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Toronto all-sports radio station Sportsnet 590 The Fan cancels Blundell show

Blundell out at Sportsnet 590 The Fan

TORONTO — The Dean Blundell experiment is over at Toronto radio station Sportsnet 590 The Fan.

His morning show was cancelled Wednesday, less than two years after his debut on the all-sports station after a long run as a rock radio personality. The replacement show will be co-hosted by Greg Brady and Elliott Price and feature local sportscaster Hugh Burrill, the station said in a release.

"Greg, Elliott and Hugh will greet our listeners each morning with engaging sports conversation, enthusiastic debate, and wide-ranging opinions," said program director Dave Cadeau. "The show will be entertaining, passionate, and fun — all the while focusing on the topics Toronto sports fans care about most. The trio has incredible chemistry and their dynamic personalities are a perfect fit for our audience."

Blundell joined the Fan 590 about a year after his departure from 102.1 The Edge. He had a run of nearly 13 years at the rock station, but frequently drew the ire of the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council.

The Edge's parent company, Corus Entertainment, had suspended his show in December 2013 following a segment where several gay men involved in a Toronto criminal trial were ridiculed on the air. A show producer and on-air personality had served as the foreman on the jury.

When Blundell's hiring at the Fan 590 was announced, Sportsnet president Scott Moore admitted it was a "bold move, a risky move one might say."

The new morning show will launch Feb. 27.

"Dean Blundell is an incredibly talented broadcaster," Cadeau said. "The decision to part was based purely on a desire to return to a more complete sports format. I enjoyed working with Dean and wish him the very best." 

Blundell thanked Rogers Communications and Sportsnet in a Twitter post later Wednesday.

"Everyone at the Fan was super kind to me. Sports deserves people that live it and breathe it. I can't wait to swim with both arms...." he tweeted.

The Canadian Press