by TSM
Details are a little tight right now but here is what my sources are telling me changes are coming to TSN 1050.
i don’t have the final details, and I don’t know when it will happen but here’s the gist of what I am hearing:
Mornings with David Naylor and Michael Landsberg
Afternoon drive with Bryan Hayes and current Leafs Lunch members like Jeff O’Neil
Hayes current slot filled by Mike Richards
I haven’t heard whether Leafs lunch remains 12-2
I haven’t heard what’s happening with mid morning show
I will give you my more thoughts and more when I have some time this evening and as I hear more however I will say, at a glance I like the changes. Mornings are a good upgrade vs. Fan 590 and the drive improves as well vs. McCown.
TSM
Hope they fire Wheeler into the sun!
At first glance I really like it. Naylor is very cerebral and Landsberg is Landsberg, Mr. High Energy, so I can see how they will play well off of each other.
I skip the hockey talk usually, but fine as it is.
Hayes being replaced by Richards in the afternoon is perfect for me! I rarely listen to Walker and Brady, only Walker when he is on his own, but now I have someone who I can tune it to kind of like the way I did with Tim and Sid, who I still miss in that afternoon time slot.
If that comes into fruition, that is a much improved lineup. Wonder how Richards will adjust to afternoons. Always has been a morning man.
Wonder what would happen to all the sportswriter co-hosts in the afternoon?
Very interesting, sounds like things are finally starting to happen at 1050 which is long over due. Just don’t know why it took so long. I can not understand why there moving Jeff O’Neil when he seems he fits so well in his current roll. And can he talk other sports well other than hockey ?
“My goal is not to beat the Fan 590 in the ratings. My goal is to be No. 1 in the entire demographic”
Mike Richards in April 2011
Nice to see the afternoon drive will finally have some competition .
Kind of figured this change was inevitable when they started playing Leafs Lunch Encore from 7-10. Think this is a huge win for TSN!
@holden YOU ARE 100% CORRECT!! Wheeler has the most annoying, awful stuffed up voice on the air! Also, he has some of the dumbest takes in sports. That’d be great.
Next, Andy McNamara (Hogan also) has got to go! This guy has extremely stupid takes and is a complete yes man. Listen to him and how annoying he is that he thinks he knows what he’s talking about. This clown hosts the analytics show and DOESN’T EVEN UNDERSTAND THEM OR LIKE THEM!!
After that the Macko and Cauz goofs can go. Can anyone even tell the two apart?? Who knows which one is which. After that and putting Naylor in the morning when I don’t listen (annoying shouting guy who hates Leafs), things will be MUCH better. Good job TSN.
If this is in fact correct, these changes look good, and are long overdue. As a bonus, this will also break up the worst show on there, Cauz and Wheeler. It is without a doubt, putrid radio.
Leafs lunch is by far the best radio show. Moving to 4-7 will be tough but a great duo. I sure hope they have Noodles and Ray as part of the show! I watched or listened to leafs lunch daily but now will miss it!
Actually come to think of it, Mike Richards going up against Brady and Walker the redux? Brady and Walker were way ahead in the ratings when they had the morning show and went up against Richards. Maybe Richards should go up against Blair in the 9 to Noon spot?
They’ve got to be thinking that the prime time spot is vulnerable over at the Fan. Not sure it’ll be good enough, but PTS has gotten so bad that they’ve gotta try something. Love the idea of Landsberg taking on either morning or drive slots. I also hope this is the end for the”song intros” on the Richards show. All this said, giving the listeners better options is certainly a welcome option. I wish they’d go back to 24 hr programing…
Nice to see Landsberg get a regular gig, even if I don’t particularly enjoy him. I hope they don’t totally axe Leafs Lunch, it’s by far my favourite show on all of radio. As for Wheeler, if he disappears I won’t go looking for him.
Dragging the people no one listened to to other slots in the schedule is like the Habs trying to make the playoffs by simply changing up the lines
This is awful! Are you kidding me? First you drop Bastl, now your replacing Richards with Naylor and Lansberg.. Really? They are both too boring for a morning show. The Leafs lunch crew moving to prime time is fine but the rest is a hot mess.
