BROADCASTING: VANCOUVER SPORTS-TALK RADIO ANNIVERSARY

Team 1040 celebrates hard-won victory


MATTHEW SEKERES
GlobeandMail.com
May 7, 2008

VANCOUVER -- The road has been long and bloody, yet seven years later, the Team 1040 AM remains on the air.

That was far from guaranteed when the sports-talk radio station launched seven years ago today with a format seemingly destined to fail, and a start-up staff tossed together in one month. Soon thereafter, the station's very existence was threatened by a competitor, making Vancouver one of the few Canadian markets to go through a sports-talk radio war.

But the Team 1040 is accustomed to wars. One was waged quietly in its booth between key on-air personalities. Another was waged loudly, the product of afternoon drive host David Pratt picking a fight with then Canucks general manager Brian Burke.

Today, all that is history. The CHUM-owned station holds the broadcast rights to the Canucks and the CFL's B.C. Lions. It produces four in-house shows daily, several more on the weekend and is a ratings winner in its prized demographic: men aged 25 to 54.

It has become a destination for Vancouver sports fans seeking sports-themed debate and the city has been with rich with them, most notably "the Bertuzzi incident" and more recently, the firing of Canucks general manager Dave Nonis and ownership's decision to hire former NHL player agent Mike Gillis as a replacement.

Those subjects have fallen into the station's lap, inciting wildly divergent and sometimes irrational opinions.

In other words, talk-radio gold.

"After you start listening to an all-sports station, you miss it when it is not there," said John Rea, who in 1992 launched Toronto's The Fan 590, Canada's inaugural sports-talk station, but was back in his native Vancouver four years later. "I missed it, and I knew there were people like me."

In 2001, as luck would have it, B.C. broadcaster Paul Carson was pitching an all-sports format around the same time CHUM was conceiving a national sports radio network. Their efforts merged, and the Vancouver station was launched under Rea's watch with two local programs and several others emanating from Toronto.

The national network was a disaster waiting to happen, and it lasted less than 1½ years.

"What we found out in short order was: To do sports radio, you need to be local," Team 1040 program director Rob Gray said. "If you're not talking Canucks and Lions, people are not interested."

But even with more local content, the Team 1040 was not out of the woods.

For starters, there was massive turnover in the booth, particularly on the morning show, and in the important afternoon drive slot, Pratt and co-host Bob Marjanovich were feuding. Pratt wanted an entertainment show with sports as a backdrop, while Marjanovich was pushing for talk aimed at the hardcore sports fan.

Eventually, Pratt won out and television personality Don Taylor joined him for the Pratt and Taylor show.

"I'll admit to making a mistake," said Marjanovich, who left the station but is now back as host of "Sports Action" Saturday. "The show needs some showbiz to carry the market. Vancouver is not a big sports market like New York."

Pratt relishes his role as pot-stirrer, and one morning when he heard a blustery Burke refuting his commentary, the former TSN reporter saw an opportunity.

"It put us on the map," Pratt said. "If we had a hit show, there is no way we'd do it, but when you're already in last place ..."

But around the same time that the station's on-air roster was coming into view, so was a competitor. Corus-owned CHMJ relaunched with an all-sports format early in 2004, a move that stunned the Team 1040.

Gray said the competition made his station better. It forced management to develop more talent, and it focused them on luring the Canucks after having already secured the Lions' radio rights with pledges of elaborate pregame and postgame shows. When the Lions moved over from CKNW in 2004, the upstart had a legitimate property. (The Canucks followed two years later.)

"People have to find the games, so you get discovered," Gray said.

The war was won two years ago this month, when Mojo 730 AM refashioned itself as an all-traffic station, capitulating with half the market share of the survivor.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080507.VANRADIO07/TPStory/Sports

.

Onto another 7 years and other numbers of years that are divisible by 7!

Incidentally, is Rob Grey the former CFOX copy guy and Powerdrive host?

Sorry but these guys shouldn't really be celebrating.  I just heard the Burke - Pratt items that we have been hearing about for quite a while.  Pratt just proves the point that he is a classless ratings whore that denigrates any other work that this station does.

Any management that would approve such sophomoric antics as I have heard this afternoon is in a word----- pathetic.  And yes Mr. Pratt you may come to my place of work any time and make a similar evaluation of my ethics and professionalism.


