Agreed. I don't pay attention to the station beyond what's posted here (or mentioned in Toronto Mike'd episodes, like the regular Mike Richards appearances there), but this is disappointing to read.

Surely there are some broadcasting program graduates (or even final-year students) toiling away in some other capacity or can't find work that, though "green" and not experienced, could be better than the rerolls and one would hear them improve on-air during these stretches. Heck, a Kelly Cutrara or even a Mike Stafford getting in there for coverage as some freelance work.

Years ago, Newstalk 1010 (probably then "CFRB" in branding) did "Talk Radio Idol" on Sunday nights where they had everyday members of the community competing for an eventual show (I don't think that ever materialized, though) in that slot. Two female best friends who were known for chatting it up on everything and anything, a male standup comic, I think even a husband-and-wife team (think "The Motts") that traded playful barbs and observations. I would think even this would be better than the rerolls if they had a decent producer or board op to keep them on track and moving with ad breaks, etc.

I'm guessing a lot of the place is paid time. For instance, Marc Patrone has control of his morning show, which means he offers it as a paid subscription if you want to hear it as a podcast. It is not on Sauga's website. It's on his Substack account instead.

Therefore I can only assume he owns it and pays to be in the time slot. Which would explain why he isn't replaced when he goes on vacation. Again just a guess, but how else to explain the price for the podcast?

I guess this works for the owners, but it's a terrible way to run a radio station!

RadioActive wrote:

They are ridiculous and have lost all credibility - if they ever had any. 

I'm leaning towards "they never had any credibility".
 

They actually have less than 100 listeners so not much to care about in all honesty... 

kevjo wrote:

newsguy1 wrote:

Unfortunately the talk radio stations are just getting burned out.
It's a shame.
Poor John Moore has lost his edge and now just fills time with talking about which celebrity or government member he plays golf with or what black tie gala he attended.
Even his speech has slowed.
And he's developed the strange habit of finishing pretty well every interview with "thanks for this."
 

Don't forget his other go-to phrase, "Good to have you".
 

"We're out of racetrack."
 

Oh, yes, that expression really bugs me since the actual expression is "we're out of runway."
Planes have runways that they can run out of --, hence out of runway.
Racing cars go around and around in an oval, or at least on a racetrack that ends up where the race started.
You can't run out of racetrack.
ever.
 

newsguy1 wrote:

Oh, yes, that expression really bugs me since the actual expression is "we're out of runway."
Planes have runways that they can run out of --, hence out of runway.
Racing cars go around and around in an oval, or at least on a racetrack that ends up where the race started.
You can't run out of racetrack.
ever.
 

I agree it's a bit clunky. But I always instinctively interpreted his use of that saying to mean the particular race is over - i.e. no more laps to be run. "We're all out of racetrack" - that's it, race is done, you can't go around again. You've had X laps and they're all used up. The racetrack is indeed a structure that one couldn't run out of, so is perpetually there, but we're not talking about showing up to an empty track on an off day and going around and around. We're in the context of a race where the number of laps or time is finite and pre-determined, i.e. "End of the horserace".   

On their overnights are they paying for the all night prayers or praying for someone to pay them?

alangee wrote:

On their overnights are they paying for the all night prayers or praying for someone to pay them?

I recall back in the nineties that the fundie ministers would book half hour blocks of airtime on WWKB AM 1520 in the evenings, as that signal would cover a lot of the east coast of the US and even up to the Maritimes.  With streaming, I wonder if there's more of a focus there than over the air. 🤔

tvguy wrote:

Ravinder Pannu and Mr. Elliot still have the station listed with a U.S.radio station broker for a fortune in $U.S.  

The broker's listing is totally bogus, not based on any financials, or the actual true reach of the station.

I guess that the listing just stays in his system, week after week.

So, panu does have an ownership stake in sauga?

One thing that is positive about Sauga 960.  It is proof that hard right wing, US style evengelical conspiracy radio is not a draw in the GTA or Southern Ontario.  Generally this type of radio is a waste of time and a road to nowhere and hasn't been well received here.  If people like this style of shouty and dumbed down broadcasting in the US...fill your boots folks! 

torontostan wrote:

paterson1 wrote:

One thing that is positive about Sauga 960.  It is proof that hard right wing, US style evengelical conspiracy radio is not a draw in the GTA or Southern Ontario.  Generally this type of radio is a waste of time and a road to nowhere and hasn't been well received here.  If people like this style of shouty and dumbed down broadcasting in the US...fill your boots folks! 

It would do half decent if they had a real signal. Nobody knows about 960 and their coverage is terrible... 

Not so sure.  Even with the signal they have now, potentially they have many millions in their coverage area.  But the audience ain't listening and never have.  Lack of promotion and sensationalist right wing programming is the problem.  Same with the new station in Niagara Falls NY "The Patriot" at 1270.  Listenership from Canada will be minimal, and the content will likely be too US focused for any interest. 

Regardless, CKNT with their daytime pattern is in the highest population area in the country.  1010 and 640 are somewhat right wing in their programming but more moderate, and newscasts are straight forward.  CKNT is much more of a US style of hard right sensationalist talk station that doesn't seem to connect with many people.  They are no further ahead today than they were when they signed on seven years ago.  I doubt that increasing power or larger coverage area would make a lot of difference.  Seems like the public doesn't really buy or want what they are offering. 

Both 1010 and 640 are not exactly tearing up the airwaves either.  Granted they do much better for listeners and are far more credible than CKNT.  Maybe all three have too much opinion oriented programming, or they dwell on topics that the public isn't that interested in.  For talk in the GTA it is either Radio One or 680 News where the listeners are spending their time.  

I don't see how 960 would have much of any impact with a better signal and marketing.

The mainstream conservative angle is covered in the market, and space for further-right PPC type content is limited. Not to mention all the paid-time narrow-interest programming, and the low quality of the daily drive shows where hosts spend much of their time talking about how great they are.

640 has been covering topics that no one cares about a lot lately 

paterson1 wrote:

Regardless, CKNT with their daytime pattern is in the highest population area in the country.  1010 and 640 are somewhat right wing in their programming but more moderate, and newscasts are straight forward.  CKNT is much more of a US style of hard right sensationalist talk station that doesn't seem to connect with many people.  They are no further ahead today than they were when they signed on seven years ago.  I doubt that increasing power or larger coverage area would make a lot of difference.  Seems like the public doesn't really buy or want what they are offering. 

Both 1010 and 640 are not exactly tearing up the airwaves either.  Granted they do much better for listeners and are far more credible than CKNT.  Maybe all three have too much opinion oriented programming, or they dwell on topics that the public isn't that interested in.  For talk in the GTA it is either Radio One or 680 News where the listeners are spending their time.