Congrats Fan 590 you win. I’m done with TSN 1050.
I listen to Richards in the morning only to hear Mcquire and Dreger. Anything else beyond guest interviews is garbage. I want to hear sports not Richard’s goofing off with imitations and the rest of the garbage.
If only feschuk made his contributions to TSN Radio as insightful as his
article regarding Babcock
http://www.thestar.com/sports/leafs/2016/02/04/mike-babcocks-take-on-concussions-baffling-feschuk.html
I’d say throw him in as a steady co-host somewhere in the new lineup.
Do you have any idea when these rumoured changes will be taking place?
I mentioned last year that Landsberg would be a great addition to radio but in the 4-7 slot. When he sat in with Macko & Cauz a half hour a week it was great radio. Landsberg is probably the best sports generalist in Toronto and is the best at discussing social issues. He would be a good counter to Bobcat. I doubt Landsberg wanted the morning slot. And Naylor is in for a very rude 330 am awakening. Is there any time slot more life altering?
What I don’t get – Richards celebrated great ratings a couple of years ago and now he’s gone? The ratings slide he suffered during his medical leave I guess never recovered. Naylor is highly unlikely to fare any better.
McLennan does a lot of live game calls so it is understandable he isn’t making the move to 4-7. O’Neill by his own admission doesn’t know much about other sports. Leafs Lunch is my favourite show but not sure that synergy they have translates into a 3 hour general sports show. I rarely miss LL but frequently tune out of Hayes from 2-4. Richards is best suited to continue the LL vibe.
Hopefully this marks the end of the asinine and too elongated Pierre McGuire song. Forget about shuffling the deck, invest in a real radio signal or switch to FM. Without a solid foundation, TSN Radio is going nowhere.
Long overdue. Nice to see TSN shaking things up.
Can’t imagine Richards being happy with his new time slot, generally seen as a black hole. Funny how he goes up against Brady & Walker again.
Naylor is way too bland for a morning show. He’s best suited for a 9-12 or 1-4 time slot. But maybe Landsberg will bring out a different side of him. I wonder if the removal of OTR was with the thought of having him full-time on the radio. Not his biggest fan, and he comes across condescending/know-it-allish at times when I’ve heard him, but he certainly has the voice and ability suited for radio.
Smart move moving Hayes & Co. to the prime time slot. I think their following will increase in this better time slot. Great counter move by TSN not only in terms of McCown, but Tim & Sid with a similar demographic and frat boy feel to the show.
@Rob J NAIL.HAMMER.HEAD.
What TSNR is doing here, if true, is nothing more than shuffling deck chairs on the Titanic.
First thoughts:
Agree with Holden. Wheeler’s act is grating. I turn the station (or avoid it) whenever he’s on. Cauz (Cohen) and Derek Taylor worked much better (briefly two weeks ago) but Taylor seems to like doing highlights on TSN. DT might work with Hayes, too. Hayes works well with the crazies. I don’t care if Macko ever returns.
I’m not sure Naylor can match Landsberg’s energy and I don’t see him as a morning guy. I hope the showrunners axe some of his evening cohosts like Graham and Feschuk (this guy is highly overrated; can’t form an argument, often just repeats the thoughts of those around him).
My biggest fear is losing Leafs Lunch — I listen almost every day and laugh out loud at least once. McLennan is expendable but O’Dog and Hayes are great.
Hayes taking over the drive-time slot is an acknowledgement that he’s a solid host — the best on TSN. I just hope we don’t get too much Hayes and Hayes Sr. (like we did when Naylor was off). They agree too much and Hayes Sr. often takes 30 seconds and goes in three or four different directions before asking ONE question. The pre-amble is painful. It must be cool being on the radio with your dad but bad radio is bad radio. O’Dog would be an excellent co-host but would that interfere with his TV duties? Also, he doesn’t know much about anything other than hockey. I think Taylor could work.
And, yes, PTS is vulnerable. Listeners get fed a steady diet of Shannon, Reid and now Grange. I have stopped listening to most of the podcasts because it’s horrible radio. Grange would rather be getting a root canal and is not well suited to that role. Reid sounds/acts like he’s 13. Shannon is the most annoying person on Toronto sports radio/TV (being a sports producer does not make you a credible radio/TV personality. I really hope he’s among the Rogers cuts). And Bob doesn’t seem to care.
The More I think of it the less I like it.
Morning shows should be fun upbeat and full of energy. Richards and Bastl suited this role very well and had success. The only time slot that TSN 1050 beat the Fan was the 7-8 am hour. first they cut TV, then let Bastl go now this. Naylor is too dull and bland for a morning show. I don’t see Landsberg as a fit there either.
I can’t understand how Wheeler survives all this. He is God awful. Too nerdy for sports radio. I liked Cauz better with Mako. heck it better when Scott MacArthur had that time slot.
Leafs Lunch is a very popular show. So I get why they want to move Hayes and his team to prime time. Obviously Naylor was no match for BobCat. only problem is as mentioned above as great as ODog is he doesn’t no much about other sports. They are a hockey crew.
I also agree with Yaz that what TSN 1050 really needs is a better signal. not a shake up.
Bottom line. Who ever is running this station is doing a brutal job. and destroying whatever success they had rather than building on it.
TSN 1050 will be done and off the air in a couple of years maybe less. They don’t know what they are doing and don’t have what it takes to compete with the Fan.
Sad because I really want them to succeed I am a listener, but not for much longer I’m afraid.
What’s wrong with TSN? Replacing Richards for Naylor is a horrible idea. I hope I don’t crash my car when nailer starts talking because he is a very dry person to listen to . I get it with Michael Landsberg being with the company for so long and that they have to give him a position because of his seniority but come on the morning show ? I remember when the fan 590 did this shake up also and fired Gord Selleck and Don Landry . As far as I’m concerned they still haven’t recovered. I guess I’ll be switching back to 590 soon to listen to Blair talk about Blue Jays
Really like Lansburg to morning show, energy and a following, not sure how Naylor fits in
Leafs Lunch is only thing 1050 does real well show wise so why break that up? But like Hayes on Drive, will rival McCowan on 590.
Would like to hear more Andy McNamara. He’s not vanilla and actually has fun engaging the listener.
Pllllease no more Petrillo or Mark Roe on the air, so so so boring.
I enjoy Matthew Cauz too on mid-morning show, a nice change of pace and funny
About time they moved Naylor out of the drive slot. I tried to like him, I really did. But he is just not a good host, full stop. Dull as dish water, with a stuffiness that only adds to the annoyance. But the show has much better co-hosts than PTS, and usually more interesting guests too (no FOBs). Good moves.
Agree with the sentiments of most on Wheeler. He is absolutely brutal and I cringe at the sound of his voice.
Between pods and live listening, I’ve been spending a solid 8-9hrs a day consuming TSN Radio between work/home. I’ve been avoiding switching stations for a while but this will finally do it for me.
I dislike the shuffle. Station seems to be floundering as it is, this will be the nail in the coffin, I think.
You have gotta be kidding me! I love Leafs Lucnch but ODog isn’t going to cut it as a all sports guy.
TSN had 2 good shows The Mike Richards Show and Leafs Lunch. so what do they do?
Cut Dave Bastl (who was their best guy btw), Cut TV move time slots. Kill Leafs lunch and make it a all sports show with hockey guys.
-So now you have a morning show with a stiff like Naylor.
-The Nerd squad 9-noon. (nobody like Wheeler)
-Richards on his own with out his cohost.
-The Leafs Lunch crew not allowed to be Leafs Lunch.
I don’t know who is in charge over there but They need to go, before he or she puts them out of business.
David Shoalts’ twitter feed had a few more details on the 1050 changes:
– Naylor & Landsberg will start their morning show on Monday Feb 22
– Mike Richards will apparently be on from noon to 4 PM
– Hayes and O’Neill will be on from 4 PM to 7 PM
– Jamie McLennan will probably have a role with the new Hayes/O’Neill show but not sure what it is yet, might just be as a regular guest
looks like Feb 22nd is my last day as a TSN 1050 listenr.
