Bell shuts down TSN1040 (Vancouver), TSN1150 (Hamilton) | EDIT: also TSN 1290 (Winnipeg)

[DoyleG]

1260 in Edmonton has WHL Oil Kings - that's it. I doubt those get much in ratings.

1260 was never a big ratings gainer in the sports format.

Coming in as The Team network was coming apart certainly didn't help.

 

[Fenway]

Podcasts is a great point, but I'll point out you can stream radio stations. I listen to most radio shows after they air actually. I wait for the podcast of the show.

TSN Montreal is must-listen for me

McGuire: Don't think Penguins will rebuild

 

[Warden of the North]

TSN Montreal is must-listen for me

McGuire: Don't think Penguins will rebuild

I often listen to radiopodcasts from the city of the team the Leafs are playing. I want to hear their opinion of the Leafs.

 

[Terrible GM]

Can someone explain to me why radio has been effected by the pandemic? Is it advertisers dropping? I mean, I get that sports coverage was difficult at times, but two major sports are currently playing and a third is about to begin. The worst is behind us.

This is all about greed. I saw this with a company I worked for 18 years. Year after year, they cut staff and replaced with offshore workers or contract. In the last 5 years of my past career barely anyone received a raise of any significance, but high level corporate vp's and board members got massive raises every year. The CEO got millions in bonuses. Why.. because of stock performance.

Over a 5 year period Bell hit a high in stocks in February of 2020, I suspect because of the great 2019 financials. Then in March of 2020 Bells stocks drop considerably, but many companies did (pandemic related). So for the rest of 2020 Bell stocks are lower than the previous year. They still made big profits from what I read below, but not as good as 2019 I guess. So time to start slashing anything that doesn't have a huge financial return.

I'm by no means a financial expert, but this corporate level greed is pretty much a cookie cutter model for any big company.

You gotta think this takes Bell out of the running for the next Canadian hockey TV deal. I mean, why would they cut theses stations if they intended to control the future hockey market. Oh and one thing that shocked me this year, tune in to a Jets or Canucks TSN game. Their pregame/intermission/post-game production value is almost non-existent. We are spoiled watching Leaf games on TSN.

• Net earnings increased 28.9% to $932 million in Q4 with net earnings attributable to common shareholders of $889 million, or $0.98 per common share, up 32.3%; Q4 adjusted net earnings of $731 million generated adjusted EPS of $0.81, down 5.8%
• Achieved approximately 96% of 2019 service revenue and adjusted EBITDA in 2020 and sequential quarterly improvement in Q4 despite ongoing COVID-19 impacts
• Adjusted EBITDA down 3.2% in Q4 on 2.8% lower revenue and 2.6% reduction in operating costs
• 92,928 total wireless postpaid net additions in Q4; postpaid mobile phone net additions of 86,590 up 27% year over year
• Leading broadband wireline subscriber results in Q4: retail Internet net additions increase 25% to 44,512 with 12% Internet revenue growth; 21,106 IPTV net additions
• Over 6 million combined direct fibre and rural Wireless Home Internet locations at end of 2020, expected to grow to up to 6.9 million in 2021 with enhanced capital plan as Canada's fastest 5G network doubles population coverage
• Strong financial position with $3.8 billion of available liquidity at end of 2020
• Q4 cash flows from operating activities down 22% to $1,631 million; Q4 free cash flow of $92 million reflects $1.5 billion in capital investments, up 30% year over year; generated substantial free cash flow of $3.35 billion in 2020

BCE reports 2020 Q4 and full-year results

 

[Ernie]

tune in to a Jets or Canucks TSN game. Their pregame/intermission/post-game production value is almost non-existent. We are spoiled watching Leaf games on TSN.

There are no Canucks games on TSN. Local / national deals are with Sportsnet. Unless you're talking about when they play the Jets, Sens, Leafs, or Canadiens (RDS), but that's only in those local tv markets and you can't blame them for not focusing on the Canucks in that case.

