The Toronto Blue Jays’ radio call virtually vanished over the last two seasons. In order to save money while dealing with the fallout from Covid-19, the team replaced its dedicated radio call with a simulcast of Sportsnet’s television call. Fans noticed and they were not happy about it.
A dedicated radio call returned for the final two months of the 2021 season. Even that wasn’t enough for some fans, as the traditional two-man booth was replaced with Ben Wagner working solo.
The Athletic surveyed Blue Jays fans this week to gauge their feelings on the future of the franchise. While most of the questions had to do with what they want and expect to see on the field, Kaitlyn McGrath, the staff writer who put together the survey did ask what fans want from the radio call in the future.
When asked to grade the state of the television broadcast on a scale from 1 to 5, 57.5% of fans chose either a 4 or 5. When asked to rate the radio broadcast the same way, More than 68% graded the radio broadcast a 3 or lower.
It isn’t the broadcasters that fans objected to. McGrath points out that “nearly 29 percent of respondents gave the radio broadcast a 1 or 2 compared to just 12 percent who scored the TV broadcast that low.” That means the problem most fans have is with a broadcast that isn’t designed for radio being on the radio.
As for the future, 70% of those that responded to McGrath’s survey said they want to see the Blue Jays return to a two-man radio team. Whether or not that happens remains to be seen.
It also may not be up to Rogers Media, who owns both Sportsnet and a controling interest in the team. In November, The Globe and Mail reported that Rogers is exploring selling of part of all of its interest in the Toronto Blue Jays.
