The inside story of host’s firing
November 5, 2009 · 30 Comments
Three years ago, Gabriel Morency, a shock jock and sports host from Montreal, was hired by Score Television to be the driving force in the re-making of the network.
He was going to help it get younger, louder, more compelling and more “authentic,” a term that was repeatedly used by the new head of programming Richard Garner.
Authenticity, as Garner saw it, meant strong opinions and also profanity — swearing that was bleeped during Morency’s dinner hour show on the network, but allowed on the late night satellite radio show on Hard Core Sports, which is produced by the Score.
But, after more than a year of internal discord and squabbling over the image conveyed by Garner’s vision, he resigned in March.
For Morency, the beginning of the end wasn’t a philosophical dispute with the powers that be. Instead, it was his attendance at a Toronto Argonaut game three weeks ago. He went with some friends, had several drinks and returned to the downtown Toronto studio to do his late night radio show from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m.
“I had a few pops,” Morency said earlier today. “I forget sometimes that I’m part of a company. Did I push the envelop? Sometimes I do.”
Morency, 39, admits he was over the top that night. He started dancing in the studio. And since the show was cybercast on the Score’s website, he was seen as well as heard.
“The bottom line is, it’s like taboo to have alcohol in the studio,” he said. “It was a wild night. I was dancing. I might have crossed the line as far as . . . Listen, when I’m on top of the mountain, I’m King Kong. I might have said some things.”
He was suspended for seven days. The Score also removed him from the network’s dinner hour show. His co-host Cam Stewart will continue to do the show, starting next week, apparently.
After some Twitter remarks by Morency about his situation, the Score went the rest of the way and fired him.
Morency couldn’t believe it.
“I’m shocked by what’s transpired,” he said.
John Levy, Score Media’s chairman and CEO and principal stakeholder, wouldn’t come to the phone, but Morency says Levy was a supporter.
“I don’t have a bad word to say about John,” he said. “I just think my relationship deteriorated the past year or so with some other people in that building in the corporate structure.”
Said a source, “There’s a real divide in the board room between Hard Core Sports and the Score. Radio and TV collided, and there’s a corporate battle going on in there. It’s really tough.”
Morency was caught in the middle, but his departure was expedited — and his critics were given ammunition — by his act in the studio after the Argo game.
But he’ll be back. He’s in the process of building a website called morencysports.com. He expects it to be up in two weeks. He will then resume his one-hour afternoon show and his late night show on the site.
What’s wrong with the Score?
It’s almost impossible to evaluate the Score Television Network without calling it a mess.
Consider the events of the past year and a bit:
- Head of programming Anthony Cicione, well respected, forced out.
- Vice-president and general manager David Errington, well respected, gone, sources say pushed.
- Head of programming Richard Garner, radical but smart, gone, pursuing other things.
- Al Strachan, high profile hockey analyst, dumped at the end of last season.
- Shock jock Gabriel Morency fired this week.
At best, the company’s vision and leadership is conflicted; at worse, the vision is dim and the leadership unstable.
John Levy would disagree with these assessments, but since a request for an interview was not granted, we don’t know for sure. Levy has plenty of issues to keep him away from the phone.
For starters, the company’s stock has plummeted to 53 cents a share from two dollars in 2007.
It reported a net loss of $1.5-million for the fiscal year that ended Aug. 31, after earning net income of $2.5-million the previous year. Of course, it’s been a tough economic year for everybody.
And, in April, Canwest Global bailed out as a part owner, selling its 16.6 million shares, thus denying the Score a broadcast partner for TV property purchases in the future.
The good news? The Score cut a deal with BlackBerry in 2009 to provide mobile content. The iphone service received more than 10 million monthly page views during its peak period in the spring. Web traffic is up. The network carries Toronto Raptors and English Premier League games. That’s good content. And the $1.5-million net loss in 2008-09 can be explained in part by money spent to upgrade the downtown Toronto studio to high definition television.
But is the Score’s future bright? Or is the future the company’s worst enemy?
The digital universe has helped the Score with mobile content but also made it vulnerable. After all, the network’s once-important status as an analogue channel is now largely meaningless. Digital networks are beginning to get distribution comparable to the analogues. TSN2, for example, which launched just a year ago, is now in four million households, and growing closer to the Score’s six million.
As for the programming on the Score and TSN2, there is no comparison. TSN2 airs NHL games, Raptors, NBA content and Toronto Blue Jays games, plus repeats of the premium programming on TSN.
The Score, for the most part, has hitched its wagon to content that includes WWE, poker, and U.S. college sports, which is in this country is about as marginal as it gets.
“If the suits at the Score had their way, they’d limit the programming to the cheap stuff — poker and wrestling,” said one source.
And the competition isn’t letting up. It’s just a matter of time until TSN2 becomes the No.3 sports channel in Canada, ahead of the Score and behind only TSN and Rogers Sportsnet. TSN2 is already the top sports digital in the market and ranks No.3 overall among all the diginets. As well, the CBC is planning to launch its own sports digital channel a year from now.
In the pre-digital age, the Score was able to survive by employing a programming strategy that mandated 24/7 sports news and highlights.
But that service, in terms of being the sole domain of the Score, is long over. TSN and Sportsnet have been running news crawlers at the bottom of the TV screen for years. On Bell TV, TSN provides an interactive service that allows the viewer to select the sports news he wants.
The Score, with its original programming strategy redundant, moved to into aggressive, profane content, and that divided the company. The network doesn’t appear to know what it wants to be. And it’s getting rapidly overtaken by the competition.
Eliminating head shots
Detroit Red Wing general manager Ken Holland has a common sense answer to the problem of head shots in the NHL.
His solution is so clear, obvious and practical that it’s perfectly understandable the NHL has never thought of it, or at least has never acted on it.
Reported by The Globe and Mail’s Eric Duhatschek on TSN this week, it’s this: Suspend players who blind-side opponents. For example, the Mike Richards hit on David Booth last week was a sneak attack, from the side and behind.
Earlier this season, Ottawa Senators defenseman Anton Volchenkov clocked Toronto Maple Leaf rookie Viktor Stalberg with a hit to the head that knocked him out of the game, concussed him, and sidelined him for a week.
But Volchenkov hit Stalberg straight on. If the rookie had kept his head up, he would have seen it coming. No suspension.
- Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos is scheduled to interview Mike Danton (next Wednesday evening local times). Danton, the former NHL forward, was paroled from prison in September after serving time for conspiracy of a failed attempt to murder his agent David Frost.
- If the NHL really wanted to rid the game of predatory head attacks it would have done so years ago. When a Richards type of cheap-shot occurred, the offender would have received 10 games. If he did it again, he would have been given 20. Problem solved, no more cheap shots to the head, or very few. And the physicality of the game would have remained.
- It’s a small point, but worth making because it involves usage. TSN’s Gord Miller called Wednesday’s game between Calgary Flames and Dallas Stars, 0-0 at the time, a “scoreless deadlock.” There is no such thing as a scoreless game. There is always a score. In this case, it was 0-0. It was a goalless game or goalless deadlock.
- TSN has acquired ESPN’s documentary film series. The first will be Hollywood writer-director Barry Levinson’s The Band That Wouldn’t Die, the story of the relocation of the Baltimore Colts to Indianapolis (Friday, Nov.13, 8:30pm.). Levinson (Rain Man, The Natural, Diner) grew up in Baltimore. The series will includes Peter Berg’s Kings Ransom (Nov. 18, 7:30), about the 1988 Wayne Gretzky trade.
Famous Friday
Birthday people this week include golf great Gary Player, who turned 74, rocker Bryan Adams (50), writer-singer Joni Mitchell (65) and Al Hirt who would have been 86 tomorrow (Nov.7) but for his demise 10 years ago of liver failure.
The Dixieland great who insisted “I’m not a jazz trumpeter and never was a jazz trumpeter” recorded several hits, but we’ll settle for the technically brilliant Green Hornet theme, by writer-arranger Billy May. Filmmaker Quentin Tarantino used it in Kill Bill 1.
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No buildings were destroyed in the weekend advance, but the fire had already burned 36. Domain Name Improvement
William,
I want to congratulate you on a great article about The Score / Hardcore Sports Radio. Deep insights on the events that have gone on in the last year at the building at the corner of King and Blue Jays Way.
You can also add: the broadcast end of “Score Tonight” and “Hardcore Hockey Talk” which could easily have been two of their better rated shows on their schedule.
Also, Sid Sexeiro, Tim Micaleff and Steve Kouleas seeing their on-air duties reduces to mire segments viewed during the day. Micaleff does CIS football play-by-play.
