RadioActive wrote:

Back in its heyday, CFRB was known as Ontario’s Authoritative News Voice. Now they don’t really even have a newsroom, let alone much of a voice. But one of the features that made them so popular were the “news and commentary” presentations that aired throughout the day. I know the ratings were huge for Jack Dennett’s 8 AM newscast, in which he not only told you what happened, but what he thought about it, complete with excellent writing and delivery.

Then there was Charles Doering’s news and views at 11:50 AM every weekday. Not to mention the biggest one of them all, Gordon Sinclair’s pontificating on the day’s stories at 5:50 PM.

Whatever happened to this trend, where a fairly learned news person would add their own interpretation to the significant stories of the day? You didn’t have to agree with them. Sinclair could be especially curmudgeonly, which kept people tuning in. Perhaps it could be argued that the talk shows that follow the news now serve that function. Or that there aren’t enough knowledgeable news people left to actually comment intellectually on the day’s stories.

Either way, I sometimes find I miss the occasional comment section that used to make the newscasts on 1010. But  then I suppose not everybody shares that opinion…

I share that opinion.  I listen to radio for news, information and respectable opinion on both.  As a habitual listener for decades, I remember how it used to serve that purpose extremely well.  Over time, like other traditional sources like newspapers and TV, declining ad revenue due to online garbage and dwindling attention spans of the sheep-like masses addicted to their ironically-named 'smart' phones, have reduced all three to pale imitations of themselves.  I was never a fan of Bill Carroll back in the day, but now find myself gladly listening to his hour on 1010 daily, for a small taste of what talk radio used to be.  We're in big trouble, when most people now look for information on the likes of 'Truth Social' or 'Instagram'.  

That's one reason why virtually nobody listens to CFRB and AM 640.  Too many of their talk shows are all comment and opinion.  And a lot of the comment and opinion isn't very well thought out and only reflects the hosts bias and what party they likely vote for.   

Chrisphen wrote:

I don't want to hear any opinions from news types. Those days are over. 

Just the facts.

Absolutely. Or even worse: callers.

I miss the days of Dick Smyth and Brian Henderson on CHUM. Dick Smyth also did commentaries on CityTV when he was with CHUM, and when he moved over to CFTR, his TV commentaries moved over to CFMT (now known as OMNI 1).


PJ

Paul Jeffries wrote:

I miss the days of Dick Smyth and Brian Henderson on CHUM. Dick Smyth also did commentaries on CityTV when he was with CHUM, and when he moved over to CFTR, his TV commentaries moved over to CFMT (now known as OMNI 1).


PJ

Then there's this commentary from 1995 that got Henny in some hot water:

CHUM-AM re Brian Henderson Commentary · CBSC / CCNR


PJ