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February 2, 2021 7:38 pm  #1


1010 gets 10/10 for bad decisions

After today, many good people are no longer at Newstalk formerly the once legendary CFRB, if members of the big yellow board find out where they end up, please let us know, whether it's a podcast or another radio station so we can follow and support them if we're listeners/fans.

No idea if John Moore is still with 1010. I hope like hell he is. 🤞📻

Last edited by betaylored (February 2, 2021 8:17 pm)

 

February 2, 2021 8:23 pm  #2


Re: 1010 gets 10/10 for bad decisions

If Corus is smart they'll snatch up SOME  former 1010 staff for AM 640. 

Last edited by Radiowiz (February 3, 2021 4:46 pm)


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

 
 

February 2, 2021 10:52 pm  #3


Re: 1010 gets 10/10 for bad decisions

And why would they do that?  Because they can get them for cheap?  Tell me how that would improve 640s bottom line?  Or their product?  If that concept wasn't making money at 1010 why do you think it would at 640?  I love radio, but I'm so sick of everyone thinking of radio news as some kind of charity. 

Last edited by Mav (February 2, 2021 10:53 pm)

 

February 2, 2021 11:04 pm  #4


Re: 1010 gets 10/10 for bad decisions

Mav wrote:

And why would they do that?  Because they can get them for cheap?  Tell me how that would improve 640s bottom line?  Or their product?  If that concept wasn't making money at 1010 why do you think it would at 640?  I love radio, but I'm so sick of everyone thinking of radio news as some kind of charity. 

Excuse me? Yes radio is a business before it can be anything else and yes it costs a lot of money to run a radio station and nothing to turn on the radio, but news is a big reason to draw listeners to AM in 2021. 

It has nothing to do with Charity, but maybe...just maybe everything to do with spending $5000 to make $6000 instead of $5 to make $6. 

 


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

 
 

February 2, 2021 11:14 pm  #5


Re: 1010 gets 10/10 for bad decisions

In an amazing turn of events, GNR640 - which, until recently, was always understaffed when it came to its newsroom - now has more news people than archrival CFRB. Who would have ever thought that would happen?

 

February 3, 2021 2:50 am  #6


Re: 1010 gets 10/10 for bad decisions

Radiowiz wrote:

Mav wrote:

And why would they do that?  Because they can get them for cheap?  Tell me how that would improve 640s bottom line?  Or their product?  If that concept wasn't making money at 1010 why do you think it would at 640?  I love radio, but I'm so sick of everyone thinking of radio news as some kind of charity. 

Excuse me? Yes radio is a business before it can be anything else and yes it costs a lot of money to run a radio station and nothing to turn on the radio, but news is a big reason to draw listeners to AM in 2021. 

It has nothing to do with Charity, but maybe...just maybe everything to do with spending $5000 to make $6000 instead of $5 to make $6. 

 

I don't get it.  To your original post: how does hiring a disbanded news department (and no offense to those recently departed) benefit a station that barely gets ratings?  Will all the people who didn't listen to news on 1010 suddenly migrate to 640?  I'm serious, how does that help?  I get that these people need work and a creative outlet.  I've been laid off by the same bosses, it isn't fun (well, in my case it kinda was).  But claiming news will save AM couldn't be more wrong.  The world doesn't NEED AM radio to get its news anymore (it's been 30 years since CFRB was 'legendary') and most people under 35 don't even know AM even exists, or where to find it.  This is all very saddening but come on, we can't be shocked when the world changes; we've been reporting on it all along.  
 

 

February 3, 2021 3:03 am  #7


Re: 1010 gets 10/10 for bad decisions

Mav wrote:

Radiowiz wrote:

Mav wrote:

And why would they do that?  Because they can get them for cheap?  Tell me how that would improve 640s bottom line?  Or their product?  If that concept wasn't making money at 1010 why do you think it would at 640?  I love radio, but I'm so sick of everyone thinking of radio news as some kind of charity. 

Excuse me? Yes radio is a business before it can be anything else and yes it costs a lot of money to run a radio station and nothing to turn on the radio, but news is a big reason to draw listeners to AM in 2021. 

It has nothing to do with Charity, but maybe...just maybe everything to do with spending $5000 to make $6000 instead of $5 to make $6. 

 

I don't get it.  To your original post: how does hiring a disbanded news department (and no offense to those recently departed) benefit a station that barely gets ratings?  Will all the people who didn't listen to news on 1010 suddenly migrate to 640?  I'm serious, how does that help?  I get that these people need work and a creative outlet.  I've been laid off by the same bosses, it isn't fun (well, in my case it kinda was).  But claiming news will save AM couldn't be more wrong.  The world doesn't NEED AM radio to get its news anymore (it's been 30 years since CFRB was 'legendary') and most people under 35 don't even know AM even exists, or where to find it.  This is all very saddening but come on, we can't be shocked when the world changes; we've been reporting on it all along.  
 

