Sportsnet Re-brands on October 3

Monday October 3 is shaping up as a historic day in Canadian sports. It isn’t very often that a Canadian sports network completely re-brands, all at once. On Monday Rogers Sportsnet will introduce a new name (dropping the Rogers), a new logo (which is on the right-hand side of this post), a new slogan, new graphics, a new studio, a new theme song, new programming and a new magazine. This is the first full re-brand of Sportsnet since it launched 13 years ago. The new name, Sportsnet, is already widely used by most fans due to a name change from CTV Sportsnet to Rogers Sportsnet in 2001.

Sportsnet will also introduce a new slogan, “Fuelled By Fans”, which, while nice, doesn’t exactly challenge TSN’s claim as “Canada’s Sports Leader”. The re-launch will take place during the evening edition of Connected on Monday October 3. Sportsnet will introduce their  new studio, graphics, logo and theme song during this edition of Connected. Setanta Sports Canada will also re-brand as Sportsnet World on Monday, using the new Sportsnet graphics.

Also beginning on Monday the Fan590’s Brady and Lang in the Morning will be simulcast on Sportsnet One. Brady and Lang airs from 6am-9am ET.

I think that a re-brand of Sportsnet was very necessary, and inevitable under the new leadership of Keith Pelley. The current Sportsnet graphics are terrible, the logo is getting old after not changing for 13 years. It wasn’t that great of a logo to begin with. Sportsnet’s theme music for Connected and NHL coverage is terrible too. There was a period of about 8 years from 2002 until 2010 where Sportsnet was a distant second to TSN in the quality of their programming. Under Pelley, Sportsnet has climbed well up the ladder to the point where they are not far behind TSN. Certainly this is the next step in Sportsnet being viewed as a quality channel by the fans.

On the other hand, I think the new logo doesn’t live up to the hype. I think they should have went with SPORTSNET (using red and blue) instead of SPORTSNET (using black and grey). I also would have brought back the colours for the regional channels, to make their logos stand out. The only other change I would have made is to re-brand on Friday night, leading into a big weekend in soccer (for Setanta) and the start of the Major League Baseball playoffs (for Sportsnet). Otherwise this is perfectly timed because the baseball playoffs and NHL hockey are two of the biggest ratings earners for Sportsnet.

You can see all the new Sportsnet logos here. It is worth pointing out that on this blog (in the sports on Canadian TV listings) Setanta will be “SN World”, East will be “SN East”, Ontario “SN Ontario”, West “SN West”, and Pacific “SN Pacific”.

Here is a quote from Dale Hooper, Senior Vice-President, Sales & Marketing, Rogers Media:

We are investing in our growth and brand integration. Through our extensive consumer insights, we discovered that Canadian sports fans want to feel and demonstrate pride and be engaged through integrated, interactive and expansive access. Our cutting-edge campaign brings the powerful Sportsnet brand under one umbrella across all our platforms.

And a quote from Dean Bender, Vice-President, Creative Services, Rogers Media:

It was a wonderful opportunity to take the network in a new direction. The new look and design will be more engaging for sports fans and that’s a driving factor in this competitive environment.

And finally, here is an interview with Bender  .

Sportsnet Hires Stephen Brunt Full-time

Here is Sportsnet’s press release on the most recent addition to the Rogers family:

Rogers Sportsnet is pleased to announce that former Globe and Mail sports columnist Stephen Brunt has signed an agreement to work on a full-time basis across all Sportsnet media platforms. Brunt, one of the most influential and respected commentators in the world of sports, will be the back-page columnist on Sportsnet magazine, which will debut on Thursday, September 29th. He will also be a regular columnist and feature contributor on sportsnet.ca. In addition to his current role as a co-host on Sportsnet Radio The FAN 590’s Prime Time Sports with Bob McCown and contributions on Sportsnet Radio The FAN 960, he will also make appearances on Sportsnet Connected and continue his insightful video essays.

Brunt started at The Globe and Mail in 1982 and began writing in the sports section in 1985. His 1988 series on negligence and corruption in boxing won him the Michener Award, one of the highest distinctions in Canadian journalism. In 1989, he became a sports columnist. Brunt has authored several successful books such as the No.1-Canadian best seller Searching for Bobby Orr, as well as the internationally recognized Facing Ali, which was selected as one of the top 10 sports books of the year by Sports Illustrated. Most recently, Gretzky’s Tears, was published in 2009 and chronicles Wayne Gretzky’s 1988 trade to the Los Angeles Kings that changed the landscape of hockey. In 2003, he was named writer of the year by Sports Media Canada. His film the Last Round, produced by the National Film Board and directed by Joseph Blasioli, won the Special Jury Prize at the Hot Docs Festival in 2003, and was a finalist for the Genie Award as best feature length documentary. In 2010, a video essay for Canada’s Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium at the Vancouver Whistler Games won the Gemini Award for best sports feature.

