It definitely appears to be where the news industry is headed. But the big question is, if all of the human journalists are let go in favour of news aggregating AI, where will AI get its news from?!

Sure, a Riply or AI software can scrape updates from social media, where opinion and hyperbole, not verified facts, run rampant. But will AI do on-the-ground reporting for a story? Will it interview the relatives of an accident or assault victim, press the mayor's office for comment on an explosive scandal, or receive insider information about an unscrupulous company from a trusted source? Or will everything simply become social media AI slop.

Dicky Doo wrote:

Oakley listeners fondly remember C. Black Friday as a weekly guest, and are now looking forward to his column in tomorrow's Saturday National Post   

Ah, yes. C. Black, the "successful" business guru who pilfered company pension funds and stole fees to line his pockets. Who still managed to go broke... but, hey, at least he still has that long-winded, verbous vocabulary of his to fill articles and books with. Sorry, the guy is a dirtbag, and I never understood Oakley's fawning over him. I dreaded the days when I had to call him at his formerly-owned home in the Bridle Path to have him on the show as a guest.

Rogers Sports & Media is moving to a remote operations model for some of its smaller market radio stations, starting next week.

A Rogers spokesperson told Broadcast Dialogue that it will be business as usual for the on-air product, with talent broadcasting remotely from the same local market.

- They said there will be no "employee impacts."
- Sales teams will also continue to work remotely with local advertisers and partners.
- Talent will get either a home studio set-up or will broadcast from an alternative location.
- No confirmation about radio station real estate (leased vs. owned)

mace wrote:

paterson1 wrote:

The Voice was on first spot on CTV2 and that includes anyone watching on NBC Detroit which has CTV2's signal. When something isn't simsubed like Tracker, the CBS Detroit station might show up in the top 5 on Sunday when they run the program. CTV has football on when CBS runs Tracker and have been running it at a different time and day.  Again this is what is showing for viewers watching on Bell Fibe. 

This is timely, I just checked what is trending now in the top 5.  Fibe is showing CP24 Dayside in first spot, followed by CNN Newsroom, CTV with The Good Stuff, Judy Justice on City TV, and Let's Make A Deal on CBS Detroit. Nobody is simsubing Let's Make A Deal.  

This sounds like a very cool feature. How long has it been available?

What guarantee is there that this feature is legitimate, and not something Fibe (and other streamers) manipulate or revise to drive traffic to particular programs?

Johnny B wrote:

Looks like every first draft of a news story these days is handled by AI...this is brutally written...even for a Terminator T-1000.

This version is much more succinct, and avoids the hyperbole in Giant's reporting: https://www.chch.com/vandalism-at-transmitter-kicks-2-niagara-region-radio-stations-off-air/

RadioAaron wrote:

RadioActive wrote:

it's worth noting that I think this may be the first time he's ever hosted a radio show himself. 
. 

On RB, maybe. He was a frequent fill-in host on CFRA.

He hosted a show, 7 - 10 p.m., on CFRA for a few years in the mid-to-late-2010s.

paterson1 wrote:

Newspapers started this type of geotargeting about 12 years ago for advertising on their websites.  An advertiser could have their ad show up on a newspaper website in specific zones of a city, other cities, or only a few blocks around the store. Many had customized ads with specials and offers to test the response.  This sounded interesting and for the advertiser cost effective but in reality didn't really work that well for most of them. 

Maybe radio will be different. 

Paterson1, why/in what ways did it fail?

Syrett was one of my first mentors where the production of talk radio show content was concerned. Sharp mind, soft-spoken off-air as John D stated.

I will always remember Richard lamenting his role in defiling episodes of beloved black and white classic TV shows and sitcoms (like McHale's Navy) back in his youth. He revealed to his listeners that he once had a job in Toronto where he 'colourized' the shows. I can't recall if he altered the original version of these shows, or if he was merely tampering with copies. At any rate, he said it was a regret he likely still harbours years later!

RadioActive wrote:

She's been a news director, a news anchor, and a guest commentator. And next week, Stephanie Smyth will be something else - a talk show host. The longtime broadcast pro will be taking Kelly Cutrara's place on AM640 Monday for the show that airs from noon - 3 PM.

Smyth should be comfortable behind that mic - she used to be the station's news director and has also served in that position at CityNews 680 and Global.

Stephanie did some very limited talk show fill-in work during her time as news director at AM640 Toronto in the mid-to-late 00s (likely within the 2006-07 time period). In fact, she was paired with the venerable Dick Smyth on at least one of those occasions when subbing on Stafford's afternoon drive show.

Hansa wrote:

They're legally entitled to severance so Metroland may be forced to pay it out. I don't know if bankruptcy protection exempts Metroland from that responsibility.

Unfortunately, bankruptcy does change the game when it comes to severance packages: https://stlawyers.ca/blog-news/metroland-eliminates-605-jobs-bankruptcy-stops-print/

Was just served this ad online: https://www.shaw.ca/corporate/shaw-videotron-rogers.

Shaw suggests that this acquisition is happening solely for the benefit of the Canadian public, and that it will miraculously result in increased competition (somehow). And that it will "clear a path towards lower prices," as if Rogers hasn't had the power to slash prices up to this point in time.

Also, Rogers good, Bell and Telus bad.

 

RadioActive wrote:

I've written about this before, but it keeps making more and more of a comeback on talk radio stations (if it ever diminished at all) and it's one of the most irritating things you can hear. 

It happens with nearly every random caller they take to comment on a topic, and they should ban it immediately. If only that were possible. The phrase that doesn't pay is "As I was just telling your screener..." after which the caller launches into the subject he or she called about and presumably detailed to the producer. 

I realize a lot of this is nervousness on the part of the listener, but there must be a way to get them to realize no one cares what they just told the screener, no one knows that they talked to the screener and it ruins the magic of radio somewhat to even acknowledge that there is a screener in the first place.

I'm not sure how you stop it, because it's becoming a bad habit and a crutch for too many. And as I was just telling my screener, I wish there was a way to make that happen. 

Having worked in talk radio for years, I concur. I alway cringed when I heard a caller take to the airwaves and immediately announce "I was just telling your screener." Whenever I heard that, it meant that I, or the producer working with me, failed during the screening process.

A bad producer will allow a caller to yap for minutes as they share their detailed thoughts on the subject, pouring their opinion and emotions into that initial conversation. The caller will then have to essentially "reenact" the conversation to a lesser degree with the host. By that point, and depending on how long they wait on hold, they've already vented a bit, and a great deal of wind is out of their sail.

A good producer will spend only 15 seconds or so with a caller before either "racking them up" (putting them on hold for the host) or dropping their call (either politely and quickly if they're good peeps but just not what your looking for, o

grilled.cheese wrote:

Fjiri wrote:

grilled.cheese wrote:

I have quite a few entire shows of Staff et all saved in my archive, including commercials and news broadcasts. 

Is this archive localized on a single, physical hard drive, or is it part of the cloud?

My man;  Currently they are sitting comfortably on my hard drive but can be uploaded to Dropbox if requested. 
 

I recall Michael's blood pressure rising after being grilled about how he came to know the tale of 'Wrong Way' Corrigan.

Maclean's, September 10, 1960: The glamorous television interviewer may not be able to clown, dance, sing or act, but she's as far from being a dumb blonde as she is from being the plain girl next door

https://archive.macleans.ca/article/1960/9/10/joyce-davidson

 

RadioAaron wrote:

Today  I learned!  At the very least it allows them to merge and minimize Bad News Days.

Now THAT is true! lol Better to do it all in one shot, ride that wave for a short while, and then walk away like nothing ever happened.