Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community - View Single Post - Shoalts: Rogers fears it overbid for NHL rights. Using cost-cutting measures

browna · 08-13-2014, 11:05 PM

While I don't disagree with the worst managed/silmy large company in Canada is Rogers, and the way they've neutered the Blue Jays this year (in so far as making a big splash last year (much like getting the NHL rights) but then not loosening the purse strings to help the team compete at the trade deadline this year when they are real close to getting over the hump), has me worried there are direct parallels, but there a couple things to keep in mind here.

1)Shoalts works for The G&M, which is partially owned by BCE who of course owns TSN as well, so there's some potential bias there, and it's all "rumor" and "word is".

2)Outside of them cutting back cameras or using a single mic, or reverting back to SD cameras and firing most of the decent on air talent that we're used to (ie Hrudey, Friedman, Hughson, Millions etc) what "production" values are we worried about?

I personally don't care about the talking heads between intermissions, either the blowhards like Kypreos and McLean on Snet, idiocy and dumbness with Healy and Weekes on CBC, and and TSN had as arrogant a bunch as there was. The good peices/stories in the past were done mostly by the CBC (moreso than the other 2 networks), and some of those staffers are sticking around.

Yes they have to upgrade some of the technical aspects of the broadcast, but I suspect they will do that as those are marginal upgrades. They have a wealth of on air talent to choose from, a guy like Hrudey dropping down to the Flames (probably) is proof of that, and that's the single biggest variable that I care about when watching games. If it was Lee and Hrudey on the mic, many of the other technical issues (I still think they delayed the video to the audio to help Kerr out) would be less bothersome last year, and I think those would be simple fixes.

So let's give the benefit of the doubt, at least for the Flames games....the on air talent is 90% of the production value game in and game out (for me anyways), and if that talent is there calling a great game, it makes a huge difference in watching a game, and assuming the basic technical aspects are still there, watching all the Flames games on TV will be much more enjoyable than the last few years with Kerr.

08-13-2014, 11:05 PM	#34
browna Franchise Player Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Calgary Exp:	While I don't disagree with the worst managed/silmy large company in Canada is Rogers, and the way they've neutered the Blue Jays this year (in so far as making a big splash last year (much like getting the NHL rights) but then not loosening the purse strings to help the team compete at the trade deadline this year when they are real close to getting over the hump), has me worried there are direct parallels, but there a couple things to keep in mind here. 1)Shoalts works for The G&M, which is partially owned by BCE who of course owns TSN as well, so there's some potential bias there, and it's all "rumor" and "word is". 2)Outside of them cutting back cameras or using a single mic, or reverting back to SD cameras and firing most of the decent on air talent that we're used to (ie Hrudey, Friedman, Hughson, Millions etc) what "production" values are we worried about? I personally don't care about the talking heads between intermissions, either the blowhards like Kypreos and McLean on Snet, idiocy and dumbness with Healy and Weekes on CBC, and and TSN had as arrogant a bunch as there was. The good peices/stories in the past were done mostly by the CBC (moreso than the other 2 networks), and some of those staffers are sticking around. Yes they have to upgrade some of the technical aspects of the broadcast, but I suspect they will do that as those are marginal upgrades. They have a wealth of on air talent to choose from, a guy like Hrudey dropping down to the Flames (probably) is proof of that, and that's the single biggest variable that I care about when watching games. If it was Lee and Hrudey on the mic, many of the other technical issues (I still think they delayed the video to the audio to help Kerr out) would be less bothersome last year, and I think those would be simple fixes. So let's give the benefit of the doubt, at least for the Flames games....the on air talent is 90% of the production value game in and game out (for me anyways), and if that talent is there calling a great game, it makes a huge difference in watching a game, and assuming the basic technical aspects are still there, watching all the Flames games on TV will be much more enjoyable than the last few years with Kerr.