Look up the word "class" and then look in the mirror.  You'll notice a distinct difference.

"Look up the word "class" and then look in the mirror.  You'll notice a distinct difference."

on top of that , Mr. Pratt will notice in the mirror  that his sense of fashion is very poor as he dresses like a major slob.  Don on the other hand dresses sporty and sharp....

the article is published by Globe and Mail which is owned by CTV which owns CHUM etc.  it is not a news article but rather an advertising plug....

MMMEEEEOWW!

I'm always intrigued with those who are so bitter.  Could it be because they're NOT working there?  

As far as Pratt is concerned...he may be an odd duck (show me someone in radio who isn't), but he's helped take a signal that had MINISCULE audience, and turn it into the top afternoon radio show for Men.  

I say, cudos...and I wish I could have been part of it.

"on top of that , Mr. Pratt will notice in the mirror  that his sense of fashion is very poor as he dresses like a major slob.  Don on the other hand dresses sporty and sharp...."

It's a SPORTS RADIO station...What team do you bat for?

Pratt's an entertainer...if you don't like him...he's done his job!

Who cares what he wears??

Quoted from popsicle

Who cares what he wears??

i don't know about you, but i throw on a 3 piece suit for every one of my radio shows!

"i throw on a 3 piece suit for every one of my radio shows!"

(insert one liner drum here)

Who is Karma Kazi? Anyone?

Quoted from popsicle

Who cares what he wears??

Well...back in his CHRX days, there were at least a few who would have preferred he didn't wear the leather pants.

Just sayin'

I find 1040 not bad,but am not enlightened one bit by the American programming they throw at us.
A quote from one of 1040's own:
What we found out in short order was: To do sports radio, you need to be local," Team 1040 program director Rob Gray said. "If you're not talking Canucks and Lions, people are not interested."

Local ... not American.
Canucks Lunch is the best.  Keep up the good work.

All I ask during the Sportsnet/ Radio TV hour is to dump the first 20 min of the crap entertainment report. Pratt is big on this entertainment, birthdays, who did what etc. That's the reason Moj and him had a big split up. If you want to retain viewers/listeners dump it. When they did the Gillis interview it started at the top of the hour and it was the best hour I have seen.

Listen how many time Pratt mentions TSN ON SPORTSNET, Step up Donny makes some changes.  

Couldn't disagree more Logintoday,

I think Rome and back when they used to have him Dan Patrick to be a refreshing break in programming...There is only so much local content to talk about, and even with the 3 hour break it seems to be repetitive at times.  You can only rehash "what's wrong with the canucks" for so long...and Rome and Patrick serve(d) a purpose in talking about other sports teams, and giving a national perspective.

I can understand how college basketball and football might not be relevent to many listeners up here but for the most part, the NFL, NBA, and MLB conversations are interesting, and Rome/Patrick are just able to get guests on a regular basis that the Team 1040 can't/hasn't.

And GoToBreak, I have to agree, but at the same time, I don't think Donny is the one to change him.

Couldn't disagree more with RadioUgly ...
For the life of me, who cares about American college anything ... what about Canadian college sports ... there's a helluva lot to talk about ... they need the exposure and people like 1040 ignore them ..
As for the NBA, look what happened in Vancouver.  Nobody cares.
And MLB, Toronto I should cheer on?  C'mon.

Give the college kids in Canada more exposure.  Not just hockey.

Rome and company talk about everything U.S. ... where's Canada in their mix?

Although they may rehash topics. You would think they would save there best interviews, comments, callers for the Sportsnet/TV Hour. Remember the show is on a 12:00 AM, you have put me to sleep because it takes so long to get the show going. I think they only take 2 or three calls the entire hour
at the end of the hour.  I guess there satisfied !

1040 is not a hard Sport talking station. Did they bring up the Boxing that was in town a couple of weeks ago? Did they bring on Sugar Ray Lenord after all he was in town. Have you ever thought about interviewing a sport referee of any kind. I wonder what they have to say. What about an interview with the British Columbia Lacrosse Association.  Nice job producer getting Steve Nash on the phone time to expand the phone directory.

