[dmccorm140]

http://www.thestar.com/sports/article/827876--major-shake-up-at-fan-590

Toronto Star Chris Zelkovich:

The FAN 590 is undergoing a major shake-up as a raft of on-air personalities were let go Thursday morning.

According to sources, the departed include morning co-hosts Don Landry and Gord Stellick, mid-morning host Mike Hogan and news announcer Rick Ralph. In addition, Jack Armstrong’s mid-afternoon show has been killed, though Armstrong and co-host Eric Smith may remain on staff.

 

[99gecko]

Wow.

I didn't like Stellick, but Landry was good. I'll miss their Bettman spoof phone calls, and the "Vito, from Woodbridge" character.

Wow.

 

[alebowgm]

Toronto Sports Media had a great blog on this today, as they were there at CJCL when everything went down...

I was fortunate enough to spend some time with Kollins this afternoon and I could tell this wasn’t his finest or proudest day. Firing people, no matter how long they have worked at a place sucks. Strip away all the bs and you are dealing with the 2nd most important thing in a persons life, their livelihood (the first being their health). When you are the new guy and you are charged with making changes it isn’t easy.

http://torontosportsmedia.com/sports-and-toronto/recap-day-fan-590/8387

 

[alebowgm]

Zelkovich also had more to discuss on this. Interesting quote from Stellick who it appears thought he was safe...

“Everything about it was stunning,” Stellick said hours after learning his 17-year career at The FAN had come to an end. “I don’t think anybody saw this coming.”

http://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/nhl/article/828328--zelkovich-radical-surgery-reshapes-fan-590

 

[alebowgm]

Bruce Dowbiggin over at the Globe and Mail got in on the act.

The long-rumoured changes at The Fan 590 arrived Thursday, and as expected, the station is headed in a new direction. Gone are the morning drive team of Don Landry and Gord Stellick plus morning show host Mike Hogan. Announcer Rick Ralph and long-time producer Brian Angus are also leaving the station.

In addition, Rogers Sportsnet host Daren Millard is being replaced as host of the Hockey Central package at lunchtime. Joining The Fan to work the noon to 3 p.m. shift is Greg Brady, formerly co-host of AM640's Bill Watters Show. Prime Time Sports will now air from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., with either pregame shows from the Blue Jays and Raptors or a repeat of Prime Time content in the 6 to 7 p.m. hour.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/more-sports/sweeping-changes-at-fan-590/article1616342/

 

[alebowgm]

I don't see what the good is in having PTS repeat at 6 to 7 when there is no Raps or Jays. Seems like people will just tune out. I also got to wonder what happens to the network stations that pick up PTS for one hour and what it means for TV.

Also find it interesting that McCown's comments on the change have been pulled from the Fan website.

i just feel their base may get alienated by this move...

 

[alebowgm]

Sun Media got in on this

While names like Andrew Krystal, a successful Halifax talk-show host, and CBC’s The Hour host George Stroumboulopoulos have been mentioned as possible morning-show replacements, Kollins made it clear he wants on-air personalities to stay connected with listeners long after they leave the station.

He mentioned blogging, texting, facebooking and all the other multi-media platforms in play today.

http://www.torontosun.com/sports/columnists/dave_fuller/2010/06/25/14510861-torsun.html

and

How do you sell sports radio — make it interesting — make it seem life-and-death critical to listeners in a market where every single professional sports team stinks?

During six years together as co-hosts of The Morning Show, Stellick and Landry pulled it off as best they could, out-drawing, out-lasting a fair number of radio and television personalities in the GTA.

But like the teams they covered, poked fun at, cajoled, their year-to-year ratings pretty much flat-lined.

How could they not?

http://www.torontosun.com/sports/columnists/dave_fuller/2010/06/25/14510891-torsun.html

 

[alebowgm]

Eric Smith wrote the following

From consistency and continuity in the afternoons (something the FAN didn’t have with Jack and I on the road with the Raptors so much) to the quality of our personal lives with our wives and children (something Jack and I didn’t have given how much time we spend on the road with the Raptors - and then hosting the daily show as well) … the change to “The Game Plan” is understandable.

http://blog.rogersbroadcasting.com/ericsmith/2010/06/24/changes-to-the-game-plan/

 

[alebowgm]

Zelk has more on this. Interesting that they had them do the morning show before giving them the axe.

It's never a good day when somebody loses his or her job, which made Black Thursday at the FAN 590 a pretty awful day for a lot of people -- include a lot of regular listeners.

It sure was a bad day for Gord Stellick, who says he and morning co-host Don Landry were notified at 8:59 a.m. that they were wanted in the boss's office. Moments later, they were unemployed.

http://thestar.blogs.com/sportsmedia/2010/06/its-never-a-good-day-when-somebody-loses-his-or-her-job-which-makes-black-thursday-at-the-fan-590-a-pretty-awful-day-for-a-l.html

 

[alebowgm]

And from Milkman Unlimited

FAN 590 has parted ways with on air hosts Don Landry, Gord Stellick, Mike Hogan and newscaster Rick Ralph.

Greg Brady takes over the station's noon hour hockey show which had been hosted by Sportsnet's Daren Millard.

http://www.milkmanunlimited.com/tunedin.htm

 

[alebowgm]

FYI the last day Fan 590 will have The Game Plan with Armstrong and Smith is July 16. They remain on until then. Then both take time off before the NBA season, but will still both be around for 'Hoops' and Raptors broadcasts.

