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SOWNY » Real baseball is back » April 7, 2024 6:13 am

laffin
Replies: 5

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We have an owner, Rogers, who could care less about the team. They only concentrate on the bottom line and it reflects in allowing Shapiro and Atkins to run the team.  Their baseball reputations are not stellar as was displayed in Cleveland and now in Toronto.  The sooner the Jays are owned by a "baseball" Corp or person, the faster to return to the days of the '92 world Series win.  

SOWNY » Sportsnet Grapefruit League productions were great » March 26, 2024 6:53 am

laffin
Replies: 5

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It is hoped that Schulman will concentrate on the action on the field and reduce his non-play-by-play commentary.  Bad habit of filling dead air with unnecessary discussion.   Let the viewers take in the game.

SOWNY » Worst CRTC decisions » March 24, 2024 3:52 pm

laffin
Replies: 21

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Yes.....allowing Bell to own radio stations.

SOWNY » Update: No Moore In The Morning For Over A Week » March 20, 2024 2:03 pm

laffin
Replies: 16

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Have listened since the early Wally Crouter days and have tried to tolerate its Bell influence but alas, no more.
The once mighty 1010 is nothing but a shell of its former self lacking continuity and stability.  Moved the dial a month ago to FM.

SOWNY » 1010 CHUMs » March 11, 2024 1:35 pm

laffin
Replies: 3

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Bell running radio stations is like having an auto mechanic doing brain surgery! 

SOWNY » I Rest My Case » March 7, 2024 7:30 am

laffin
Replies: 0

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It is interesting to read about the foibles and fate about the various stations whose reputations have come under fire and are targets of justified criticisms.  They all have one thing in common, they are all owned by Bell.
 

SOWNY » Ben Wagner Gets A New Radio Baseball Gig And It's A Good One » February 23, 2024 5:09 pm

laffin
Replies: 7

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Now we have to tolerate Ben Schulman. 
Note to Ben Schulman:  Just stick to play-by-play and never mind the never-ending extemporaneous conversations about anything except the game.

SOWNY » The Son Also Rises. The New Radio Voice Of The Blue Jays Is...Not TV! » February 13, 2024 12:36 pm

laffin
Replies: 13

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Note to Ben Schulman:  Keep your mind on the game never mind the constant extemporaneous conversations about everything but baseball.  Just the play-by-play please.

SOWNY » I Tried » February 12, 2024 9:40 am

laffin
Replies: 1

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Took the week off when Tory hit the air on CFRB and listened to Brantford's Lite 92.  Living in Kitchener, I favour it over the Kitchener stations.  So returning to 'RB knowing that Moore was back, the first thing I hear after 6:00 am is self-serving Scott Reid screaming about the Super Bowl.  Stayed until the Round Table, but it was the same old, same old.  As someone previously wrote, it sounds like Moore is just going through the motions.  Same voices, same tired opinions, just confirming their very low PPM.  Now back to music.

SOWNY » I'm foregoing my vacation. » February 10, 2024 7:32 am

laffin
Replies: 0

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With John Moore away on "vacation" missing the Bell Media bloodbath, reminds me when it came time to take a vacation at the station.  You would think should I go or stay?  The thought was if anyone went on a holiday, you might not have a shift to come back to, it would be filled with a new voice.  In this case, you might not have a station to come back to.  

SOWNY » A Weird Meta Moment On Toronto's Two Big Talk Stations » February 9, 2024 10:54 am

laffin
Replies: 3

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First time I tuned out CFRB all week.  Will do next time Tory is on.

SOWNY » Bell Media Cuts 4,800 Jobs, Selling 45 Stations » February 8, 2024 10:50 am

laffin
Replies: 171

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Just confirms the brain trust at Bell should never have entered the broadcast industry in the first place.

SOWNY » From Moore In The Morning To Mayor In The Morning On 1010 Next Week » February 5, 2024 7:22 am

laffin
Replies: 20

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Can't listen to Tory, always sounds like he's responding to a question at a City Hall Council meeting.
'RB, a shadow of its former self.

SOWNY » It's no wonder they're 1.3 » January 10, 2024 9:18 am

laffin
Replies: 16

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You would think the radio suits at Bell would be concerned about the basement-dwelling CFRB and do something to improve their current abysmal ratings.  They could start with demolishing the morning roundtables and re-invent the format.  It’s the same old same old voices every morning.  Commentators’ garbled audio, others who speak to fast, repetition running rampant.  No wonder the mighty 1010 is no more, just confirms Bell would have trouble running a one-car funeral.

SOWNY » On this date fifty years ago... » January 8, 2024 7:31 am

laffin
Replies: 16

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It was in 1960 recalling the back-and-forth Bob and I had when Bob was doing mornings at CJOY in Guelph and at the same time as I was on at CKCR Kitchener.  Little did we know it was the beginning of bigger careers as we both landed in TO.   Ah, the days of announce-op.   

SOWNY » Part Of CKCO-TV History To Go On Display In Kitchener » January 3, 2024 5:12 pm

laffin
Replies: 3

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We had a great run at CKCR, better know as "CKCR-AM and FM The Twin Voice of the Twin Cities."  

SOWNY » Whatever Happened To New Year's Eve Specials On Toronto Radio? » December 31, 2023 4:25 pm

laffin
Replies: 14

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During my tenure at a major Ontario station in the BC (before computers) radio era, the married on-air people had Christmas day off while they were pulling air shifts New Year's Day for those who were single.  I remember one year, early 60's, I had to do my regular New Year's Day morning shift.  Went to a New Year's Eve party the night before until 4:00 am, had to sign-on at 6:00 am.  Went in, signed on in bad shape, lasted one hour before I had to call for replacements.  Big explanation to station manager the next day.  Ahhh the good old days!