 

[Fenway]

CTV revenue is down from 2 years ago mainly because their golden goose was The Big Bang Theory which ended. Still, CFTO-TV is considered the most profitable local station not only in Canada but the US as well.

 

[KBobs]

TSN Montreal is must-listen for me

McGuire: Don't think Penguins will rebuild

Agreed. The three must-listens for me at the end of the day (in no particular order) are:

1) McGuire on TSN 690 - Melnick in the Afternoon
2) Ferraro on TSN 1050 - Overdrive
3) McGuire on TSN 1200 - TGOR

While there is no doubt a bias towards the home market, all 3 do a good job of covering the events of the day. Like him or not on tv, McGuire is fantastic on radio. Great insight and is very well connected to what's going on behind the scenes across the league.

 

[ColinM]

Seems like the layoffs at the local bell radio station last November were a sign of things to come.

Sucks for those that are laid off as well as those who got left behind but I can see how this reflects modern viewership. Does it make sense for TSN to run 2 versions of Sports Center in the morning in an era that you can watch your team's highlights ondemand via your phone. Likewise Podcasts are much better way to follow sports than live radio where you have to tune in at a certain start and end time.

Having said that I really hope everyone involved ends up on their feet.

 

[John Price]

raises money for "mental health initiative"

cuts Dan O Toole, Natasha, and 3 canadian radio stations

 

[canuckster19]

There are no Canucks games on TSN. Local / national deals are with Sportsnet. Unless you're talking about when they play the Jets, Sens, Leafs, or Canadiens (RDS), but that's only in those local tv markets and you can't blame them for not focusing on the Canucks in that case.

Seems to me like it was only a matter of time until 1040 bit the dust since the Canucks are on 650, doesn't surprise me at all.

 

[StreetHawk]

Seems to me like it was only a matter of time until 1040 bit the dust since the Canucks are on 650, doesn't surprise me at all.

The 5 year deal with Rogers expires in 2022. So, barring TSN hanging in there for another year to try to get the rights for the Canucks, which apparently they didn't seem to want to do, then it was just a matter of time before they closed up shop unless Rogers bled so much that they bailed out after their rights with the Canucks expire in 2022.

Hard to know the final decision that went into it. On air hosts have contracts, so they get paid until the expiration of their contracts or a buyout in essence. Other FTE, get a severance package.

Personally, I get tired of the over Canucks talk sometimes. I follow other sports as well, but my goodness so much complaining about too much Seahawks or Mariners/Blue Jays, and such. Like there isn't much going on with the Canucks past early July after the main free agents are signed. Not a bad idea to have a segment or two a week on other sports.

 

[TT1]

they better not shut down tsn 690

 

[SPF6ty9]

CTV revenue is down from 2 years ago mainly because their golden goose was The Big Bang Theory which ended. Still, CFTO-TV is considered the most profitable local station not only in Canada but the US as well.

View attachment 394649

Wow...those are some bad TV shows, Jeopardy withstanding.

TV stations will really need to step up their content to give some incentive for cable beyond sports and old people set in their ways tuning in.

I hope sports radio survives here in Ottawa. But like many have said, if people aren't driving in to work then there goes a huge part of the audience. If you're competing against the at home crowd it's hard when there are diversified podcasts on any topic available often times with people who are / used to be a part of that world which gives them access to opinions and interviews with people who listeners want to hear from; rather than just hearing the banter between radio personalities.

 

[Rocko604]

Does anyone know whether the remaining TSN Radio stations talked about these shutdowns in real time? Would love to hear that audio.

 

[Dr Pepper]

Does anyone know whether the remaining TSN Radio stations talked about these shutdowns in real time? Would love to hear that audio.

I would imagine the higher-ups instructed the on-air talent to keep things hush-hush.....wouldn't want to ruffle any feathers.

 

[Rocko604]

I would imagine the higher-ups instructed the on-air talent to keep things hush-hush.....wouldn't want to ruffle any feathers.

I figured that would be the case.

