Sportsnet beginning mass layoffs of on and off-air talent

[beh3moth]

Windsor or Sarnia?

london but close enough, i'm moving soon to ottawa

 

[93LEAFS]

i dunno i moved to sw ontario from northern ontario and i see just as many american flags as i do canadian around here, also people here travel to the states way more and have family/friends across the border

Having lived in southern Ontario my entire life (Toronto, and London which I was at for University). Seeing flags, in general (outside of government buildings), is rare, but you absolutely see more Canadian flags. Also a bunch of Italian or other non-American countries in places like Vaughn (generally with a Canadian flag).

GTA/Golden Horseshoe may not be that similar to places like Northern Ontario (but, they probably have a lot in common with the Lower Mainland, BC for example, or any highly urban setting). But, outside of places immediately across the border like Fort Erie, Southern Ontario doesn't have that much in common culturally with Western New York and closeby mid-Western states like Michigan and Ohio (I go to Western New York generally once a year, and am currently in downtown Cleveland).

To be honest, having taken a class on Canadian Identity while getting my Poli-Sci degree, it's pretty clear how vast the nation is, makes it very limited. The best examples are basically hockey, beer drinking and a belief in the need for universal health care. But, outside the latter, those are more stereotypical than factual. Canada sharing a common language with a neighbor who is the largest producer of entertainment of the world has given us a very limited culture that differentiates from the United States outside of political values. It is the main reason Quebec is the only culture with a very distinct identity due to the language differential stopping them from being fully flooded with American tv shows (and that is only really francophones). At the end of the day, Canadians who grow up in urban settings probably have more commonalities with American's who grow up in similar cities, like Canadians who grow up in the suburbs will relate more to suburban Americans and rural Canadians to rural Americans more so than a person from a small town/rural background will relate to someone from an urban environment. But, the arguments being hinted at or even being put forth that southern Ontarians are somehow less Canadian when they account for 25% of the nations population is comical.

 

[Pilky01]

Anybody who thinks Toronto is an American city can't have spent much time in the US.

Just because its big doesn't make it American.

 

[madmike77]

The big question that does not get addressed much. What the hell is going to happen in the next TV deal? Rogers got burned, BCE is probably gloating, and the business is well beyond what CBC can afford. Unless the NHL find somebody with bigger pockets like a Amazon or Google, I could see a market correction.

I think the next U.S. deal will be good for the NHL. But the next Canadian deal will be painful. Rogers assumed ever-growing ratings when it paid over $5 billion and got burned. The league isn’t going to get that kind of money on a new Canadian deal. Hockey is still popular in Canada, but there are more entertainment options than ever.

 

[Leaf Lander]

Any word if hockey central will be back

 

[madhi19]

Any word if hockey central will be back

Yes the fans 590 new schedule announcement actually revealed that the show will now be two hours... Maybe they can start covering more than the leafs every day.

 

[The Lemonheads]

Yes the fans 590 new schedule announcement actually revealed that the show will now be two hours... Maybe they can start covering more than the leafs every day.

Rating$

Sorry!

 

[awfulwaffle]

Yes the fans 590 new schedule announcement actually revealed that the show will now be two hours... Maybe they can start covering more than the leafs every day.

Are there not other options available?

 

[Fenway]

Hockey Central is carried by the NHL Network in the US and most front offices have it on just in case something breaks.

The NHL uses that show to get a point across with either Daly or Bettman.

 

[JofaKing25]

They could sell off part of the NHL deal to Bell/TSN to recoup some money, but haven't decided to go that direction.

Originally I thought TSN was going to get the rights all along. Tbh, I feel bad for Sportsnet but I think that TSN is 10x better Production than SN anyday of the week. TSN should buy-out SN last remaining shares and get what is owed to them.

 

[Leaf Lander]

It's great that america gets hockey central for 2 hrs but what about canada outside of Toronto

We use to get the nhl network but that went away once sportsnet took over the nhl rights

 

[madhi19]

It's great that america gets hockey central for 2 hrs but what about canada outside of Toronto

We use to get the nhl network but that went away once sportsnet took over the nhl rights

Get the podcast, it 90 minutes long so you get to save 30 minutes of advert.

