1 of 1- kowchmedia
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Word on the street is that Corus has hired a new PD for Talk640
Sounds like Corus has made a decision about who is replacing Gord Harris as the new Program Director at AM640. My sources tell me Corus has decided to hire from within the chain and give the job to Nathan Smith.
Who is Nathan Smith? He's the Program Director at AM980 in London, the station that used to be known as CFPL. It is also where the former 640 Program Director Gord Harris used to work.
So what has Smith done with AM980? Well about a year ago the station introduced a 680News style news wheel in morning and afternoon drive. Outside of drive, it is a talk station. Looking at the ratings in London, this news wheel has helped increase the ratings for AM980.
This format has worked with another Corus station, CJOB in Winnipeg. Their morning news wheel is from 6am to 9am and in the afternoon it is from 3pm to 6pm. The rest of the day it is talk and sports.
I'm told Smith won't be starting until the New Year. Can't help but wonder if that indicates a shift in programming to launch in January in time for the Winter PPM Ratings. Is AM640 about to have a news wheel in morning and afternoon drive? If so, what does that mean for John Oakley and Bill Carroll?
So many questions and no answers.
Maybe when Corus makes the announcement we'll have a better idea on just what is going down at Queens Quay.
In the meantime, if this is all true, then let me congratulate Nathan on his appointment and while I'm at it ... I also think it is good on Corus to hire from within.
- Mike Cleaver
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Re: Word on the street is that Corus has hired a new PD for Talk640
When I was AND at CFRA in Ottawa in 1999-2001, I proposed the newswheel format from 6-9am and 3pm-6pm because the station basically was doing exactly the same thing as CBC radio which was doing better in the ratings, the same guests but CBC usually got them first. When we moved into the new building in the Market, I had designed and equipped the open area newsroom with this format change in mind. But the dinosaur management wasn't willing to change anything. There was no 24 hour radio news station in the market at that time until Rogers showed up a few years later. I think the hybrid format on CFRA would have given them stronger ratings. Sad to see what happened to this iconic radio station last week, gutted by Bhell Greedia with more people being forced to retire or fired.
- Radiowiz
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Re: Word on the street is that Corus has hired a new PD for Talk640
kowchmedia wrote:
I'm told Smith won't be starting until the New Year. Can't help but wonder if that indicates a shift in programming to launch in January in time for the Winter PPM Ratings. Is AM640 about to have a news wheel in morning and afternoon drive? If so, what does that mean for John Oakley and Bill Carroll?
I doubt it's wise to slap together a news wheel when there is already a news wheel next door on the dial
(680 news)
They did hint way back in the day, but never carried through...
'
RadioWiz & RadioQuiz are NOT the same person.
RadioWiz & THE Wiz are NOT the same person.
- Ms. C.
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Re: Word on the street is that Corus has hired a new PD for Talk640
Has anyone else noticed that every time John Oakley goes on vacation CORUS' share price drops a dollar?
- Knapp Lane
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Re: Word on the street is that Corus has hired a new PD for Talk640
did they inform you that 2 major market program directors turned down the medium market pay offered, before Corus looked in London.
My sources tell me Corus has decided to hire from within the chain and give the job to Nathan Smith.
- Radiowiz
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Re: Word on the street is that Corus has hired a new PD for Talk640
Has anyone else noticed that every time John Oakley goes on vacation CORUS' share price drops a dollar?
If that's at all true, that would explain why AM 640 paid top dollar to steal him from CFRB back in the day.
(I think it was also still called CFRB 1010 back then too...)
RadioWiz & RadioQuiz are NOT the same person.
RadioWiz & THE Wiz are NOT the same person.
- Johnny B
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Re: Word on the street is that Corus has hired a new PD for Talk640
Rumours of all-traffic 640 are not going away...Corus is losing coin on the radio side...they recently hired a new head of Human Resources...boss is on record saying tough choices will be made....if you can't read the writing then try braille.
- RadioActive
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Re: Word on the street is that Corus has hired a new PD for Talk640
CHML, the Corus outlet in Hamilton, also does a morning and afternoon drive news wheel, called "Non-Stop News." Anyone looking for a preview of what AM640 could be up to can listen from 5-9 AM or 3-7 PM to hear what it sounds like.
If they were to actually do this, they'd certainly have to beef up their staffing. I don't think they even have a full time reporter at the place and in times of breaking news, they're all too often AWOL or with lacking coverage.
- Leslieville Bill
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Re: Word on the street is that Corus has hired a new PD for Talk640
As someone who in not in the industry, please help me here. If you're going (hypothetically) "all traffic" why would you need a program director?
- Not an industry person. Just a guy with a love of Toronto radio.
- Don
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Re: Word on the street is that Corus has hired a new PD for Talk640
You don't - so that's probably not happning.
Also, PDs don't make format change calls, and HR don't decide to do layoffs.
- Johnny B
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Re: Word on the street is that Corus has hired a new PD for Talk640
AM730 all-traffic Vancouver has a PD....and Corus' new HR honcho is also - Executive Vice President, HR, Special Advisor to the CEO & Chief Integration Officer....I bet that gets you a front seat at the chopping block?