Quoted from Logintoday

Couldn't disagree more with RadioUgly ...
For the life of me, who cares about American college anything ... what about Canadian college sports ... there's a helluva lot to talk about ... they need the exposure and people like 1040 ignore them ..
As for the NBA, look what happened in Vancouver.  Nobody cares.
And MLB, Toronto I should cheer on?  C'mon.

Give the college kids in Canada more exposure.  Not just hockey.

Rome and company talk about everything U.S. ... where's Canada in their mix?

If you think nobody cares about the NBA and MLB in Vancouver, then even less care about Canadian College sports.  If it had an audience and people cared they would cover it.

It's the same reason outside of the stadium issue they don't pay attention to the Whitecaps, because nobody cares...Same with the Canadians, nobody cares.

We live in a front running down and that's just the way it is. You'll have a lot more people caring about the Mariners, Blue Jays, Seahawks, Sonics and Raptors then you will Vancouver/Canadian minor and college athletics.

I'm one of the few who does care, but in terms of broad based appeal there just isn't any.  And Rome has a very loyal following even north of the border.

Quoted from Gotobreak

1040 is not a hard Sport talking station. Did they bring up the Boxing that was in town a couple of weeks ago? Did they bring on Sugar Ray Lenord after all he was in town.  

Yes and yes.

"They" would care, if more publicity was given to the top stars of the college sports.
The difference between Canadian College sports and American, is that American colleges promote and get them on TV, radio etc.
We ignore them.
That is part of the pitfall of 1040 radio.  They too are at fault for not making we listeners aware of the college and university sports.
Read what GoTo Break said, 1040 misses out on all kinds of sports celebrities, never mind college kids.
Hell, even our local TV are to blame.
Media likes to associate themselves with the so-called "Big Boys" of American sports.
Look at Rogers bringing the NFL to Toronto.  So what.  Big deal.  But they want to be part of that big machine that promotes the NFL.
Sorry RadioUgly, you miss the point.  We need to HELP promote those college/university kids, not ignore them!

Quoted from Logintoday

"They" would care, if more publicity was given to the top stars of the college sports.
The difference between Canadian College sports and American, is that American colleges promote and get them on TV, radio etc.
We ignore them.
That is part of the pitfall of 1040 radio.  They too are at fault for not making we listeners aware of the college and university sports.
Read what GoTo Break said, 1040 misses out on all kinds of sports celebrities, never mind college kids.
Hell, even our local TV are to blame.
Media likes to associate themselves with the so-called "Big Boys" of American sports.
Look at Rogers bringing the NFL to Toronto.  So what.  Big deal.  But they want to be part of that big machine that promotes the NFL.
Sorry RadioUgly, you miss the point.  We need to HELP promote those college/university kids, not ignore them!

The private media's role is not to do promotions work for things nobody cares about.  Media likes ratings, not charity.  

1040 ran promos for the BC Rugby Finals, and attendance was the same as in any other year.  If you talked rugby 3 hours per day on the TEAM, the finals would get an extra 200 spectators and the radio station would go bust.  

Does CBS show the Final Four to promote college basketball, or to make money?  

It's the whole American culture that supports college sports, the media covers them because of that.

Just look at it on the simplist level.  Canadian College Athletics do not offer their players full-ride scholarships, in the American 90% of the football, basketball, and hockey team is on scholarship.

Even with our most popular sport hockey, how many kids with a sniff at the NHL actually play Canadian University Hockey?  very very few, they either play Major Junior, or Junior A and then down to an American Uni.

If Canadian college athletics want to be in the forefront they have to treat it like it's a big deal...and quite frankly they don't.

So I don't blame the Team 1040 for not covering Canadian college sports because Canadian College sports don't have the story lines, players or impact of their American counterparts.

Did they report on BC Lions receiver Josh Boden court problems and what Wally said.

Have they reported on Vancouver Whitecaps  waterfront stadium change of stance to BC Place for MSL?

Quoted from Gotobreak

Did they report on BC Lions receiver Josh Boden court problems and what Wally said.

Have they reported on Vancouver Whitecaps  waterfront stadium change of stance to BC Place for MSL?

I know they interviewed Wally about Boden, and they have discussed the stadium at length.

Do you listen or just guess?

I listen plenty and the answers to all of Gotobreak's questions has been: yes.  

