1 of 1- betaylored
- Member
Offline
Newstalk 1010's hosts take multiple long vacations
Anybody know what the story is with CFRB's afternoon drive show? For months now either Ryan or Jay are on vacation with various guests, usually female, co-hosting. It's gone beyond the scope of regular or even extended vacation time.
I recall the two having a serious heated exchange earlier this summer, and since then they've been taking turns taking time off. The easy going, respectful chemistry Ryan and Jay had with each other seems to be lacking those rare occasions they host the show together.
I usually have TSN OverDrive on during the afternoon and tune in to 1010 briefly to see what's going on in the world. I can't remember the last time I heard Ryan and Jay on-air together.
It's just....odd.
Last edited by betaylored (August 26, 2020 12:21 am)
- Kosmos Kagool
- Member
Offline
Re: Newstalk 1010's hosts take multiple long vacations
Charlie wrote:
I listen to Oakley.
His sidekick Lou Schizas was a hoot
- betaylored
- Member
Offline
Re: Newstalk 1010's hosts take multiple long vacations
They were both together just under a months ago.. albeit for a couple of days I believe.
Here's my guess: Assuming they both have ~5 weeks vacation in their contracts, that's ~10 weeks they're not going to be together each year. They probably can't take vacay during fall ratings.. and didn't take any in 2020 pre-covid, so I assume they're using it all up now
that makes sense thanks torontostan
Last edited by betaylored (August 27, 2020 3:04 am)
- •
Thread Starter- betaylored
- Member
Offline
Re: Newstalk 1010's hosts take multiple long vacations
I'm still mourning the loss of Cam "The Raging Redhead" Stewart.
I quite liked Cam, he never phoned it in unlike some regular guests, in fact 640 had/has a lot of colourful characters when you think about it, everyone from David Menzies to Conrad Black.
The guy who does did? the 640 "Week In Review" is great.
- •
Thread Starter- RadioActive
- Moderator
Offline
Re: Newstalk 1010's hosts take multiple long vacations
Getting back to the original subject, Mike Bendixen, the PD/Brand Director of CFRB, will be co-hosting Friday’s drive home show with Jay Michaels. He’s not a novice, of course, regularly taking part in Roundtables and originally getting on air with Ryan Doyle for a show called “Generation Next” in the 90s. Maybe someone can call up and ask him about all the vacation time.
I’m more curious about the absence of Evan Solomon. We've had one of the biggest political summers I’ve ever seen, with constant news coming out of Ottawa, scandals, a prorogued Parliament, an economic crisis and a new Conservative leader – just to name a few. And all in the middle of the worst pandemic in a century.
And yet Solomon, one of the most knowledgeable political commentators in Canada, has been gone for weeks at a time. He was off a few weeks ago, and for some inexplicable reason, came back to do a single Friday show – then disappeared again. Barb DiGiulio has been sitting in for him this week.
He certainly deserves time off and I suspect everyone’s vacation was delayed by the coronavirus outbreak crisis, but to have your best political commentator off for most of this particularly insane summer is crazy to me.
Meanwhile, over at 640, The Stafford and Supriya Show won’t have either host for some time. Stafford continues to recover from a catastrophic injury and there’s no word on when he’ll be able to return. And Supriya announced on Friday that she'll be “away” for a number of weeks – likely for the entire month of September. Isn't September, the unofficial end of summer, the time you relaunch your shows and put your best stuff forward with all hands on deck? Apparently not at Corus.
It looks like Greg Brady will inherit the morning show for now, but whether he’ll be doing it alone remains to be seen – or rather, heard. He’s still fronting his Saturday morning program as well, which means – if that continues – he’ll be working six day weeks for the foreseeable future.
It has definitely been the strangest summer for radio in Toronto that I can remember.
- betaylored
- Member
Offline
Re: Newstalk 1010's hosts take multiple long vacations
I enjoy listening to Gregory Brady.
And along with John Moore and Peter Shurman (sp?), he's one of the hosts that consistently takes the time to slip in a short "Coles Notes" sidebar on the background and/or latest news on whatever topic is under discussion.
He's also one of the only hosts who will mention midway through, the name of the person who is being interviewed.
I could have sworn I heard a new spot this week on 640 for one of the regular advertisers voiced by Stafford. His voice sounded a bit tired and dry, and not his standard natural read. It wasn't bad, just not the usual Mike behind the mic. Has anyone else heard it?
The Stafford and Brady Show...🤔
Last edited by betaylored (August 28, 2020 5:24 pm)
- •
Thread Starter- RadioAaron
- Member
Offline
Re: Newstalk 1010's hosts take multiple long vacations
I don't know the situation at 1010, but I can say with the stations I work with there's been the perfect storm of spring vacations cancelled, no time off in the fall book, and realizing that the November-January beach getaway likely not happening. I've never seen so much holiday time being simultaneously being burned off as the past 4 weeks.
