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August 30, 2019 6:39 pm  #1


Lorne Honickman Shares Stories of CityTV, CP24 and AM640

Lots of good stuff here.

Btw, your very own Doug Thompson has been booked for a CHUM tribute ep.

 

August 30, 2019 7:39 pm  #2


Re: Lorne Honickman Shares Stories of CityTV, CP24 and AM640

What!!!  Thee Doug Thompson.  I'll be listening to that for you.  What an incredible talent.  He even made me sound good on Radio Specials he produced.  You want stories Mike.  Well he's got 'em.

 

August 30, 2019 8:03 pm  #3


Re: Lorne Honickman Shares Stories of CityTV, CP24 and AM640

We've come a long way since this.

     Thread Starter
 

August 30, 2019 8:14 pm  #4


Re: Lorne Honickman Shares Stories of CityTV, CP24 and AM640

I'll say ....lol - kudos to both of you for working out differences and getting on with Real Talk!    I'm looking forward to the eppy.
 


Cheers,
Jody Thornton
 
 

August 31, 2019 8:15 am  #5


Re: Lorne Honickman Shares Stories of CityTV, CP24 and AM640

Far be it from me to question Lorn's timeline at City; but he says he got there in mid 1981.  However, Lorne came to my home in December of 1980 the day after the death of John Lennon.  I had interviewed John and he wanted to interview me about it.  Now i swear he was already at CITY; but he may have been working for someone else.  Again perhaps Lorne can straighten me out about the timing.  Just interested.  Oh by the way...HI Lorne!

 

August 31, 2019 11:06 am  #6


Re: Lorne Honickman Shares Stories of CityTV, CP24 and AM640

John D wrote:

Far be it from me to question Lorn's timeline at City; but he says he got there in mid 1981.  However, Lorne came to my home in December of 1980 the day after the death of John Lennon.  I had interviewed John and he wanted to interview me about it.  Now i swear he was already at CITY; but he may have been working for someone else.  Again perhaps Lorne can straighten me out about the timing.  Just interested.  Oh by the way...HI Lorne!

I'll ask Lorne and report back!

     Thread Starter
 

August 31, 2019 11:08 am  #7


Re: Lorne Honickman Shares Stories of CityTV, CP24 and AM640

I just heard back from Lorne. Here's what he says...

"The story I did with John was in December 1981.  My assignment was to interview someone about Lennon on the first year anniversary of his death, and about his legacy in the years to come.  I remember thinking that there was no one I wanted to speak to more about that then John Donabie. A legend already at that time.  John immediately said yes to this rookie reporter.   I remember it so well. I was so grateful."

     Thread Starter
 

August 31, 2019 2:43 pm  #8


Re: Lorne Honickman Shares Stories of CityTV, CP24 and AM640

Thank you Lorne!  Wow a year later.  Thank you Mike!

 

September 1, 2019 1:00 pm  #9


Re: Lorne Honickman Shares Stories of CityTV, CP24 and AM640

My all time favourite Lorne Honickman story came from a friend of mine who was at City TV when he was there.
 
Honickman was one of the world’s biggest Beatles fans, and would talk about them all the time, spewing out trivia about them at the drop of a hat. He could go on for hours about them if you let him.
 
Well, one day in 1987, George Harrison came in to MuchMusic to tout his latest single, “I Got My Mind Set On You.” Here was an actual Beatle right in the same place where Honickman worked. And where was Lorne? Out on a story for that day’s CityPulse newscast.
 
He was doing interviews and stand-ups back in those days before cell phones, so frantic efforts were made to try and get him on his cameraman’s radio. They were trying to tell him to get back to the station or miss what may have been his only chance to ever actually meet one of his true idols.
 
But no matter how many times they tried to raise him, there was radio silence. Harrison was on a strict schedule and had to be out of there in less than a few minutes. And it looked like Honickman would miss his chance.
 
