Press Release from Sportsnet 650
– Local fan-favourites Mike Halford and Jason Brough sign on to anchor SN650 morning drive show –
– Radio veteran Karen Surman to co-host midday timeslot alongside Scott Rintoul for both Vancouver and Calgary stations –
– Don Taylor to join SN650 as regular contributor to the afternoon drive show with new co-hosts Satiar Shah, Dan Riccio and Randip Janda –
March 25, 2021 – Set your radio dials, Vancouver! Starting Monday, Vancouver’s all-sports radio station Sportsnet 650 is hitting the airwaves with a new weekday lineup. Featuring familiar names and new voices, the refreshed roster of talent and shows is set to deliver the sports headlines and insights that matter most to Vancouver’s sports fans.
“Since its inception, Sportsnet 650 has always strived to provide listeners with a front-row seat to the news, interviews and commentary from around the world of sports, but with a distinctly Vancouver flavour,” said Craig MacEwen, Program Director, Sportsnet 650. “By refreshing our lineup with a combination of familiar voices and long-time fan-favourites, we look forward to serving up the entertaining content listeners have come to expect of Sportsnet 650, while also celebrating what makes Vancouver a truly unique sports market.”
The new weekday lineup on Sportsnet 650 is as follows:
6 a.m. to 9 a.m. – Halford & Brough in the Morning | Mike Halford and Jason Brough
Long-time staples in Vancouver radio, Halford and Brough are set to make their return to the radio airwaves on Sportsnet 650. Boasting in-depth sports knowledge, entertaining on-air chemistry and a rolodex of sports’ biggest names, Halford & Brough in the Morning is ready to jumpstart the morning drive across Vancouver.
Mike Halford & Jason Brough – As names synonymous with hockey in Vancouver, Halford and Brough have been mainstays in sports media for the past 14 years. Starting out as bloggers affiliated with the Vancouver Province, Halford and Brough have built a fanbase throughout their experiences on local radio, roles at NBC Sports and most recently morning drive co-hosts.
9 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Rintoul & Surman | Scott Rintoul and Karen Surman
Bringing a wealth of experience and knowledge to the radio booth, Rintoul and Surman tackle the biggest news of the day for two of Canada’s most passionate sports markets, delivering in-depth interviews and up-to-the-minute analysis for listeners in Vancouver and Calgary.
The entire Rintoul and Surman show will air as a simulcast on Sportsnet 960 The FAN in Calgary. As a result, The Big Show in Calgary will now run from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. MT daily.
Karen Surman – An experienced radio expert, Surman has contributed to radio stations in major hubs across Canada, including Victoria, Edmonton and Grand Prairie, before making a name for herself in sports radio in Vancouver.
1 p.m. to 3 p.m. – Bik & The Boss / Canucks Central | Bik Nizzar and Craig MacEwen
Producer-turned-broadcaster Nizzar and radio veteran MacEwen anchor the afternoon timeslot with in-depth Canucks chatter, breaking news analysis and entertaining guests.
Bik Nizzar – Boasting over 13 years in sports radio, Nizzar is officially stepping into the co-host chair for Bik & The Boss this Monday. Born and raised in Coquitlam, Nizzar signed on with Sportsnet in 2017 where he previously contributed to Canucks Central and produced the afternoon drive show on Sportsnet 650.
3 p.m. to 7 p.m. – The People’s Show with Satiar Shah, Dan Riccio and Randip Janda
Evolving beyond your regular afternoon drive show, The People’s Show will touch on the topics that live at the crossroads of sports and culture. Anchored by SN650 regulars Shah, Riccio and Janda, The People’s Show will tackle the headlines that impact the diverse communities across Vancouver. PLUS, celebrated radio personality Don Taylor is slated to contribute to the afternoon drive show a couple times each week.
The refreshed Sportsnet 650 lineup is set to hit airwaves on Monday, March 29 beginning at 6 a.m. PT.
“In making these changes, we have made the difficult decision to part ways with some talented and dedicated broadcasters,” said MacEwen. “We want to sincerely thank James Cybulski, Perry Solkowski and Andrew Walker for their passion and unwavering commitment to helping build Sportsnet 650 into the station it is today. We wish them all the very best in their next chapter.”
I wish them luck, I hope people listen .
As a long time loyal 1040 fan Hanford and Brough were becoming must listen to on 1040. Karen should be a great improvement to Scotty’s show. It will be interesting to see what Don Taylor will bring as a contributor to the drive show. Randip Jana and Dan Riccio was the one show on 650 that I was actually listening to and enjoying, it’ll be fun to see what they can do with the People’s show. Good luck to all. This may fill some of the void left with TSN leaving
Who was the brains behind a three-person talk show? Really? Bad enough already when two people are trying to get their point across. Really dumb!
Have to agree with Boycott 1040 re:the three-person talk show.
650 will gain a lot of 1040’s old listeners if they stick to sports. If they hosts drift to non-sports related topics though, any ratings blip will be short lives. But I’m glad that the familiar names are employed again, at least for now.
Good news that some of the old 1040 crew is still employed again. But the 650 sports crew are like on a four year contract since the launch in 2017. So I have a feeling it wont be long. And there might be another sports station somewhere on the dial because the bc lions are looking for broadcasting rights. So 650 might change format again, perhaps to a feminist or lgbt or a BIPOC talk radio channel or even just off air with PSAs from the government. I never listen to the station for obvious reasons, but good halford and brough have jobs still.
Yup…a 3-man radio show…??? Ridiculous.
Speed talker Surman should be an auctioneer…she’s annoying. Rintoul is great.
Taylor always good.
Yes, Surman should work on Storage Wars or some off-brand version of that show…. Rintoul sounds like a good guy but find him irritating as hell to listen no matter the station. Bik and the Boss… I guess the PD had to do a shift to make the budget work? After that, house-radio time all the way. One reason they had to get rid of Walker as he didn’t abide by the Rogers directive. Audio quality is horrendously bad in comparison to 1040.
Absolutely ridiculous cutting ties with Solkowski & Cybulski and replacing them with “Canucks Cheerleaders!!” Halford & Brough are nothing but juvenile & spend 50% of each show, discussing friggin’ Canucks line combinations! Who cares? Both Perry & James have 3 times as much experience in the business and are far more diversified, in terms of their coverage & knowledge of sports. Karen Surman – a very good addition. She has paid her dues and deserved a break in this business.
What an improvement this morning with Halford and Brough. All the shows seemed to be much improved today. The only complaint is the sound quality. It always sounds like it’s being broadcast from a bathroom. CISL used to have the same issue.
Anything is an improvement in the morning. I tuned in a few times and for a while thought I was listening to a music station rather than sports. Additionally, the station should have made them call the show Perry and James or similar for obvious reasons. In this business packaging and perception is everything.