TEAM 1260 vs 630 CHED

Balance.

A noun.

Making sure the highs are not too high, and the lows are not to low.

Can perfectly sum up the TEAM 1260, an Edmonton based 24-hour Sports Radio station. Objectivity is vital to keep opinions honest throughout the community.

Being an ex-630 CHED listener, things have never been the same since Syd Smith got promoted. A fan I was of CHED, albeit reluctantly, being it the only source of sports. There just weren't any options available. In the capitalism economic model however, the consumer is concerned with and has only one question: "What the fuck have you done for me lately?"

A legit question - what exactly has CHED done lately?

We know the Oilers gave up their radio broadcasting rights to CHED. But what was given up by CHED? Cash and an Objective viewpoint. That's right - Objectivity was the deal clincher. Required so in the mission to shape up the opinions of the majority of Northern and Central Alberta Oiler fans, in a way that benefits the organization. CHED deserves credit for the number of NHL/Oilers guests on their open-line sports shows on weekdays(weeknights). The problem, however lies in with the "softballs" thrown by the hosts. I remember a recent conversation between Bryan Hall, a passionate homer that has the right to write his own retirement ticket when he loses that passion, and Kevin Lowe.

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Hall: "Seems like everything is fine and dandy in Oiler country!"

Lowe: "Well Bryan, we looked at our needs and tried to address them. I'm optimistic things will go our way. We're still not done making moves yet."

Hall: "..but I mean, you have to be pretty confident with this group of guys?"

Lowe: "Well Bryan, the reality is that we missed the playoffs last year. We weren't as an organization at a level we should have been. We're trying to turn that around."

Hall: "Yeah, absolutely! I understand that! But at the same time, Oiler fans have lots to be excited about."

Of course this was followed up with Bryan's customary, "Tony Romas, the best tasting ribs in North America," propaganda.
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Dan Tencer seems like a good guy - but it becomes painfully obvious that something is up when he doesn't ask Patrick LaForge, the Oilers President, anything about the team finances because he "finds that stuff boring."

Even "rah-rah-rah-Go-Edmonton-Go" Graham Hicks voiced his displeasure on 630 CHED's way of doing.

Enter, TEAM 1260. Keeping opinions honest, asking hardball questions to interview guests, establishing credible sources to break news first, and bringing in solid guests from around the league for interviews. A station that used to have Matts (Dennis) on regularly to voice his opinions. Below are a few examples:

Example 1: Interview list this summer - Ritch Winter, Kevin Lowe (multiple times), Cal Nichols, other NHL agent(s), Patrick Laforge, multiple Oiler players, etc.

Example 2: Hardball question. "~How is the Grebeshkov situation any different?" to Kevin Prendergast, regarding the decision to pass on Cherepanov. Prendergast fumbled on the answer.

Example 3: By establishing Ritch Winters as a credible source, the TEAM 1260 broke talks on Peter Sykora negotiating with the Oilers a month before he was signed.

Example 4: Stauffer the only brave soul in the room to ask Cal Nichols how the EIG will provide the funds for a new arena.

Of course I have no financial stake in either stations. I'm not even a regular listener - an occasional one when word gets around that a specific guest is going to be on the show. The purpose of this entry was not to change one's radio channel preference - that's strictly a personal choice. The underlying question to be brought up for discussion is, do the Oilers shape up the work of their partners in which financials are involved? Namely, 630 CHED and the Edmonton Journal?