SOWNY » You May Not Believe Where Jays' Fill-In Ben Shulman Is Working Now » December 14, 2023 6:36 am

laffin
Replies: 1

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Hopefully that will keep him off the Jays' radio play-by-play.

SOWNY » I'm done! » December 4, 2023 9:13 am

laffin
Replies: 12

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 CFRB has become tired and very routine now.  The Round Table has become very tedious with the same set of characters pontificating the same mantra. The voices of various CFRB features have become superfluous, and in many cases, annoying.  Don’t those at Bell, who purport to be radio savvy, have the skill to find new commentators who would put a fresh viewpoint on their commentary?  It’s the same old same old with some of the characters heard far too often on other features.  I think I’ve heard enough of Hutton and Hudak.

SOWNY » Ben Wagner out as Blue Jays' radio voice » November 29, 2023 7:21 pm

laffin
Replies: 20

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Rogers just confirms they have no idea how to run a baseball team and demonstrate a lack of concern for the fans.  Just hire two guys from Cleveland, who did nothing there, to run their moneymaker.  Ben Schulman, like father like son, too much talk, not much play-by-play.  Imagine listening to a radio broadcast of the TV feed and hearing, "Did you see that fan in the stands?"  

SOWNY » Ben Wagner out as Blue Jays' radio voice » November 29, 2023 3:02 pm

laffin
Replies: 20

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Anyone but Ben Schulman, over the top with talk.  Not enough play-by-play.

SOWNY » The Talk Show Guests You'd Rather Not Hear » November 14, 2023 11:31 am

laffin
Replies: 14

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How ironic, thinking the same thing this morning after tolerating the Roundtable.  God help you if you disagree with her.

SOWNY » A New CFRB Contest » November 3, 2023 6:09 am

laffin
Replies: 1

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Win a one-year lease on a new car and guess "Who is going to read the news today?"

SOWNY » It's a crap shoot! » October 26, 2023 8:03 am

laffin
Replies: 2

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You really don't know what to expect following the decimation of the once mighty CFRB newsroom by Bell.  A different news ready almost daily with a tone that lacks authority often with mispronunciations.  Would be very surprising if air checks are still practiced.  I suspect the suits at Bell have no idea what is an air check.  As a veteran news director, it's a nightmare.

SOWNY » Local Radio Stations That Don't Exist Anymore » October 7, 2023 6:32 am

laffin
Replies: 54

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Ah, CHIC the house on Ellen Street.  Spent some time there in the 60's.  Remember station manager Harry Allen bounding down the stairs with an LP in his hand wanting to change the music format in the middle of the day!.  That's BC radio ( before computers). 

SOWNY » Just Asking » October 5, 2023 8:36 am

laffin
Replies: 2

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Sean Cohan will assume leadership of Bell Media and join BCE as an executive officer November 1st. following the retirement of Wade Oosterman, which bodes the question:  How much radio or TV experience have these two broadcasting gurus had?  Watch for more broadcasting decisions that will boggle the mind.

 

SOWNY » Turns Out Jays Radio Crews Aren't The Only Ones Not Going On The Road » September 20, 2023 10:20 am

laffin
Replies: 4

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No radio colour last night and the broadcast was better for it.  Perhaps if Rogers canned ALL colour commentators they could afford to send Wagner to the away games.

SOWNY » I have a question. » September 14, 2023 7:57 pm

laffin
Replies: 7

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Is a colour person really necessary in radio baseball play-by-play?  Their repetition of what was just described by the play-by-play man just increases an annoying sound that makes listening to the ball game a chore.  The need to fill, what they determine to be dead air, is not necessary.  Any pertinent game info has already been detailed and much of what their colour commentary consists of has no bearing on the immediate play.  Perhaps if Rogers canned the colour person, they could afford to send Wagner to the road games.      

SOWNY » Sad But Tru » September 8, 2023 9:13 am

laffin
Replies: 1

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Listening to CFRB this morning I have come to realize of how the mighty has fallen.  What is that old saying, “they don’t make ‘em like they used to.” As a broadcasting neophyte I had an opportunity to visit the St. Clair studios in the early 60’s to record an audition.  As this was done as a favour by an ‘RB friend, little did I expect to become a member of the CFRB news department. While Assistant ND Gil Murray was taking me to the booth through the news department, busily working at their desks were Gordon Sinclair, Jack Dennett, Bill Stephenson and several others.  Just returned from his traffic reporting and parking his helicopter was Eddie Luther.  It gave you the impression, things were happening in the city and their news department was deeply involved.  Since the onset of the broadcast industry being kidnapped by large corporations, they have only confirmed to be devoid of any broadcast expertise and skill, whose primary goal is their bottom line.  They dismantled the individual station structure to locate departments centrally.  Eliminated were copy and traffic departments and their major news departments.  The majority of today’s news readers lack any resonance of authority and their pronunciation is abysmal.  Some GTA stations have even reduced the time of their live announcing shifts on weekends.  Perhaps those of us who are now retired and have had the experience of BC radio (before computers) we must realize the corporations have caused the industry to undergo a complete 180.

SOWNY » Too much verbosity! » September 3, 2023 3:48 pm

laffin
Replies: 3

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Why do some TV play-by-play feel they can't have any dead air? The incessant commentary by both Matt Devlin and Joe Siddall on the Jays TV broadcast is making it difficult to view the game.  Here is a suggestion, let the viewers watch the game without the need to describe every single detail.  Devlin should stick to basketball.  Too much verbosity.  

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