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July 2, 2018 5:04 pm  #1


Making The Case For Some Limited Live Radio Programming On The Holiday

Things sure have changed since outfits like CHUM and CFRB would not only have all night live jocks, but newscasters and sports people too, into the wee small hours, a true full service radio station.
 
No one’s suggesting we can ever go back to those days given altered listening habits and the pervasiveness of the Internet. It doesn’t matter so much for music formats, but why wouldn’t stations that specialize in spoken information programming – like the talkers at 1010 and 640 – at least consider bringing someone in live to handle key shifts on a long holiday weekend?
 
Consider how many people are in their cars on Monday afternoon heading back from the cottage. They turn on CFRB or CFMJ at the start of what promises to be a very long trip back into Toronto only to hear either canned content or very dated rerolls. (Evan Solomon concluded his show Monday by asking Ontarians to make sure they got out to vote.)
 
Based on the traffic reports I heard in the afternoon, there were long line-ups on all the usual routes heading back into Toronto, and I suspect each car likely had more than one or two people in them. How were the supposed information stations serving the thousands and thousands of listeners stuck in those frustrating backlogs? By telling them yesterday’s news or even worse, discussions from weeks ago.
 
I’m not against giving the regulars the day off. They’ve certainly earned it. But there are surely a large number of fill-ins who could sit in the chair for the one important drive home shift, giving willing ears live weather, news and topical updates that might be of more interest than shows from last month.
 
As I monitored the afternoon drive programming on the talk show stations Monday, all of them were in rerun mode. Most of the references were horribly dated and of course, there was nothing about the traffic jams (aside from the quarter hour traffic updates,) severe weather warnings, the intense heat, the implementation of the tariffs in the trade war between Canada and the U.S., updates on the latest downtown shootings that left several dead, the Jays latest loss or any other news.
 
There has always been this insane logic in the biz that people don’t want to hear about anything controversial or political on their weekends or time off, as if what was fascinating Monday-Friday suddenly becomes a huge bore on Canada Day and the stat that followed it this year.
 
It might have been nice if someone were live for the great migration back. But there’s no foresight, no willingness and most especially no ownership wanting to fork out the overtime for it. And in the end, a chance to make a great impression on thousands stuck in their cars for hours is lost.
 
I know if I were them, I’d rather turn on music than listen to a dated show that’s four weeks old or more. It’s a captive audience waiting to be grabbed. And after Monday’s mass exodus from cottage country, it still is.

 

July 2, 2018 6:14 pm  #2


Re: Making The Case For Some Limited Live Radio Programming On The Holiday

It's all about money. They don't want to pay someone to be there, listeners be damned. Re-rolls don't cost anything.


"Life without echo is really no life at all." - Dan Ingram
 

July 2, 2018 6:16 pm  #3


Re: Making The Case For Some Limited Live Radio Programming On The Holiday

I know what you mean.  I was on the road a fair bit during the weekend and I was flipping between Q107 and Boom97.3.  (when I wasn't tuning into CKNT near Mississauga) 

I heard the Stampeders' Wild eyes twice on Q in a 24 hour period!  (I actually like the song but still...)

Guess you can't win 'em all.
 

 

July 2, 2018 6:33 pm  #4


Re: Making The Case For Some Limited Live Radio Programming On The Holiday

Jazz FM had former host David Basskin live this aft...the FAN 590 was live, but mind you signing a guy like Tavares yesterday was big news for the FAN...free agency in the NHL and baseball will force you to do live programming...

I am for live shows on long weekends especially in the morning and possible from 12-6 too...

It makes radio more compelling and tolerable!


 


The world would be so good if it weren't for some people...
 

July 2, 2018 8:20 pm  #5


Re: Making The Case For Some Limited Live Radio Programming On The Holiday

At one point the stations used to flag the radio audience that they were listening to a re-roll, calling them "the best of" or "an encore presentation".

Today when I tuned in several times to 640 and 1010 all I heard was a strange backdated radio limbo with disjointed snippets of conversation from the vacationing hosts, noticable pauses going into spots, and one or two of the news/traffic fill-ins were... not ready for prime time to be tactful.

At least sports radio was live, full of fresh conversation about JT signing with the Leafs, and with decent, at times excellent fill-in hosts.

Talk radio, to use a sports expression, you threw your loyal and any possible new listeners under the bus today.

Last edited by betaylored (July 2, 2018 8:46 pm)

 

July 2, 2018 10:02 pm  #6


Re: Making The Case For Some Limited Live Radio Programming On The Holiday

The FAN usually broadcasts live on the holiday weekends,  with fill in hosts in some slots.

The station's weakness is during the evening and overnight hours when they use US feeds.  In days gone by,  those hours were used to try out new staff and give them a chance to develop.





 

 

July 2, 2018 10:12 pm  #7


Re: Making The Case For Some Limited Live Radio Programming On The Holiday

How about a station of volunteers, many of which regularly come in on a holiday. Case in point, Northumberland 89.7 Cobourg/Port Hope was live today from 7am straight through to 9pm.

 

July 2, 2018 10:56 pm  #8


Re: Making The Case For Some Limited Live Radio Programming On The Holiday

Dale Patterson wrote:

It's all about money. They don't want to pay someone to be there, listeners be damned. Re-rolls don't cost anything.

NT 1010 is a locked in guaranteed ratings grab/money maker no matter what (CRTC friendly) content airs.
If anything, it's AM 640 that should have splurged...ah, but their shares are crashing. 
Better to spend $5 and make $6 to show shareholders a basic profit than to roll the dice and spend $500 in hopes that they make $600. 

 


RadioWiz & RadioQuiz are NOT the same person. 
RadioWiz & THE Wiz are NOT the same person.