[News] Kypreos leaving Sportsnet

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by sleepingmoose

Do we know all the people let go yet? I heard Andrew Schultz, but not really any others.

Ian Busby who's been around the Calgary media landscape in various different capacities. Rogers sucks.

[Flashpoint]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Ian Busby who's been around the Calgary media landscape in various different capacities. Rogers sucks.

I see this as a reflection of the state of the game, and the world. The current cable model with intermissions, commercials, and talking heads is dead.

I grew up with Ed Whalen, 2&7 and 66CFR for my Flames coverage. It was great. They talked Calgary Flames. I loved it.

But 10 years ago I got rid of Cable when the NHL went on strike. I saved $1100 dollars that year and didn’t miss it. When the NHL resumed I got the NHL streaming package.

The one thing that bugged me? TV commercials. When you don’t have traditional “TV” you don’t have commercials. So to try to watch something with them is like hammering nails into your eyeballs every 10 min. So you start doing the old “tape delay” watching with a buffer and catching up to live late in the third.

Pretty quickly you realize you also don’t need to hear the latest Maple Leaf practice report, Cherry’s ramblings, or the gushing about the Oilers either. So you skip that too.

Eventually you reach a point where I am now. If a broadcast was offered with NOTHING but the game audio and a camera pointed at the rink during breaks in play, I would buy it.

I’d pay EXTRA for it!

Where does that leave the current broadcaster? With a dwindling cable base, reduced ad revenue and expensive onscreen talent that nobody under 30 watches.

I also don’t feel bad for SN. I can watch every team. I can see how slipshod and second rate Rogers is in comparison to a lot of broadcasts. From lack of HD, desynced audio, amateur color broadcasters... it’s undeserving of the Calgary market.

The days of a captive audience are ending. You can’t show the same commercial 50 times a night and expect your audience to take it. You also can’t “black out” games. It simply doesn’t exist anymore.

Times have changed. Evolve or die.

Honestly, I kinda hope they die so a new model that’s friendlier to the fan can take their place. Like the Athletic. Better for the great writers, better for fans.

[Locke]

Yeah, I cant even remember the last time I watched an intermission segment.

Honestly, I would say that I tune in to Coach's Corner more to watch Maclean's discomfort and Cherry say something astoundingly stupid.

Its like a train crash. You just cant look away, but its eventually cleared up and you dont miss it.

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Yup. I know one of the on air people. No warning either, just told them after the show.

To be fair, isn't that just kind of SOP for live air talent?

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by powderjunkie

To be fair, isn't that just kind of SOP for live air talent?

Yup. You finish your show, get told, get walked out

[getbak]

Originally Posted by powderjunkie

To be fair, isn't that just kind of SOP for live air talent?

Yeah, that way they don't risk people bad-mouthing the company on the air after they have just found out they're going to be let go.

It's pretty common when radio stations change format if they're also cleaning house from their on-air staff. That's why there's often a few weeks with no on-air staff immediately after a format change.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by getbak

Yeah, that way they don't risk people bad-mouthing the company on the air after they have just found out they're going to be let go.

It's pretty common when radio stations change format if they're also cleaning house from their on-air staff. That's why there's often a few weeks with no on-air staff immediately after a format change.

Which is a shame because that is one way to get some real, on-air, unscripted genuine entertainment.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by getbak

Yeah, that way they don't risk people bad-mouthing the company on the air after they have just found out they're going to be let go.

It's pretty common when radio stations change format if they're also cleaning house from their on-air staff. That's why there's often a few weeks with no on-air staff immediately after a format change.

Sometimes the on air personnel can seamlessly transition from one format to another. Dr. Johnny Fever went from easy listening to rock without a hitch.

[mikeecho]

Originally Posted by Flashpoint

Eventually you reach a point where I am now. If a broadcast was offered with NOTHING but the game audio and a camera pointed at the rink during breaks in play, I would buy it.

I’d pay EXTRA for it

I recall years back when some CBC employees were on strike watching CFL games without any commentary. Just a video feed with the microphones capturing game and fan noise. I loved it. Almost felt like you were there.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by powderjunkie

To be fair, isn't that just kind of SOP for live air talent?

So I’m told. Still, kind of jarring for them. He’s been on for years.

[Split98]

While it's great they're getting rid of annoying people, I wonder what we're going to see this year.

More commercials? Worse replacement talent? Same syncing issues, same awful picture, same blackouts?

