When Jay Onrait headed south to FS1 along with Dan O’Toole two years ago, the former TSN SportsCentre co-host had nothing but good things to say about his old employer.
But maybe a couple of years in the U.S. have changed his mind — or possibly given him the freedom to speak out. During an interview on the SI Media podcast with Richard Deitsch last week, Onrait detailed the big differences between working at Fox and toiling at TSN.
“We were always made to feel, even as popular as we got at TSN, … that if you guys left we’d fill your role with someone else tomorrow,” Onrait said.
“Here, it’s totally different. Here it’s `we’re fortunate to have you.’ It’s kind of nice to feel wanted.”
Onrait told Dietsch that from what he’s heard, things haven’t changed since his departure. Onrait noted that with only two sports networks in Canada, there’s little competition for talent and therefore little opportunity to command a big contract.
One of the reasons, he noted, was the scope of the American sports television world. At TSN, Onrait and O’Toole’s show was staffed by a camera operator and an intern. At FS1, he said there are 10 to 15 employees handling the show.
So are the salaries. Onrait and O’Toole, who reportedly make upwards of $300,000 U.S. annually, were recently renewed for another two years.
“We’re paid exactly what we should be paid,” Onrait noted.
While this can be taken as a criticism of TSN, Onrait was really just stating the facts. The Canadian TV business is a small one and is now basically a closed shop comprising TSN and Sportsnet.
To read the full article visit Yahoo Sports Canada where this article was originally published
Jason Barrett is the President and Founder of Barrett Media since the company was created in September 2015. Prior to its arrival, JB served as a sports radio programmer, launching brands such as 95.7 The Game in San Francisco, and 101 ESPN in St. Louis. He also spent time programming SportsTalk 950 in Philadelphia, 590 The Fan KFNS in St. Louis, and ESPN 1340/1390 in Poughkeepsie, NY. Jason also worked on-air and behind the scenes in local radio at 101.5 WPDH, WTBQ 1110AM, and WPYX 106.5. He also spent two years on the national stage, producing radio shows for ESPN Radio in Bristol, CT. Among them included the Dan Patrick Show, and GameNight.
You can find JB on Twitter @SportsRadioPD. He’s also reachable by email at Jason@BarrettMedia.com.
