March 13, 2019
Change is coming, again, to Vancouver sports radio.
The TSN 1040 morning show is apparently out.
Bell Media made a series of cuts to several TSN sports radio stations across the country Wednesday, and the Dave Pratt-led morning show is among them.
The TSN 1040 website no longer lists an archive for the morning show, which Pratt had hosted on his own since last summer, alongside a rotating roster of co-hosts, including Dave Tomlinson.
Pratt was told this morning he’d been let go. Tomlinson is also out, along with producer Curt Appleby.
In text messages to Postmedia, both Tomlinson and Appleby sent along messages of thanks to their listeners.
Read More HERE
So sorry to see Tomlinson let go. Couldn’t care less about the arrogant Pratt. The station can only go up from here with him gone. Should let Karen Surman host the show.
So sorry to see Tomlinson let go. Couldn’t care less about the arrogant Pratt. The station can only go up from here with him gone. Should let Karen Surman host the show.
Karen would be great! Pratt was a pro – not everyone’s cup of tea but never scared to voice his opinion. Hope he lands on his feet somewhere!
Some talk that Dave Pratt could land at the other foundering sports station, 650.
You have to wonder what took so long. When a stations ratings is a blip on the radar screen its amazing they can afford the personnel thats left over.
Not to mention it appears the lustre is off of sports radio, when you consider they cant rate decently with most females I am not sure why Vancouver can justify one let alone two stations.
Karen should also have got the axe. She talks so fast it not possible to hear what she is jacking about
Wasn’t Surman let go to?
One of the revisions in the Province article yesterday did mention her as being a casualty. Was it revised again, with her name removed?
Tomlinson… NOOOOO!!!!
Pratt? Good riddance. Basically, the only men worth listening to are The Moge and Caravetta on CFL broadcasts with a dash of Burnsy and Farhan thrown in.
To me, all this really begs the question of “getting the band together”. Canucks games were worth listening to with Tomlinson and Scotty on board. CFL with Scotty and Julio, backed up by Moge, Burnsy and the gang.
If there was some way that 1040 and 650 could figure out getting together somehow. That would get me back to listening to sports radio.
Finally!! Good riddance to that egotistical, arrogant and Toronto hating Pratt! The best news Ive heard all year. Hopefully he never gets back on the air in Van, but in Toronto so we don’t have to hear his verbal diarrhea anymore. I’ll drive you to the airport! Lol
It’s always tough to see people being let go. Pratt was ok, I don’t like pablum talk radio anyways and he did speak his mind more often than not especially once 1040 was no longer Canucks house radio.
The way they let these people go is kinda bullshit. You know you can give them a time table say 1 month or so, not just HEY YOU ARE GONE!
That said with both sports stations floundering in the ratings and its been that way with sports radio for years one can’t be surprised at cuts, after all it’s a profit driven business.
Pro sports in general lack much of the lustre they had in decades past. They have become more or less social engineering platforms and as such by marketing guys and the games regardless of the sport have become HO HUM, UNION GAMES! There is no longer the true grit and rivalries as in the past. Players regardless of teams are generally buddies on TWITTER, FACEBOOK and off the ice/field/floor, now and the pay is so high nobody really gets into the gruff anymore for risk of injury. Coaches all coach to be safe and that helps keep their precarious jobs alive.
Short of playoffs and championship games it’s all too much a kissy poo, on the ice, field, grid iron or floor, lets add getting the marketing pulse of a now quite flaccid public watching to pander sports as a social experiment today.
All leagues say they want parity… I SAY THAT MEANS THEY WANT MEDIOCRITY! The NHL for one if it had its way, all soon to be 32 teams would finish with 82 points on the season and as such all playoff spots will be open until the final weekend…. Similar with other pro sports.
The powers to be in pro sports say they hate DYNASTIES! I SAY I LOVED THEM!! If it was your team with the dynasty you were luvin it. For me the 70’s Montreal Canadians was great. But I loved to hate the Edmonton Oilers dynasty (??) of the 80’s. It was all in great fun…. When the NY Yankees were a true dynasty the other MLB teams regardles of where they were in the standings would sell out when the Yankees came to town. Fans wanted to see an MLB dynasty and either loved the Yankees or loved to hate them. Most/all pro sports do not really have that anymore. MEDIOCRITY IS WHAT THEY GIVE US AND HIGH TICKET PRICES TO BOOT!
On t.v. too much talking heads bullshit, too many commercials (esp. NFL). In the arenas and stadiums today too much Side Show Bob crap with way too much crap canned music at 120db along with a never ending in house commercials too, FCUK THAT!
So I think sports radio is in ICU today anyways.
I myself will miss Dave. He set the tone starting with his sports shows back on CKWX and CHRX. His shows with Moj and Donnie were all must listen for me. Love him or hate him and believe me I’ve done both, he at least understood that it’s all about entertainment and that’s what kept me coming back.
Admittedly the shtick went too far sometimes but it did eventually with Neil McCrae and Big Al as well. They were all great entertainers and made you have a feeling and opinion about what they were saying. Unfortunately now too many of them are monotone and boring. I Don’t know if he would be a fit at 650 most of their on air people fall into that category.
The sports world needs more Pratts, McCraes and Big Als
Must confess I tuned into Pratt and Co not 650 which is all shouting see below
Pratt could have survived if He was not so overbearing and uber judgemental about His pet hates
Main problem to Me as an Old time listener is the totally unprofessional behaviour of most Sports Radio Presenter “Teams” They all TALK OVER EACH OTHER!! like BC Parliament Question Period and the Listener looking for rational discussion and just tunes out and moves on
This applies to Talk Radio in general these days
BCIT and Other Radio Schools should teach a different Format and more Professional approach to a potentially great Format
Michael05
“Pro sports in general lack much of the lustre they had in decades past. ”
That’s not correct. NHL is one that has but the NFL and even the NBA are still continuing on a path of dominant market share. NFL has changed several rules to increase offence while NBA does a fantastic job of marketing stars.
As long as the ratings at both of the sports properties remain below those of PraiseFM (Lynden), one has to wonder how they survive. How much is one point really worth?
Karen also schoud have been let go along with Pratt and the others,
I find Pratt’s replacements great entertainment and always get a genuine laugh everyday when they hand over to Donnie and Moj. Can’t stand any show on 650 and would love to see Pratt and Russell find a timeslot over there.
Love or hate him (and for most it’s the latter) Dave Pratt was on the ground floor of bringing Sports Talk radio to Vancouver.
And for a brief and shining moment in the mid 200ths, Pratt and Donny Taylor – aka “Rye and Coke”- co-hosted what was then one of one best shows in the country. (And that was the opinion out of Toronto).
They may have hated each other, but that “edge” made for a orginal, informative, often hilarious radio.
Then greed and stupidity kicked in… and the bottom fell out of Sports Talk in Vancouver.
THE FORMAT became “All Canucks All The Time – 24/7/365”.
Sure, it gave the bean counters a “loyal audience” they could take to their sponsors.
But that audience consists of 23 guys working for a trucking company in Surrey.
The rest of us have broader interests than hearing about the 3rd line center for the Canucks… in mid July.
The ratings tell the tale.
Game over.
Always liked Dave, and he had a great run. But like most aging broadcasters, he failed to do an ‘Oprah’ and continually refresh and reinvent his shtick.