 

[The Lemonheads]

Toronto is honestly the worst Canadian city i've been to.

We were counting on your approval. Next thing you know the rest of Canada will hate us, too.

I hope this over the top, silly I Hate Toronto/Toronto Is The Worst doesn't spread beyond this message board... next thing you know they'll make a movie about it. Oh wait, they did. "Everyone Hates Toronto."

No-one likes us, we don't care.

 

[SwaggySpungo]

Its not a tourist city. And if you swear to have a population over a million you should be able to offer something. And your 5 million population is bogus cause you include other cities. These aren't even counties or suburbs. these are actual cities lol. Pittsburgh could include Philadelphia for their population while at it. its nonsense.

Toronto proper is 3 million. GTA is 6 million. All of the lols in the world won’t change that. Both of those numbers are skyrocketing (sadly).

I’m not saying that’s a good thing (it’s WAY too populated for my liking) but it is what it is. The mass migration to this area is astronomical.

 

[HugoSimon]

As a Newfie it is bloody funny to me when Canadians pretend not to be American.

Canada is dominated by midwestern American culture. Hockey for me is a midwestern sport and I don't see the shame in that.

Obviously BC has a bit of that Pacific Northwest vibe(although I think it's exaggerated), Quebec is the Canada we wish we were, with the Maritimes being a New England vibe. But overall Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin are just as Canadian to me as Manitoba and Ontario. We're all nothern North Americans and I think that is a pretty awesome descriptor.

 

[Takuto Maruki]

I don't know if this article was posted, I don't think it was, but it does fit the thread:

Jack Todd: Hockey Night in Canada? More like Hockey Night in Toronto

In their lust for that all-important southern Ontario demographic, Sportsnet, TSN and the CBC risk offending hockey fans in six other pretty significant markets. If the only road to that coveted 7 p.m. Saturday night CBC slot with Hockey Night in Canada is through Toronto, an inevitable side effect is the Leafs will become the most hated team in the country.

I bring up this article because, for most intents and purposes, it leads to my next point with regards to Sportsnet: I've noticed that the ads for HNIC on SN channels haven't even bothered to show you who's playing the night cap games like in years prior. It's only 'who's in prime time' (mainly the Leafs) and then the second tier game in the same time slot, pretty much either the Sens or Habs. So if I'm a Canucks or Flames fan that doesn't know if I'm playing on Saturday night, or if I'm not a fan of any of the teams but still live in the area and want something to watch or listen to before I go to bed, I guess I'm shit out of luck? I mean, one could always look up who's playing, or most people would probably get NHL/SN/theScore app updates on who's playing, but still, it really just underlines that article as a whole that I posted on how it seems like SN is more or less telling Western Canadians to shove it, in the bull rush to satiate Southern Ontario.

 

[cutchemist42]

End of an era as Primetime Sports is no more after today. Didnt involve layoffs as it already happened months ago but it is a reshuffle of the deck chairs. You kinda knew Jeff Blair wasnt big enough for the spot.

Hate to sound like a grumpynold guy (I'm 33) but going from good sports talk to two dudes trying to be gimmicky/memes all the time is a downgrade.

 

[TheTotalPackage]

End of an era as Primetime Sports is no more after today. Didnt involve layoffs as it already happened months ago but it is a reshuffle of the deck chairs. You kinda knew Jeff Blair wasnt big enough for the spot.

Hate to sound like a grumpynold guy (I'm 33) but going from good sports talk to two dudes trying to be gimmicky/memes all the time is a downgrade.

Quality, hard hitting sports radio is officially dead in Toronto. Nothing worth listening to any more. Yes, that includes the clown show on the other end of the dial.

 

[golfortennis]

What I find odd is how the NHL did not insist Rogers continue with their original plan of showing more game son Saturday night than they do. Shoalts' book talks about how they were pushing that, and the NHL wanted it. The first season it was happening, but then they cut the other games out. Maybe there is half your problem....

 

[OKOptimistic]

Poor boomers, victims of the Internet (not being sarcastic)

 

[Takuto Maruki]

What I find odd is how the NHL did not insist Rogers continue with their original plan of showing more game son Saturday night than they do. Shoalts' book talks about how they were pushing that, and the NHL wanted it. The first season it was happening, but then they cut the other games out. Maybe there is half your problem....

In that case, I can't blame Rogers. There is enough hockey to go around on prime time; barring doing something like more morning and afternoon games (Something that I am sure most teams want to avoid) or doing like what CTV does for the NFL, and having different games for different CBC stations, it seems like too much work for not much return. Especially in times like this where most Sportsnet channels are going to be busy with playoff baseball.

 

[Jumptheshark]

This thread has lost the plot. People were let go but others were hired

 

[Tarantula]

Quality, hard hitting sports radio is officially dead in Toronto. Nothing worth listening to any more. Yes, that includes the clown show on the other end of the dial.

590 is no longer saved in my car, and I cannot listen to Dim and Sidiot. Not a fan of Over Drive either, though I will usually tune in for Ray Farraro.

 

[Pilky01]

End of an era as Primetime Sports is no more after today. Didnt involve layoffs as it already happened months ago but it is a reshuffle of the deck chairs. You kinda knew Jeff Blair wasnt big enough for the spot.

Hate to sound like a grumpynold guy (I'm 33) but going from good sports talk to two dudes trying to be gimmicky/memes all the time is a downgrade.

For a good while there I had a 3 podcast rotation that I could listen to daily; Prime Time Sports, Tim & Sid (first podcast, then radio) and The Tony Kornheiser Show. I stopped listening to Tim & Sid when they switched to television and it made for a terrible podcast. Now Prime Time Sports is over. And ten years ago I was certain Kornheiser's show would be the first to kick the bucket.

I watched some of Tim & Sid yesterday and it was awkward. Whatever dynamism used to exist with the TV is all gone. Now it just look like a radio show on TV (which is exactly what it is) but with a big useless set.

I'm not sure Rogers really thought this through. To save money on the radio side they have decided to make their television product worse.

What I find odd is how the NHL did not insist Rogers continue with their original plan of showing more game son Saturday night than they do. Shoalts' book talks about how they were pushing that, and the NHL wanted it. The first season it was happening, but then they cut the other games out. Maybe there is half your problem....

Yeah they made a big fuss about how many games you would have available, especially on Saturdays. But that changed almost immediately and they started rolling games behind premium packages. It actually feels like there is less hockey on TV that there used to be....though to be fair I have since cut SN1 and SN360, so I miss all of those games.

Edit: Oh awesome! Looking at this weeks Sportsnet schedule, despite living in the Leafs broadcasting region, their game versus Washington on Wednesday is on a premium channel.

f*** you Sportsnet. I can't wait until some shady app like DAZN steals all your hockey content

 

[cutchemist42]

For a good while there I had a 3 podcast rotation that I could listen to daily; Prime Time Sports, Tim & Sid (first podcast, then radio) and The Tony Kornheiser Show. I stopped listening to Tim & Sid when they switched to television and it made for a terrible podcast. Now Prime Time Sports is over. And ten years ago I was certain Kornheiser's show would be the first to kick the bucket.

I watched some of Tim & Sid yesterday and it was awkward. Whatever dynamism used to exist with the TV is all gone. Now it just look like a radio show on TV (which is exactly what it is) but with a big useless set.

I'm not sure Rogers really thought this through. To save money on the radio side they have decided to make their television product worse.



Yeah they made a big fuss about how many games you would have available, especially on Saturdays. But that changed almost immediately and they started rolling games behind premium packages. It actually feels like there is less hockey on TV that there used to be....though to be fair I have since cut SN1 and SN360, so I miss all of those games.

Edit: Oh awesome! Looking at this weeks Sportsnet schedule, despite living in the Leafs broadcasting region, their game versus Washington on Wednesday is on a premium channel.

**** you Sportsnet. I can't wait until some shady app like DAZN steals all your hockey content

Yeah that experience is a lot like mine with PTS and Tim & Sid being part of my podcast rotation at work. I dropped T&S for similar reasons.