Are you seriously asking why a lower rated station would want to grab available talent from a higher rated station?  CFRB makes plenty of money.  Bell thinks that by gutting CFRB the ratings and revenue will remain the same, costs will go down and the company will make more money.  What Bell doesn't seem to understand is that people who listen to radio like radio.  They don't want TV audio coming out of their radio.  Radio overall is healthier than TV right now, at a lower cost.  Pushing that cost to nearly zero isn't going to work because when you cut costs the product suffers and revenue drops.
 

Last edited by Prod Guy (February 3, 2021 3:03 am)

 

February 3, 2021 9:30 am  #8


Re: 1010 gets 10/10 for bad decisions

It's incredibly sad to see what Bell is doing but I can't say I'm surprised. The bean counters won the war a long time ago. I'm not going to rail against it because it isn't going to change and you would have to be tremendously naive to suggest every other broadcasting company would not have done the same thing. The business has changed as life has changed. We're living in a "now" world. If someone wants news, they can get it instantly on their phones. The idea of waiting till the top or bottom of the hour for news is passe. The thing I glean from Barb Digiulio being let go is this: the day is now 6AM to 7PM, not 24 hours. Again, we shouldn't be surprised. Shameful

 

February 3, 2021 1:45 pm  #9


Re: 1010 gets 10/10 for bad decisions

Prod Guy wrote:

Mav wrote:

Radiowiz wrote:

Excuse me? Yes radio is a business before it can be anything else and yes it costs a lot of money to run a radio station and nothing to turn on the radio, but news is a big reason to draw listeners to AM in 2021. 

It has nothing to do with Charity, but maybe...just maybe everything to do with spending $5000 to make $6000 instead of $5 to make $6. 

 

I don't get it.  To your original post: how does hiring a disbanded news department (and no offense to those recently departed) benefit a station that barely gets ratings?  Will all the people who didn't listen to news on 1010 suddenly migrate to 640?  I'm serious, how does that help?  I get that these people need work and a creative outlet.  I've been laid off by the same bosses, it isn't fun (well, in my case it kinda was).  But claiming news will save AM couldn't be more wrong.  The world doesn't NEED AM radio to get its news anymore (it's been 30 years since CFRB was 'legendary') and most people under 35 don't even know AM even exists, or where to find it.  This is all very saddening but come on, we can't be shocked when the world changes; we've been reporting on it all along.  
 

Are you seriously asking why a lower rated station would want to grab available talent from a higher rated station?  CFRB makes plenty of money.  Bell thinks that by gutting CFRB the ratings and revenue will remain the same, costs will go down and the company will make more money.  What Bell doesn't seem to understand is that people who listen to radio like radio.  They don't want TV audio coming out of their radio.  Radio overall is healthier than TV right now, at a lower cost.  Pushing that cost to nearly zero isn't going to work because when you cut costs the product suffers and revenue drops.
 

Yes, I am.  Why doesn’t anyone want to explain how that would work?

I understand if you're talking about a big, marquee player or someone with a giant following but hiring an entire news department?... In this era?  Do you really think people tuned in for the news?  More people listen to 1010 because it has a better signal that 640, pumps more money into marketing and they prefer the hosts.   

Here’s what pisses me off about emotional, knee-jerk comments like the competition should hire them all!  It’s the same tired, recycled approach to media that’s brought us here.  Greed has kept radio and TV from evolving.  Greed and a total lack of creativity (and balls).   And this idea - noble as it is - to scoop up everyone who lost their jobs won’t fix radio.  It won’t even fix 640.  How long before everyone is laid off again…3 months?    

So, yes, please explain.  I'm curious to hear how that would move the radio business forward.   

Last edited by Mav (February 3, 2021 1:48 pm)

 

February 3, 2021 2:17 pm  #10


Re: 1010 gets 10/10 for bad decisions

Well I agree, taking the staff from one station (1010) and moving them to 640 wouldn't do anything or very little for 640's ratings or fortunes.  Also there could be non competition clauses in employee termination packages for a set period of time.   Besides 640 would just let go all of their current news department if they somehow hired the Newstalk 1010 news staff. 

What has been missing in the conversations since yesterday afternoon is the fact that Bell Media is likely not making much money or even losing money since the pandemic.  And it doesn't matter if the rest of the company (Bell Canada) makes lots of cash, which they do.  All of their divisions sink or swim on their own. They probably feel that 2021 will be another bad year for media because COVID is not going anywhere fast, and they are making what changes they feel are necessary.  Ad revenues were down 28% in 2019/20 and if the company was only marginally profitable prior then cuts are inevitable.  They haven't closed any stations, but that may be yet to come. 

It will be interesting tomorrow when Bell Media's parent company BCE releases their fourth quarter results and year end.  However I believe Bell Media's year end is August 31st. We may get a better insight tomorrow as to how Bell Media is actually doing.  But the media division is a somewhat small part of Bell's overall business.

