The Devolution of Sports Radio

So there I was, sitting trapped in my car - again - in merciless Toronto rush-hour traffic. All I wanted to do to take my mind off the real world was hear some insightful, informed, provocative sports talk radio.


And in Toronto, that typically means tuning into The Fan 590 during the drive home show with legendary host Bob McCowan. So I tuned in, as I normally do. But he was on a jag about golf, and I just ain't no golf fan. Frustrated, I remembered that Toronto now has two dedicated all-sports talk radio channels. The second is the recently launched TSN 1050. It's being marketed with the tagline: "The Evolution of Sports Radio." Now, I'd heard some bits and pieces of 1050's drive home show hosted by James Cybulski (the show is called "Cybulski and Company". The "company" part is comprised of ex-TV host Gareth Wheeler, who also produces the show) off and on over the summer and just felt "meh" about it. And I should mention that every time I had tuned into 1050, for whatever length of time it was, inevitably the hosts were talking equal amounts of sports and film. And not sports-related movie trivia or some such thing. Nope. Just films the guys liked or actors in films. But I didn't think much of it, guessing they were trying to find some sort of groove and had fallen back on their outside interests in film. They're both pros, so it'll get better.


Well, it seems the 4p.m. drive slot on 1050 in Toronto has gone even further down the path of the cinephile. 


Now let me make clear one thing, I think Cybulski and Wheeler could be great on-air hosts. But what I heard blew my mind. While McCowan was busy interviewing and speaking about some major golf happening, James and Gareth were pontificating on the merits of some obscure film that had nothing to do with sports. And they wouldn't let it go. Seriously, the conversation went on for like 10 minutes. Anyone wanting to hear some sporting news was not getting it from these guys. Again, no disrespect to their broadcasting abilities, but the dudes were just waaaaaay off base with content. 


That was day one of the week. Monday. I decided to test my theory: that Cybulski and Co. were sorely lacking in sports topics and were using a safety net of pop culture discussion to get by and fill time when they had no real guests or sports news to report. And on it went. Tuesday - movies. Wednesday - TV stuff. Thursday - sports movies (OK, this one gets back to the realm of sports... but still!!) and Friday... well, I missed Friday because I left work early.


All told, I'm still a Fan 590, um, fan. 


Word to the wise to the TSN 1050 drive slot folks - start lining up more sports personalities and guests. Drop the pop culture conversations by about 50% and evolve into an actual sports radio show. Because as it stands, in my opinion, you guys are dropping the proverbial ball. 

TSN Montreal, TSN Winnipeg

Fan 590

New Columnist

Television Newspaper

Stubborn Fool and Stubbornfool.com are proud to announce a brand new feature. And with it comes a brand new contributor to the site. On at least a monthly basis – and more likely whenever we get pissed off – Stubborn Fool will feature a media column. The column will focus on the goings on in the radio, television and newspaper industries and will shine an opinionated light, in particular, on the Montreal and Toronto industries and in general on the national and North American markets. But here is the big news:

Newspaper Television

Joining Stubborn Fool is a blogger and veteran journalist who goes by the fake handle of Joe Bunga. Joe Bunga brings 15 years of print and online media experience to this forum. Together with my 15 years in the broadcast industry as an announcer and writer, we will impose our well-considered (and sometimes not so), critical and oft-times nonsensical opinions on you.
What's worse than bloggers and commentators with no experience? Bloggers and commentators who work in the groove and maintain industry connections.
Yes, we will be different from the rest. We will be critical and take a no-holds-barred approach. We will swoon over our favourites and shit on those who deserve it.
This is an addition and not a change to the format of the site. Mike Boone's radio and TV column is long-gone and has been replaced in part by Fagstein.com. What we will try to do is fill some of the great void that exists, with a little more knowledge than some commentators, and with a little less journalistic integrity. Keep watching this space for subjects that will make your head spin, your brain melt and, depending on your perspective, either cause you to have an aneurism or get your rocks off. We don't anticipate much middle ground.

Lost in the Shuffle - Montreal Radio

It truly was awesome listening to Pete Marier on my ride home from work. Lost in the shuffle of the CFQR and CJAD radio marketing campaigns, re-branding and announcer switcharoos was the real quiet like moves over at CHOM 97.7 FM, Montreal's English language rock station. Marier, the long time rock radio announcer has come home to the afternoons where he shone as the drive home announcer for years. Rob Kemp has temporarily moved back to the mornings - for a second time around - as a more seasoned and much improved announcer.

So, that makes two smart moves for station management in recent months. Marier to the afternoon drive and Too Tall to a daily midday shift. Marier, a real professional and great announcer was hardly the ideal candidate for any morning show. Long after hitting prime time on the morning show at 980 AM, Marrier and his gruff voice was moved to the afternoon slot at CHOM and showed what he had. Mornings were never his bag. Put it this way, Carey Price is a great goaltender. Are you going to switch him to a forward position just because he is a tremendous athlete?
Marier first took on mornings at CHOM in 1995 replacing John Derringer and then passing on the torch to the syndicated Howard Stern Show.

When Music Mattered

But wait, just in time for his 54th birthday, Terry DiMonte is scheduled to return to Montreal from Calgary in January 2012 and will be sitting in the air chair during the morning show. Who is the odd man out? Will Kemp move to mid-days splitting time with the 34 year CHOM veteran announcer Too Tall? Will someone get their walking papers? The morning show runs 5:30-10 with the awesome Too Tall's show airing between 10 -3. And did I mention that I love the fact that Montreal radio has a program called The Butt Show?

My Life in Pictures

Labour Day and time to put away all of your white clothes. Luckily everything I own is black and blue. I have always hated this time of year. For the first 25 years of my life it signified a return to school. September also marks a turn in the weather. The sun isn't as strong, and rays turn to rain. And it's the weekend where the local radio stations bring out their lame weekend promotions. CHOM, the once cool rock radio station pulled out a real gem.

From their website, "This Labour Day weekend CHOM is having...twins. It's a special two-for Labour Day weekend on CHOM! All long weekend we’re birthing your favourite bands back to back. We’ll do twice the pushing...you get twice the songs..." Are you freaking kidding me? That's a bit of a stretch. That station has lost its grit. I was listening on Saturday evening and their veteran weekend announcer sounded embarrassed reading that promo. They do have a couple talented announcers. Too Tall has always been my favourite, if I had my say, he would be programming all their music, although I think Picard is having a good influence. Anyway, this wasn't supposed to be a rant about radio. I was going to write a line or two and post some pictures. So, happy (day after) Labour Day. Off to work...

And I haven't lived with my parents in 16 years.

Granted, they just moved into my building. I probably won't ever tell them about my blog. I figure they get offended enough in our regular conversations.

I'm down to bag litre three cups of coffee a day.

How I act around girls I have no interest in.

How I act around girls I want to Date

Apart from the obvious, I also gain the weight as shown in the above photo. I stole this joke. I prefer this picture of Farley to the original.

Sisko's, Winner of The World's Best Restaurant Prize, Fictitious Category

I've been to New Orleans three times and this was the only thing missing. They have their own Myspace page and are supposed to serve excellent food. Too bad they aren't real.

Thanks Bizarrocomics.com for stating it better than I could.

My colleague responded to this cartoon by saying, 'I've been there'. I responded by saying, "I live there".

Death of an Icon

Ted Tevan passed away on Friday August 12, 2011. As the tributes to the late and great Ted Tevan pour in over the web I will weigh in on this iconic radio announcer. My two years working with Ted were barely a footnote in his legendary career. Better known names such as McGarrity, Graeme Mitchell, Earl "the Pearl" De la Perralle, and Eddie “The Brain” Creachman come to mind when speaking of Sports Rap or The Ted Tevan Show. It is unlikely that my own name will ever be listed alongside Ted's.

AM 600 CIQC Montreal

For year upon year, just like many Montrealers, my brother and I would stay up past our bedtimes listening to Ted's broadcasts. I would try to convince my brother to call in and we would listen for anyone we knew or, for someone to get shot by the machine gun sound effects. As a kid, staying up listening to Ted on late night radio was the number one reason I was always tired.

