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September 8, 2020 9:32 am  #1


Is This CKTB Personality The Last Of A Dying Breed?

I rarely listen to CKTB in the mornings, but I happened to tune in Tuesday morning and was surprised to hear Rod Mawhood is still there doing sports after the news. This doesn’t sound all that strange until you think about nearly every other radio station in the Southern Ontario area.
 
With the exception of 680 News, which leverages off of Sportsnet and the existing staff at the Fan 590, none of them seem to have a full time sports person any more. CFRB famously made Bill Stephenson as much a part of its morning show as Wally Crouter. Later there was Suneel Joshi, Claude Feig (now a weekend RB newsreader) and most recently, Mike Toth. But generally, it’s the newsreader who gives the score and then, moves on.
 
Even some of the FMs had a full time sports person. Didn’t Rick Ringer do a report for CHUM-FM at one point? And who can forget Brian Henderson on the AM side? 
 
CFTR, in its Top 40 days, had one of the biggest private newsrooms in Canada. Included in that number: John Hinnen and Ted Bird, both doing sports.
 
And it’s not just radio. CFTO had a great tradition of sports broadcasters – including Fergie Olver, the aforementioned Suneel Joshi and most recently Lance Brown. He was let go a few years ago and never replaced. (Frankly, given their ties to TSN, I’m surprised they don’t leverage those people more often.) Now the anchors give a brief play-by-play of a big game, like the Raptors or the Jays, and the highlight reel is only a few seconds long, followed by the score. And on to other things.
 
Global used to be the home of Sports Line, an entire half hour dedicated to the big leagues, hosted by veterans Jim Tatti and Mark Hebscher. Both are long gone. Is Anthony Bruno still doing weekends there? I haven’t seen him for a while. But I’m sure there’s no one covering the topic during the weekdays.
 
And then there’s City TV, which used to be home to some of the most eclectic sports personalities in the GTA. Former Leaf Jim McKenny, John Gallagher, Kathryn Humphreys and more all brought you the highlights during the 6 & 11 news (and 10 in the earlier days.) Now? As far as I can tell, they only have Lindsay Dunn as a roving sports reporter on the weekdays and they use Jesse Fuchs of Sportsnet to fill in on the weekends. But at least the games get a bit more presence.
 
Not sure about the CBC, since I rarely watch them. And I have no idea what goes on in other markets, like Ottawa. 
 
I do know the Buffalo stations still have full time sports people on their evening newscasts. But in Toronto, they’ve all but disappeared. Do they now consider a full fledged sports report a tune-out or is it just a money saving gambit? Or perhaps the fact there are two full time sports channels on cable is the reason.
 
So is Mr. Mawhood the last of a vanishing breed? If true, it’s a sign of the times and a real shame. Because when it comes to fully covering sports on many radio and TV stations in the GTA, it appears it’s mostly game over. 

 

September 8, 2020 9:48 am  #2


Re: Is This CKTB Personality The Last Of A Dying Breed?

I hear you. Many radio stations at one time employed sportscasters who also focused on local sports rather than just reading the MLB and NHL scores that you could get anywhere.

Sadly, local sports coverage has declined noticeably,  even in the daily papers.  Most community weeklies stopped covering sports years ago.

 

September 8, 2020 9:53 am  #3


Re: Is This CKTB Personality The Last Of A Dying Breed?

It was Rick Hodge who did the sports reports on CHUM FM. In the very early days of CFTO, I think Annis Stukus was one of their sports reporters. Johnny Esaw was the Sports Director for CFTO. I don't know if he ever appeared on air locally. I just remember him doing CFL broadcasts for CTV.

 

September 8, 2020 9:54 am  #4


Re: Is This CKTB Personality The Last Of A Dying Breed?

Thank you, Rick Hodge, not Rick Ringer. I believe that's right. But at least he was there on a daily basis.

Want a score now? Unless it's a playoff game, you have to look on cable or online. Just not on air.

     Thread Starter
 

September 8, 2020 11:17 am  #5


Re: Is This CKTB Personality The Last Of A Dying Breed?

Don't forget Fred Locking. I used to enjoy his sportscasts on CFRB back in the day.

And of course there was Chris Mayberry at CKEY. He and Brad Diamond were a great 1-2 punch there in the '80s. Imagine, a music station with TWO sportscasters, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.


"Life without echo is really no life at all." - Dan Ingram
 

September 8, 2020 11:44 am  #6


Re: Is This CKTB Personality The Last Of A Dying Breed?

Wow, how could I forget CKEY? Thanks for reminding me, Dale.

That was my first real job in the industry, and I really liked Brad Diamond. Sorry, Brad. you really were unforgettable!

