Channel surfing this morning and both Toronto sports stations were talking about the Leafs.  Admittedly, my listening sample-size was very limited — I have no doubt the World Cup game was discussed thoroughly.  Point is though, football in America (and on W1) is akin to hockey here.

mace wrote:

gch wrote:

I remember living in Michigan as a kid, and watching hockey (in black & white) on Channel 9 from Windsor...
For awhile, the RedWings enforced a blackout of Leafs' games when Detroit was playing at Olympia...
An angry viewer tried, unsuccessfully, to topple the CKLW-TV tower.....
The first year I watched hockey regularly was 1961, when the Chicago Black Hawks won the cup!
 

There couldn't have been too many Saturday night blackouts, because the Wings, Rangers, Bruins and Black Hawks played many of their home games on Sunday nights in the six team era.

 
On the contrary, Mace, there were quite a few.  The four American teams couldn’t ALL play at home on Sunday nights.  Detroit was often the Saturday night choice.  It didn’t matter that Olympia Stadium was jammed to the rafters, a HNIC blackout was still in effect.  I know when we picked weekends to visit family members in Windsor, we went when the Wings were away (it always seemed the Leafs hosted Boston in those weekends).  I’ve always felt a generation of Windsorites hated the Wings and backed the Leafs due to that blackout policy.

mace wrote:

Saul wrote:

CBC running storm alerts. Heard warnings for tornadoes in Manitoba this evening. Funny that while I was DXing MB and SK here in ON at the time, the alerts were on 90.7 Orillia and 94.1 Toronto, as I worked my way through the dial. The warnings sounded somewhat like AI, at least not a normal sounding human voice. My apologies if it was a real human. And it in both official languages.

 

Did you catch anything interesting? In the brief 5 minute drive home after work last night, something was punching through Legend 102.9 and I heard Coumtry mixing with WGRF on 96.9. Strange that there was no sign of Humber which usually mixes with 97ROCK in my neighbourhood [401/Avenue Rd.]

 
Highly doubt the 102.9 punch-through was WhiStle-FM in Stouffville, unless you were in our neck of the woods.  Our volunteer community station covers most of the town but not beyond.

Reminds me of Albert Brooks’ line to Holly Hunter in Broadcast News when he discusses Arnold Schwarzenegger’s appearance on all three network morning shows:  “I think he’s live on two of them.”

g121 wrote:

I'm not against the "hard questions".  It's the manner/style/timing I had issue with.   It was literally their 1st day on the job .. Chayka  & Mats were sitting right there .. Simmons was basically a rude "full of himself" jerk.

Simmons could have re-phased his questions & asked without the condescending belligerence to get to same points & actually get a much better answer; which is the goal of the session.   Be a "dick", then don't be surprised you get a "dick" response.   Simmons was "grandstanding", the story shouldn't be able the reporter. 

Plus it was pretty darn short-sighted.   Going forward, Simmons will be last-in-line to hear anything from MSLE.   Dave Feschuk (of the story) is prone to the same "grandstanding" in hopes he looks like the "hard hitting" reporter .. look up when Feschuk asked Phil Kessel "if he was a coach-killer".  Phil just called Feschuk an idiot & walked away.  It was pretty funny to watch Feschuk grovel to Phil in a feeble attempt to regain any kind of relationship.

Chayka  was on OverDrive last night.  A good discussion where all 3 hosts asked real questions without being belligerent 'dicks'.

 

Sounds to me as if you had a pre-conceived notion of Simmons before the news conference.  Would you be as critical if it was an unknown reporter asking the questions?  Look, demanding questions occasionally require a demanding approach.  You mention OverDrive.  This is the show that featured one member reacting to the Leafs winning the draft lottery the same way he’d react if he won the LottoMax draw.  People are so used to fans being part of the media that they don’t recognize impartially.

Shorty Wave wrote:

g121 wrote:

Wow ..  what a bush league, ass move by Simmons. 

There's an appropriate time and place for questions are all types.  For Simmons to table those questions in that manner with that belligerent, condescending presentation at the introduction of Leafs new executive while the new guys are sitting right there is a unforgiveable lack of judgement, utter disrespect & pure lack of class.  Personally, I wouldn't blame anyone associated with the Leafs or MSLE if Simmons was never given the time of day going forward.

 
I couldn’t disagree with you more g121. When, for example, would be an appropriate time to ask questions about the new GM other than at the “New GM Press Conference”? And although Simmons went for the jugular, I think he brought to light just what type of person Pelley had hired for the most profitable team in the NHL, and that maybe Pelley has made a bad choice.That what journalists do.

I don’t see things going well for the Leafs for the foreseeable future, especially with the leadership they have. And the sad part, they’ll still sell out games. Hopefully they’ll get their mojo back within the next decade!

 
I’m with Shorty Wave on this one.  In this day of “rally-round-the-flag and cheer for the home team” sports journalism, it’s refreshing to see a journalist demand answers from the questions fans have been asking.  It was a news conference, not a campfire family gathering of Kumbaya singers.

RadioActive wrote:

The real question may be what causes you to turn off a station?

 
Spence ads.

After 53 years, Vic is calling it a career.  Great guy and excellent broadcaster.

https://www.bellmedia.ca/the-lede/press/tsn-commentator-vic-rauter-announces-retirement/?utm_source=mailchimp&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=tsn-commentator-vic-rauter-announces-retirement

cash wrote:

RadioAaron wrote:

The Jays' games are already all in DST.

Jays' games next year that start at 7pm in Toronto, will start at 5pm in Vancouver, not 4pm as they will in 2026. 

 
They will not.  As RadioAaron said, both Ontario and BC will be on daylight time from March to November, so the three-hour difference will still be in play.  It’s only from November to March when it will be two hours between Ontario and BC.

Ale Ont wrote:

I think Lowell worked at CKOY for a couple of years.

 
He did, Ale Ont.  I worked with him for a couple of years there in the early 1980s.

One of my most cherished mentors and a wonderful person.  He was always willing to lend a hand to budding sportscasters. 

I can still hear his voice signing off another early evening TV sportscast:  “…and there’s racing tonight at Western Fair Raceway.  Post time: 7:45.”

#RIP Pete.   And many, many thanks.  😔🙏🏻

Many, many years ago before cell phones were anything but common, Lynne Thomas and I were both trapped behind a massive 401 pileup whilst en route to CKEY from our respective Pickering homes.  We were only a few cars apart.  While the news reader could handle my first sports report, Lynne walked car to car, looking for a Good Samaritan willing to let her borrow their bulky cell phone.  The person who agreed was a loyal ‘EY listener.  Lynne wrote down some pertinent traffic information and then did her traffic report live from the person’s phone, including a mention of the 401 westbound delay “from McCowan as far as the eye can see.”

At BN, we sent his newscasts and ROTS out to stations via satellite.  His work was a must-listen when we had the chance.

mace wrote:

That could possibly mean that in the future CBC will only run a single Friday episode.

 
Mace, I believe that will indeed be the plan moving forward.

unclefester wrote:

My ears perked up today listening to the afternoon show on TSN 690 in Montreal when one of the hosts spoke negatively about the upcoming World Junior Hockey Championships

The host said his "fandom for the tournamet has waned" mostly because Canada's very best junior-aged players will be unavailable to wear the maple leaf. That's because they remain with the NHL teams that drafted them.

The World Juniors are held annually during the holiday period & provide some excellent viewing

They are an absolute cash cow for Hockey Canada and TSN, the exclusive provider in Canada

Why a TSN on air host would throw shade on their marquee event puzzles me

Don't slag the friggin' thing 

Maybe keep your mouth shut?   

 
I think a little bit of on-air journalism is rare and refreshing.  So little of it these days, especially on conglomerate-owned outlets.