With an exclusive contract, I wonder if we're actually going to see a worse product this year. This is Rogers.

[Boreal]

Sportsnet's deals with the Flames & Oilers are up at the end of this season.

They’re most likely negotiating a new deal with the both.

I imagine it won’t be cheap and they’re bracing for it.

But can you imagine negotiating with the blowhardy Oilers & the McDavid factor.
“We're not paying that... you've rolled out a terrible entertainment product for over a decade."
“Fine... we'll take McDavid elsewhere...”

Maybe TSN kicks them to the curb? Who knows.

https://www.newswire.ca/news-release...545198802.html

[CroFlames]

Cabbie was never the same after he left TheScore. He was awesome there. When he tried replicating it on TSN it just didn't come off as funny or original.

Much like Jay and Dan on TSN were awesome the first time around. Now it seems forced.

Maybe I'm just weird.

[jayswin]

My dream is for the Flames to get picked up by TSN.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

Cabbie was never the same after he left TheScore. He was awesome there. When he tried replicating it on TSN it just didn't come off as funny or original.

Much like Jay and Dan on TSN were awesome the first time around. Now it seems forced.

Maybe I'm just weird.

No, not just you. That's almost always the case when personalities have a natural, organic thing going. It usually works on the first station they're on because they grew into naturally and it was "extra" per say to their work.

Then when quirky/funny/unique personalities get poached they're basically hired with "everyone loves this schtik you do so this contract is for you to focus on that and even take it to a new level" and then they feel pressure to do it all the time and exaggerate who they were.

You saw it with Jay and Dan in the US. On TSN they had a show and then every once and a while they'd get weird or go on tangents and it was hilarious. Then in the US it was like the "acting" stuff became their only goal and actually hosting a sports show was just the lead up to some funny or crazy thing that was going to happen.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by jayswin

My dream is for the Flames to get picked up by TSN.

That would be a dream come true for many of us but I wouldn't get your expectations high. Has there ever been any indication TSN has been aggressive in pursuing the Flames rights? I have to imagine they would rather nab the Oilers for the McDavid hype alone. It seems like the Flames just keep renewing with Rogers like they are partners. Also maybe King and the Flames are still sour at some of the ridicule from TSN when Darryl went crazy at the end of his tenure? Who knows but I get the feeling that TSN would have to offer substantially more money as the Flames have never shown their fans much indication that production values are a top priority when signing off the rights to broadcast their product.

[Toonage]

I have no doubt TSN would like to increase their regional NHL footprint for the duration of the Rogers national deal. Already having regional rights to Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa & Winnipeg.

Also, given Rogers financial issues I don't think it would take much to outbid them for these rights.

Its a very real possibility.

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

That would be a dream come true for many of us but I wouldn't get your expectations high. Has there ever been any indication TSN has been aggressive in pursuing the Flames rights? It seems like the Flames just keep renewing with Rogers like they are partners. Also maybe King and the Flames are still sour at some of the ridicule from TSN when Darryl went crazy at the end of his tenure? Who knows but I get the feeling that TSN would have to offer substantially more money as the Flames have never shown their fans much indication that production values are a top priority when signing off the rights to broadcast their product.

I suspect TSN may be more interested in Edmonton as they already have a radio station there. But then again there is a whole area in the New building named after sportsnet so who knows.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Weitz

I suspect TSN may be more interested in Edmonton as they already have a radio station there. But then again there is a whole area in the New building named after sportsnet so who knows.

I would assume TSN is more interested in Edmonton because of McDavid alone.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

That would be a dream come true for many of us but I wouldn't get your expectations high. Has there ever been any indication TSN has been aggressive in pursuing the Flames rights? I have to imagine they would rather nab the Oilers for the McDavid hype alone. It seems like the Flames just keep renewing with Rogers like they are partners. Also maybe King and the Flames are still sour at some of the ridicule from TSN when Darryl went crazy at the end of his tenure? Who knows but I get the feeling that TSN would have to offer substantially more money as the Flames have never shown their fans much indication that production values are a top priority when signing off the rights to broadcast their product.

Yeah, the Flames organization seems really tight with Rogers, like they are life partners with interwoven employees and relationships. Also Calgary has pretty low viewership as far Canadian teams go. So we'd be the cheapest to keep, which is right on Roger's wheelhouse.

You're right that TSN would sooner pay a high price for the Oilers.