by Patrick Johnston, blogging for The Province Sports
Scott Rintoul (above) and Andrew Walker will anchor Sportsnet 650’s afternoon drive show.
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While some have suggested that starting a new Vancouver sports station looks a little odd in the digital age of broadcasting, plenty of data suggests the medium isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
Scott Rintoul believes it — he wouldn’t have stopped calling B.C. Lions games for TSN 1040 to join fledgling Vancouver sports talk station Sportsnet 650 if he didn’t.
Rintoul will be joined by Vancouver newcomer Andrew Walker on 650’s afternoon drive show when the station launches in the first week of September. Walker is currently a host for Sportsnet 590 the Fan in Toronto.
Rintoul served a number of roles at TSN 1040 including morning host, late-night host and as well as B.C. Lions play caller.
“I do like a challenge and the thought of building something new is exciting,” Rintoul said Monday at a coffee shop just off Main Street in Vancouver.
“We’re not going to reinvent sports radio,” he admitted as a frank reality. The format has persisted for more than two decades across North America — for good reason.
“I think people are going to find (the show) smart, they’re going to find it engaging, they’re going to find it fun.”
A radio show only goes as far as the personalities on display, after all.
Walker is new to Vancouver and his co-host, but that’s got great potential, Rintoul said.
“Fresh” is very much the word to describe the partnership.
“That’s what this (pairing) represents; it’s what the station can represent.”
They’ll be learning about each other on the fly, a situation that’s ripe for debate.
And Rintoul insisted Walker “isn’t a Toronto guy.”
Walker grew up in Saskatchewan, did radio in his home province and then Alberta for many years before making the jump to the Centre of the Universe in 2013.
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Wonder if Rogers realizes there’s more to sports in BC than the Canucks. If Sportsnet Pacific is any indicator, good luck seeing any Lions, Whitecaps, UBC, SFU, Mariners or Seahawks coverage.
Lions aren’t really a draw anymore.
If you look at the ratings sports talk is invariably near the bottom where it is doomed. Is this because sports is not interesting or is it the way it’s presented on radio? My guess is the latter. It needs to be presented to an audience in a more interesting and engaging way. Why don’t hosts ever go out and record an interview with players and ask them about various aspects of what they do? I can think of dozens of questions to ask an athlete that never get asked. Go beyond the trite second guessing of coaches and who should be traded for whom and the inane conversation that is so prominent in sports talk today.
This is not difficult but it takes effort and a little work which is anathema to sports jocks today. It’s much easier to sit in a studio and pontificate than actually go out and do something different and interesting that may engage an audience and generate listeners. And one last thing: please, stop asking players about the pressure they face. If that’s the best you can do then get out of the business.
Am I getting too cynical?
Wow…. jealous.
Totally agree way sports are presented. I turn off 1040 frequently as the presenters often argue amongst themselves ,talking over each other behaving like teenagers in a School debate, Very unprofessional! Sports net Radio take note!
Mike
Great news and congratulations to Scott!
I’m looking forward to adding 650 to my radio presets, while deleting 1040/1410. Especially considering the execrable voice of Jeff Paterson is back on the air at 1040.
Having 1 “major” franchise in VCR + one league purporting to be “major” in Cda/US (media ratings low in most mkts) + Lions (struggling for radio listeners) and 3 sports radio stns in a market 1/3 the size of the GTA (3 “major franchises & many major events) means 1410 goes.
Gary/Ian make good comments…1040 has become dull, spending so much time on hockey..Canucks are a dull brand these days!
Toronto has 2 sports stns, other major Cdn cities have 1…2 in the LM is 1 too many to fight for limited adv $$