The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum » 640's Greg Brady Starting Morning Show At 5 AM Thurs. Due To Storm

RadioActive · February 12, 2025 4:24 pm

If he can get all the way downtown from Whitby after a major all night snowstorm, it appears AM 640 morning man Greg Brady will be on the air at 5 AM Thursday instead of his usual 5:30, highlighting any delays and road disasters for those leaving early. It's a good idea on, as the Mamas & Papas once noted in California Deamin', "such a winter's day."

I wonder if CFRB will follow suit and have John Moore start early, as well? He usually begins his show at 6 AM. But for early risers battling possible snow and freezing rain, that may be too late.

My guess is that 680 will get the bulk of the winter weary listeners in the morning.

Has anyone here seen summer? She's described as relatively hot with a sunny disposition. Please call if you've seen her and tell her to come home right away...

Muffaraw Joe · February 12, 2025 5:35 pm

I happen to like Jazz FM for the music, however for over a year, the morning show is voice tracked, no time checks, weather or any current events. They do break for Essential Traffic (CTN -thanks Jody). However, the show sounds a bit hollow and it could be a reason for a drop in ratings.

I feel on days like tomorrow, that being on air is vital.

I remember a massive snow storm hit the GTA in around 2008 on a weekend in December. I got into my car the night before and stayed at Motel 6 in Whitby and then drove into CKDO (on the Whitby Oshawa border) well in time to host.

I bought the air time too, but listener satisfaction comes first.

It took 3 hours+ to get home and the toughest part of the drive back to North York, was just getting into my 3 feet of snow in my driveway! What a night and day!

Last edited by Muffaraw Joe (February 12, 2025 6:19 pm)

RadioActive · February 12, 2025 6:06 pm

Just confirmed: John Moore will start at 5:30 instead of 6 due to the storm.

Aytononline · February 12, 2025 7:48 pm

I always go to 680 news for GTA storms. I know it's live for the most part. With all the cuts at CTV/CFRB and Global News/AM 640 I'm never sure what is live and what is pre-recorded

With all of the cuts ar Rogers, 680 remains one of the better stations if you are driving in bad weather.

betaylored · February 12, 2025 7:49 pm

Fond memories of Snowmageddon coverage on the Stafford show back in the day on 640.

I'll be listening to Greg Brady at 5:00 am. then switching to Moore In The Morning at 5:30 and keeping it on 1010 throughout the day.

I remember walking to the radio station during a couple of snowstorms in the 80's to be able to get there early to do my show. Transit and cab service were sketchy during really bad weather and walking a couple of miles there and then home in a silent city blanketed with snow was an adventure. Also, the whole growing up in Montreal winters with lots of snowstorms and serious amounts of snow was perfect training.

RadioActive · February 12, 2025 8:56 pm

I'll be curious what 640 and 1010 do on Saturday, when another super snow dump is scheduled to hit the GTA - and most of the stations are on autopilot. (1010 will have CP24 in the morning, while 640 has Davelle Morrison's weekend show, so at least they will have something. But what about the rest of the day?)

RadioActive · February 13, 2025 12:41 am

I don't give a lot of credit to CFTO News these days, but kudos to them for having Lindsay Morrison - who had been working since before noon - on live in the snow during the 11:30 PM wrap-up on Wednesday night. She was at an unidentified live location, which I'm guessing was on the street outside her house, so she could go back in as soon as the show was finished.

Normally, they tape the night weather, which isn't ideal. But at least on Wednesday, they were live when it counted as the snow fell.

Now if only they could do something about anchor weather on the weekends...

RadioActive · February 13, 2025 7:50 am

Not sure what happened - he probably ran into travel troubles like everyone else - but I turned on 640 at 5 AM only to hear a reroll of yesterday's "Think Tank."

That said, Greg Brady did eventually make it in from Whitby and both RB and 640 gave the storm non-stop coverage.

Congrats to the kids who got a snow day from school - a rarity these days - and condolences to the parents who have to figure out what to do with them all day!

This is the kind of story where radio really shines.

mace · February 13, 2025 8:43 am

A rarity in deed. When the 1999 Mel Lastman/Army storm hit, the schools in Toronto were closed. I remember hearing on a CFRB news report that morning that 1968 was the last time Toronto schools were shut down because of a snow storm.

ig · February 13, 2025 8:47 am

RadioActive wrote:
My guess is that 680 will get the bulk of the winter weary listeners in the morning.

How many times do they want to hear "Weather is shit, and your school is closed" ??

TSL: 12 seconds

AspectRatio · February 13, 2025 9:04 am

RadioActive wrote:
Not sure what happened - he probably ran into travel troubles like everyone else - but I turned on 640 at 5 AM only to hear a reroll of yesterday's "Think Tank."

Yeah - I heard this too. So much for the much trumpeted 5 am early start when it was just the usual reroll. He did post a video on his social media at 5:17 am (apparently at Corus) outlining the commute difficulties, so I don't blame him that despite leaving plenty of time he likely couldn't quite make it in.

RadioActive · February 13, 2025 11:00 am

Meanwhile, 1010's Jerry Agar is doing his show from home on Thursday, after giving up trying to get downtown from Etobicoke.

SpinningWheel · February 13, 2025 11:08 am

RadioActive wrote:
Meanwhile, 1010's Jerry Agar is doing his show from home on Thursday, after giving up trying to get downtown from Etobicoke.

He could probably have made it in if he left later but it's best to stay off the roads for a while.    Leaving too early might have been why it was difficult.

I drove down Yonge from St. Clair to Bloor and then to Christie this morning at 8:20 and there were almost no cars on the road and the main routes were plowed.   Side streets were a mess and I got stuck out my driveway but a push helped.
Once I returned 1 hour later the side streets had been cleared.    If I didn't need to take my cat in for surgery today I wouldn't have gone out at all but the traffic wasn't all that bad.

Last edited by SpinningWheel (February 13, 2025 11:09 am)

mace · February 13, 2025 11:18 am

SpinningWheel wrote:
RadioActive wrote:
Meanwhile, 1010's Jerry Agar is doing his show from home on Thursday, after giving up trying to get downtown from Etobicoke.
He could probably have made it in if he left later but it's best to stay off the roads for a while.    Leaving too early might have been why it was difficult.

I drove down Yonge from St. Clair to Bloor and then to Christie this morning at 8:20 and there were almost no cars on the road and the main routes were plowed.   Side streets were a mess and I got stuck out my driveway but a push helped.
Once I returned 1 hour later the side streets had been cleared.    If I didn't need to take my cat in for surgery today I wouldn't have gone out at all but the traffic wasn't all that bad.

Hopefully the cat surgery will have a positive outcome and you don't have a corporate owned veterinarian.

RadioAaron · February 13, 2025 11:42 am

ig wrote:
RadioActive wrote:
My guess is that 680 will get the bulk of the winter weary listeners in the morning.
How many times do they want to hear "Weather is shit, and your school is closed" ??

TSL: 12 seconds

I agree.

Are the kids going to school? Am I working from home?

Done.

RadioActive · February 13, 2025 12:14 pm

I have to say one of the most memorable talk shows I ever heard came after a huge dumping of snow many years ago. It came when Larry Solway, of all people, was hosting a show on what was then called Talk 640. (Remember Toxic 40?)

I came out early to shovel out my driveway, the first leg of a long journey to get downtown to the station. He was asking people to call in and describe how they were coping with the storm. Doesn't sound riveting, but since I happened to be listening on headphones while shovelling hreavy wet snow, it was a perfect compliment to what I was doing and thinking about at the time.

In retrospect, it was very ordinary, yet somehow I still remember it to this day. And that's the power of radio.

bbqguy1962 · February 13, 2025 12:33 pm

AspectRatio wrote:
RadioActive wrote:
Not sure what happened - he probably ran into travel troubles like everyone else - but I turned on 640 at 5 AM only to hear a reroll of yesterday's "Think Tank."
Yeah - I heard this too. So much for the much trumpeted 5 am early start when it was just the usual reroll. He did post a video on his social media at 5:17 am (apparently at Corus) outlining the commute difficulties, so I don't blame him that despite leaving plenty of time he likely couldn't quite make it in.

Did he manage to get through all of that without blaming the Covid response?

betaylored · February 13, 2025 2:13 pm

Two of the most welcome words when seen next to each other: snow day

1010 did their bit by regularly informing listeners to stay safely in their vehicles and call 911 if they get into an accident or have car trouble during the snowstorm. 1010 also mentioning to be aware of possibly deadly car exhaust leaking into the vehicle from the tailpipe (if it's blocked by the falling snow) would have probably been overkill, pun not intended.

However an occasional reminder to folks to make sure their cellphones are fully charged before going out into the blustery and very unfriendly-to-battery-life winter weather would have been helpful.