- RadioActive
- Moderator
Offline
Re: Newstalk 1010's hosts take multiple long vacations
GNR640's Alex Pierson will be off over the next two weeks, as well. She won't be back until after Labour Day. Another regular gone from the line-up.
I believe Aaron is right. The Corona crisis led to an "all hands on deck" scenario and once things eased a bit, it was time to play catch-up. So all the normal skeds went out the window and you're seeing/hearing the effects as summer starts to fade. Everyone is trying to get their time off before that time runs out.
The fact Stafford is so seriously injured only makes things worse for 640.
- AspectRatio
- Member
Offline
Re: Newstalk 1010's hosts take multiple long vacations
betaylored, Jay Michaels read your original post on-air yesterday (minus, if I recall correctly, the "I usually have TSN Overdrive" paragraph, but keeping the "It's just...odd" conclusion) when he returned from vacation. 
I caught it on the 4:30 am reroll of that show this morning. Him and Ryan had a good chuckle about it and it was read during the John Tory call-in segment and then referenced later by a guest ("I'm glad you guys are getting along!").
- betaylored
- Member
Offline
Re: Newstalk 1010's hosts take multiple long vacations
betaylored, Jay Michaels read your original post on-air yesterday (minus, if I recall correctly, the "I usually have TSN Overdrive" paragraph, but keeping the "It's just...odd" conclusion) when he returned from vacation.
Hey there AspectRadio
A) you're having me on (as the British say)
B) you're definitely having me on
C) see A and B
Though I have heard Stafford refer to Ms.C and her comments in the past when he's been on-air so maybe...nah, you're having me on.
Warmest regards,
betaylored
- •
Thread Starter- RadioAaron
- Member
Offline
Re: Newstalk 1010's hosts take multiple long vacations
betaylored, Jay Michaels read your original post on-air yesterday (minus, if I recall correctly, the "I usually have TSN Overdrive" paragraph, but keeping the "It's just...odd" conclusion) when he returned from vacation.
Hey there AspectRadio
A) you're having me on (as the British say)
B) you're definitely having me on
C) see A and B
Though I have heard Stafford refer to Ms.C and her comments in the past when he's been on-air so maybe...nah, you're having me on.
Warmest regards,
betaylored
They full-on used your post for a tease on Instagram
Last edited by RadioAaron (September 1, 2020 8:31 pm)
- AspectRatio
- Member
Offline
Re: Newstalk 1010's hosts take multiple long vacations
betaylored, definitely not joking, as RadioAaron's Instagram link shows. What would I have gained by making that up? I was surprised as anyone to hear them discuss it in the 4:30 am reroll Tuesday morning and in the intro to the John Tory segment at that. They jokingly referred to it again today (Tuesday afternoon's show) in passing. I hoped they might have show audio (since it WAS Tory) from Monday online to link you to that, but it wasn't one of the segments that made their audio selection on 1010's website.
- betaylored
- Member
Offline
Re: Newstalk 1010's hosts take multiple long vacations
betaylored, Jay Michaels read your original post on-air yesterday (minus, if I recall correctly, the "I usually have TSN Overdrive" paragraph, but keeping the "It's just...odd" conclusion) when he returned from vacation.
Hey there AspectRadio
A) you're having me on (as the British say)
B) you're definitely having me on
C) see A and B
Though I have heard Stafford refer to Ms.C and her comments in the past when he's been on-air so maybe...nah, you're having me on.
Warmest regards,
betayloredThey full-on used your post for a tease on Instagram
Thanks for the link RadioAaron.
Glad to be of service and spark a bit of lighthearted content in-between the covid and going back to school coverage. I stopped listening to the Rush as frequently after Christie Blatchford passed away, and I still miss hearing her on both the morning and afternoon roundtable discussions.
Everything is content when you're a writer and or work in media.
AspectRadio, I stand corrected.
- •
Thread Starter- betaylored
- Member
Offline
Re: Newstalk 1010's hosts take multiple long vacations
betaylored, definitely not joking, as RadioAaron's Instagram link shows.
I don't think I was in the best frame of mind at the time I read your initial post telling me about Jay and Ryan turning my post into a radio bit. I honestly appreciate you taking the time to let me know that for some strange reason my goofy offhand post made it to the airwaves.
Jay posted it up on his Twitter account too.
Guess I'll have to listen to the Rush more frequently.
Thanks AspectRadio, may The Big Yellow Board live long and prosper🖖😏
- •
Thread Starter