Prime Time Sports
Prime Time Sports is a sports radio talk show produced from the studios of The FAN 590 (CJCL) in Toronto, Canada. The show is hosted by Bob McCown.
The program is broadcast weekdays from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. ET on The FAN 590. A television simulcast is also carried on Sportsnet 360.
History
The show was first broadcast on October 2, 1989 as a syndicated sports radio talk show from 6:10 pm – 7:00 pm EST with Bob McCown as the host and Bill Watters as co-host. Newspaper columnist Jim Hunt later became the co-host of the program. When CJCL changed their format to all-sports radio in 1992, Prime Time Sports became the station's afternoon drive show, while also being syndicated nationwide. In 1993, McCown was re-assigned as the station's new morning show host, and Dan Shulman became the program's host in his place. Hunt continued on in his role as co-host. In 1995, Shulman left the station to join TSN, and McCown was re-united with Hunt. Hunt was co-host until 2000 when he was let go by the station. In 2004, Rogers Sportsnet began simulcasting the show on television. As of 2009, the show is available on the "East" regional feed only. In 2005, the program began making the 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. audio content available as a podcast and streaming audio on The FAN 590's website. As of 2009, all three hours of the show are now available as a podcast. In July 2010, the show's live broadcast hours were changed from 4:00–7:00 p.m. to 3:00–6:00 p.m.
Since 2009, the co-hosting duties have usually been provided on a weekly basis by either Stephen Brunt from The Globe and Mail newspaper or John Shannon, formerly the executive vice-president of programming and production for the NHL and the official "Global Ambassador" of Fan590 program Tim and Sid. A past co-host who still appears regularly on the show is Doug Smith of the Toronto Star. Former co-host Jim Kelley of Sportsnet.ca and SI.com is now deceased.
In February 2011, McCown was reunited with Damien Cox of the Toronto Star; sharing co-hosting duties with Stephen Brunt. Later in April, the show's broadcast hours were changed back from 3:00 - 6:00 p.m, to 4:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Format
Between Monday and Thursday, Bob and his co-host conduct interviews with people making the sports news, and discuss sports issues with several analysts such as former host Shulman (now with ESPN), Peter King (Sports Illustrated), and Nick Kypreos (Sportsnet). Among McCown's regular guest callers are boxing writer Bert Randolph Sugar and former football star Jim Brown, who played for McCown's hometown Cleveland Browns.
On Fridays, Bob is joined in studio by that week's co-host and two additional guests for "The Friday Roundtable". This is more in-depth, free-form discussion about the week's sports news and issues.
When Bob is unable to host the program, Rob Faulds, or Jeff Blair serve as fill-in hosts.
The show changed its timeslot in July 2010 from the traditional 4–7 slot to a 3–6 slot. This was a bit of a surprising move as Prime Time Sports' early ratings from 2010 were the best in the shows history, a 9.2 up from a 7.2.[1] It changed back with the debut of the show Tim and Sid.
See also
- Pratt & Taylor, a similar show broadcast from the studios of The Team 1040 in Vancouver and simulcast on Rogers Sportsnet