Anyone in Montreal, of a certain age, has a Ted Tevan story. Slightly jaded as I was, meeting Ted for the first time as an adult was an experience. Going before Ted was the equivalent of going before the President, the Prime Minister, an audience with the Queen or meeting Marlon Brando. This was a celebrity. Larger than life, with the deep gravelly voice, and shock of white hair that added three or four inches to a shorter frame. I looked up to Ted while I looked down from my 4 or 5 inch height advantage.

Ted gave me my nickname. The first time I walked into the studio to train on the board, the producer introduced me to Ted.
"Shawn", Tevan said, "Like Shawn O'Grady the boxer. "
On night number two, Ted said, "Hey Look what the cat dragged in. It's O'hara. Did you learn anything last night O'hara?"
From that moment on, I was Shawn O'hara.

I had the luck of running into Graeme Mitchell a year ago. Mitchell was the weekly co-host of Ted's Thursday night horse racing show. After leaving the Montreal Hippodrome as handicapper and marketing expert, Graeme was associated with the Rideau Carleton Raceway.

A Thank You to Ted Tevan

My name won't be listed next to Ted's. The experience and memories are enough. Mitch Melnick once pointed out that of all Ted's producers over the years, of all the Gang of Eleven that ran his show, I was the first producer Ted put on the air as a sidekick. Earlier today I sat listening to some airchecks of Ted and I bantering, or Ted interrupting my weather or sports update.

Ted was an actor on the air. Still, the character he portrayed was the same guy he was in person, albeit exaggerated immensely. Ted always had a plan, whether ranting about the Big O, politics or life, or his 25 minute live ads for Dad's Bagels. One night, in the middle of one rant, a pigeon landed on the window sill outside the studio.

"O'hara," Ted yelled. "What kind of bird is that?"
As deadpan as possible I replied, "Ted, it's a chicken."
For some 10 seconds - an eternity in radio - Ted could not say a word. He was shaking, trying his hardest to not crack up. When he regained his composure, he railed into me, telling me to go home, telling me he would demote me and have one of the other Gang of Eleven take over. All the time with a big smile on his face.

  Mitch Garber's eulogy at Ted Tevan's funeral by StubbornFool.com

Mitch Melnick will be airing a tribute to Ted Tevan on his show Melnick in the Afternoon on Tuesday August 16th between 3-7PM on The Team 990 AM in Montreal. You can also stream it from your computer here.

Up Up and Away! Dave Van Horne

Dave Van Horne

Long time baseball announcer Dave Van Horne has won the Baseball Hall of Fame's Frick award for excellence in broadcasting. The Ford C. Frick Award is presented annually by the National Baseball Hall of Fame to a broadcaster for major contributions to baseball. Van Horne will be inducted in Cooperstown, N.Y. in July 2011.

Van Horne originally from Easton, Pennsylvania, spent 32 years calling the game for the Montreal Expos, and the last ten in the Florida Marlins' booth. Known for his smooth, and easy going style, Van Hone is a unique voice in major league baseball.

Not only have the plays on the field made the highlight reels, Van Horne's calls have made radio listeners and TV viewers jump out of their seats with his "up, up and away..." call for every home run. His coverage of the Dennis Martinez' 1991 perfect game is still heard today, "El Presidente... el perfecto!"

I had the pleasure of working with Van Horne in the late nineties while I was producing the Expos games for the local radio broadcast. At the time he was paired with the great former player and a terrific announcer himself, Ken Singleton. Van Horne was always professional and expected perfection from the staff. He may not be terribly concerned if the pre-game show was scrapped due to technical glitches or errors, but the first pitch had to get to air. I remember a colleague of mine being lectured by Van Horne on the importance of the broadcast and being alert and aware of his cues.

For years, he was the only English voice of baseball in Canada, from the inception of the Expos until the Toronto Blue Jays came along. Even after, and until he left Montreal to join the Marlins in 2001, his was the only voice many Canadians had ever hear call a game of baseball. Congratulations Dave, here's to 42 more years!

I wanted to post a video or some audio but I do not have the expressed written consent of Major League Baseball.