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February 15, 2021 11:31 am  #1


Jerry Agar couldn't find a kind word for Hazel McCallion

 On Friday Feb. 12, John Moore ran a pre-recorded interview with former Mississauga Hazel McCallion about her upcoming 100th birthday on Feb. 14. It was one of the topics on the first round table. When it was Jerry Agars turn to say his piece on the matter, his comment was something like ' The time I spoke with her she seemed kind of grumpy'. That seemed a bit rich for the stations resident curmudgeon. The number of times he has stated on his show that he was feeling somewhat grumpy that day are plentiful. Callers have pointed it out on numerous occasions over the years as well. He couldn't find one kind word to say about a former GTA mayor who is admired and respected by many everyday people and numerous past and present politicians.She has made it to 100 years of age and remained very sharp mentally and has remained mostly self sufficient. I think Jerry would be much happier living in a place that was more along the lines of his ideology, like Texas. But then he would have to rework the style of his show, unless he could find enough things to gripe about in local about state politics. A note on Claude Fiegs (sp?) replacement on the weekend newscasts. Samantha Pope seemed to sound fine,and delivered the newscast fairly well,but..... got caught as someone who is an out of towner, or new to the city. An item came up that brought in that dreaded street name. Balliol St. Not sure exactly how she pronounced it, but she missed it by THAT much. I'm sure someone has informed her the proper way we locals to say it.

 

February 15, 2021 11:44 am  #2


Re: Jerry Agar couldn't find a kind word for Hazel McCallion

She works for CFRA in Ottawa and I believe she's from that area, so she's probably not familiar with Balliol. What really amused me, though, is she started live at 6 AM with her first newscast. I tuned in to 'RB at 8 PM that same night, and there she was again! At some point, they tape their newscasts because there's no one left to do a live update. So as far as I can tell, she did every single newscast on Sunday from 6 AM to 10 that night. 

That is some supposed shift! And they're just lucky nothing major happened in that time frame. One of these days, they're going to get caught as a big story goes by late on a weekend and there's no one there to do a live update. 

This appears to be her first radio gig, according to her Linked-In page. She had a few short jobs working for MacLean's and Canadian Geographic, before landing the position at CFRA. 

 

February 15, 2021 12:01 pm  #3


Re: Jerry Agar couldn't find a kind word for Hazel McCallion

A lot of reporters seem to move around with CTV.  When in Ottawa a few years ago I recognized a couple on air reporters that had worked at CTV Kitchener about a year prior.  As we know current CTV Toronto weather personality Lyndsay Morrison worked in Kitchener for years, also did a weekend shift on Virgin radio Kitchener for a time.  Sort of got the feeling she liked doing radio since she sometimes popped in to chat with the afternoon host through the week on Virgin as well.

Getting a street name wrong for a new person happens all the time.  Even seasoned professionals mess up names and towns.    CBC TV newscasters sometimes do radio in a shift, and in Kitchener CBC radio pre records the weather most of the day. 

In terms of something big happening late on a weekend, wouldn't CTV Toronto just use a report or live update from CP24?  They have been doing this for a long time.

Oh, I forgot about Jerry.  He must have had a run in with Hazel at some point or she called him out over something.  I remember Mike Bullard for some reason didn't like her either.  But Agar should have shown a little class for a change and at least offer a happy birthday on her 100th.   Can't deny her service and dedication to Mississauga.  The growth of that city has been remarkable. 

Last edited by paterson1 (February 15, 2021 12:14 pm)

 

February 15, 2021 12:34 pm  #4


Re: Jerry Agar couldn't find a kind word for Hazel McCallion

paterson1 wrote:

In terms of something big happening late on a weekend, wouldn't CTV Toronto just use a report or live update from CP24?  They have been doing this for a long time.

Yes, but we're talking about CFRB here, not CTV. A radio newsroom with no one in it can't possibly report on a late breaking story. I suppose they could use CP24 audio (which they tried before with CHUM and failed at miserably) but there's another angle here.

There would be no one to make the determination to interrupt programming for a special cut-in or even to introduce it, since weekend nights on the station are now all podcast repeats on auto-pilot. I'm not even sure there's anyone there overseeing the place. So they better hope nothing goes wrong with the software running things.

But that's the chance you take when you dismiss almost your entire staff - including your news director - and rely on a fill-in news reader who is not only unfamiliar with your city but isn't even in your city - and isn't working later in the day in any event. 

 

February 15, 2021 12:54 pm  #5


Re: Jerry Agar couldn't find a kind word for Hazel McCallion

1010 was airing pre-recorded newscasts on weekend evenings even before the recent purge. I believe every newscast after 6:00 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays was pre-recorded by the afternoon news person. The only difference was those newscasts were recorded in Toronto and now they are recorded in Ottawa, which makes it sound even worse.