So was Jim Hunt, but that's another story. 

     Thread Starter
 

September 8, 2020 5:17 pm  #7


Re: Is This CKTB Personality The Last Of A Dying Breed?

Maybo wrote:

There are some legendary stories working with the great Shakey. At ‘EY in the mid-80s, we had three in sports, Jim, Brad and yours truly.

CKEY had a legendary newsroom. Joe Morgan in the morning. Pete McGarvey. Ian Brownlee. Bob Crabbe. Tom Gould. Frank Allanson. Fred Cripps. Phil Godin. Bob Payne. Charles Templeton and Pierre Berton. Stephen Lewis. Capt. Bob Rice in the chopper. And yes, Jim Hunt. Not to mention Tayler Parnaby. The list goes on and on.

Although they never beat them, they always gave CFRB's big name newsroom a run for its money.

I don't think you and I were there at the same time. I started in 1977 and moved on by 1980. But I believe many of the people mentioned above were still there at the time I left and when you started. Great people for the most part. (Although I wasn't a fan of Joe Morgan to be honest!) 





 

     Thread Starter
 

September 8, 2020 5:47 pm  #8


Re: Is This CKTB Personality The Last Of A Dying Breed?

Al Craig did a great job of covering local sports at CHML in Hamilton, working a split shift.Tiiger-Cats, junior hockey at all the levels, high school football and other sports, soccer, Intercounty baseball and McMaster sports always got some air time.

 

September 8, 2020 6:49 pm  #9


Re: Is This CKTB Personality The Last Of A Dying Breed?

RadioActive wrote:

Want a score now? Unless it's a playoff game, you have to look on cable or online. Just not on air.

It's 2020, not 1989.  HEY SIRI! What's the score... 

 


RadioWiz & RadioQuiz are NOT the same person. 
RadioWiz & THE Wiz are NOT the same person.

 
 

September 8, 2020 7:06 pm  #10


Re: Is This CKTB Personality The Last Of A Dying Breed?

Siri can't show you highlights, provide analysis, interview the players or give you a complete and edited sports package in one place like the TV presenters could. The Internet is a great invention, but there are some things it doesn't do as well as that old fashioned technology could.  

     Thread Starter
 

September 8, 2020 7:35 pm  #11


Re: Is This CKTB Personality The Last Of A Dying Breed?

I was a young college intern at CKEY during the time of the above newspaper ads, and had the chance to work and learn in the same newsroom as some of the greatest news people in Canadian radio.    The size of the staff was huge.   I still have a memo sent to all newsroom people concerning a charity hockey game at Maple Leaf Gardens that we were invited to play in, and I believe there are about 30 or so names on it.    In one newsroom.    Not to lament but the last radio job I had there was 1 full time person and 3 part timers for a cluster of 3 stations.
 

 

September 8, 2020 8:42 pm  #12


Re: Is This CKTB Personality The Last Of A Dying Breed?

If you re-read the post, you'll see I was referring to TV, not radio. 

     Thread Starter
 

September 8, 2020 9:42 pm  #13


Re: Is This CKTB Personality The Last Of A Dying Breed?

I still miss the TV and radio sportscasts.  Today’s pretty talking heads and nice guys on the cable sports channels will
never replace the seasoned sports commentators of the past.  Bill Stephenson, Dave Hodge, Pat Marsden, Norm Marshall, Perc Allen, Joe Crysdale, Jim Hunt, Ed Fitkin, Fred Sgambatti, Don Chevrier.  Then in later years, Peter Gross, Lance Brown, Joe Tilley, Jim Tatiti, and Mark Hebscher.  By the way, Hebsy has his own weekly podcast with
Toronto Mike in which he informally comments on sports and is not afraid of ruffling feathers or being controversial.
These guys brought personality and character to the sports media, two qualities which are lacking in today’s sports
media.

 

September 8, 2020 10:25 pm  #14


Re: Is This CKTB Personality The Last Of A Dying Breed?

RadioActive wrote:

If you re-read the post, you'll see I was referring to TV, not radio. 

 
Check out Bubba on CHCH-TV.

 

September 9, 2020 9:12 am  #15


Re: Is This CKTB Personality The Last Of A Dying Breed?

CFOS in Owen Sound has a sports director who does sports in the mornings.  He also co-hosts the morning show and they have a separate newsperson.   Metro morning has a sports guy with updates and I thought Newstalk 1010 still had someone doing sports.  They did about a year ago anyway, maybe use the TSN newsroom now?

CBC News Network with Heather Hiscox in the mornings has sports highlights, but over on CTV almost nothing on Your Morning.  They do have a lot of videos of kids, dogs, cats and people doing dumb things however...