Paul Jeffries wrote:

Jody Thornton wrote:

This would exemplify another area where modern radio would let me down though, and that would be deeper playlists of those years/ranges mentioned.  When it comes to 80s music, we hear what's researched and palatable sounding for modern-day, rather than what was heard back then.  Next time I hear Simple Minds, could it please be "Promise You A Miracle", instead of "Don't You Forget About Me"?  How about "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da" from the Police, instead of another fatiguing play of "Every Breath ...".  But that won't ever happen.

Most commercial classic hits stations play about 25% of the music from the youth of their target audience because the other 75% supposedly "doesn't test very well".



PJ


 

Oh I understand why.  It just means another reason why radio no longer suits me. :D

There was a rap in Black Or White.  Nonetheless, an interesting find.  Were these digitally stored files or tape?  If this was beyond the late 90s, I'd hardly think it was analog open-reel.

My first volunteer on-air experience was at CHMR Mohawk in September 1989.  But as for a real gig, I was first on air at CIAM Cambridge (AM96), in March 1991.  I was there for a one-month placement, and would be hired for overnights in April 1991.  But in March, Ron Shirley (known then as Early Shirley), let me go on at around 3:50 am until 5 am.  He intro'd me as, "Coming Up ... my friend ... my pal (even though he won't admit it), Jody Thornton.  He'll take you through to 5 o'clock.  Enjoy".

My first pop of the mic was three minutes later over the post of "Impulsive" by Wilson Phillips.  I wish I could feel just like that moment once again, and I wish I savoured it more.  But it's not a moment that can ever return.  It was overnights, first off, plus there was physical media to manipulate, and an old McCurdy board with average-hold meters (apparently a similar board was used at CHYR in Leamington during the 70s and 80s).  I even was able to spin gold selections on old 45-rpm promos.  Good times!
 

It's after reading stuff like this, that when I then go to places like the Radio Station Lounge on Facebook, I facepalm myself at the echo chamber there.  That's where you'll hear things like:

+ Radio is not dead: it's just changing.  Everything changes
+ Radio is just reinventing itself
(well I guess going from vitality to death IS a state of change)

And gawd forbid if you EVER say anything against the tide of popular opinion there.  Get ready for tar and feathers.  Yikes!  I've never understood how, if you say anything negative about radio on a radio forum, that equates to trolling.  To me, that's a dose of reality.  Plain and simple.  It was what helped me decide to leave the business.  Trust me, there is a quality of life, happiness and money outside of radio.  One starts to realize that having such a deep passion for a career choice can be like a really bad addiction.  Like an addiction, the medium does not love you back.  But if you say something like that on a radio Facebok group, good night.  There should be room for negative AND positive points to be made for the medium.

I don't know ... when I contemplate that we're in a world where CHML doesn't even exist, and stations like Bounce (which we listen to at work) has daily repetition so severe, it's worse than the stomach repeats you get from eating baked beans, you know the medium is well past its best before date.

What was the reasoning behind Numeris blocking public access to ratings?

I hear reception, at best, is sew-sew 

Am I correct in hearing Steve Roberts was one of the casualties at 680?

Maybe he's saying Jerry will have show prep challenges .  There!  All about radio now.
I tried RA.

67GreenRambler wrote:

And it violated 'equal time' provisions in Election laws. Lorne Michaels and NBC brass know this but did it anyway.

Looks like over time, the complaint has swung in either direction:
https://www.poynter.org/ethics-trust/2019/do-the-networks-have-to-give-equal-time-in-a-word-no/

Hey RA, since this is related to the now locked "National Post" thread, I wanted to pass along an idea.

Because these topics can veer political, what if there was an "off-topic" forum section made?  Would that help with those issues?  That way, those interested can espouse their views, yet keep politics away from radio/television related threads.

Just a thought

 

RadioActive wrote:

It's been quite a day for insider radio on NT1010. On his "Party For Two" segment at 11AM, Agar welcomed in Assistant Program Director and SOWNY board favourite Robert Turner as his guest. 
 
At one point, a listener emailed a question. "If he's the Assistant PD., who is the actual P.D.?"

Agar's answer was perfect. "We don't have one. That way we get to pay him less money." 

Given Bell's notoriously penurious purse strings, I actually believe it!
 

His name escapes me, but didn't they have a brand manager brought over from TSN 1050, when Bendixen got tossed?  Is he gone too?
 

Pssst ... drop the age by twenty years

Charlie Van Dyke has my voice of choice.  I love how he sounded in the 90s and 90s.
Dan Williamson was also a favourite during the CKFM and early Mix era.
 

I predict it will have a "ruff" go in the ratings!

PS - Awwww darn - I didn't see you used "Ruff" already.  I thought I was being so original.  Sigh! :D
 

paterson1 wrote:

One thing that Toronto's two struggling AM talk radio stations seem to lack (in addition to having any fun) is a real scarcity of show biz news or features.

Hear, Here!  I think John Moore could be better utilized in a major way.  He has show biz smarts, and seemed to showcase this more when he did his afternoon show.  John would often have Ann Shatilla on talking about Hollywood gossip.  There was the cocktail hour and a great theme and bumper music from Kill Bill (Battle Without Honour, something ...)

John playing quarterback to a bunch of pundits and panelists seem tired and limiting.  Roundtables were getting harder to bear back when I last listened, when it was always Jerry and Deb lined up with Scott Reid.  The topical positions of Marc Warner and Laura Babcock were always predictable.  Amanda Gailbraith seems to think all of the topics are ho-hum, and never seems to care about being there.  Shelley Carroll tries to be a polished city politician.  Sigh!  See what I mean?  Maybe it has improved lately, and RA did say Alan Carter is on now, so hopefully there is some betterment of the segments.

But given that patterson1 has revisited the lack of pop culture programming on 1010 and 640, methinks, perhaps not.