• Brunt making return to Canada’s most-listened-to sports radio show –
• Sports Illustrated’s Deitsch to split duties with Brunt and makes his debut on March 5 –
As announced today on Sportsnet 590 The FAN, Prime Time Sports with Bob McCown will welcome two new co-hosts to the fold, one fresh face and one familiar, as Richard Deitsch and Stephen Brunt will share duties in the chair alongside McCown, beginning Monday, Feb. 26.
Brunt makes his much-anticipated return to the co-host chair this coming Monday after spending the last two years as part of The Jeff Blair Show. Sports Illustrated’s Richard Deitsch will rotate duties with Brunt beginning the week of March 5. Deitsch is no stranger to the Prime Time Sports audience as he has been a regular contributor to the show over the years.
“Stephen and Richard are two of the most prominent, well-respected sports journalists in North America,” said Dave Cadeau, national format director of sports, Rogers Media. “Their insight, knowledge and experience will make for fantastic discussion – and debate – with Bob. We have the most educated sports fans in Canada tuning in to Prime Time Sports on a daily basis, and with a combination of these three in the booth, they will create the most intelligent and thoughtful show in sports talk radio.”
With more than 30 years of experience in sports media, author and award-winning journalist Brunt has seen and covered it all. Also a columnist for sportsnet.ca, Brunt covers a wide range of sports on a daily basis, including baseball, boxing and hockey. A Gemini and multiple Canadian Screen Award winner, Brunt also has written more than a dozen books on the world of sports, including the Canadian No. 1 bestseller Searching For Bobby Orr.
“I’m both excited and intrigued to return to my old stomping grounds at Prime Time Sports,” said Brunt. “The beauty of sports radio is that every day is a new challenge with a fresh topic and a full slate of competing viewpoints to filter through. It keeps you on your toes and, to call on my love of boxing, I can’t wait to get back into the ring with Bob.”
Deitsch will be coming north of the border for the first time to assume his new role as co-host. With more than 20 years of experience in the sports media industry, Deitsch has been a staple at Sports Illustrated since 1997, working in nearly every division as a writer and editor. Set to relocate to Toronto from his current residence in New York City, Deitsch frequently appears as a guest on radio and television, including appearances on the PBS NewsHour, CBS Evening News, CNN, and sports-talk radio stations around the U.S. He also serves as an adjunct professor at Columbia University.
“This is an incredible opportunity for me and I’m a huge fan of Toronto, having visited the city often since my days as a college student in Buffalo,” said Deitsch. “It has been a thrill to get to know Bob McCown, a legitimate sports broadcasting icon in North America, and other staffers at Sportsnet 590 The FAN, and I look forward to making the transition from a regular guest on Prime Time Sports to the chair next to him. I think this is going to be a lot of fun, hopefully not only for me but also for the loyal Prime Time Sports listeners.”
Damien Cox will now undertake an expanded role at Sportsnet. An award-winning journalist, Cox will continue to appear on Sportsnet 590 The FAN, write a regular column for sportsnet.ca and appear regularly on television. One of the most versatile and experienced journalists in the business, Cox will be a significant contributor across all Sportsnet platforms covering a wide variety of sports.
Prime Time Sports remains the most-listened-to sports talk radio program in the country and is No. 1 by a wide margin in average minute audience for males 12+, average minute audience for males 25-54 and share of audience for males 25-54.
Prime Time Sports can be heard from 4 to 7 p.m. ET on Sportsnet 590 The FAN in Toronto, as well as numerous additional stations within the Sportsnet Radio Network. Fans can also listen at sportsnet.ca/590, the Sportsnet App, Radioplayer Canada App, Google Home and Amazon Echo. Prime Time Sports is also simulcast on television on Sportsnet 360.