In Vancouver, it's Canucks First...everything else second.

I'm a Lions fan, but 'talking Lions' is honestly pretty darn boring for the most part ~ and listening to other people ' talk Lions' is evern worse.

I'm also a huge Canuck fan, but the difference is that I love to talk/hear talk regarding the Nucks'. (yes, Even when they choke down the stretch & miss the playoffs)

Anybody that complains that Team 1040 has too much Canuck-related content, is out to lunch. People enjoy talking about the Canucks, whether they're winning or losing... and Team 1040 is proof of this. How many times can the same questions be asked, and the same answers be given - before people tune out? Well, it hasn't happened yet, apparantly.

I personally think that the team is doing a bang-up job convering the Canucks, and giving the armchair GM's and armchair coaches of Vancouver a chance to have a forum to speak their mind.

When there's big stories involving the Lions & Whitecaps etc. ~ I'm sure the Team with touch on em'.

But the brass @ the Team knows that their ratings - more or less -  live & die with the Canucks.

I'm always intrigued with those who are so bitter.  Could it be because they're NOT working there? "

hmmm , lets see,

in the last few years, Paul Ski left the station managment up to someone whose own management mock him behind his back cuz he's to busy dealing with issues like dogs in the workplace and party planning then CHUM was taken over by CTV and left in disarray, not to  mention the low pay.

digicart, CHUM was once considered one the better of the big corporate radio conglomerates but now it is no better than Corus or Rogers.  If anyone should be bitter, turn your back and look around...

(this is a late repost as it was accidentally deleted)

Quoted from karma kazi

I'm always intrigued with those who are so bitter.  Could it be because they're NOT working there? "

hmmm , lets see,

in the last few years, Paul Ski left the station managment up to someone whose own management mock him behind his back cuz he's to busy dealing with issues like dogs in the workplace and party planning then CHUM was taken over by CTV and left in disarray, not to  mention the low pay.

digicart, CHUM was once considered one the better of the big corporate radio conglomerates but now it is no better than Corus or Rogers.  If anyone should be bitter, turn your back and look around...

(this is a late repost as it was accidentally deleted)

CHUM was never a congolmerate.  It was a family owned family run company.

Quoted from Peter Schaad

CHUM is a conglomerate.  It was a family owned family run company.

I fixed your post.

Technically CTV Globe Media is the conglomerate, CHUM is a division of said corp.

Looks like you're splitting hairs, PS ... unless you can detail how he's wrong about CHUM now being more bottom-line oriented, like Corus and/or Rogers?!?

Karma...you keep posting about how terrible it is at CHUM.  You talk to your friends there, and share stories of poor wages, and incompetant managers.  

Are those managers the ones that don't pay you what you think you deserve, or are they the ones that fired you?

Either way...it's time to move on.  If people complain about low pay, it's usually because they're not valuable enough to earn it.   They have the same choice as you do...find another job, in another industry that pays better...and stop whining.

I worked in the CHUM building on west 2nd for two years. It was a great place to work. Not sure what Karma is getting at...........

hate to dig up an older topic but....

if i have one complaint about the team its that I find their original programming to be very stale, repetitive and unengaging. I understand that this has alot to do with the host, but if you ask me 20 or so hours of hockey-talk per day is overwhelming. (especially when this "discussion" consists of 'hardy from north van' proposing a trade like the sedins for sidney crosby, then blake price and dave tomlinson telling him why he is stupid)

call me unpatriotic but i would much rather listen to jim rome than tony gallagher wheezing into the microphone about naslund's lack of production.

just my opinion i suppose

This is off topic (which NEVER happens in these forums  )  

I did enjoy Pratt and Taylors "radio on the tv" segment yesterday.   I really liked Gillis and that fact that he didn't feel obliged to open up and tell P and T about all the happenings in Canuckland.

He kept everything pretty close to his vest.  I don't think he's obligated to tell the world what he has planned.  I think he caught P and T pretty off gaurd when he gave short, curt answers.  Very Burke-like.

And when Pratt tried to emphasize the urgency of "having a plan" for free agency and the draft, Gillis pretty much said "Dave, that's still more than a month away.  Chill out."   Of course not in those words...but that was the gist of it.

Anyhow, kudos to the Team on their accomplishments.