RadioActive wrote:

"The result is that the radio industry has lost credibility. What used to be a trusted source for news and information has become a carnival barkers’ row where any advertiser can slap together an hour-long show and pay to get on the air."

While nobody would argue that paid programming is good for the industry, I think the chicken/egg thing is the other way around.

Paid programming didn't kill News/Talk; New/Talk was already in its twilight when selling large chunks of its least listened to time slots started to make short-term sense. To say doing so cost the entire industry its credibility doesn't make sense, when a tiny fraction of all radio listeners would have ever heard this change.
 

I have to side with Charlie on this one, with a slight bow towards RadioAaron's position, as well. There is nothing that sends me to the dial changer faster than someone shilling something for 30 minutes or a full hour (well, except maybe Tom of Tom's Place in which I case I move at lightning speed to turn it off.) I'm the kind of listener who can barely stay tuned for a 30 sec. spot. And you want me to tune in for a commercial that lasts way longer than that? 

No thanks.

As far as Mr. Woloshyn is concerned, I've commented here in the past how much I respect his skills as a broadcaster, but I will never understand why anyone would tune in to hear someone eat on the radio (!) It sounds like a satirical sketch on his old Comedy Bowl show. What next? Card tricks and tap dancing on the radio?  It just doesn't make much sense to me but if you enjoy that kind of thing, by all means. Personal preferences, I guess.  

As for RB's other shows, I like Viewpoints as well for the most part, especially since so little else is on in that 7-10 PM timeslot. And while I give 1010 points for at least doing a live show in the mornings on the weekend, Mr. Trafford - also an excellent talent - spends way too much time for my liking on the lastest Food Bank campaign or Blood Donor Drive. Worthy causes all, but more suited to a 30 sec. PSA than a 15 minute interview. He does the best he can, but it's almost impossible to make that kind of stuff interesting for that long.  

Despite his occasional pauses for Sierra Sill, I like Roy Green's show for the most part. On a day when there's nothing much else on the dial for those looking for talk about actual news, he tends to have some pretty good guests, not always easy to get on a weekend.

Finally, while I'm not a huge fan of CBC Radio 1, I do find The House and Day Six usually worth a listen. But if Greg Brady stays live on 640 Saturday mornings, that might give them a run for their money. Well, it's the CBC, I should say OUR money!    

RadioAaron wrote:

There's just not much of a business case for spending on weekend programming on commercial News/Talk. There's a ceiling on listenership, and any nominal increase in ratings that follows won't pay for the programming.

Although perhaps airing one show across the country, as Green's show does, is economical. One or two paycheques (Green and his producer) saves from having to bring anyone in on up to eight radio stations around the country. That might pay for itself.

Either way, I vastly prefer that to hours and hours of the Purity Products nonsense that airs every Sunday morning on Funny 820. It's not only unlistenable, I believe some of the claims could be legally challenged if anyone was actually hearing them.  

Can't speak for Charlie, but yes, I do consume a lot of the medium, especially as I work around the house on the weekends and walk the dog. I like topical content, and I can't stand bland radio. If you're going to do a boring topic with a guest just to fill airtime, what's the point? I don't mind rerolls if I missed them the first time around, but I've always believed in putting on the best material you can regardless of the day part because you never know when you might make an impression on a listener. 

But yes, economics do come into play and good talent costs money. If you're going to spend it for decent people, you obviously don't want to waste them on the lower tuned weekends.

Roy Green, as an example, is semi-retired. He could probably do a daily show Mon.-Fri. (and he used to on CHML and for a while on 640 a long time ago) but two days a week is enough for him now. Weekends are perfect for what he does and I'm sure he's happy with the shift and the nearly-national exposure. And Corus gets programming for at least 8 stations across the country for a relatively small investment. Win/win as far as I can see. Wish more stations did that.