Not sure what would classify as the best year(s), but I do know my favorite years are 1977-79, as late 1977 was the year I start listening to "my own" radio stations (mostly Top 40) as opposed to what my parents listened to.

Also, 1987 strikes me as being a good year for music, because unlike other years in that decade, there didn't seem to be one single genre that dominated the pop charts; there was a little bit of everything for everybody that year: pop, rock, classic rock, dance, new wave, hair metal, etc.



PJ

Binson Echorec wrote:

ig wrote:

#KIDS    Toll Free, anywhere in Canada.

Say it out loud.

I love stuff like this. However, thanks to social media, I initially read it as "hashtag kids". Nobody under 35 knows it as a pound sign, and nobody under 90 knows it as an octothorpe.

I'm 57, and when we were kids we called it a tic tac toe sign. 



PJ
 

RadioActive wrote:

I'd completely forgotten about "The Hits Just Keep On Comin'" which I read many years ago in hardcover when it first came out. (Also had the CD, too!) A great book about a wonderful time that radio will never see again. 

If you have a Kindle Unlimited subscription it's free to download, too.



PJ
 

RadioActive wrote:

The network has confirmed that "9-1-1," a show it rescued from Fox, will not return with new episodes until March 6th! That seems excessive for a show that has yet to run its full season. 

Most other network programs, with a few exceptions, are off for the U.S. Thanksgiving/Christmas holidays, but will be back in January. 

Even more interesting, ABC is supposedly planning another show in the 9-1-1 franchise (instead of also rescuing 9-1-1 Lone Star from Fox, which will be ending at the conclusion of this season).

Supposedly, the new 9-1-1 would likely be running on the same night as the mothership, but I'm wondering if the network is planning on eventually having the newest entry substitute the old one? That probably wouldn't be advisable, as NBC tried a similar thing many years back, cancelling the original Law & Order and seemingly hoping that the newest entry in the franchise, Law & Order: L.A., would fill in the gap somewhat. The show started strong when it debuted, but lost viewers quickly over time, never quite regaining the spark with audiences the way the original (as well as SVU and CI) did.

I'm wondering if 9-1-1 is turning into a costly mistake for ABC? I imagine the show is quite expensive to produce, with its cinematic special effects, as well as (what I would assume) the actors' rising salaries.



PJ
 

Coughing after taking Metamucil is probably not a great idea. 



PJ

RadioAaron wrote:

Jody Thornton wrote:

Seemed to be not long ago that 680 was one of those few AM stations that made its own money, but I really worry about its future.  To me, it was one of the few ways that AM radio could justifiably continue to exist.  We'll see I guess.

It's still a cash-cow. But that's not good enough for shareholder capitalism; if you're not growing, you're shrinking. For every drop in revenue, there must be a drop in expenses. Eventually cutting those expenses brings down revenue, and the death-spiral begins. Every public company will eventually eat itself.

Quite a sharp contrast to when they first started out with the format:


"Tony Viner was president of Rogers radio at the time and said he had some anxiety about whether the change would be a success.

“It really was an exciting time,” says Viner. ” (But) I was nervous and apprehensive.”

Sanderson says Ted Rogers never had any doubts about the new format’s success.

“Tony said ‘what would you think about switching 680 to all news? You’d lose about $7 million a year for five years,'” recalled Sanderson. “Ted said ‘I’d go for that, sure.'” "


CityNews 680 celebrates 30 years of all-news radio (June 7, 2023)



PJ

I suspect, like a lot of people who have left radio, he's probably had his fill, too.



PJ

Now it's being reported that the number of staffers cut was actually 13 and not 22, as previously confirmed by news director Chris Little, who was among those let go. Still a major blow, nonetheless.


KFI retains some news staff



PJ

Radiowiz wrote:

The original Hog of 1990.
Yes I am serious, if first and foremost for the way they did news.
They had the best, most creative writing team when it came to their news department.
I REALLY loved how they would replace the word "Jail" with "Cell Hotel" or refer to the Prime Minister (of the time) as "BM THE PM" 
They did news in a very special way that no one else (in the Toronto market) would.

I suspect that was probably somewhat inspired by CKLW's "20/20 News" from their Top 40 heyday.



PJ

RadioActive wrote:

Thanks for the idea Jody. I'll think about it, but I fear it will continue to piss off many users, even in a separate section.

Have to admit I agree with that, RA. Anytime there's a thread that even just touches on politics I find myself thinking, "Okay, how long before this goes down a rabbit hole that we can't climb out of?" Sadly, most of them do.

Although a separate section for political threads is not necessarily a bad idea, you're still inevitably going to get posters trying to sneak politics into non-political threads. It happens on social media all the time.

I do think the best option is what you've always told us: "It's okay to disagree, it's not okay to be disagreeable." 

Or as the previous admin used to say: "Keep it positive and don't be an asshole."

Same sentiment, just slightly different wording. 



PJ
 

Centerline wrote:

I believe Jack Jones was also host of CHCH's The Palace, a variety show that was taped at Hamilton Place 1979-80

That would be correct.

The Palace - IMDB.com



PJ

Pretty classy farewell, though. Nice montage of the staff (many behind the scenes) interspersed with Randy Newman's "I Love L.A." video.

Those types of goodbyes are much rarer nowadays in TV and radio. (Hello, CHML?)



PJ

Then there's this on the Y108 website under the Advertise with us section:





PJ

I did a double-take when I saw this...
.
Star 102.5 Buffalo posted on their Facebook page that "Christmas music is back with Star!"

Huh? Didn't they get sold off and turned into a Christian Contemporary station?

Well, yes they did, and apparently Star 102.5 is online only and K-Love is alive and well terrestrially at 102.5 and online as well. But for those of you that can't get your fix of yuletide favourites early enough, Audacy has come to the rescue and is carrying on their yearly tradition of playing Christmas music until you puke! (Hmm...that would make a good slogan!) 

Star 102.5 is only available in the U.S., although presumably available with a VPN if you're not in the States (if you're so inclined to try).

Ordinarily, I would say this is probably the record for the earliest a station is playing Christmas music, that is if Star 102.5 were still an over-the-air station. However, there's many online stations that play seasonal favourites all year long, so they're not breaking any records in that regard.


https://www.audacy.com/stations/mystar1025



PJ
 

km93 wrote:

I checked the recently played and was surprised to see Payolas, Suzanne Vega and even Joan Jett!

Wouldn't that potentially cut into Q107's audience, though?


PJ