What we've learned about changes coming to Canucks radio broadcasts
The closure of Sportsnet 650 has undoubtedly left a huge hole in Vancouver’s sports media landscape.
There are some local sports listening options left, but not since Team 1040 debuted in 2001 have we had a summer with so little airtime dedicated to the Vancouver sports scene.
But as we inch closer to the start of hockey season, expect some of that to change.
The demand for sports radio hasn’t diminished. What has changed is how we consume media, and from what I’ve heard, I expect multiple former Sportsnet 650 broadcasters to resurface in the coming weeks.
Conversations are taking place behind the scenes about podcasts and other forms of audio content, similar to what we saw following the demise of TSN 1040 in February 2021. Matt Sekeres, Blake Price, and Jeff Paterson quickly chose the podcast route, while Don Taylor and Rick Dhaliwal landed a television show on CHEK. Mike Halford and Jason Brough stuck with traditional sports radio, taking their popular morning show to Sportsnet 650.
Stay tuned for where Halford, Brough, and other prominent former Sportsnet 650 voices end up next.
Batch and Janda staying on as Canucks voices
What is becoming clearer is the future of Canucks games on radio, as broadcasts move to the FM dial for the first time.
As was previously announced, Rogers has retained Canucks radio broadcast rights and is planning to air games on a company-owned FM station. That leaves just two options: Jack 96.9 or Kiss Throwbacks (104.9 FM).
I’ve been told that 104.9 FM is the likely landing spot for Canucks broadcasts next season. Brendan Batchelor and Randip Janda are keeping their spots in the broadcast booth, with Dominic Sramaty producing.
Batchelor has been the Canucks’ radio play-by-play voice since 2017. Janda joined Batchelor in the booth in 2022, after Corey Hirsch left Sportsnet.
Plans aren’t finalized yet, but it appears a one-hour pre-game show will air on 104.9 FM before each game. Post-game shows might vary in length, but expect broadcasts to go until 11 p.m. following a 7 p.m. game.
The plan is to hire hosts for pre-game, post-game, and intermissions. Will we see another former Sportsnet 650 host resurface there as well?
The puck drops on preseason for the Canucks one month from now, on Sept. 19, with training camp beginning two days earlier in Penticton. The NHL regular season has been moved up, with Canucks playing their first game on Sept. 29. Opening night at Rogers Arena is set for Oct. 1.
- You might also like:
- 6 Canucks podcasts to turn to after Sportsnet 650's demise