I Quit
TSNR is not only rudderless, there’s no compass.
TSNR has required a major overhaul for some time, and these proposed changes just won’t cut it.
Couple of posters have already nailed it, in that if the changes are as proposed (confirmed by Shoalts), all the TSNR PD accomplishes is mostly moving people few were even listening to and then sabotaging the 1 show that was working, namely Leaf’s Lunch. That’s not change, that insanity, results will remain the same.
I’m with AJ, “Sad because I really want them to succeed I am a listener”.
Where I differ is I’ve already moved over/on to 1150 for M&M and then Dan Patrick.
Im not coming back for Naylor in the am drive slot.
Naylor’s pm drive show is difficult to listen to, a lot depends on who is in the 2nd seat, and then and who the guests are. I’m at odds with Landsberg, I hate the sound of his voice. Otherwise, it’s music and then over to “mailing-it-in-Bob” after he dispenses 1st hr of callers.
LL is a staple of my listening diet; however I’m not a fan of Hayes “Solo”, so I rarely listen to him, 2-4. Him & O’Neil 4-7, that could get ugly.
Leafs Lunch is great radio. I wonder about the O’Neill knows nothing about sports stuff. It’s Jamie who confesses to not watching any sports. Odog in my experience is in tune with NFL, Baseball, Basketball and golf. Certainly enough to form an opinion and comment on games. I fully expect Hayes to keep him involved and allow him to (over)react to the day’s events. No doubt it will still be a hockey first program, but I’m good with that. Having said that, my listening is suited to 12-2 much more so then the drive home slot… Leafs Lunch Ferraro segment has become must listen radio. The chemistry between those 4 guys is a pleasure to listen to.
Looking forward to checking out what Landsberg can bring to the table in the morning.
These new Shoalts details confirm my biggest fear. Leafs Lunch is far and away the best radio show in this market and I go out of my way to listen to it or tape it when its on TV. I love O’Dog but it’s never as strong as when the trifecta of Hayes, Dog, and Noodles are present. Someone mentioned this being shuffling the chairs on the Titanic and that seems apt, except they seem to be hastening their demise by cutting the one decent show they had.
Good on TSNR for the proposed makeover, but like @Yaz said first, what will it really matter in the ratings if they don’t find a way to address their weak radio signal?
As someone who can’t stand the ill-suited music jock the Fan parachuted into do mornings, I’ve given Mike Richards ample opportunity, but I continually change the dial between AM, FM and Sirius. While Richards is better on his own than when paired with the mundane former sidekick, it’s well past time for them to try another approach. I’ll welcome the well-rounded Michael Landsberg and hopefully he’ll boost Dave Naylor.
As has been stated on here multiple times, Leafs Lunch has evolved into terrific entertainment so perhaps it’s understandable moving Brian Hayes et all to a more important timeslot. Former players like Boomer Esiason have made it in major markets like New York talking more than just football, so a strong personality like Jeff O’Neill might be just fine talking about more than hockey.
Matt Cauz seems to have a unique take on subjects and I would give him a chance to stay on-air, but he’s been handicapped since being paired with Buddy Pal Wheeler. As others have noted, that voice shouldn’t be anywhere near a daytime microphone.
Bryan Hayes wasn’t coming close to beating Brady & Walker, so I don’t see him making any kind of impact against PTS.
To me, this is mostly about TSN taking a run at Fan mornings. Blundell’s done OK, but with him still getting his footing he might be pretty vulnerable. I think Naylor/Landsberg could be a good show. Better than Blundell, anyway.
The rest of TSN’s day might be a bit of a disaster though. I agree that Wheeler is truly hard to listen to. Mike Richards being moved to afternoons reminds me of what The Fan did with Andrew Krystal. They’re still paying him big money, so they don’t want to fire him, so they plop him in afternoons.
