Can Argos score online?
Sometimes, desperation is a good thing, even if it is born out of having no choice.
Last season, the FAN 590 shopped around a bunch of Toronto Argonauts games that ran into conflicts with Blue Jays games. It found exactly none, which either said something about the state of the radio business or the popularity of the Argos.
Either way, the FAN decided to put those games on its website, mainly because there was no alternative other than having announcers Mike Hogan and Peter Martin talk a lot louder. But a funny thing happened: people actually listened.
Okay, not a lot of people but probably more than anyone expected. While the numbers were hardly overwhelming, averaging between 8,000 and 9,000 listeners, they weren't bad. The FAN's HockeyCentral at Noon simulcast, for example, attracts about 2,500 online listeners. (Other comparisons aren't available because of the antiquated ratings system, which will be replaced by presumably more accurate digital measuring devices in the fall.)
So when the 2009 CFL schedule left the FAN with five regular-season conflicts and two in the pre-season, it didn't even consider looking for another radio station.
``I think (Internet radio) will continue to grow," says FAN v-p and general manager Nelson Millman. ``We may be a bit early on this, but clearly there's an audience and who knows where it will go?"
In addition to 13 Argo broadcasts the traditional way, the FAN will continue its weekly Inside The Argos show with Hogan and Sandy Annunziata.
OTHER STUFF
CBS announcer Jim Nantz is the winner of the Sports Emmy for outstanding play-by-play. Oh please, please don't say it's for his work at the Masters. If it is, there can't possibly be a God. ... Toronto Raptors producer Paul Graham will join the CTV Olympics group, with Dan Gladman taking over his duties with the basketball team. ... Not that we're counting, but there are only 22 days left before TSN2 airs its first Toronto Blue Jays game, meaning that unless TSN and Rogers Cable make a deal, Rogers service reps have only 22 more days to practise explaining why their customers can't watch a Rogers-owned team. ... Just wondering: What is poker still doing taking up valuable time on sports channels? Couldn't it be replaced by something sportier, like lawnmower racing? ... Also wondering: Why do commercials by fear-monger Joel Matlin (the home alarm guy who tries to scare the bejeezus out of listeners) appear so often on sports radio? Are sports fans easier to scare than other radio listeners?
...and why does he think that any potential customers care that they're listed on the TSX?
Posted by: Jason Cormier | 04/28/2009 at 10:59 PM
The Toronto media for some reason always likes to underestimate the popularity of the Argos and teh CFL in Toronto. Why I don't know? But TV ratings for the Argos are comparable and ofter beat the Blue Jays, and are much much bigger then the Raptors. Yet the Argos are alwasy mentioned as being even behind the soccer team in popularity in Toronto? Why would that be? Can anybody say Bills?
Posted by: Rick Gross | 04/29/2009 at 01:48 PM
I don`t normally take a computer with me to an Argo game so I can listen to the play by play. I also don`t have an internet connection in my car or at the cottage. Having Argo games only available online is intolerable. Toronto's non playoff bound American basketball team bounced several Jays games at the start of the season and the sun still rose in the morning. Why can`t the same courtesy be given to the Argonauts? We are only talking seven games. The Jays will survive.
Posted by: David Hyndman | 04/30/2009 at 08:23 AM
I don't usually spend a lot of time online reading blogs or article unless the are about football or cycling. So this quite the unexpected bonus to come across this post. Hockey is not my favorite though.
Posted by: Gardener | 03/14/2011 at 04:05 AM