Last edited by paterson1 (February 3, 2021 2:18 pm)

 

February 3, 2021 2:21 pm  #11


Re: 1010 gets 10/10 for bad decisions

If Corus decided this is our chance to become the "news leader" in Toronto and Montreal - let's expand our newsrooms and hire more reporters and producers then yes, they could just hire some of the people Bell is letting go but I don't think any radio stations are in a financial position to expand their newsrooms, or their staff generally, right now or in the forseeable future. 

 

February 3, 2021 3:02 pm  #12


Re: 1010 gets 10/10 for bad decisions

You also have to wonder if the continuing pandemic and Bell's #LetsWalk (pun intended) yearly purge changes the way radio employment contracts are written from the talents end, with certain length of payment guarantees nailed down up front by the bigger household names.

And will it affect the quality of people willing to work for Bell media. Probably not. I guess if you need to build your resume and get experience or understand what you're getting into, (and we've always known radio is not the most secure job)...a gig's a gig a gig.

I remember Mike Stafford commenting several times when doing the Stafford show about working for the other radio station up the dial, how perilous/short the stay could be and that he was glad he'd stayed put with 640 (I'm paraphrasing).

     Thread Starter
 

February 3, 2021 3:50 pm  #13


Re: 1010 gets 10/10 for bad decisions

Hansa wrote:

If Corus decided this is our chance to become the "news leader" in Toronto and Montreal - let's expand our newsrooms and hire more reporters and producers then yes, they could just hire some of the people Bell is letting go but I don't think any radio stations are in a financial position to expand their newsrooms, or their staff generally, right now or in the forseeable future. 

There is no Corus in Montreal.
 

 

February 3, 2021 3:57 pm  #14


Re: 1010 gets 10/10 for bad decisions

Rune wrote:

It's incredibly sad to see what Bell is doing but I can't say I'm surprised. The bean counters won the war a long time ago. I'm not going to rail against it because it isn't going to change and you would have to be tremendously naive to suggest every other broadcasting company would not have done the same thing. The business has changed as life has changed. We're living in a "now" world. If someone wants news, they can get it instantly on their phones. The idea of waiting till the top or bottom of the hour for news is passe. The thing I glean from Barb Digiulio being let go is this: the day is now 6AM to 7PM, not 24 hours. Again, we shouldn't be surprised. Shameful

You nailed it. No one "waits" for the news. It's like waiting for the afternoon paper, or waiting for the Walter Cronkite  6:30 news (as I did as a kid but that was a long time ago). News is on demand now, 24/7/365.
 


"Life without echo is really no life at all." - Dan Ingram
 

February 3, 2021 9:15 pm  #15


Re: 1010 gets 10/10 for bad decisions

I know that everyone says that but if I’m in my car at 8 am I expect a newscast on a newstalk station. In fact, if I know it’s going to be there I’m doing other things on my phone when I wake up instead of reading the news. If it’s not there I’m not fumbling for my phone for an app. I’ll be gone to 680.  I don’t understand the mentality of this industry where we say lots of people get news from other sources so let’s make sure we drive every listener that we still do have to another source. Why don’t we serve the people who still listen? There are lots of them.
Heinz doesn’t say Ketchup consumption is going down let’s use crappier tomatoes and drive all of our remaining customers to a different condiment.

Last edited by Prod Guy (February 3, 2021 9:25 pm)

 

February 3, 2021 10:32 pm  #16


Re: 1010 gets 10/10 for bad decisions

Prod Guy wrote:

I know that everyone says that but if I’m in my car at 8 am I expect a newscast on a newstalk station. In fact, if I know it’s going to be there I’m doing other things on my phone when I wake up instead of reading the news. If it’s not there I’m not fumbling for my phone for an app. I’ll be gone to 680. I don’t understand the mentality of this industry where we say lots of people get news from other sources so let’s make sure we drive every listener that we still do have to another source. Why don’t we serve the people who still listen? There are lots of them.
Heinz doesn’t say Ketchup consumption is going down let’s use crappier tomatoes and drive all of our remaining customers to a different condiment.

Well said. 


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

 
 

February 3, 2021 11:01 pm  #17


Re: 1010 gets 10/10 for bad decisions

Prod Guy wrote:

I know that everyone says that but if I’m in my car at 8 am I expect a newscast on a newstalk station. In fact, if I know it’s going to be there I’m doing other things on my phone when I wake up instead of reading the news. If it’s not there I’m not fumbling for my phone for an app. I’ll be gone to 680. I don’t understand the mentality of this industry where we say lots of people get news from other sources so let’s make sure we drive every listener that we still do have to another source. Why don’t we serve the people who still listen? There are lots of them.
Heinz doesn’t say Ketchup consumption is going down let’s use crappier tomatoes and drive all of our remaining customers to a different condiment.

Literally everything we do is available from "other sources." What makes radio work is how it's all packaged and presented, and I'd agree that news at reliable times is a crucial element for NewsTalk stations.