Here’s your drive lineup for your listening enjoyment this am:
On 590 with Greg Brady and Jim Lang:
TBA
On TSN radio with Mike Richards
6:45 TSN Fatanast expert Scott Cullen
7:00 Chris Schultz & Matt Dunigan
7:15 Jonas Siegel
7:30 Pierre Maguire
8:00 Daren Dreger & Steve Simmons
8:15 Buffalo Bills DB Jairus Bird
TSM
A quick listen in to the FAN’s morning show once again had Greg Brady going off on some rediculous whiny rant with Jim Lang constantly being interupted. Conclusion…turn FAN 590 morning show off.
I agree with the comments that Robbers needs to put an end to McCown & Brunt’s uninteresting non sports drivel. When McCown talks the business of sports he is excellent…but when he goes off at length about non sports topics useless drivel he is un-listenable. Robbers should be paying and telling Mc Clown to talk sports.
Brady is way too loud and obnoxious for me to take in the morning. Richards is also unlistenable. Amazing that with two all-sports stations I am now tuned in to 640 and Oakley. Pretty sad state of affairs.
McCown has lost his edge. While it has not affected the ratings yet, at some point it will. Factor in Cox half the time who I can’t stand, and once again, two sports stations, having Arthur go to TSN Radio, has ruined it for me.
So much for the extra listening options available for me.
They need to get rid of that idiot Don Kollins – then the station will improve. I don’t listen to Brady & Lang at all – can’t take them first thing in the AM. How in the world Brady & Lang is supposedly “much better” than Landry & Stellick is crazy, if you ask me? I was not married to Gord Stellick & Don Landry but they were ten times better than any of the dribble they have had as morning show hosts since their departure (Jeff Lumby, Doug Farraway, Andrew Krystal).
I have grown to rather like Brady and Lang. Brady does go on sometimes, but sometimes his rants make me laugh.
chacun son gout.
To me it is Jim Lang that sounds whiny all the time, as he whines everytime he tries to make a point on something he doesn’t quite understand (which is everything but being an obnoxious flag-waving for no particular reason, idiot).
Well, since everyone is throwing their two cents in, I like Brady and Lang a lot. I found Stellick/Landry to be dull and the comedy was cringe inducing. I’m a younger guy, so maybe it’s a demographic thing?
Is it just me or does the purveyor of this website have a problem on his hands?
The information and breaking sports media news has never been as accurate and prominent as it is here, yet we as commenters overrun the site with threads which are simply: “this show sucks, the hosts should be fired”, “no they shouldn’t, they’re ok”.
It’s the great thing about these forums but as a guy who travels a lot for work and doesn’t listen as frequently as I’d like, it seems awfully repetitive.
Here’s the facts as I know them.
1. Don Kollins is going nowhere from Fan 590
2. Since he’s arrived, ratings are higher, revenues are up and for at least the beginning several months, TSN Radio and all the big talk on this board about how they’d rock the world has been nothing more than a wet tuna sandwich.
3. Do I like everything he’s done? Hell no. But it’s a much fresher station appealing to a guy in his early 30s like me. They were an old-sounding station a couple years ago with Landry, Swirsky, Armstrong. That’s changed. Besides the Krystal hire and using recycled mediocre characters like Roger and Eric Smith, I’m not sure what he’s done that merits the suggestion his bosses aren’t toasting him most days.
4. Brady & Lang can be a difficult listen sometimes but it’s the freshest and most intelligent show they’ve had in that spot. I’ve said this before, McCown was starting to leak audience when Brady was with Watters and now for all you people that laughably knock McCown and suggest he’s headed for a major career fall, his numbers are higher than ever.
5. TSN Radio I’m sure will adjust, they didn’t build a TV empire over there by just letting a crap product carry on, so I’m sure adjustments will be made. Just when I think they’re coming along, I hear Bryan Hayes today talking to some female producer and it was unbelievably small-market stuff. Not even Ryerson’s station would have found it acceptable. If you don’t belong on-air, you don’t belong on-air.
Anyways, sounding off as usual, but again, the comments go to such extremes on here. I am very eager to hear Sid and Tim, another pair of hires Kollins should be credited for. Anyone who thinks Scott Moore or Keith Pelley are “running 590” are crazy. I’ve come across both at times in my work travels, and they have a few too many other things on their plate to be pushing the buttons at the Fan. I don’t doubt they register their opinions though. I also doubt McCown has much of a say anymore given he propped Krystal up and sold him hard to be hired in the first place and then to be given the morning show. Bob’s a great host, but not everyone can be a program director.
640’s ratings this fall will be fascinating as well in afternoon drive. Lots of heat on James Cybulski to pick up some of those numbers vacated by Bill Watters in that slot. I could be wrong but Watters was something like a 3.0 Men 25-54 and Cybulski a 1.4 in the very important spring book, so those numbers are now there for the grabbing. Everyone I know who knows anyone at TSN tells me Richards is a lost cause. They made a mistake, they know it, and the end will come sooner rather than later.
They don’t tolerate the brand being embarrassed at TSN and that’s what he’s done.
Excellent post Julian. But Scott Moore is very hands-on at The Fan. Best move he made was a non-move. He wanted Richards in the morning.
Julian,
Seems like “your facts” about the FAN and in particular about Don Kollins follow a Harperesk agenda… i.e. not truthful or self-serving. You can think what you want and believe in inaccuaracies, as the truths may actually surprise you.
Great post, Julian. I completely agree with you.
Paul – what points in Julian’s post were inaccurate? I can’t spot any. #2 is true (which can be verified just by looking back through the posts on this site), and based on that I think you can conclude that #1 is true. There is also the point that the notion that Kollins doesn’t run The Fan anymore is nuts. Well, I’m inclined to agree unless someone has actual information saying otherwise. There’s no reason to jump to that conclusion, considering the good performance of the station since he’s taken over. The rest of Julian’s post is opinion.
Difference of opinion is great, but posts like ‘Shannon co-hosted today – People are tuning out in droves! McCown will be finished if he keeps that up’ are just kind of silly. And I say that because The Fan’s ratings have improved in the last year, and nothing has really affected McCown’s ratings in years.
I agree with Julian that The Fan has a much younger feel than it used to. As a guy in his late 20s, I much prefer the station with guys like Brady and Blair on it instead of Hogan/Landry/Stellick. I’m looking forward to Tim and Sid too.
On a side note, I find Julian and TSM’s comments on Richards to be fascinating. Honestly, I’ve probably listened to about 10 minutes of his show since TSN Radio launched. I didn’t think much of it, and haven’t tuned back in. I find it interesting that you guys don’t just dislike it, but find it to be a disaster. What’s the deal? Is it like Krystal where he doesn’t know sports well enough? Are his bits too hacky?