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July 1, 2019 9:43 am  #1


Why Is CKTB The Only Newstalk Station To Do This On Holidays?

I’m always amazed how CKTB in St. Catharines is the only station around the GTHA that always seems to manage a live morning show on a major holiday. While all the Toronto news-talkers (with the exception of 680 News of course) were in endless reroll mode on Canada Day, 610 not only brought people in live, but they even did a guest-laden Roundtable. (The rest of the day is all ‘best of’ shows.)
 
I’m curious about this. I would have thought it would be company policy to have a uniform standard about working stats – if nothing else, it saves on a whole lot of overtime and days off in lieu.
 
But somehow Bell Media’s CKTB pulls it off almost every holiday. Is this smart programming or just a waste of money? After all, what is there to talk about on a day when there's no real news and everything is shut down? I can see both sides of the argument, but if pressed, I always think live programming is better than a rerun.
 
CFRB, the mothership, never brings anyone in for its morning drive show on a holiday. I’d like to know if any other Bell stations in other markets do what 610 does. Either way I congratulate them on the attempt. I admit that they were what I tuned into on Monday morning.

 

July 1, 2019 10:17 am  #2


Re: Why Is CKTB The Only Newstalk Station To Do This On Holidays?

Jazz FM is live to air too until 6 pm...I think it is vital to be live today, there is so much going on for Canada Day, that it warrants a friendly live voice or voices.

 


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

July 1, 2019 10:48 am  #3


Re: Why Is CKTB The Only Newstalk Station To Do This On Holidays?

Bell's CFRA Ottawa is live in the morning on stat holidays, usually hosted by the weekday shows' producers/co-hosts.

For a diary market like Ottawa, it makes sense to do this during ratings periods as a Holiday Monday morning is going to be calculated in with the other 7 Mondays, even though it will have less impact than the others, as your CUME will be significantly smaller. Outside of ratings? Just good for the brand overall, I guess.

 

July 1, 2019 11:55 pm  #4


Re: Why Is CKTB The Only Newstalk Station To Do This On Holidays?

The only live and original show to air on GNR640 on Canada Day came after 10PM Eastern when Charles Adler's national show aired here out of CKNW Vancouver.

     Thread Starter
 

July 2, 2019 3:01 am  #5


Re: Why Is CKTB The Only Newstalk Station To Do This On Holidays?

Okay, I'm going to agree that there is no excuse for this lack of live and local radio, but I'm going to do so from a live on location perspective.
Yes it is tougher to be live on location when so many businesses are closed...but that just might be the point!!
Maybe there IS a business that would like a radio station to broadcast live and get word out that while they're normally closed (or believed to be closed) they're actually open!

There are many different ways to go about this. 
The Eaton centre is open, but there is no pet store there, unfortunately, so that rules out an "ask the vet" live morning show. (or something like that)
However, there are many other possibilities...radio just might be missing the boat!

Last edited by Radiowiz (July 2, 2019 3:03 am)


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

 
 

July 2, 2019 8:56 am  #6


Re: Why Is CKTB The Only Newstalk Station To Do This On Holidays?

It's gob-smacking that a multi-million dollar business (in this case CFRA) would put second and third stringers in their most prized asset, the morning show. Follow this to its  logical conclusion and you just know that  Bell's bean counters are going to eventually conclude that a $14/hour "producer" can do the job just as well as Bill Carroll, so what do we need him for?  

Last edited by potentiometer (July 2, 2019 9:27 am)

 

July 2, 2019 9:11 am  #7


Re: Why Is CKTB The Only Newstalk Station To Do This On Holidays?

potentiometer wrote:

that a $14/hour "producer" can do the job just as well as Bill Carroll

Well...