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July 23, 2018 10:08 am  #1


CHUM FM thinks no news is good news

"News? We don't need no stinking news!"

As part of their reblah.. erm rebranding CHUM FM has ditched their news reports.

Apparently they will still cover the most important news in their "Trending" segments.

Cost cutting measure? Maybe they're trying to be a haven of cheeriness in our new normal world where "What to do in an active shooter situation" instructions are now being posted in buildings, (including NPR), right underneath the "in case of fire" instructions.

So...no news is good news, right?

 

July 23, 2018 10:11 am  #2


Re: CHUM FM thinks no news is good news

News from the CP24 news room is something they SHOULD still do.
How much does it cost to do that?? 
Remember, the Chum group days are long over. The Standard broadcast days are also long gone.
 


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

 
 

July 23, 2018 11:21 am  #3


Re: CHUM FM thinks no news is good news

AND, here I go, disagreeing but NOT for disagreeing sake... GOOD ON THEM!! Finally! A station with balls. Again, let's think like a listener and not like a, well, you know. Their target demo does NOT give a moist shit about news. When I was a kid and listened to my local Top 40 station while getting ready to go to school, I absolutely HATED the news interruption. Hated it.

If their target demo actually wants to stay informed, they have, say it with me, their phone or another station.  Chum is competing with the likes of satellite and the closer they sound, the more likelihood they'll retain the ears. That said, I doubt this experiment will last long.

Another reason why Rog and his side piece needs to consider retirement. The format is passing them by. Sorry.

 

July 23, 2018 12:30 pm  #4


Re: CHUM FM thinks no news is good news

You really think their typical 25-35 mall shopping bubble gum chewing chickitas care about news?  News isnt cool k? 

 

July 23, 2018 12:54 pm  #5


Re: CHUM FM thinks no news is good news

Agree that not every listener cares about news.   But...

For those who might, when something like last night's shooting happens, would it kill them to do a quick announce in between songs that there is "breaking news" and for more information they can tune into whatever station is in their stable?  (NT1010 or 680news for Bell/Rogers)
 

Last edited by Peter the K (July 23, 2018 12:56 pm)

 

July 23, 2018 1:06 pm  #6


Re: CHUM FM thinks no news is good news

Peter the K wrote:

would it kill them to do a quick announce in between songs that there is "breaking news" and for more information they can tune into whatever station is in their stable?

You're assuming there is a physical live human in master control at that time? Granted, station personnel can log-in remotely and insert an element to that effect.

That said, AGAIN, think like one of their target demos: they don't care about news. Period. Endstop. Chances are, they might have a pop-up appear on their mobiles from whatever source app they might have. Or, they'll be advised via their social media feeds. Yes, it's sad that this is the way the young 'uns get their news, but it is reality.

To further generalize, I highly doubt that many on this Board of the Inner Plateau of the Illuminati are actually in the new Chum's target demo.
 

 

July 23, 2018 1:34 pm  #7


Re: CHUM FM thinks no news is good news

cGrant wrote:

You're assuming there is a physical live human in master control at that time? Granted, station personnel can log-in remotely and insert an element to that effect.

In the case of CHUM, there would be someone in the building in a newsroom that could do a quick 10 second blurb that could be inserted into their automation.  Actually, it could even be a generic blurb that someone could remotely insert.  Once again, not to interrupt anything, but just in between songs.

cGrant wrote:

That said, AGAIN, think like one of their target demos: they don't care about news. Period. Endstop. Chances are, they might have a pop-up appear on their mobiles from whatever source app they might have. Or, they'll be advised via their social media feeds. Yes, it's sad that this is the way the young 'uns get their news, but it is reality.

To further generalize, I highly doubt that many on this Board of the Inner Plateau of the Illuminati are actually in the new Chum's target demo.
 

True.  Full service radio is a thing of the past.  A quaint anachronism from days gone by.  If I want news, I tune to one of the news channels.  Then again, if I want music, my phone has about 5,500 songs that I like loaded and ready to go.
 

 

July 23, 2018 2:52 pm  #8


Re: CHUM FM thinks no news is good news

Half of the major breaking news people see over Facebook anyways.  Thats where I saw the report first hand last night.  If anyone is a radio listener my first instinct or, theirs, would be 680 news asap.  I do it for weather, major news etc.  They are always on top.

Chum FM is for music.....for the Bieberites and the B.Mars lovers.  They dont even have too too many ads like other stations, so I dont expect them at 11pm somewhere to intervene with breaking news.  This is not 1983 where this was our only source and, this is also not part of their demographic style.  Want to see even less of a personal touch?  Try Virgin Radio that they have running in the other room next to Chum.  

Also, according to the bell link above...didnt know Roger & Marilyn are "world famous"...give me a break.  I highly doubt my relatives in Croatia or Vancouver know who the hell they are. 

Last edited by markow202 (July 23, 2018 2:55 pm)

 

July 23, 2018 7:47 pm  #9


Re: CHUM FM thinks no news is good news

There was a time when radio really was a part of our lives. Radio was part of our community. Now I’m going back a long time for this example, but the night John Lennon was shot I was listening to CHUM, CHUM-FM and other stations near and far, pretty much all night as were probably millions more. Radio brought us together as we shared our grief on the air and off.
 
Now most of the young ones today get their headlines from Twitter and Facebook. That’s also where they share their thoughts and feelings – on social media.
 
I do miss the fact that radio is no longer a major part of my life. But it’s a different world now.  So if CHUM FM doesn't want to do the news, it makes sense to me.

Last edited by alangee (July 23, 2018 7:49 pm)

 

July 23, 2018 8:18 pm  #10


Re: CHUM FM thinks no news is good news

In light of today's arrest of Jacob Hoggard, CHUM-fm may wish to de-emphasize the Hedley in their clam "hits from Bruno Mars, Katy Perry, Pink, Justin Timberlake and Hedley to name a few".

 

July 23, 2018 9:13 pm  #11


Re: CHUM FM thinks no news is good news

NW wrote:

In light of today's arrest of Jacob Hoggard, CHUM-fm may wish to de-emphasize the Hedley in their clam "hits from Bruno Mars, Katy Perry, Pink, Justin Timberlake and Hedley to name a few".[/size]

Yeah. The "world famous" Rog and the Broad will get right on it.
 

 

July 23, 2018 9:43 pm  #12


Re: CHUM FM thinks no news is good news

betaylored wrote:

So...no news is good news, right?

I believe that it is.

With minute by minute PPM results, I'd bet the second news starts they see a dip, in a format like that, no matter how you present it, it's a distraction.  If you want news, the listeners know where to go for it.  I think it's a great idea.  If I want to clear my teens out of the living room and get the TV to myself, all I need to do is turn on any news channel for more than 3 minutes, I get the groan, and off they go somewhere else.

There used to be an idea that listeners 'needed' to be exposed to news, but that was a long long time ago.

Also, fighting in an 'on demand' world, the listener can get news on their schedule, not at the top and bottom of the hour or whatever.  They may very well have just sat through a newscast before they left the house.

ig.



 


Madness takes its toll.  Please have exact change.
 
 

July 23, 2018 10:35 pm  #13


Re: CHUM FM thinks no news is good news

In a major market...there isn't really much reason to do formal newscasts anymore.  24-7 general news outlets are rolling on radio, on TV, and I'd like to say on-line...if you know where to go.  Most internet news is twaddle.

Still  CHUM eff-emm should continue to fill in the blanks regarding the  compelling info which affects most everyone.  If it's not safe to go out the front door...people need to know that. 

In a small[er] market...where the commute is 30-35 minutes tops...I don't think it's necessary to roll with nearly as many newscasts.  7:00-8:00 AM?  6:00 PM maybe?  Enough.  BUT...if you're gonna do that...you better not be voice tracked for 60 hours straight.  A LOT of reasons not to venture out of the front door can happen in 60 hours.

Radio used to own the whole 'thing' .  Immediacy was the leg up.  They gave that away.  Dependability was also a factor.  And reliability.  Nowadays?  Not so much.  Yet...will Facebook get the info to you before they allow untoward 'types' access to all of you personal information first?  Hard to say.  Probably not.

I'm Old Codger.  My S.I.N. is 5

 

July 24, 2018 2:58 pm  #14


Re: CHUM FM thinks no news is good news

"If it's not safe to go out the front door...people need to know that." ??? What?!? In the current state of media declaring "snowmageddon" whenever there's more than 2mm of flakes falling? Or "breaking news" being declared at the drop of the hat? Due to the nature of media in perpetual panic mode, they've clearing trained the listener to believe the sky is falling 24/7. They've cried wolf so many times, the public is immune to the stupidity that comes out of on-air types.

​Frankly, anyone and everyone that would trust media to not leave their front door should definitely go through their front door and head straight to a maximum security mental health facility for self-admission.

 

July 24, 2018 4:37 pm  #15


Re: CHUM FM thinks no news is good news

I get my news from reputable sources, CBC etc on Twitter, and I'm middle aged. I also follow the Toronto Police and Fire on Twitter because when there was a report of a person with a gun on the Danforth around 3pm this afternoon, I read about it within minutes.

I don't have to rely on a media outlet spinning and timing something to their advantage to get the news on a possible situation, and I don't have to sit through a commercial or ten to learn that the incident has been resolved, or is still ongoing. Yes, the first responders will judge whether or not to release certain information, and time it according to their guidelines, but it's still available to me faster.

I do listen to radio to help me process the news, from people like John Moore, Stafford, and the "3 men and a newscast" with Ryan and Jay and Dave at 6pm.

Last edited by betaylored (July 24, 2018 7:13 pm)

     Thread Starter
 

July 24, 2018 4:44 pm  #16


Re: CHUM FM thinks no news is good news

betaylored wrote:

I do listen to radio to help me process the news, from people like John Moore, Stafford, and the "3 men and a newscast" with Ryan and Jay and Dave at 6pm.

I love what they've done with the 6pm newscast on NT1010.  This is where radio can shine and kudos to the guys for doing it.  Whoever came up with the idea was brilliant. 

And yes, when I see something come across my newsfeed the second thing I look at after the headline is the source.  Puts everything into perspective.


 

Last edited by Peter the K (July 24, 2018 4:46 pm)

 

July 24, 2018 5:07 pm  #17


Re: CHUM FM thinks no news is good news

Lets not forget the government alerts that interrupt every tv and radio station at the same time regardless of their choice.  If something like "dont go out of your house" situation happens, im sure that will be used a long with that super creepy siren tone.

 

July 24, 2018 7:30 pm  #18


Re: CHUM FM thinks no news is good news

Peter the K I totally agree, and there's a great balance, and respect between the three.

Whenever someone fills in for Ryan or Jay, the dynamic changes up and if whoever is filling in hasn't perhaps done enough show prep on the day's topics (like a young woman very recently) even if they've been able to string a few intelligent sentences together in the previous two hours, it's pretty obvious shortly after 6pm.

The roundtable discussions have their moments too. This morning Dave Trafford shared how authorized personnel transported the hospitalized father of the young girl who succumbed to her injuries, from St. Mike's to Sick Kids by ambulance so he could be with her. It's stories like that, and the men and women who bring them to us that keeps listeners turning on the radio.


 

Last edited by betaylored (July 25, 2018 3:03 am)

     Thread Starter
 

July 24, 2018 11:05 pm  #19


Re: CHUM FM thinks no news is good news

I don't think two or three quick relevant headlines cause listeners to tune out in droves.

 

July 24, 2018 11:25 pm  #20


Re: CHUM FM thinks no news is good news

Prod Guy wrote:

I don't think two or three quick relevant headlines cause listeners to tune out in droves.

That's okay. But, for those that actually are in radio, you know the truth.