other places, and it works for me. It’s not for everybody and you have to give it a week or two to get at all the shtick. I get some pretty good laughs about it and nobody deals with horrible calls better. Since Brady came during afternoons I would listen to Brady but whenever Brady is off I go back to Rome fast.
Speaking of Brady I don’t think it will work him working with Krystal, both have “main guy” personalities. Who I did like in the morning is Dan Dunleavy, he is a good straight guy. A morning show with Brady, Dunleavy and a Barb Digiulio. I think that could be a very good mix.
Would love for TSN get Noel Butler on the air in Toronto. He just started writing for their website and covers the Champions League on tv for them. He currently is at the Team 990.