Harrison got up to leave and made his way to the infamous City TV parking lot back door, where a limo was waiting for him. Just then, Honickman and his camera truck entered the gates of the lot. He got out, totally unaware that one of his heroes was about to walk out the very door he was coming in.
 
Inevitably, the two ran into each other as Lorne was entering and Harrison was leaving. Honickman was absolutely stunned as he literally bumped into the ex-Beatle. It was probably the only time anyone ever saw Honickman at a loss for words.
 
As the famed musician brushed by him, all Honickman could say was a breathless, “Hi George!” To which Harrison replied in that famous Liverpool accent, “Hello.” And then he walked to the car.
 
It may not have been the meeting of the minds he was hoping for, but by a quirk of timing, Lorne actually got to talk to his idol. Even if it was only for a quick hello.

 

September 1, 2019 1:06 pm  #10


Re: Lorne Honickman Shares Stories of CityTV, CP24 and AM640

RadioActive wrote:

My all time favourite Lorne Honickman story came from a friend of mine who was at City TV when he was there.
 
Honickman was one of the world’s biggest Beatles fans, and would talk about them all the time, spewing out trivia about them at the drop of a hat. He could go on for hours about them if you let him.
 
Well, one day in 1987, George Harrison came in to MuchMusic to tout his latest single, “I Got My Mind Set On You.” Here was an actual Beatle right in the same place where Honickman worked. And where was Lorne? Out on a story for that day’s CityPulse newscast.
 
He was doing interviews and stand-ups back in those days before cell phones, so frantic efforts were made to try and get him on his cameraman’s radio. They were trying to tell him to get back to the station or miss what may have been his only chance to ever actually meet one of his true idols.
 
But no matter how many times they tried to raise him, there was radio silence. Harrison was on a strict schedule and had to be out of there in less than a few minutes. And it looked like Honickman would miss his chance.
 
Harrison got up to leave and made his way to the infamous City TV parking lot back door, where a limo was waiting for him. Just then, Honickman and his camera truck entered the gates of the lot. He got out, totally unaware that one of his heroes was about to walk out the very door he was coming in.
 
Inevitably, the two ran into each other as Lorne was entering and Harrison was leaving. Honickman was absolutely stunned as he literally bumped into the ex-Beatle. It was probably the only time anyone ever saw Honickman at a loss for words.
 
As the famed musician brushed by him, all Honickman could say was a breathless, “Hi George!” To which Harrison replied in that famous Liverpool accent, “Hello.” And then he walked to the car.
 
It may not have been the meeting of the minds he was hoping for, but by a quirk of timing, Lorne actually got to talk to his idol. Even if it was only for a quick hello.

When Lorne returns to kick out the jams, I'll share this story with him!

     Thread Starter
 

September 1, 2019 1:43 pm  #11


Re: Lorne Honickman Shares Stories of CityTV, CP24 and AM640

Here’s another one.
 
It was the middle of the dog days of summer and there was absolutely nothing going on. The late, great Clint Nickerson was producing and desperately searching for a story worth leading with that night. But there really wasn’t anything big enough to justify the high placement.
 
And then, about an hour before airtime, a huge rainstorm blew through the city, bringing a tremendous downpour to the streets of Toronto. It was one of those weather events that lasted about 15 minutes, before it ended and the sun came back out.
 
With no other choice, Nickerson decided to lead with an exaggerated yarn about a torrential downpour that had just hit Toronto.
 
Honickman was anchoring that day, with all the usual regulars out on vacation. He was appalled by the decision, asking “how am I supposed to sell this as a lede, when the sun is back out already?”
 
But Nickerson had nothing else and stood by his vow to go with it.
 
That got the stand-up comic in Lorne going and while he read the copy straight, throwing to David Onley outside on Queen St. W., for days and weeks afterwards he would always quote the way he thought it should have been written.
 
“Good evening,” he wanted to say. “It’s raining. And now let’s go out to Queen St. with David Onley where it’s not raining!”
 
Hilarious, and for obvious reasons, something viewers never got to see.