 

[alebowgm]

I find it intersting William Houston hasn't given his piece on this yet

 

[Oakvillejay]

I will never listen to the FAN590 again.

*** I sent Bob Elliot and Richard Griffin this an email with respect to the FAN590 changes. Someone posted The New Program Director's Kollins's email on the globe website so I sent him my thoughts on his new changes. ***

Mr. Elliot / Mr. Griffin,

Just wondering why no one is doing a story on how pissed off some fans are. I can't believe that you guys are not commenting on how Rogers treated Mike Wilner recently among a few other things.

Cheers & have a good summer!

Oakville Jay



Mr. Kollins,

First and for most I use the term Mr. very loosely for the record. I understand you have been hired to do a job. I ask you at what price? You are doing a great job of alienating some very loyal listeners to the fan590. Please include me in in that demographic.

A few things for you to consider moving forward:

McCowan & Primetime:
HUGE LOSS of McCowan & Primetime...Staring @ 3:00pm and Finishing @ 6:00pm??? I am extremely upset with your decision. You lost my loyalty with this move alone.

Mike Wilner:
The way you muzzled Mike Wilner was and is very cheap! It shows how little integrity you have Mr. Kollins. I feel really bad for Wilner. How does Mike Wilner try and do his job with any credibility while being ordered to shut up and sit down by his boss. VERY VERY WEAK! Shame on you and ROGERS for allowing this type of management! Cito Gaston needs to be fired. The players wanted him gone at the end of last year. Why is he being protected? What a joke ROGERS is. We need new owners who actually care and less political diarrhea verbage on the radio. It's obvious that ML$E & ROGER$ are trying to control the message on the radio.
US programming:
I emailed the fan last year and got a reply saying they dropped the US programming so they could save the money and keep people on the air employed due to the recession.
It will be interesting to see if you stay true to that email reply and business plan. If we see that material resurface on the FAN590 you know that you are a spineless little turd. Bet you would throw your own Mother under the bus to make a dollar or get his job.
You can count on this:
I will emplore my fellow friends/fans to hit Rogers where it hurts the most....their wallets and bottom line. We will stop purchasing Rogers products...going to Blue Jays games among many other ways to display our displeasure. Nothing will change until we vote with our wallets...and I guarantee, we will vote often and with reslove Mr. Kollins.

I would wish you luck on your your future endeavors but hope in my heart you fail. Here's a quote that really summarizes how many of us view you.

"At an end your rule is... and not short enough it was."

Oakville Jay

 

[alebowgm]

I do not disagree about moving McCown out of Primetime drive at 6-7. Seems odd until you realize that outside of days that they are going to do Jays or Raps pregame, McCown's 3pm portion will be replayed from 6 to 7, so many will it hear it for the first time... but I do agree, its not a smart move...

 

[dmccorm140]

I am basically gone to XM and Sirius for my Sports now with the lone exception of Bob McCowan whom I taped on Sportsnet or listened on Sirius 97. I think for the Fan 590 to move his show to 3-6 is a ridiculous move.Sirius XM knows better and ensure Mad Dog radio goes to 7pm. Rush hour is from 4-7 not 3-6.

Also the comment by this Program director that segments should be less than 10-15 minutes per topic is also not good. I would like McCowan to join Sirius (or XM) full time and kiss the sinking ship fan590 goodbye.

 

[alebowgm]

Well there rumblings a few weeks ago that he was considering moving on when he was told of the shift to 3-6, we will have to see how it plays out.

 

[alebowgm]

Interesting McCown brought up moving back to Sportsnet Ontario starting in September. July 19 he moves to 3-6 from 4-7, the same 4-7 slot he has been in for 17 or 18 years

 

[mjjl]

Rogers has once again proven they are the greatest public relations disaster in Canadian business history.

 

[alebowgm]

From FyBush.com, although it doesn't seem to read 100% accurate based on everything else we have read...

*Speaking of Rogers, it was in the headlines last week after blowing out a big chunk of the airstaff at its Toronto all-sports outlet, CJCL (FAN 590). Morning hosts Don Landry and Gord Stellick and newsman Rick Ralph are out, as well as the shows that followed them, Mike Hogan in late mornings, Daren Millard's noon hockey show and Jack Armstrong in middays.

Replacing the hockey show is Greg Brady, who joins FAN 590 from its sports competitor, CFMJ (AM 640), where he'd been co-hosting with Bill Watters. Brady's on 590 from 1-4 PM, followed by the one remaining piece of the daytime schedule, Bob McCown's Prime Time Sports.

http://fybush.com/nerw.html

 

[Goldentoe]

Ticked Off

The Fan 590 are lost to me now except Jays and Raptor games. The Bobcat will lose me much more often now.. Anytime I caught the Watters show it was to hear Uncle Wilber not Greg Bradybunch Brady. Hope Mike Hogan surfaces somewhere, and the rest of the guys too. Jack "Hellllllllo Armstrong will be missed also. I have a facebook and a Twitter and am 57 yrs old but like mot guys my age we seldom bother with them. Big Booos for Rogers, and they won't get my cable or internet now. Best way to make them realise the error of their ways.