Turn to TSN for Jets broadcasts

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 22/07/2011 (5202 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Crank that dial hard to the right, sports fans: The Winnipeg Jets and pro hockey have found a new home on local radio.

As winnipegfreepress.com reported Thursday, the Jets are expected to announce within the next few days that they have reached a deal on a new broadcast agreement with Bell Media that means the NHL’s return will be televised on TSN and broadcast on TSN radio.

Sports Radio 1290 in Winnipeg — Bell Media also owns Fab 94.3 and Bob FM — will now broadcast Jets games, effectively ending a long association between True North Sports and Entertainment and CJOB, which has held the radio rights for the Manitoba Moose since their inception 15 years ago and for the Jets prior to the franchise relocation to Phoenix in 1996.

No comment

True North senior director of corporate communications Scott Brown said a broadcast announcement was coming soon, but preferred not to comment on any details on the agreement.

Sports Radio 1290 program director Chris Brooke was also not available on Thursday and a spokesperson for TSN, as they said earlier in the week when contacted by the Free Press, offered up the standard “no comment.”

As well, a handful of CJOB executives said they did not want to speak on the matter until it was official.

An industry insider said that even though CJOB’s bid was apparently very lucrative financially, TSN’s package deal — and the chance to have TV and radio games handled by the same partner — was believed to be critical in the decision and a potential deal breaker.

True North reportedly worked to stay loyal with CJOB — as recently as late last week a CJOB/TSN radio/TV combo was the rumoured scenario — but TSN’s deal insisted the network control both the radio and regional TV rights.

TSN and Bell Media wrestled the English-language radio rights for the Montreal Canadiens away from CJAD last month and also hold the rights in Vancouver and Ottawa.

While the announcement has yet to be made official, the Internet chat rooms and comment sections are already buzzing as to who should handle the Jets’ play-by-play on Sports Radio 1290.

Curt Keilback, the longtime voice of the Jets who followed the team to Phoenix, is back in Winnipeg and called Manitoba Junior Hockey League games on NCI Radio last season. In addition, television names like Rod Black, Peter Loubardias and Roger Millions, among others, have all been mentioned.

As for the man who has been the voice of pro hockey in this town for the past few years — CJOB’s Brian Munz — he’d certainly like to be considered, too.

“It’s my dream job to do the play-by-play, that’s why I moved to Winnipeg, to be the voice of professional hockey here,” said Munz, currently on vacation with his family, when reached Thursday.

“I’ve had a great five-year run with the Moose. Hopefully, I still get that chance in the NHL.”

ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca