Bryan Hall (sportscaster) explained

Bryan Hall
Birth Date:1934 8, mf=y
Birth Place:Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Show:The Hallsy Report
Station:CHED AM
Timeslot:Monday – Friday
6:00am – 9:00am MST
Style:Sports talk
Country:Canada
Spouse(S):Lilian Edith Hall (c. 1979–2011; her death)

Bryan Hall (born August 19, 1934) nicknamed "Hallsy", is a Canadian radio and television personality and retired radio play-by-play broadcaster for the Edmonton Eskimos on 630 CHED in Edmonton, Alberta.

Career

Hall was born on August 19, 1934[1] in Toronto, Ontario.[2] His father was a lawyer, who died when Hall was 9, and his mother a nurse.[3] Hall got his first broadcasting job at the age of 19, after moving to Edmonton, at CKUA where he did news, a jazz show, and sports. At the suggestion of a columnist for the Edmonton Journal, Hall also took up a vacant sportscaster job at CHED, which he held from 1955 to 1962.

In 1962, Hall moved to Toronto to take up a job covering sports with CHUM, but moved back to Edmonton 3 years later, this time, back to CJCA, where he did play-by-play for the CFL's Edmonton Eskimos with the network from 1965 to 1993. During his time with CJCA, he also pioneered the first open-line sports talk radio show in Edmonton.

In the decade of the '70s, Hall worked as a racetrack announcer at Edmonton Northlands Park calling over 10,000 thoroughbred races. When CJCA ceased broadcasting operations in 1993, Hall moved back to CHED to take up the position of sports director – continuing to do play-by-play of Edmonton Eskimos games until 2009.[4]

After 45 years of play-by-play for Edmonton Eskimos games, Hall retired in 2009.[5] During his play-by-play career, he also did play-by-play for the Edmonton Oilers, Edmonton Oil Kings, and Edmonton Flyers.[6] The media centre, The Bryan Hall Media Centre, in Commonwealth Stadium was named after Hall when he retired in 2009.[7] Though retired from doing play-by-play, Hall continued to appear daily CHED's morning show until 2023, when he transitioned to an ambassador role.[8] [9]

Hall is also known for doing radio advertisements on CHED for local Christenson Developments, Crosstown Motors, and Lay-z-boy Furniture[10] He was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1989, and the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame in 2004.[11]

Broadcasting positions

Notes and References

  1. News: Esks broadcaster turns 75 . Gerry Moddejonge . Sun Media . November 8, 2009 . https://archive.today/20130115092458/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/Edmonton/2009/08/19/10512746-sun.html . usurped . January 15, 2013 .
  2. Web site: Bryan Hall—A Year To Remember . Edmonton Oilers Heritage . August 4, 2010.
  3. News: Discovering a second HALLway . Curtis Stock . Edmonton Journal . November 8, 2009 .
  4. Web site: Rock Radio Scrapbook: The CHUM Archives (Part 1) . Rockradioscrapbook.ca . 2010-08-27.
  5. Web site: CTV Edmonton – Voice of Eskimos says goodbye to fans – CTV News . Edmonton.ctv.ca . 2010-08-27.
  6. Web site: Annicchiarico . Mario . Edmonton Eskimos honour 'Hallsy' for 50-year career . Edmontonjournal.com . 2009-10-27 . 2010-08-27.
  7. Web site: Official Site of the Canadian Football League . CFL.ca . 2009-10-29 . 2010-08-27 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110615153623/http://www.cfl.ca/article/eskimos-name-media-centre-after-bryan-hall . 2011-06-15 . dead .
  8. News: Swensrude . Stephanie . 630 CHED’s Bryan Hall changing role at the station . 25 June 2024 . Global News . February 24, 2023.
  9. News: Tait . Cam . Bryan Hall may retire, but don't expect him to leave . 25 June 2024 . Edmonton Journal . February 25, 2023.
  10. News: Calling it quits his way . Dan Barnes . Edmonton Journal . 2009 .
  11. Web site: Member Details – Hall, Bryan. Alberta Sports Hall of Fame Museum. August 4, 2010.