Expansion in the world of professional sport provokes the usual charges of product dilution, mediocrity and greed.
Not so in sports media, where growth is generally a good thing. The seven new digital television channels that started in Canada this year have given the consumer a wide spectrum of content and choice. CHUM's network of sports radio stations that were launched in the spring competed (but not well) with The Fan in Toronto and introduced sports radio to new markets.
Over the past year, the growth in sports media set in motion two trends. In an expanded, more competitive environment, sports channels worked harder to develop original stories and break news. And the explosion in content opened the door to women.
The obvious place to start for women is WTSN, where Norma Wick is the lead anchor, and Sue Prestedge, the senior vice-president, is in charge of the operation. WTSN solidly supports women's issues and steers clear of beach volleyball and workout shows, programming that would attract a male audience and increase ratings. WTSN, as the only women's sports channel in North America, is a groundbreaker, although analysts are mixed on whether, in the long term, that means above ground or below.
In the real world of TV sport, where women and men are on equal footing -- well, not quite; arguably, women need to be better than men -- Jody Vance has hit the highest mark as the anchor of Rogers Sportsnet's dinner-hour Sportscentral. With Vance at her usual spot behind the glass-topped table (which shows her legs, she once told ESPN Radio), ratings have increased 37 per cent over the past two years to 61,000 viewers a show -- about half of what TSN's SportsCentre pulls in, but growing.
At the risk of sounding patronizing, we'll say that Vance has a good knowledge of sports and effectively presents the news. For what she has achieved and also for what she symbolizes, she makes our top-10 media list for 2001.
Other women we liked in 2001 included Terry Leibel, the CBC's veteran host and analyst; Patricia Boal, The Score's Ottawa reporter; Brenda Irving on Hockey Night in Canada; and Hazel Mae, Sportsnet's morning anchor.
1. FEMALE SPORTS BROADCASTERS: The growth in sports media has seen great strides made by women in 2001. They now have their own television channel and more than a few are making an impact in broadcasting. As a group, women in sports broadcasting topped The Globe and Mail's list of media stars of 2001. 2. Television sports reporters: This year, the best unwritten media story was the escalating war between TSN's top reporters and their counterparts at Rogers Sportsnet. It's all about the rush to get the story first, put it on the air or the Internet and then tell the world, boastfully, "Hey, we broke it." This has stopped being a rivalry. Now, it's an intense animosity. When Sportsnet or TSN gets a scoop, it immediately calls The Canadian Press, which puts a story on the wire crediting the source. Inevitably, the other sports channel will call CP and claim it had the story first. And so it goes. Because of the egos involved, the red-hot competition has incited feuds, hissy fits and reporters yelling at their sources. But for the consumer, it's a good thing -- lots of news, delivered quickly and usually accurately. Picking one reporter from this zealous group could be life-threatening, so let's just say that at Sportsnet, Marty York, Scott Morrison and Nick Kypreos have been doing some excellent work. And so, too, have Bob McKenzie, Gord Miller and Steve Dryden at TSN. All six make it on our list -- as one, in the reporting category. We're putting them in the same room, as a WWF act. 3. Don Cherry: Among the elite, conformity tends to be the norm and stating the obvious is encouraged, but Cherry of Hockey Night in Canada is the exception. The star of Coach's Corner defends the indefensible, sticks up for the reprehensible and glorifies violence. That makes him a bad guy to many, but irresistible as a TV personality. Cherry was vilified in May when he defended Toronto Maple Leafs forward Tie Domi's sneak attack on Scott Niedermayer of the New Jersey Devils during the National Hockey League Eastern Conference semi-final. Domi was universally condemned, but Cherry presented a motive for the attack: Niedermayer used his stick on Domi earlier in the series -- and then Cherry was universally condemned. 4. Dave Randorf: He is not a controversial figure, but has emerged as one of the top hosts and anchors in the business. His first major assignment was as host of TSN's Sydney Olympic coverage in 2000. Last season, he worked as host and reporter of CTV's figure skating telecasts. And during the summer, he moved from Vancouver to Toronto to take over as anchor of TSN's Canadian Football League studio panel. In February, he will work as one of TSN's Olympic hosts at Salt Lake. In a business where hero worship is prevalent, Randorf's strength is his objectivity. His fans would say he's cool. Critics would describe him as chilly. 5. Dan Shulman: Among all the announcers in Canadian sport, Shulman was the busiest in 2001, calling 82 Toronto Blue Jays games on TSN as well as doing play by play for college basketball games on ESPN in the United States. Shulman is among the top baseball play callers in the business, but isn't likely to stay with TSN. His contract will expire in February, and because the network will not be carrying Jays games next season, he could end up moving to Sportsnet, which is owned by Jays proprietor Rogers Communications and will carry about 120 games. 6. Bob McCown: He has been in radio and television for more than 20 years, but it's only been in the past six that he has emerged as the top sports personality in Canadian radio. As host of The Fan 590 all-sport radio's drive home show in Toronto, he ranked fourth in the market (behind three FM stations and the popular 680 News). He whacked the sports competition with a 7.2-per-cent market share, compared with The Team 1050's 0.4. The final hour of McCown's show, Prime Time Sports, from 6 to 7 p.m. EST, is aired in eight markets outside Toronto. McCown is smart, opinionated and egotistical, which explains his success in radio. 7. Harry Neale: He has been at the job longer than most analysts and speaks to the largest audience as colour commentator on both Hockey Night in Canada and the Toronto Maple Leafs' regional telecasts. Neale's easygoing style struck a defensive posture in April when Ottawa Mayor Bob Chiarelli accused him of a bias toward the Leafs before the start of the Toronto-Ottawa Senators playoff series. Neale said Chiarelli and other disapproving Ottawa fans could take "a big bite of my [expletive] if they didn't like how he commented on the games. Generally, Neale does not take the game seriously. His strength is light humour, as opposed to hot-off-the-presses reporting. He gives the viewer a chance to relax and enjoy the game. 8. Studio analysts: Canada's leading natural resource used to be hockey players. Now, it might be hockey analysts. Two major talents in 2001 were former NHL coaches Pierre McGuire and Jacques Demers. McGuire works as a studio analyst for TSN and the NHL Network, writes a hockey column for Sports Illustrated and does radio spots in Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal. Demers is a studio and game analyst for RDS, TSN's French-language sports channel, does radio work in Toronto and Montreal and writes a column for Le Journal de Montréal. They're both strong communicators with plenty of knowledge and insight. 9. Rod Black: He took a new day job in 2001 as co-host of CTV's Canada AM, but didn't give up sports. He continues to be the network's signature sports personality as an announcer for figure skating, golf and basketball. Black's a workhorse who performs well in every sport. 10. Ron MacLean: Any list is incomplete without MacLean. He's the CBC's lead hockey personality as the host of Hockey Night in Canada and any hockey-related production the network airs. He's always been talented, but seems more mature, less flippant and silly. He had a good year.
Canada's sports leaders Wednesday: The top 25 Thursday: The losers Friday: Behind the scenes Saturday: The athletes Today: The media Tomorrow: Whom to watch in 2002