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CKTB Undergoes Major Program Changes With Larry Fedoruk's Ouster
Rarely has a radio station made such wholesale changes as what’s about to take place at CKTB in St. Catharines. It started on Friday, when Tom McConnell stunned listeners by telling them he’d be moving to the afternoon slot starting next week. He’s essentially been doing mid-mornings for the past 16 years.
As near as I could glean from a fairly confused but very pleasant receptionist, who tried to explain the changes but couldn’t quite get them straight, here’s what to expect.
Tim Denis remains in morning drive.
Matt Holmes, who was put in the unenviable position of taking the departed Larry Fedoruk’s time slot, gets 10-12. He’ll do that four days a week, being spelled by Shelby Knox on Fridays, leading to speculation that he may continue to host weekend mornings.
I believe Evan Solomon’s syndicated show occupies noon-2 PM.
It sounds like Jim Richards, who’s been doing a practice run for syndication this week on CFRB, could appear from 2-4.
And then McConnell takes over from 4-6, although on air they're saying 2-6, so I'm not sure how Richards fits into the equation.
The 6-8 position will be “Best Of” the day’s programming.
While all this shuffling was going on, McConnell’s final Friday morning shift was certainly a memorable one. Caller after caller came on the air, ripping Bell Media to shreds about the firing of Fedoruk and McConnell’s new air shift, using terms like “idiots” and “stupid.”
What a way to go out and I’m sure management was thrilled!
Good luck to McConnell in his new spot. He’s much a stronger and better known personality than Matt Holmes and the change may somewhat ease the apparent anger over Fedoruk’s sudden departure in afternoon drive.
- TheConsultant
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Re: CKTB Undergoes Major Program Changes With Larry Fedoruk's Ouster
RadioActive wrote:
Rarely has a radio station made such wholesale changes as what’s about to take place at CKTB
Didn't AM640 make similar grandiose moves when it rebranded as GNR640?
- RadioAaron
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Re: CKTB Undergoes Major Program Changes With Larry Fedoruk's Ouster
It sounds like Jim Richards, who’s been doing a practice run for syndication this week on CFRB, could appear from 2-
I'm wondering if there's more to that...Bell recently vacated the drive shifts in Ottawa and Victoria too.
- kevjo
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Re: CKTB Undergoes Major Program Changes With Larry Fedoruk's Ouster
Rarely has a radio station made such wholesale changes as what’s about to take place at CKTB in St. Catharines.
Actually there was a considerable bloodletting day at that station some years back. I may have the timeline and order of events wrong but I believe it was when Bell (or might have been Globemedia at the time) was buying out the Telemedia stations of which CKTB was one.
- RadioActive
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Re: CKTB Undergoes Major Program Changes With Larry Fedoruk's Ouster
Monday brings a bit more clarity, unless they still plan to shift things around.
Tim Denis does mornings, Matt Holmes takes Tom McConnell's old shift, Evan Soloman syndicates his show out of Toronto from noon until 2pm, followed by McConnell doing the drive shift that now starts earlier than ever. None of the changes have been listed yet on their website, which, as of this posting, still shows the old line-up.
The only thing missing is Larry Fedoruk - and as many on the board here have attested, that's a big loss.
[Edit] O.K. take two. It now seems like Jim Richards IS being syndicated and airs at noon. McConnell starts at 2. And Evan Solomon? Is it possible CKTB would have dumped one of Bell Media's highest profile shows altogether? Stay tuned. More to come...
Last edited by RadioActive (November 25, 2019 3:46 pm)
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Thread Starter- RadioActive
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Re: CKTB Undergoes Major Program Changes With Larry Fedoruk's Ouster
A class act as always, Fedoruk goes out on top.
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Thread Starter- Lorne
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Re: CKTB Undergoes Major Program Changes With Larry Fedoruk's Ouster
Completely agree. I thought it was a very good article.
- TheConsultant
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Re: CKTB Undergoes Major Program Changes With Larry Fedoruk's Ouster
And Evan Solomon? Is it possible CKTB would have dumped one of Bell Media's highest profile shows altogether?
Why bother? NT1010 can clearly be heard in the Niagara Region so there's no need for duplication. One wonders the same thing when GNR640 & AM900 air networked programming.
- Radiowiz
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Re: CKTB Undergoes Major Program Changes With Larry Fedoruk's Ouster
So then, clearly what went wrong is that too many people living in Toronto were preferring CKTB as a listening choice over CFRB.
Since too many people in Toronto are HUGE Lary F. fans, letting him go was the answer.
NOW Toronto listeners will glue themselves to NT 1010 once again and ratings for 1010 AM radio in Toronto will climb.
RadioWiz & RadioQuiz are NOT the same person.
RadioWiz & THE Wiz are NOT the same person.
- TheConsultant
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Re: CKTB Undergoes Major Program Changes With Larry Fedoruk's Ouster
NT1010 is a shyte show of endless commercials. Given the choice, I'd opt for TB.
- mace
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Re: CKTB Undergoes Major Program Changes With Larry Fedoruk's Ouster
The late John Micheal's show on CKTB was appointment listening for me.
- unclefester
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Re: CKTB Undergoes Major Program Changes With Larry Fedoruk's Ouster
The only thing missing is Larry Fedoruk - and as many on the board here have attested, that's a big loss.
Just found out about this nonsense this morning.
What a sorry bunch of useless bastards Bell management is.
- Lee Marshall
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Re: CKTB Undergoes Major Program Changes With Larry Fedoruk's Ouster
They are, as the audience points out, "idiots and stupid". They know not WTF they're doing. Not a clue. They are merely 'caretakers' and at that...they suck. Radio and TV, to be done well, requires PASSION. Passionate about profits and mediocrity doesn't count. It just fails ... miserably.