Brunt is the latest high-profile signing by Sportsnet over the last eight months, a list which includes: Hockeycentral’s Jeff Marek, Scott Morrison, Executive producer of Hockey and Hockeycentral insider, Hockeycentral features reporter Christine Simpson, Prime Time Sports co-host and Hockeycentral analyst Damien Cox, MLB analyst Gregg Zaun, Prime Time Sports co-host and sportsnet.ca columnist Michael Grange and sportsnet.ca baseball insider Shi Davidi.

Here is a quote from Scott Moore, President, Rogers Broadcasting:

Adding Stephen full-time will strengthen all of Sportsnet’s platforms. Stephen is truly one of the most gifted sports columnists in Canada. His video essays are a great example of the type of storytelling we aspire to.

And a quote from Stephen Brunt:

There is a lot of opportunity with the multiple platforms for a writer to reach an audience. I look forward to giving Sportsnet viewers, readers and listeners a closer look at today’s biggest sports stories. And of course, continuing to trade wits with my good friend McCown.

Sportsnet Signs Scott Morrison

Rogers Sportsnet has made the sports broadcasting acquisition of the summer, in my opinion. Sportsnet announced today that Scott Morrison will be joining the network this fall. Morrison will become Sportsnet’s executive producer of hockey. He will also appear as an insider on HockeyCentral, Connected and Sportsnet Radio. In addition, Morrison will write for Sportsnet.ca and Sportsnet Magazine.

Morrison was under-used at CBC. He should have been a regular on CBC’s Hotstove, instead of Glenn Healy or Mike Milbury. The iDesk segment was a joke, and its no wonder that Marek and Morrison left it for Sportsnet. Now that both are gone, CBC should just scrap the idea.

Morrison is the third member of Hockey Night in Canada to leave CBC this summer. Sportsnet also hired Morrison’s iDesk co-host Jeff Marek earlier this summer. Pierre Lebrun left CBC for TSN in July. CBC went from having two of the best insiders in the business in June, to have no insiders whatsoever now. They need to make a huge signing in the next three weeks, or their studio will have taken a step backwards this summer. CBC is lacking in good studio commentators, and these moves may mean we see more PJ Stock, which isn’t good.

Sportsnet now has a true insider who can compete with TSN’s trio of Lebrun, Bob McKenzie and Darren Dreger. This should give them some credibility on trade deadline day. Marek will be a great addition to that coverage as well. 6 months ago, I would have been completely against Sportsnet taking NHL rights away from TSN. Now I’m starting to warm up to it a bit.

Here is a quote from Scott Woodgate, Vice-President of News and Information Programming, Rogers Sportsnet:

Scott Morrison’s leadership and proven track record in hockey helps raise the bar on all four of our platforms. Adding him to our roster bolsters our ability to break news and to tell great stories.

And a quote from Scott Morrison:

I am pleased to be joining a great team. It feels like in many ways I am coming home again. I look forward to successfully growing the hockey brand on all four platforms.

Is something brewing at TSN Radio?

Editors note: This is the beginning of a possible series of guest columns on Canadian Sports Media Blog. Mark Milner is the writer of the blog North of the 400, where he writes a variety of things sports related, including sports media. One of his main points of interest is radio. You can visit his blog here and follow him on Twitter here.

I spend a lot of my down time reading about sports media and looking at job boards, hoping that some great publication will post a listing I qualify for. This never happens.

But sometimes I stumble upon neat little nuggets. Take this listing for a TSN Radio on TSN position. Bell Media is looking for a producer and/or director for something called TSN Radio on TSN or TSN2.

I don’t watch much ESPN, but I’m familiar enough with them to know that ESPN2 has a live simulcast of Mike and Mike in the Morning, their flagship AM show. And I know that Rogers Sportsnet also puts it’s radio shows on the air. Could TSN be following suit?

Right now, TSN2 airs Sportscentre Morning Rush, a 15-minute version of their hour-long sports hyperbole highlight show from 5am to 1pm. Right now, TSN Radio has Mike Richards’ show running from 5:30am to 9am, followed by Dan Patrick until noon and Brian Hayes after. What would make sense to me would be a live simulcast of Richards’ show in the early mornings, followed by Morning Rush.

