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What Would TSN1050 & The Fan Do If ESPN & CBS Sports Radio Died?
I'm not an economics guy, but I can only imagine how much it costs to run a fulltime sports radio station. Not only are there sometimes rights issues (not really a problem here, since the stations own the franchises whose games they air) but it's mostly live 24 hours a day. There's nothing so dated as a taped sports show.
Which brings me to this article from Awful Announcing, which claims that both big American radio sports giants ESPN & CBS Radio Sports are on their last legs, judging by the latest ratings. The premise, which I mostly agree with, seems to be that all sports is local and when you get a network talking generically about teams or sports you don't really care about, tuning goes way down.
That's what the ratings in some of the major markets down south seem to show, and since most of us don't care all that much about, say, the NCAA, it's even worse in Canada. TSN1050 uses ESPN to fill its down time, while the Fan frequently airs CBS Radio Sports.
If, as the author suggests, both of these are eventually going to be sunk by terrible ratings, the question has to be asked: what would the Toronto sports stations do to fill in a lot of dead airtime without them? If their ratings continue to tumble to embarrassing levels, it could happen one day. Could 1050 and 590 here withstand the loss of those fill-in weekend and overnight shows? If not, how would they fill the time?
They are some interesting questions and they may face having to answer them sooner than they think. ESPN owner Disney has begun trimming costs by laying off 7,000 people, including at its fabled sports network. What happens when there just isn't enough of an audience or it's no longer financially viable to fill those dead time slots?
It may be one game where nobody in radio wins.
ESPN Radio is on life support, along with all of national sports talk
- Hansa
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Re: What Would TSN1050 & The Fan Do If ESPN & CBS Sports Radio Died?
They could switch to a different format during off hours. All-x formats are easier for marketing but not the only model.
- RadioActive
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Re: What Would TSN1050 & The Fan Do If ESPN & CBS Sports Radio Died?
It would only happen if it didn't cost them anything. (Can you say paid time? Maybe something on sports betting?) I can't see Rogers or Bell spending money on an overnight show that no one will listen to. Which is why I think ESPN & CBS Sports will continue - at least in the overnight period, where they are on hundreds of stations so the locals don't have to have anyone live.
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Thread Starter- RadioAaron
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Re: What Would TSN1050 & The Fan Do If ESPN & CBS Sports Radio Died?
Someone in the US will produce *something*, even if it's just a headlines/scores feed.
- torontostan
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Re: What Would TSN1050 & The Fan Do If ESPN & CBS Sports Radio Died?
Reruns of their shows from earlier in the day, more out-of-markets live sports, give a guy 100 bucks to air his podcast, or go with another format in off-peak hours (oldies, comedy, and so on....). I doubt ESPN, CBS and Fox sports radio would all go under anytime soon.
- RadioActive
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Re: What Would TSN1050 & The Fan Do If ESPN & CBS Sports Radio Died?
torontostan wrote:
Reruns of their shows from earlier in the day, more out-of-markets live sports, give a guy 100 bucks to air his podcast, or go with another format in off-peak hours (oldies, comedy, and so on....). I doubt ESPN, CBS and Fox sports radio would all go under anytime soon.
I agree, but they might cut back on the hours they're on the air if the ratings tank.
As an example, the Canadian Press used to do those round-the-clock newscasts you hear at the top of the hour on unstaffed radio stations across the country. But when they discovered almost no one was airing them at certain times, they reduced the hours for the majors and now they're only produced for a few dayparts. I can certainly see that possibly happening for these services as well.
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Thread Starter- Radiowiz
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Re: What Would TSN1050 & The Fan Do If ESPN & CBS Sports Radio Died?
Someone in the US will produce *something*, even if it's just a headlines/scores feed.
*THIS*
But also, wouldn't at least one of the two sports stations simply go to Bally sports radio? (aka Fox sports radio)
RadioWiz & RadioQuiz are NOT the same person.
RadioWiz & THE Wiz are NOT the same person.
- RadioActive
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Re: What Would TSN1050 & The Fan Do If ESPN & CBS Sports Radio Died?
