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September 2, 2022 7:42 am  #1


The Fan [Toronto Version] Celebrates 30 Years

FAN590/1430 celebrated their 30th anniversary September 1st. Steve Simmons has a nice column in today's Toronto Sun about the event. Nice photos of a much younger Simmons, Mary Ormsby, Dan Shulman, Norman Rumack, Elliotte Freedman and the late Jim Hunt. I don't know how to post the article so perhaps our leader, RA could post it for me. It's a good read.

 

September 2, 2022 8:49 am  #2


Re: The Fan [Toronto Version] Celebrates 30 Years

I think there's already a link here.

 

September 2, 2022 12:29 pm  #3


Re: The Fan [Toronto Version] Celebrates 30 Years

A month before The Fan launched, Program Director Allan Davis and I flew to New York and sat in the studios of WFAN to watch how they did it.  We came back and Allan set up the programming schedule while I wrote and produced all of the IDs and promos for the new format.  The initial voice I used was Alan Blevis, a Canadian who'd moved to New York and become very successful as a voice over announcer (Enterprise Rent-A-Car, CNN and so many other clients including the Democratic Party for several decades). 

Fun times at Telemedia.

 

September 2, 2022 1:34 pm  #4


Re: The Fan [Toronto Version] Celebrates 30 Years

Used to be their listener.  I remember they had a trial run when they went sports in the evenings, and then eventually switched to full-time sports in September, 1992.  I think I heard them switched to The Fan at 3 PM when Bob McCown went live from the then SkyDome.  I think Dan Shulman was also there.  The semi-regular segment later named "Lady and the Tramps" (the two previously mentioned gentlemen along with Barb DiGiulio) was great even though it didn't have a lot to do with sports... Had listened to The Fan for many years, even streaming them from work when they were streaming from their web site using RealAudio.  Haven't listened to them once since they fired Bob McCown though.  Wasn't a huge fan of McCown, but I just didn't like how Rogers handled things.

Last edited by chrishch (September 2, 2022 1:40 pm)

 

September 2, 2022 2:05 pm  #5


Re: The Fan [Toronto Version] Celebrates 30 Years

From 1989, before it officially became The Fan or moved frequencies:



And from 1995, when it officially was The Fan and had travelled up the dial: (Notice how they cheaped out from 7 PM - 2 AM, with no original local programming, beyond hockey and baseball games. Also worth noting the morning man, who is now persona non grata in radio.)

 

September 2, 2022 9:29 pm  #6


Re: The Fan [Toronto Version] Celebrates 30 Years

In 1992 I was working in Owen Sound. We couldn't even get the station there, but they were handing out their mugs at McD.


Last edited by turkeytop (September 2, 2022 9:29 pm)


I started out with nothing and I still have most of it.
 

September 3, 2022 10:04 am  #7


Re: The Fan [Toronto Version] Celebrates 30 Years

I used listen to Landry and Hogan all the time in the morning. For me it was the best morning duo they ever had. Sadly, what is on today, leaves me cold. 

 

September 4, 2022 11:18 pm  #8


Re: The Fan [Toronto Version] Celebrates 30 Years

RadioActive wrote:

From 1989, before it officially became The Fan or moved frequencies:



And from 1995, when it officially was The Fan and had travelled up the dial: (Notice how they cheaped out from 7 PM - 2 AM, with no original local programming, beyond hockey and baseball games. Also worth noting the morning man, who is now persona non grata in radio.)

National Sports Radio was a Toronto-based network show.  There's an infamous story where the hosts were doing a show and then realized that the Blue Jays were on the Fan and the Leafs were on National Sports Radio's other affiliates and they realized they had been doing a show for absolutely nobody.

Last edited by Tomas Barlow (September 4, 2022 11:19 pm)

 

September 4, 2022 11:51 pm  #9


Re: The Fan [Toronto Version] Celebrates 30 Years

It's dead, Jim!!!

 

September 5, 2022 7:05 am  #10


Re: The Fan [Toronto Version] Celebrates 30 Years

RadioActive wrote:

Also worth noting the morning man, who is now persona non grata in radio.)

Actually, this goes back to the time when Derringer originally wanted to do mornings for Q 107. 
Q 107 said no, so he went to the Fan instead and got mornings. Eventually Q picked him up in the end.

 


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

 
 

September 13, 2022 11:55 am  #11


Re: The Fan [Toronto Version] Celebrates 30 Years

alangee wrote:

I used listen to Landry and Hogan all the time in the morning. For me it was the best morning duo they ever had. Sadly, what is on today, leaves me cold. 

Sports radio in Toronto generally leaves much to be desired. I was in Boston recently and Boston has two really great sports stations (both on FM too). Both stations took calls, had passionate hosts and were entertaining to listen to. None of this is happening on Toronto sports radio these days.