That follows decisions from Bell Media to shutter Vancouver\u2019s TSN 1040 in 2021 and Winnipeg\u2019s TSN 1290 in 2023.<\/p>\n
Edmonton was a victim of this downward trend, with the TSN 1260 station being abruptly pulled off the air by Bell Media in 2023<\/a>. The Alberta capital has since rebounded, bringing back all-sports radio without the help of the major Canadian telecommunications companies.<\/p>\n The city currently boasts two dedicated all-sports radio platforms, with Sports 1440<\/a> broadcasting to AM radio audiences over the airwaves, while Edmonton Sports Talk<\/a> pioneers an online-only approach that also dips into FM radio.<\/p>\n Neither platform has any affiliation with Rogers or Bell Media.<\/p>\n That is in large part due to the work of two former TSN 1260 on-air hosts, Jason Gregor and Dustin Nielson.<\/p>\n Returning to the AM dial Jason Gregor moved quick to get Sports 1440 on the air. (@jasonwgregor\/Instagram)<\/p>\n Gregor, the owner of Just A Game Productions, was essential in bringing Sports 1440 to life. He partnered with Stingray Radio just three months after TSN 1260\u2019s demise.<\/p>\n \u201c[TSN 1260] was making money, it was a profitable station, so it wasn\u2019t due to profits, it was due to the lack of a proper vision as to why they shut it down,\u201d Gregor told Daily Hive. \u201c[Sports radio] was a comfort for [Edmonton sports fans] in their life\u2026 It became very habitual for people. <\/p>\n \u201cTo take that away is difficult and hard, and it\u2019s a big reason why I decided to really work to push radio back.\u201d<\/p>\n Gregor and Stingray worked fast to make this happen, jumping on existing infrastructure and developing a plan that works. The quick turnaround and the strong partnership between Gregor and Stingray Radio are key reasons why Sports 1440 was so successful out of the gate.<\/p>\n Stingray Radio president Steve Jones told Daily Hive that time is of the essence for Vancouver and Calgary to do the same. The longer it takes, the more difficult it will get.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s going to take time, because once you lose it, it\u2019s hard to get it back. Once the infrastructure that powers [sports radio in Calgary and Vancouver] is dismantled, it\u2019s hard to rebuild it,\u201d Jones told Daily Hive.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt might never come back to those markets; that\u2019s a real problem for those markets.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Finding the right ownership Rogers shut down Sportsnet radio stations in Vancouver and Calgary. (@linaset\/Instagram)<\/p>\n There has been a lot of anger toward Rogers and Bell when it comes to abruptly shutting down sports radio stations across the country. It has alienated fans in Western Canada who feel that those companies are prioritizing Toronto over markets like Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg, and Edmonton.<\/p>\n Jones is in a unique position when it comes to the Canadian media scene. Unlike Rogers or Bell, radio is the top priority for Stingray. It\u2019s their main driving force for everything they do, and it makes sense that they would have more patience for the medium.<\/p>\n He says that just isn\u2019t the case for major telecoms that have dipped their toes into the sports radio business.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t have a view inside the decision-making process at Rogers or Bell. They have a whole bunch of other interests in media and beyond that take their focus away from radio\u2026 So radio becomes, in some cases, kind of small on their [profit and loss] statement,\u201d Jones said.<\/p>\n Evolving the medium Dustin Nielson is the driving force behind Edmonton Sports Talk. (@reidwilkins\/Instagram)<\/p>\n But what about Edmonton Sports Talk?<\/p>\n Nielson finds himself on the other side of the coin when it comes to an evolving sports media landscape, working as an on-air host and CEO of Edmonton Sports Talk.<\/p>\n The 45-year-old broadcaster was a veteran of Edmonton\u2019s AM sports radio scene with TSN 1260, having hosted the station\u2019s highly successful morning show since 2009. Nielson told Daily Hive that he had an offer to return to Edmonton AM radio after TSN 1260 shuttered, but he declined.<\/p>\n Instead, he opted to go with an online streaming platform that mimics sports radio through live shows on YouTube.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you do a good show and the station still gets killed, you\u2019re like, \u2018Well, what did we do wrong?\u2019 and it wasn\u2019t that we did anything wrong,\u201d Nielson said. \u201cIt was that the companies don\u2019t want to spend money on AM radio anymore. Why would I want to stay on AM radio at that point?\u201d<\/p>\n Nielson\u2019s morning show recently jumped to FM radio as well, airing on Edmonton\u2019s 97.5 Cruz FM. The concept of having sports-talk radio move to the FM dial is a novel concept in Canada, and even Jones mentioned that it could be the future of sports radio in Canada.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you combine the clear quality of an FM signal with the digital distribution on platforms like TuneIn, Radio Player Canada, or iHeart, you get distribution to a whole generation of people who don\u2019t even know that AM radio exists,\u201d Jones said. <\/p>\n \u201cYou offer people the opportunity to take that with them wherever they go, outside of the signal area or around the world.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n It was a risk to move away from such an established medium like AM radio to pursue an online-only format, but Nielson doesn\u2019t seem to have any regrets.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been almost three years, and we now have more employees here than we did at 1260. The internet, barring something that I haven\u2019t seen coming, isn\u2019t going to be cancelled anytime soon, so I think we\u2019ll probably be okay.\u201d<\/p>\n Unrivalled community support<\/p>\n Out of the ashes of TSN 1260 rose two dominant sports radio alternatives for Edmontonians. Both have been operating for just under three years and seem to be having success co-existing.<\/p>\n Getting away from those big telecoms has helped bring stability, and the passion of Gregor and Nielson helped build the brands. Yet, it would have been all for naught without the support of both Edmonton sports fans and a bevy of eager advertisers willing to spend money with both outlets.<\/p>\n \u201cWe make a living off of advertisers, it\u2019s as simple as that. If we didn\u2019t have them, it wouldn\u2019t work. If we didn\u2019t have our massive following, that would lead to being beneficial for the clients, it wouldn\u2019t work,\u201d Nielson said. <\/p>\n \u201cIt really all comes down to having a loyal following that\u2019s followed us here and continues to grow.\u201d<\/p>\n It was a combination of Gregor and Nielson going to work and building out two separate, successful business models, and the market responding positively to it.<\/p>\n Reviving sports radio in Vancouver and Calgary will be a major project for whoever takes it on, but somebody will need to take the risk if the medium has any hope of surviving in those cities.<\/p>\n You might also like:Sportsnet 650 pulled off the air in Vancouver<\/a>Sportsnet 960 pulled off the air as Calgary loses sports radio<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Who says Rogers and Bell Media have the final say on sports radio in Canada? 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