I remember something breaking on a Sunday night (teachers' strike being cancelled maybe?) and the 1010 newscast made no mention of it. Only after the pre-recorded newscast did Kym Geddes, the 1010 news director who was also let go in the recent purge, go on the air to handle the breaking news.

 

February 15, 2021 1:17 pm  #6


Re: Jerry Agar couldn't find a kind word for Hazel McCallion

I don't come from a news background and I don't know the technical side of how hard or easy it would be to break in live from a remote location like a home set up or CP24 when a station is on auto pilot.  If there is no news director, then who makes the decisions through the week then? Who is determining what news and stories are getting on air now? 

Wouldn't that same person or people make that decision on a Sunday night?  They don't need to be in the building to make that call.  I guess we will need to wait for that big late night weekend story that is worthy of going live to see how it is handled.  And Newstalk 1010 and Bell will live or die by how it is handled.  Until it actually happens and until we know what provisions or back up they have everything else is just speculation. Also worth noting that CP24 and their staff and Newstalk 1010 are in the same complex downtown.  

To me the station through the week and weekdays sounds about the same as it always has in terms of news and traffic.  Shows have changed but the actual newscasts and traffic sound the same to me, from a listener point of view. 

 

Last edited by paterson1 (February 15, 2021 1:19 pm)

 

February 15, 2021 2:48 pm  #7


Re: Jerry Agar couldn't find a kind word for Hazel McCallion

Hazel doesn't suffer fools ..

Last edited by g121 (February 15, 2021 2:48 pm)

 

February 15, 2021 8:48 pm  #8


Re: Jerry Agar couldn't find a kind word for Hazel McCallion

paterson1 wrote:

  I remember Mike Bullard for some reason didn't like her either. 

Bullard did not like Hazel, because he and Hazel's arch-enemy on council, Carolyn Parrish were best of friends.

 

February 15, 2021 10:31 pm  #9


Re: Jerry Agar couldn't find a kind word for Hazel McCallion

I find Jerry agarvating and a crass act.

 

March 3, 2021 9:21 am  #10


Re: Jerry Agar couldn't find a kind word for Hazel McCallion

I wonder what Jerry Agar's take is on the cancelling of The Early Edition with Robert Turner. Would he be happy that he is no longer asked to cover for Robert Turner when Robert is away, because Jerry is in early anyway, for no additional money. Or is he disappointed that the show is cancelled, as the opportunity for Jerry to earn a few extra bucks is no longer an option.He seems to be on more of the round table discussion throughout the week though. I've noticed that Russ Courtney hasn't been doing the morning newscasts  this week. Is he just away for a few days,or another member of the radio news staff that needs to look for a new job.

     Thread Starter
 

March 3, 2021 11:37 am  #11


Re: Jerry Agar couldn't find a kind word for Hazel McCallion

Norman peters wrote:

.. He  [Jerry Agar]  seems to be on more of the round table discussion throughout the week though ..

The only good thing about Agar on Moore's round table discussions is to reinforce why I never listen to Agar's show.

Typical Agar roundtable this morning .. shout, insult, interrupt, talk over the other panelists.  The fact that Agar's there to provide the "right wing" view is submarined by his boorish, obnoxious behavior time after time after time .. 
 

Last edited by g121 (March 3, 2021 11:38 am)

 

March 3, 2021 11:56 am  #12


Re: Jerry Agar couldn't find a kind word for Hazel McCallion

And Jerry occasionally will make a valid point, but it gets lost with his rudeness, exaggerations and bad temper, if someone disagrees with him.  He gets so condescending with the other panelists and callers but the thing is, he really isn't that bright.

 

March 3, 2021 3:22 pm  #13


Re: Jerry Agar couldn't find a kind word for Hazel McCallion

John Moore's tone of voice when he has to talk with Agar on the roundtable seems to have changed over the last few months from bemused exasperation but hey we work for the same station to a more measured you are what you are cold politeness...
Idea: send Agar to Coventry (all nights) and let Jim Richards do mid-mornings 😏

 

March 3, 2021 8:14 pm  #14


Re: Jerry Agar couldn't find a kind word for Hazel McCallion

Norman peters wrote:

I've noticed that Russ Courtney hasn't been doing the morning newscasts  this week. Is he just away for a few days,or another member of the radio news staff that needs to look for a new job.

Russ is gone. 

https://twitter.com/Russ_Courtney/status/1366841976608423939?s=20