Here’s where things get tricky: TSN Radio recently changed their lineup. If you remember the launch schedule, TSN Radio originally had Patrick’s show in the afternoon, then Hayes and a one-hour hockey show at noon. Hockey 2Day is not currently the air. I can’t find an official statement on it’s status, but Wikipedia says it’s off for the summer.

Regardless, I find it hard to imagine that TSN, who prides itself on it’s hockey reportage, would let Sportsnet have the only NHL-centric radio noon-hour show in the GTA market. And if they do put together a new hockey show, could it have something to do with TSN Radio on TSN? Remember, TSN airs Sportscentre at noon, and TSN2 airs Morning Rush. Losing either of those for a live-to-air hockey show isn’t a big loss.

Another clue: look closely at the job posting: it “Requires a deep knowledge of Hockey.” Hmm…

Those F***ers Have a New Insider

It seems that everyday an influential writer is signed by either TSN or Sportsnet lately. Michael Grange, Damien Cox and Stephen Brunt have been signed by Rogers Sportsnet, while TSN has picked up Dave Naylor and Bruce Arthur in recent months. Now Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos will have another fucker at TSN to compete with on trade deadline day as Pierre Lebrun joins TSN as a hockey insider. Lebrun joins Bob McKenzie and Darren Dreger as TSN’s hockey insiders. Previously Lebrun was a member of CBC’s The Hotstove on Hockey Night in Canada.

Lebrun, who will continue to write for TSN’s sister network ESPN on ESPN.com, will appear on the NHL on TSN, SportsCentre, That’s Hockey, That’s Hockey 2 Nite, TradeCentre, Free Agent Frenzy and TSN’s coverage of the NHL draft. He will also appear on Bell owned radio stations including TSN Radio 1050 in Toronto, The TEAM 1040 in Vancouver and The TEAM 990 in Montreal. He will also appear on a new NHL on TSN intermission segment Insider Trading along with James Duthie, Bob McKenzie and Darren Dreger. This new segment sounds very similar to CBC’s The Hotstove, which is a good thing because The Hotstove is the gold standard of NHL intermission segments, although it has gone downhill recently

Here is a quote from Mark Milliere, Senior Vice-President of Production, TSN:

Our all-star team of hockey commentators just got even better. Having Pierre join Bob McKenzie and Darren Dreger allows us to give fans more of the inside hockey information they crave,” said Mark Milliere, Senior Vice-President of Production, TSN. “As we continue to expand our hockey coverage across multiple platforms it’s a major advantage that we can work with our partners at ESPN to secure someone of Pierre’s stature.

And one from Pierre Lebrun:

I’ve enjoyed the competition with Bob McKenzie and Darren Dreger over the years but I think being teammates now will be even more rewarding. I have tremendous respect for Bob, Darren, James and the entire TSN hockey staff and could not be happier at the opportunity that presents itself. Along with my work at ESPN.com, I think TSN and Bell Media Radio are great fits.

And one from Patrick Stiegman, editor-in-chief, ESPN.com:

Pierre LeBrun is a valuable member to ESPN.com’s NHL team and completes a strong duo between him and fellow writer Scott Burnside. We look forward to Pierre’s continued contributions to ESPN as a news breaker, analyst and respected voice on all things NHL.

Bruce Arthur Joins TSN

More and more of Canada’s top sports writers are joining television and radio as a second job. The National Post’s Bruce Arther is just the latest. Arthur has been a freelancer on radio and television for a long time, appearing on both Sportsnet’s Primetime Sports and TSN’s The Reporters. Arthur will no longer be able to appear on Primetime as he joins TSN full-time as co-host of Cybulski & Company on TSN Radio 1050 and a regular panelist on TSN The Reporters on Sunday mornings.

Arthur is the latest print-media member to join with either TSN or Sportsnet, following in the steps of Dave Naylor, Damien Cox and Stephen Brunt. I think Arthur is the best sports writer in Canada, so this is a great move by TSN. It is sad that he will no longer be able to appear on Primetime Sports though. The panel of him, Bob McCown and Brunt resulted in some of the best sports-talk radio programming I’ve ever heard in Canada. Arthur will continue to work for the National Post.

Here is a quote from Mark Milliere, Senior Vice-President of TSN

Bruce is one of the brightest, young sports journalists in Canada. Whether it’s in his column, on the radio, on TV or on Twitter, Bruce’s perspective is always smart and always on the mark.

And one from Bruce Arthur

I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like James Cybulski, though I can’t necessarily say the same for his three-piece suits. Luckily, this is radio, and what he’s wearing won’t matter, and we’ll have a hell of a lot of fun,” said Arthur. “As for THE REPORTERS, I love the show, and I’m simply honoured to work with Dave Hodge. He’s a legend in this business for a reason, and I just hope I don’t ever cause him to flip his pen in disgust.

The Toronto Radio Wars Are Coming

I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t know a lot about how sports radio works in Toronto, and for the most part I don’t care since I don’t listen to any Toronto sports stations or care about any Toronto sports teams, but there is an upcoming battle between the two titans of sports broadcasting in Canada that makes this a very exciting time for sports radio. You would think that sports radio was a bygone with how popular TV has become. Instead, it seems, CTVglobemedia and Rogers Media are pumping more money into radio than before. In recent weeks both company’s have attached the TSN and Sportsnet brand to their radio stations (TSN Radio 1050 and Sportsnet Radio The Fan 590) and both have also made some top level hires. Rogers has brought back former HockeyCentral at Noon host Darren Millard to fill his old role, while TSN brought in Mike Richards to host its morning drive show. The war that was once only waged through TV has found a new medium.

Then came the announcement this afternoon that James Cybulski will host TSN Radio’s afternoon drive show and go head-to-head with Bob McCown on The Fan. Cybulski’s show will be called Cybulski and Company. In my opinion, Cybulski’s talent doesn’t come anywhere near that of McCown, but he does have some things going for him. First he is young, so he should do a good job in the younger demographics. He has also hosted basketball and soccer coverage on TSN, so fans of those sports (especially soccer) may tune in knowing McCown won’t talk about soccer until hell freezes over. Cybulski will also have exclusive access to some of the top analysts around, including Bob McKenzie, Darren Dreger, Pierre McGuire, Dave Naylor, Chris Schultz, Dan Shulman and just about every other TSN employee because they have been restricted to only appearing on CTV owned stations.

Cybulski does bring in a host of sportscasting experience including hosting TSN’s coverage of the 2011 NCAA March Madness, the UEFA Champions League and Barclay’s Premier League. He was also CTV’s reporter for speed skating at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, where he was awarded with a Gemini Award for Best Sports Reporting in 2010. Cybulski also recently received great reviews for his report on the connection between Jay Triano and Terry Fox.

Here is a quote from Stewart Johnston, President, TSN

James is one of Canada’s most diverse sports broadcasters with a wealth of high-profile hosting and reporting experience both on television and on radio. He’s young, highly-entertaining, and he brings a refreshing voice to the Toronto sports radio landscape. His popularity and interests go beyond the sports world, and it’s his ability to work at the intersection where sports and pop culture collide that makes him the perfect fit to host TSN RADIO 1050’s flagship afternoon drive show.

And a quote from Chris Gordon, President, CHUM Radio

James is an exceptional talent who, along with the rest of our broadcast team, will be great ambassadors for TSN RADIO 1050 and the CHUM Radio brand. With many of our marquee shows now in place, we are confident that our diverse slate of programming will appeal to fans both in the GTA and across Canada. We are primed to take sports radio to a new level and give fans and advertisers alike the most entertaining sports talk from the country’s definitive voices in sports broadcasting.

And finally a quote from Cybulski himself

This is a new opportunity for fans in the GTA to connect over the biggest stories from the world of sports and debate the headlines beyond the stadiums and arenas. We’re going to be fun, entertaining and, in true TSN style, feature the best sports experts and insiders in the business, probing all the hot button issues of the day. For me, it’s an opportunity of a lifetime to be able to engage newsmakers and listeners on a station aiming to set a new benchmark in sports broadcasting.

TSN and Chum Radio also announced that Steve Kouleas will have a daily show at noon called That’s Hockey 2Day on TSN Radio. Kouleas’ hockey show will go head to head with Leafs Lunch on AM640 and Hockey Central @ Noon on The Fan 590. It will be interesting to see if Kouleas can gain a foothold against two well established noon hour shows during the NHL playoffs. Kouleas will also have the advantage of exclusive access to TSN hockey employees including Bob McKenzie, Darren Dreger, James Duthie and Pierre McGuire. So far TSN Radio’s talent lineup looks like this

Morning Drive – The Mike Richards Show
Noon – Steve Kouleas (That’s Hockey 2Day)
Afternoon – Jim Rome Show*
Afternoon – Dan Patrick Show*
Afternoon Drive – Cybulski & Friends

Both the Jim Rome Show and Dan Patrick Show are 3 hours long. TSN Radio will probably only have time for one in the afternoon. My expectation is the other will air following Cybulski & Friends.