 

[Cacciaguida]

I hope smaller markets still will be covrred, I'm not afraid for Vancouver but does Winnipeg and Hamilton have anyone to fill the void?

 

[OG6ix]

Makes sense... Sports Talk radio is dying and there really isn't much to talk about in those markets. Only so much hockey people can talk about before it gets redundant.

 

[Yukon Joe]

Does anyone know whether the remaining TSN Radio stations talked about these shutdowns in real time? Would love to hear that audio.

If you follow any TSN personalities on Twitter they talked about it - though really just to the extent that it sucks when good people lose their jobs. Nobody criticized the decision to close the stations themselves (for understandable reasons).

I did hear it brought up in a 31 Thoughts Podcast (made by Sportsnet) but again in the same vein of "we may be competitors but it sucks when good people lose their jobs".

 

[ColinM]

Slightly off topic but remember when Sports Illustrated was one of the most powerful brands in sports media. Just boils down to mediums evolve and perhaps radio will have to in an era of podcasts.

 

[NorCalhockey]

In the Boston market, radio listenership is down 40% from last March

People are working from home and not listening in their cars seems to be the main reason.

Thats crazy. I listen to more radio (talk radio specifically) now then ever working from home

Podcasts is a great point, but I'll point out you can stream radio stations. I listen to most radio shows after they air actually. I wait for the podcast of the show.

Speaking for myself, I stream the NHL Network on Sirius XM while working from home. And yes, when I did have to drive into work, I did listen in my car, but since it's streamable online as well, I do that now.

CTV revenue is down from 2 years ago mainly because their golden goose was The Big Bang Theory which ended. Still, CFTO-TV is considered the most profitable local station not only in Canada but the US as well.

View attachment 394649

Lots of American tv shows on that list. It's funny, because I'm an American living in the US and I don't watch any of those, but in my household, we watch many more shows either produced in Canada, or filmed in Canada. "Kim's Convenience", "The Expanse", "Burden of Truth", "When Calls the Heart", tons of Hallmark movies, etc.

If you follow any TSN personalities on Twitter they talked about it - though really just to the extent that it sucks when good people lose their jobs. Nobody criticized the decision to close the stations themselves (for understandable reasons).

I did hear it brought up in a 31 Thoughts Podcast (made by Sportsnet) but again in the same vein of "we may be competitors but it sucks when good people lose their jobs".

Yep - I listen to 31 Thoughts and thought it was classy of them to say something, even though TSN is a competitor. Also, something was said in last night's broadcast (Flames versus Canucks) by the Vancouver on-air personality - again, even though the game was aired on a competitor network, Sportsnet.

 

[Primary Assist]

McGuire is fantastic on radio. Great insight and is very well connected to what's going on behind the scenes across the league.

100% agreed. In spite of tv making him come across as so... Strange... McGuire is generational on radio/podcasts.

It sucks that Bell has to make these cuts, but if they've become a liability then they have to make the difficult choice and divest. We're going to be seeing a lot of these across all industries as we get used to a post pandemic world.

 

[landfill]

Seems to me like it was only a matter of time until 1040 bit the dust since the Canucks are on 650, doesn't surprise me at all.

It was a shock to most in the market, as it 650 has a very low luster rate compared to 1040. Don Taylor said it himself that they thought they were killing it in the ratings.

 

[kaiser matias]

Like him or not on tv, McGuire is fantastic on radio. Great insight and is very well connected to what's going on behind the scenes across the league.

This is something I also recall when I listened to the radio. He doesn't try to play up his personality on radio, and instead sounds much more level and comes across much more professional. His knowledge and understanding of things really shows this way, as you're not distracted by his tv antics, and it's too bad he keeps that up when he clearly can go without.

 

[skeena1]

Yep - I listen to 31 Thoughts and thought it was classy of them to say something, even though TSN is a competitor. Also, something was said in last night's broadcast (Flames versus Canucks) by the Vancouver on-air personality - again, even though the game was aired on a competitor network, Sportsnet.

Here it is: