The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum » Is TSN's Motoring TV the next to go?

December 2, 2017 6:13 pm

This week's show started with two or three guys talking about their jobs as drivers of large front-end
whatchamacallits that lift and move the wrecks around at (sponsor) Stark Auto Sales.
I stayed with the program because I knew Graeme Fletcher's test drive would get things on track.
It did for a few minutes, but then it was right back to sponsor-generated content that probably drove people
away by the (pick a number).
With the added exception of Bill Gardiner's bit on timing belts/chains and Jim Kenzie's opinion piece,
the sales staff has taken over, providing edge-of-your-seat crap from WeatherTech, Tirecraft, Silverwax
and gawdknowswhat!
I don't know what happened to "stories about cars and the people who drive them," but they're now
minus a viewer.

December 3, 2017 9:52 am

Shift happens

Chrisphen · December 3, 2017 10:45 am

mike marshall wrote:
I don't know what happened to "stories about cars and the people who drive them,"

You seem to suggest that the show was somehow different then as it is now. I doubt it is - twenty years ago their test drives consisted of gently tooting around an industrial park while reading off promotional copy. That's partially why Top Gear was so revelatory, even before its most popular incarnation - no sponsors to suck and blow.

December 3, 2017 11:52 am

I was suggesting that almost all of this week's content appeared to be sales department-driven, to the detriment of what should really be important when it comes to attracting (or holding) an audience.
The show repeats tomorrow (Monday) at 1pm on TSN1,3,4 and 5. Further opinions are welcome.

Last edited by mike marshall (December 3, 2017 11:55 am)

Retaw · December 3, 2017 1:59 pm

Pretty much every car show has embedded advertising in it, though I guess if the entire show becomes an ad that's another thing.

Plate Voltage · December 3, 2017 8:30 pm

The embedded advertising has gotten worse over time.

The comments about the decline of content quality reminded me of a conversation I've had a few times. A couple of times over the years when it's been quiet at work, one of the senior guys has asked me if I watch TV at home. My answer has always been no. I don't have enough spare time to watch TV outside of work when there are so many other things that need to be done or are more interesting to me than what's on TV. The coworker's said the same thing, and the conversation's always turned to wondering what's likely going to become of our jobs if people keep tuning out.

Times have changed since the 1980s, early 1990s when sitting down in front of the idiot box and vegging out after getting home was the main form of mass entertainment. That run of decades has ended and putting out mediocre-and-getting worse garbage because people are going to watch regardless is over, with the broad range of other things to occupy time that are available now.

December 4, 2017 11:36 am

Consider print automotive media for a moment.

Until approx. a year ago, one followed one's favorite scribes in the weekly press: Globe Drive on Thursday, National Post Driving on Friday and Star Wheels on Saturday. Then (almost) everyone got fired. Globe Drive and National Post Driving use considerable content from Bloomberg while the Star's former writers are consolidated under "AutoGuide" and may appear in any of the three papers.

The consequence of that is not unlike the time we knew where & when to catch Norm Marshall or Gordon Sinclair on radio. We were comfortable with them and never missed a show. Newspapers threw that goodwill out the window.

A prominent editor remarked last year "articles are there to keep advertisements from bumping into each other". Indeed.

December 4, 2017 1:59 pm

Enjoyed the Norm Marshall mention.

unclefester · December 4, 2017 6:22 pm

mike marshall wrote:
Enjoyed the Norm Marshall mention.

And we enjoyed your dad Mike

I remember his t.v. play-by-play on CHCH with the Junior A Hamilton Red Wings

\Was it the old Barton Street arena?

That was back in the 1960's -- I was just a kid but remember it oh so well

Your dad -- Reg Sellner and Bill Inkol -- had an influence on this young lad for sure

Sorry to take your topic on the tracks

December 4, 2017 9:10 pm

unclefester wrote:
mike marshall wrote:
Enjoyed the Norm Marshall mention.
And we enjoyed your dad Mike

I remember his t.v. play-by-play on CHCH with the Junior A Hamilton Red Wings

\Was it the old Barton Street arena?

That was back in the 1960's -- I was just a kid but remember it oh so well

Your dad -- Reg Sellner and Bill Inkol -- had an influence on this young lad for sure

Sorry to take your topic on the tracks

Not a problem, Unclefester.

Yes, the Hamilton Forum. Sandy Hoyt used to tell me constantly during our years together at CHFI that he'd just
had somebody else mention the Wings games. I got a beautiful set of hockey gloves
there one day. Used them for years.

December 5, 2017 2:26 pm

I recall Sandy doing the 'Junior Bee's' games on channel 11 too. Yup...Norm and Sandy were quite the pair back in the Red Wings days...Buddy Bloom? [Blume?] Then came big [M] Frank's little [m] brother Peter. I watched frequently as anything 'hockey' on TV got my attention. There was so little available...especially compared to nowadays. CFTO used to carry the Marlies, St. Mikes/Neil McNeil games for a couple of years too. I wonder, Mike, if folks will remember Motoring TV with similar fondness?

Norm was your Dad? I never knew.

unclefester · December 5, 2017 4:46 pm

Old Codger wrote:
] I wonder if folks will remember Motoring TV with similar fondness?

Not a chance in hell...

Codger we should perhaps for the historical record add the name of the most famous junior Red Wing of all

Paul Henderson

December 5, 2017 5:32 pm

I have an autographed stick from Paul Fester...t'was obtained while he was firing in the odd game winner for Birmingham in the WHA. We had a mutual friend...Jeff Jacques who also played for the Toros...and then the Bulls. Jeff, I'd know since we were wee lads. Paul, is from the same home town as my Grandmother Lucas...nee Robertson. ie: Lucknow Ontario.

Perhaps Paul BECAME the most famous Red Wing. Not so sure he was at the time. He did wear that logo in the NHL as well...before being traded to a better team.

Other guys on the team I recall include Nick Libett, Freddie Speck, Jimmy Peters, Pit Martin, Sandy Snow, and Gary Doak. After that? I'm pretty much blankin'.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Back to Mike's thread...I'll bet they all drove...or at least rode around in, cars. [and they were ALL on TV]

Last edited by Old Codger (December 5, 2017 5:42 pm)

December 5, 2017 6:22 pm

getting back to mike's topic . . . john oakley recommends the sales staff at lakeridge auto gallery, so who the hell needs the likes of graeme fletcher, bill gardiner or jim kenzie?

unclefester · December 5, 2017 7:59 pm

Old Codger wrote:
I have an autographed stick from Paul Fester...t'was obtained while he was firing in the odd game winner for Birmingham in the WHA. We had a mutual friend...Jeff Jacques who also played for the Toros...and then the Bulls. Jeff, I'd know since we were wee lads. Paul, is from the same home town as my Grandmother Lucas...nee Robertson. ie: Lucknow Ontario.

Perhaps Paul BECAME the most famous Red Wing. Not so sure he was at the time. He did wear that logo in the NHL as well...before being traded to a better team.

Other guys on the team I recall include Nick Libett, Freddie Speck, Jimmy Peters, Pit Martin, Sandy Snow, and Gary Doak. After that? I'm pretty much blankin'.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Back to Mike's thread...I'll bet they all drove...or at least rode around in, cars. [and they were ALL on TV]

Nice post OC

I've told this story before but here it goes again

I was at the EX in the summer of 1973 and while walking through the grounds with my pal I spy ahead of us two men formally dressed in jacket and tie heading in the same direction -- i.e.away from us.

Didn't need to see their faces -- the recognition was instantaneous. The one chap was Paul Henderson -- who was spending time at the Hockey Hall of Fame along with Dave Reynolds -- an old HNIC host from Montreal

Less than a year before Mr. Henderson had performed his magic in Moscow.

Thanks to Old Codger and very special thanks to Mike Marshall -- sorry I've put your thread in the ditch

December 5, 2017 9:10 pm

unclefester wrote:
I spy ahead of us two men formally dressed in jacket and tie heading in the same direction -- i.e.away from us. Didn't need to see their faces -- the recognition was instantaneous.

You were that familiar with their rear ends?

unclefester · December 5, 2017 11:31 pm

Ms. C. wrote:

You were that familiar with their rear ends?

My sincere apologies Mike -- sorry your thread has devolved into this ^^^

Kilgore · December 7, 2017 6:52 am

Are you still driving that K-Car, Fester?