The Score’s problems go far deeper, William.
Consider the talent that has departed the score, most of whom were never replaced:
Elliotte Friedman, Hockey Night in Canada / CBC
Martine Gaillard, Sportsnet
James Cybulski, TSN
Duane Forde, TSN
Arash Madani, Sportsnet
Pierre Lebrun, ESPN via Sportsnet
Sara Orleski, TSN
Tony Ambrogio, Sportsnet
Sam Cosentino, Sportsnet
Jermaine Franklin, TSN
Similarly, behind the scenes, where most of the TV experience left primarily because they didn’t agree with Levy’s vulgar vision:
Anthony Cicione (former VP programming and Production) Fight Network GM
Brian Spear (former director of production) HNIC coordinating producer
Glen MacDonald (former director of production) Sportsnet senior producer
Dave Rutherford (former news director) Fight Network executive producer
Dawn Landis (former senior director) TSN director of OTR and CFL
Jason Sands (former supervising producer) freelance producer
Literally, hundreds of years of network television experience replaced with dozens…
The one that always sticks out to me, is Elliotte Friedman. He is arguably the best sports reporter in all of North America.
+1!
That’s not all. Paul Williams, media extraordinaire sales guy. Gerald McGroarty, radio producer par excellence. John Melville, Mike Ongarato (promo wiz), and Shawn Lackie. Levy couldn’t hold onto any of these guys either. But hey–Levy’s son is now on board to save the day.
What a joke.
The only personality on that Station left is Steve Kouleas and I wonder when he is going to bolt to the competition?
The Score is in complete dissaray, The fact the company lost a ton of money and backing hurt.
The fact that they try to have a niche with Soccer (which is truly a boring sport to watch), horse racing (it’s worst then freakin’ NASCAR), poker (more then once a week.. yawn) and Wrestling (WWE has long ago become a stale product) doesn’t bode well. Sure the constant ticker is better then what TSN and Sportsnet offer, but the fact they no longer have ANY sports news broadcast gets a little old. Score In the Morning was canned a few months after launch and it was the second time that Adnan Virk lost his morning gig and now Virk has also bolted from the station.
Meanwhile those idiots keep on payroll an incompetent buffoon like Gerry Dee for his “comedic” (quite a stretch for a guy that can’t be funny to save his life) segments and Cabbie Richards that needs to get a new gig. Throw in a shitty Drafted contest that the majority of people don’t give a crap about and you have a mess on TV. Radio side is not much better, Sarah Meehan has qualities as a host, but she is not HSR worthy, give her a gig like George Stromboulopoulos on CBC radio and she has a great audience. The rest of the schedule on HSR is very hit and miss, most people don’t care to hear about poker (a show dedicated to poker really???) an Update show on a channel that has updates every half hour?? Not bashing the people working there, but in all honesty, it’s just a mess, getting rid of Morency is going to cut further into their profit margin then they can imagine.
Great insights on Score Media and the firing of Morency. I am am American who found HSR over two years ago while channel surfing on Sirius. Morency was broadcasting SportsRage and I was immediately hooked. I became a regular listener to Morency who accounted for almost half of the station’s content (with replays).
I thought that the move to Sirius 98 close to Howard 100 reflected a commitment to the unique edgy format that both Morency and Stern bring to radio broadcasting. I agree that this content does not translate to television, which appears to be the problem at Score Media. I listened to The Meeting on HSR this week. It is obvious that HSR is a ship adrift in a sea of confusion. HSR has no direction and the Captain (Morency) has been thrown overboard. HSR has made it clear that they are no longer interested in attracting American listeners. Score TV is not available in the U.S.
On the other hand, Howard Stern is the personality who “made” satellite radio. Stern was paid a half billion dollars to make the jump to Sirius and has proven track record going back over 20 years. Morency IS the Howard Stern of sports talk radio and there is a huge potential fan base in America that will listen regularly if they can just find the show.
Morency is the most knowledgeable entertaining sports personality that I have ever heard on radio anywhere in North America. I am the same age as Stern (55). I am a “typical” American middle class listener who has purchasing power. Morency does not just appeal to younger audiences. Stern has proven that “regular” listeners age 19-54 are ready for Morency. I am optimistic that the launch of http://www.morencysports.com will translate to SportsRage finding a home on another SiriusXM channel. Are you listening Richard Garner?
