For TSN radio it is time put up or shut up as it is hockey time and they own everything hockey related except the Toronto Maple Leafs and that belongs to AM 640 who are basically getting out of the sports world so they really a non factor to TSN Radio's success or failure. So if they can get games on the radio it would improve their ratings and if they have break ins to goals in the games like they have for the big plays in the MLB playoffs during their evening programming and would have an upper leg on their competition Rogers Sportsnet Fan 590 who will be all in on the MLB playoffs for the next month as they have the rights to all the games in the playoffs. After the playoffs are over the Fan will be without any programming because the NBA is pretty much a lost cause this season as the owners want everything in their direction and the players have had it in their favor for years and years and will not be willing to give it and the owners will wait til the players crumple as the owners lose nothing not playing as they lose so much money with certain franchises and the players will lots of money so at a point eager to give up certain things to the owners. The Fan will likely also lose the MLB to TSN Radio next season and be left with only the Blue Jays maybe a hot product and TSN will be all over the Olympics which Rogers just bailed on and this after the Fan already lost the NFL to TSN radio.
So how can TSN radio turn the tables on the Fan as they are being smoked in the ratings right now as the 5 % hour rating and TSN has a miserable 0.6 % hour rating in that all important 25-54 male age group after three month. It starts with their presentation as they have been around 6 month now and they still do not have a web site as they share a web site with TSN and they need to build up their own web site like the Fan with like announcer profiles and a schedule that U can get to with out having to the TV stuff first and find the link to the radio because if I wanted the TV stuff then I go straight to TSN so if I want to find out about TSN radio I want to go straight to TSN radio. Another thing is that they can not take calls because they have major problems with their phone lines and even have problems with guest on their show and we are talking about a product that is owned by a telephone company and should have an advantage because they have been all in on phones for the last 135 years but instead it is a major disadvantage.
After that they built the station around Mike Richards they have not given him the right people because if he built his rep on his comedy bits then they should of given people like Don Landary to help him do the bits and build the show around that instead of doing the same thing as the Fan where they talk about the stories and talk to people about the stories as the stories just like the news are the same and it is all about how U cover it so they need to separate themselves from the Fan to gain a portion of their audience. Then they were talking about bring the show to TV to help pay for Richards contract and gain interest in the product just like the Bobcat on the Fan does as he is very visible and is on the radio across the country and we are 6 month in and Richards is not on TV. This gives the listeners/viewers the impression that TSN does not care about the product and simply put with Richards contract they are going to lose their shirt on this venture if they don't put more into the product and put their face on TV where people can actually see it.
They really need to keep it Canada as Dan Patrick maybe have a big advantage on getting the stars and TSN radio may use it correctly by replaying stuff on other shows like Cybulski and Company and the evening programming but their is a huge disconnect with listeners as he does not focus on the issues that matter to the people of T dot just like the Fan realized when they started and had the sports babe on for a bit. The ESPN all night is similar as the Fan has people on the radio talking about what is on the listeners minds and even taking calls and answering e-mails and keeping the listener apart of the show while ESPN does not involve listeners very much and more importantly not local listeners.
Their other shows need to find different ways to tell the stories as they will have the same stories as the Fan so they need find the different angles and most importantly be different and separate themselves from the Fan because if they are the same then most will simply stick with the brand they know and will not change until TSN radio gives them a reason to change the dial. So I like the top 5 lists on Cybulski and Company and the shotgun idea of telling the top stories with 6 pack but why not have a guy like Cam Stewart on for a 10 minute segment talking about betting and the dogs he likes in that nights games on the ice or the diamond and it something I think that Bobcat would stay away from and U can put disclaimer on it before starting saying if U are going to bet just bet the money U can afford and not try and chase the money U lose.
*************************** Program Update ***************************************************
Starting October 10th from Midnight til 2 AM they will be airing Live Audio Wrestling who have had gained a huge audience from their past radio visits with the Fan, Talk 1010, and AM 640 and then grow their audience even more when they were on Sirius Radio with the Score until it got axed at the end of August. Their audience that they have maintained for 15 years is a very local group who will be listen to the program on TSN radio and the fan base they made outside Canada through Sirius Radio and they will listening to the program through TSN.ca/Radio Via the live stream and it will give TSN radio a better rating than they receive from ESPN overnight.
Lets hope TSN radio keeps having a pulse
Tom Mehegan
No comments:
Post a Comment