By Greg Douglas, Special to the Vancouver Sun August 8, 2014
Vancouver sports broadcaster Don Taylor.
Photograph by: Vancouver Sun
SCENE & HEARD: It turns out that both Don Taylor and Craig MacEwen were given their termination notices by the Rogers Sportsnet Toronto brass on the same day: Thursday, July 31. They were summoned to the network’s Vancouver office for meetings 30 minutes apart with Sportsnet president Scott Moore and Rob Corte, vice president, Live Events and News Production.
Word on MacEwen, Sportnet’s Pacific Bureau Chief, initially leaked out in this space on Aug. 2. Taylor needed time to negotiate an extension of his radio contract with Team 1040 and once that was done, he announced himself on Twitter this past Wednesday that his 13-year run with Sportsnet was over.
“I’m not giving anybody lip service or dodging any issues when I say this will be the first time in 30 years that I won’t be working a night shift and I’m looking forward to it,” Taylor reiterated Friday. “I’ve got a wife (Lisa) and three young kids. I can honestly say this is a good thing. I’m not mad at anybody.”
Taylor, 54, spent 16 years on the air with locally-produced Sports Page prior to joining Sportsnet. Now, after an extended summer holiday with his family in Osoyoos, he will return to Team 1040 with afternoon co-host Barry Macdonald on Sept. 8. The fact Sportsnet rival TSN has a partnership position with Bell Media, owners of Team Radio, leads to obvious speculation that Taylor will eventually return to the television airwaves with TSN on CTV locally. Referring to it as a “possibility”, Taylor makes it clear that being tied down to late night sportscasts would not be part of the package.
HERE ‘N’ THERE: The winding down of Rogers Sportsnet in Vancouver might not be over. James Cybulski and Caroline Cameron, co-hosts of the daily morning edition of Sportsnet Connected that is produced here, could be moving to Toronto in time for the new fall network scheduling.
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Sportsnet letting Don go will most likely work out to be a blessing in disguise for him. He will probably end up getting a position with TSN in Vancouver with more suitable work hours.
Either way I’m happy that he will be on with Barry for the entire program on their afternoon show on Team 1040.
Why is Sportsnet taking away there entire Vancouver operation? I am sure James Cybulski and Caroline Cameron are thrilled to return to Toronto after just moving to Vancouver.
Donnie Taylor, a good old “Columbia” grad who made it good, (most Columbia grads now deliver pizzas, by the way, along with Neil McRea LOL) was arguably one of the best late night sports anchors that Vancouver television ever had, going back to CKVU and even going back further to Al Davidson.
It’s very difficult to see Donnie NOT return to television in a timely manner . I mean, he is heads and tails better than anybody else in Vancouver tv sports over the last 20 years, next to Squire Barnes and even the “lesbians” at CBC.
I, for one, will miss Donnie’s timely and chirpy analysis of Vancouver Canucks’ perpetual losses on Sportsnet, along with a grim-faced Garry Valk. LOL
I would like to see Garry Valk, however, be resurrected. A very respected hockey man and analyst !
As far as closing the Sportsnet Vancouver bureau goes, makes no sense whatsoever,,,,
Gary Valk?? Are you serious? He’s horrible. Wow!! As for Don, the best thing that could happen to him is leaving Sportsnet. A terrible sports channel. TSN is the only sports station in Canada that does it right. I hope they aren’t afraid to pay Donnie.
@ Just Sayin’: you are correct about Taylor being one of the very best sports anchors on local TV, but then you throw Big Al into that equation… remind me when Davidson was on TV.
If TSN brought in Don Taylor, what would his role be? Farhan Lalji is already the Vancouver reporter and they don’t have a broadcast operation on the west coast.
This guy was one of the best and will continue to be. Donnie’s turning in to P.A. Toronto Maple Leaf Announcer Andy Frost will always be “CLASSIC”. Don is all class and rocked it and will continue to do so because he is one of the best!
Charlie Brown
Al Davidson can be best described as the precusor to the Neil McRea era of sports.
A cigar smoking, bold, brash, rascal, one of a kind for sure.
Donnie Taylor was/is also a character, perhaps the best sports anchor, ever, in Vancouver, in a town where we had some of the best in the business,,,
J Paul Mcconnell, Tom Larcheid, Jim Robson, Dave Hodge, Squire Barnes, Dan Russell, it doesn’t get better than that !
I don’t want a panel breaking down the night in the NHL after the Canucks game. I want to we Canucks analysis some highlights by someone from this market not a bunch of guys fighting to get airtime or somebody who has to brush up on the Canucks to do the highlights. Bring back Donny Taylor and Valk !! Guess I’m forced to listen to TSN 1040 after games aswell as before to get my fix.