I hate to diss a local boy, but Gabriel Morency is an idiot, loud-mouth know-nothing. The behaviour of being drunk in the studio is just what I would expect from that putz. To call him the most “knowledgeable” sports personality in North America is just, well, ignorant. Entertaining, maybe, but only if you enjoy train wrecks.
But what I would really like to know is why Al Strachan’s firing (from the Score, from HNIC, from pretty much anywhere he goes) is being treated like a tragedy? Strachan is the epitome of bad sports writing, he makes up rumours as he sees fit, he’s a smug little f&ck who refuses to substantiate his rumours, largely because he makes them up, and he generally doesn’t ever really seem to know what he’s talking about. I always hoped that Mike Milbury would pull his sport coat over his head and pummel him old-school.
Come to think of it, maybe we need a radio show that features Morency and Strachan. Now, THAT would be entertaining.
Thanks for the Al Hirt clip.
If I recall (I may be wrong) there was also a “Jumbo” tune played in the “Good Morning Vietnam” movie.
Big mistake. I stopped listening to Howard Stern on Sirius and started listening to Gabe on Channel 98 over a year ago. He is a major talent. I will follow him to his next venue. Channel 98 is now garbage – the programming is horrible once Morency left. They will not succeed without Gabe.
agreed 100% glad somebody is wise..
You failed to mention Tony Ambrogio. A true pro and an actual journalist who could tell a story.
If The Score vanished tomorrow, I cannot say that I would miss it and I would barely notice it. The only thing that I ever watch on there occasionally is OUA football but I am sure that that would find a home elsewhere anyway.
In a just few weeks this site has become “must read” for me daily. I always enjoyed Mr Houston when with the Globe and now he has had all parameters lifted and he is his own editor.
Keep it up, great Blog
” At best, the company’s vision and leadership is conflicted; at worse, the vision is dim and the leadership unstable.”
Sounds like at least one other Sports Net work in Canada.
As bad as the constant turnover has been at the score, there are still some positives there. Their web content is superior to TSN and Sportsnet, with daily updated blogs and vidoes. They’ve also got better podcasts than TSN & Sportsnet, and actually do a better job covering basketball and soccer. For someone like me, who could care less about hockey the Score is often what I end up watching. I’d like to see Tim and Sid take over Morency. It seems like the Score is really just wasting their talent.
Don’t forget Adnan Virk’s departure to Raptors/Leafs TV as well. It seems just by watching The Score that they have no clue what they are doing any more. A shame too, because at one point I think they were building a pretty good niche market. As far as I’m concerned their new studio is a complete waste as well, because it is not used how it should be.
Face it, the channel now is basically Cabbie and Gerry Dee and after that a lot of crap. Because they are not under the umbrella of a large media company like everyone else in an economy like this, I can see the channel being stripped down, liquidated and what’s left sold off. The mobile side seems to be doing well in the U.S., but can they ultimately compete when ESPN decides they want to corner that market like they’ve done with TV properties down there?
Wow, get an editor. It’s really hard to take stories like this seriously when the copy is so badly edited.
And it’s “The Score”, not “the Score”!
What is the biggest part of this story is that a major media personality actually attended an Argos game! Morency, no doubt, is not a Toronto native.
All you need to know abotu the score now is… the sideline reporter during the Mac-Q
All you need to know about the Score now is… the sideline reporter during the Mac-Queen’s game last week.
The half-time intro to a recorded feature piece was absolutely brutal. And in the post-game interview she sounded like a giggling schoolgirl.
Garner find Morency, get Sarah and Cam and the rest off the sinking ship away from the shit that use to be Hardcore, and give all of us degenerates our medicine once again.
I am totally pissed off. Firing Gabriel Morency was the dummest move this station has done soooofarrrr..For me he was like the H. Stern of sports on radio and tv to boot . Between gabe&Cam &Sara .I watched all tv& listend to radio showes. This sports network has lost a loyal veiwer.I looked so forward to watching, I had so many laughs. ON occasion to tears.Now Cam and Pissolo Cams great not much cemistry.thanks –it heads for taking a few more great moments out of my day. Hey Gabe their loss. TX for all the laughs AND ALL THE EXTRA LOOT U AND CAM MADE ME . PS What goes round keeps going round.
I hope they dont fire paqquette because I will stop wacthing the score if they do she is a major reason ahah kepp it u with young hotties that my say
renee paquette is damn fine keep her