Speaking of ESPN, this is what happens when Disney gets its mitts on a company.
Sports media insiders: ESPN ‘not a great place to be’ with morale ‘as low as any time I’ve ever seen’
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Thread Starter- MJ Vancouver
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Re: What Would TSN1050 & The Fan Do If ESPN & CBS Sports Radio Died?
I could see talk shows not directly related to sports going on these stations. And in fact Sportsnet 650 in Vancouver already has at least one non-sports show; on Saturday nights they actually have a locally produced show dedicated to beer. It’s not a bad fit for a station that already primarily targets men, though I can’t see the ratings being that great.
At the same time there’s also the whole issue around AM radio and electric cars.
Last edited by MJ Vancouver (April 26, 2023 5:59 pm)
- radiokid
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Re: What Would TSN1050 & The Fan Do If ESPN & CBS Sports Radio Died?
Reruns of their shows from earlier in the day, more out-of-markets live sports, give a guy 100 bucks to air his podcast, or go with another format in off-peak hours (oldies, comedy, and so on....). I doubt ESPN, CBS and Fox sports radio would all go under anytime soon.
This is exactly what would happen. If they can't justify local programming live during that time, they would do exactly that. ESPN/FOX/CBS etc. is used to provide live programming that is first run that costs very little to provide. It's a step above replay programming... nothing more.
- betaylored
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Re: What Would TSN1050 & The Fan Do If ESPN & CBS Sports Radio Died?
I miss the days when the Kentucky Derby and the Stanley Cup finals were both broadcast in May. And the red line, I really miss the red line in hockey.
Last edited by betaylored (April 26, 2023 7:57 pm)
- Paul Jeffries
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Re: What Would TSN1050 & The Fan Do If ESPN & CBS Sports Radio Died?
I wonder if Bloomberg 1050 is on the horizon, given that TSN 1150 was supposed to fly in Hamilton, but didn't?
PJ
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- paterson1
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Re: What Would TSN1050 & The Fan Do If ESPN & CBS Sports Radio Died?
Does TSN radio and The Fan actually play much from ESPN and CBS Sports? I don't see it as being that big an issue either way, even if ESPN and CBS radio fold. Somebody in the US will pick up the NFL radio broadcasts or the NFL will produce it themselves. Same with any NHL games. TSN 1050 may have a golden opportunity to run Roger Ashby's show then!! It wouldn't hurt them at all
- torontostan
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Re: What Would TSN1050 & The Fan Do If ESPN & CBS Sports Radio Died?
I wonder if Bloomberg 1050 is on the horizon, given that TSN 1150 was supposed to fly in Hamilton, but didn't?
PJ
Two vastly different markets, and 1150's proximity to 1050 did not help them. Their transmitters were only 50 km's apart, so a lot of listeners could've transitioned from one to the other very easily.
Hamilton = 1 sports team from "big six" league (do not own the team)
Toronto = 5 sports teams from "big six" league (4 of which they co-own)
- Tomas Barlow
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Re: What Would TSN1050 & The Fan Do If ESPN & CBS Sports Radio Died?
They may not do well ratings-wise but they keep hundreds of local stations on the air until they can run local play by play or a local drive time show. As long as stations in the US are running the national ads and stations in Canada are paying a bit of money I think they'll keep it going. Especially in the US, it's a way to promote the ESPN brand 24/7. If you have ever heard the US national feed it's non-stop promos for all of the different things ESPN produces.
I don't think the content even has to be local; it just needs to be relevant. You can listen to the show that follows any play by play on ESPN Radio and it's never a post game show to hold listeners. After the final game of the World Series last fall, less than 10 minutes later ESPN Radio was talking football. That makes no sense.
- Radiowiz
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Re: What Would TSN1050 & The Fan Do If ESPN & CBS Sports Radio Died?
Roger Ashby's show then!! It wouldn't hurt them at all
Too expensive.
RadioWiz & RadioQuiz are NOT the same person.
RadioWiz & THE Wiz are NOT the same person.