A little worried. Even though it is treated as a inside joke on the show, Noodles is a glue guy. Sure, he is not driving the show, but he gets it back on the rails. He tells anyone who will listen that he doesn’t watch or follow other sports. So it looks like guest work after hockey season.
Now obviously, TSN is trying capitalize with their breakout ‘star’ in O’Neill and to a little lesser degree Hayes, and putting them up against the PTS machine. Even though almost all the co-hosts (of late) are brutal, Bob is still king of the mountain, until he decides that his time is up.
This whole thing doesn’t sound like it has been meticulously planned out.
@Matty Zero
You are exactly right.
LL only works when all three are there, and works best with Ferraro.
No Hayes? Lapse back into really safe talk, limited good stories.
No O’Neill? Gets dry with Hayes falling back on his really awful contrarian shtick
No Noodles? No one to break up Hayes/O’Neill/Ferraro. He doesn’t say much but he’s good at interjecting when things get silly.
A third hour of this show on a daily drive could be rough. Works best as a hockey analysis, hockey stories with some bro talk. These guys don’t have the chops to deal with major issues – say what you will about Naylor but I would rather listen to him on that sort of thing and it goes without saying Bobcat destroys them if he’s awake.
David Shoalts via Twitter posted a little different take on the rearrange of the chairs of the SS TSN1050 when he had Mike going mid morning 9-12 But either way The mornings for sports radio in Toronto in the days ahead do not look promising. Dave Naylor in the AM….Great guy but am you need Tim Hortons Bold to get you going, I am seeing green tea!
This forum shows how fickle fans can be sometimes I think. Not that that is bad, just that everyone seems to want something different.
To me what TSN is rumoured to be doing seems to make a lot of sense.
Mornings – Blundell vs Naylor. Before we had a choice between gag/shock jock type show and a gag/shock jock type show. Now you have an option. Say what you want about Naylor or Landsberg but I would assume their morning show will have a lot of sports detail than the Blundell show.
Drive – Hayes and O’Neill are the 2nd best radio show in Toronto behind McCown in my opinion. Also, we here MIB and Jonah talk often about how Morning shows and Drive shows drive radio stations. So why not put them up against each other? Hayes/O’Neill will have a more laugh track/bar type feel as they do on Leafs Lunch so again you get an option.
To me we now have options as listeners in the two important time slots. Before we had clones against each other in each slot. Now there will be very different programs. This is the best thing possible for a listener; not feeling a hardcore concussion talk on McCown switch to have some laughs on TSN. In a serious mood go the other way.
As an avid listener of both stations I love these changes.
I’m still so annoyed with all this. I can’t listen to TSN 1050 anymore. And I still hate blundell.
I guess I’ll stream TSN 690 Montreal more now. They’re awesome all day. Always been a big fan Tony Marinaro Chris Nilan and Mitch Melnick
And ofcorse my favourite show. Bastl’s Bytes The David Bastl Podcast
Give it listen BastlsBytes.libsyn.com or you can get it on itunes. Be sure to subscribe and give it 5 stars.
It’s truly better than anything on any of these 2 stations right now. The last episode with guest Mike Richards is a must listen.
You should also check out Mike Richards on the Toronto Mike podcast from 2 weeks ago.
Related to the point I made above about PTS. I stuck it out today to see what Bob was blabbing about on a day that is probably the third biggest in Leafs talk in the last year ( Kessel trade, Lou hired, Phaneuf ).
Open with some day old Lady Gaga anthem yakking. Then some heated republican primary talk. 5:09 Shannon does try briefly to steer Bobcat back to sports but continued back to anthems in general. Blair breezes in at 5:10. Late? He’s only been in the building since 8:30 am. Bob shifts to cross-border shopping talk followed by his and Shannon’s favourite car colours.
5:15 – Donaldson/Bautista talk.. 33% of the talk in the 5-6 PM time slot wasted on bunk. (podcasts are about 45 mins ) TSN? 5:01 had Leafs talk. Never tune to 590 at 5 pm.
I’m done, big Richards fan, have no use for the shakeup, off to 590.