Courtesy Toronto Globe & Mail

(October 28, 2009) The televised version of TEAM 1040's afternoon show Pratt & Taylor, has gone off the air for good. The daily show on Rogers Sportsnet Pacific disappeared when the network began its MLB playoff action, and many fans were uncertain where the popular program went. The cancellation was confirmed on the air last week by the show's hosts. “It worked very well early on, and for quite a while to help us market and grow both the afternoon show and the radio station itself,” program director Rob Gray tells Usual Suspects. “Fast forward to the present day and the dawn of the personal people meters (PPM) era, and we have gotten just about all that we could have out of the TV show.”

Gray points out that P & T on TV had some logistical problems due to the Pacific time zone. Coming on while games have been going on for hours in the east presented issues if the show was repeated later. “Dave [Pratt] and Don [Taylor] do quite a bit of Canucks' and Lions' pre-game show material as part of their content - dropping in scores from Eastern games etc. Whereas Bob McCown's round-table type of format has a longer shelf life on TV - it doesn't matter too much if it is rebroadcast at midnight. Ours often sounded quite stale-dated on TV.”

There were also issues with Rogers broadcasting a radio program produced by competitor CTV BellGlobemedia and other minor conflicts with the affiliation of talent when either host was on holidays. As well, sources tell Usual Suspects that once Sportsnet's promise-of-performance requirements for regional programming changed on Sept. 1, the need for the Pratt & Taylor content diminished as well. Still, Gray says, “down the road if the opportunity was right I wouldn't hesitate to work with them again.”

The disappearance of Pratt & Taylor comes on the heels of changes to Sportsnet's other televised drive-time radio show, Prime Time Sports with Bob McCown. That show was briefly cancelled this month before being revived on Sportsnet's East network.

Industry insiders now are watching to see if Sportsnet (which as been paring its budgets of late) continues to produce Don Taylor's late-night sportscast on the Pacific region- the only highlight program done outside Toronto. The show is likely on through the February Olympics but questions remain about its survival in a challenging economy come next summer.

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