Bell's TSN 1040 replacement fails in Vancouver after just two years

It was a sad day in Canadian media today, as Bell Media made another round of cuts across the country. Bell cut 1,300 jobs and closed or sold nine of its radio stations across Canada.

Most notably, it resulted in the company shutting down TSN 1260 in Edmonton, meaning that city loses its only all-sports radio station.

But there was one element that was bringing joy to local sports fans in Vancouver.

That’s because two years ago when Bell pulled the plug on TSN 1040, it was replaced by Funny 1040.

“The adjustments we’re making to some of our radio stations this week offer a good example of Bell Media’s readiness to change when it’s right for the business, especially when our costs are too high to justify where we simply have a better model to serve a given marketplace,” said Bell Media President Wade Oosterman said after shutting down TSN 1040 in 2021. “Later this week, we’ll also transition TSN radio stations in Winnipeg and Vancouver to our funny format, which has already proven highly successful in markets like Hamilton and Calgary with its standup comedy content.”

That quote seems funny now, but it was no laughing matter for local sports fans when the all-comedy station took over on 1040 two years ago. The station, which primarily featured old recorded stand-up comedy clips, has been a punchline for Vancouver sports fans ever since.

Well, until today.

Bell said “good riddance” to Funny 1040, along with all-comedy stations in Calgary and Winnipeg. Also off the air is Bloomberg 1410, which replaced TSN’s secondary all-sports station in 2018, as well as NewsTalk 1290 in London. Bell is also selling AM Radio 1150 and AM 820 in Hamilton, as well as AM 580 in Windsor, according to sports media analyst Adam Seaborn.

Hard to believe that Vancouver once had three all-sports radio stations to choose from. Now there’s only one, Sportsnet 650.

TSN Radio now exists in just three cities: Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa. Sportsnet runs radio stations in Vancouver, Calgary, and Toronto. TSN previously axed sports radio in Winnipeg and Hamilton, at the same time as TSN 1040 was aborted in Vancouver.

Many TSN 1040 hosts have landed on their feet since the station ceased operations in 2021.

Matt Sekeres and Blake Price have found success continuing their popular show as a locally run podcast, through Go Goat Sports. Jeff Paterson and Andrew Wadden also made the move to Go Goat, as hosts of RinkWide: Vancouver. Mike Halford and Jason Brough, formerly of TSN 1040, were quickly snapped up by Sportsnet 650.

Don Taylor and Rick Dhaliwal, meanwhile, made the move to television. They host Donnie and Dhali on CHEK TV.

You might also like:
• TSN 1260 off the air in Edmonton as Bell Media pulls the plug