The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum » Tom McConnell's Final CKTB Show Filled With Nostalgia & Goodbyes

RadioActive · November 4, 2022 3:40 pm

It's been fun listening to Tom McConnell's final afternoon show on CKTB Friday. He's been telling old radio stories, taking calls from "regulars," and also hearing from old station alumni, who are calling in to wish him well. One of those was Joe Cahill, who used to do battle opposite him with a segment called "Knockout," which I used to listen to.

In case you missed it, McConnell is moving to CJBK in London, where his radio career started, to take a management position. That means he will no longer be doing an air shift and this may well be his last time you'll hear his voice on the radio. He's been at 610 for 19 years.

The show, complete with terrific and appropriate bumper music from his longtime producer Greg Campagna (including "London Calling" by the Clash), has been about everything you could want for a farewell effort. It will be interesting to hear his last words just before 6 PM, but I wish him well. I've enjoyed listening to him over the years and while they haven't revealed who's taking his place, they'll have big shoes to fill.

RadioActive · November 4, 2022 5:40 pm

He's also going to be news director of CTV London, as well as PD of CJBK. Quite a load!

He noted on air his replacements will be frequent fill-ins Steph Vivier and Karl Doxtater. But it doesn't sound like they'll be taking the afternoon slot permanently.

haydenmatthews14 · November 4, 2022 6:13 pm

Steph Viver sounds like a familiar name to me. Was she the host of the local London show Daytime with Ken Eastwood on Rogers TV London? Ken Eastwood used to host the show on Rogers TV cable 13 London along with Steph Viver.

RadioActive · November 8, 2022 12:26 pm

If you missed the final show and McConnell's last words after 19 years on air, it's on the station's website here. (The last segment starts around the 41-minute mark.)

RadioActive · November 8, 2022 1:44 pm

haydenmatthews14 wrote:
Steph Viver sounds like a familiar name to me. Was she the host of the local London show Daytime with Ken Eastwood on Rogers TV London? Ken Eastwood used to host the show on Rogers TV cable 13 London along with Steph Viver.

Her Linked-in page is long out of date, but it does mention that she works for both Bell (called Astral Media on the page, to show you how long it's been since an update) and Rogers Cable in London. So, yes, it's almost certainly the same one. By the way, her Twitter page lists her as radio show host - and construction biz owner. Now THAT'S quite a double life!

haydenmatthews14 · November 8, 2022 2:22 pm

RadioActive wrote:
If you missed the final show and McConnell's last words after 19 years on air, it's on the station's website here. (The last segment starts around the 41-minute mark.)

It won't play for some reason

RadioActive · November 8, 2022 2:33 pm

I've had that issue as well with the iHeart player. Not sure why. In the end, I have to pull up a browser that I don't use very often that has no control apps on it - no ad blockers, no video stoppers, no VPN, etc. Then it works.

I do know that when you eventually get it to play, a video ad is the first thing that pops up. (it IS Bell, after all, so what else did you expect?) So if you're using an ad blocker, you can try temporarily turning it off to see if that helps.

haydenmatthews14 · November 8, 2022 2:47 pm

RadioActive wrote:
I've had that issue as well with the iHeart player. Not sure why. In the end, I have to pull up a browser that I don't use very often that has no control apps on it - no ad blockers, no video stoppers, no VPN, etc. Then it works.

I do know that when you eventually get it to play, a video ad is the first thing that pops up. (it IS Bell, after all, so what else did you expect?) So if you're using an ad blocker, you can try temporarily turning it off to see if that helps.

I turned it off and it works. Thank You.

unclefester · November 8, 2022 11:14 pm

RadioActive wrote:

McConnell is moving to CJBK in London, where his radio career started, to take a management position. That means he will no longer be doing an air shift and this may well be his last time you'll hear his voice on the radio.

McConnell is a former Western Mustang football player & has for the last number of years been commuting to London and various other university towns on the weekends to call the Mustang football games on CJBK radio. He'll be on the air once again this Saturday at 1 p.m. as the Mustangs host the Queens Golden Gaels. The winner will lay claim to the Yates Cup. So there's that.

Mr. McConnell is such a football fan & expert that I would bet dollars to dog nuts that he'll continue with his football play-by-play duties on top of his new management portfolio.

Last edited by unclefester (November 8, 2022 11:16 pm)

eladb · November 23, 2022 7:43 pm

The new 610 CKTB Drive hosts have been named: Walter Sendzik, Karl Dockstader & Steph Vivier.

https://twitter.com/610CKTB/status/1595541928531075076

RadioActive · November 23, 2022 7:46 pm

Three hosts all there on different days? Not exactly very promotable. I think it's confusing to listeners to keep track of who's on when. What if you like one but not the others? What day is the one you like on?

In my mind, not a great idea, but I wish them luck.

Walter Sendzik is an interesting choice. He was mayor of St. Catharines from 2014 to 2022. Kind of a John Tory in reverse.

RadioActive · June 18, 2023 4:18 pm

RadioActive wrote:
In case you missed it, McConnell is moving to CJBK in London, where his radio career started, to take a management position. That means he will no longer be doing an air shift and this may well be his last time you'll hear his voice on the radio. He's been at 610 for 19 years....He's also going to be news director of CTV London.

Never really thought about this in all the Bell fallout, but I wonder if Tom McConnell managed to keep his job now that the station he was responsible for is no longer on the air. Hopefully, the news responsibilities on the TV side are enough to keep him employed.

unclefester · June 19, 2023 7:24 am

RadioActive wrote:
RadioActive wrote:
In case you missed it, McConnell is moving to CJBK in London, where his radio career started, to take a management position. That means he will no longer be doing an air shift and this may well be his last time you'll hear his voice on the radio. He's been at 610 for 19 years....He's also going to be news director of CTV London.
Never really thought about this in all the Bell fallout, but I wonder if Tom McConnell managed to keep his job now that the station he was responsible for is no longer on the air. Hopefully, the news responsibilities on the TV side are enough to keep him employed.

CJBK not only carried the Western Mustang football broadcasts every fall hosted by Mr. McConnell but they were also the flagship station for the Leafs in the London area.

Not sure what is going to happen to those Leaf broadcast rights

Doubt they would disappear from the market so highly likely moving to FM

Interested to see what happens

There would be few other options as AM 980 is host broadcaster to the London Knights

radiokid · June 19, 2023 9:25 am

unclefester wrote:
RadioActive wrote:
RadioActive wrote:
In case you missed it, McConnell is moving to CJBK in London, where his radio career started, to take a management position. That means he will no longer be doing an air shift and this may well be his last time you'll hear his voice on the radio. He's been at 610 for 19 years....He's also going to be news director of CTV London.
Never really thought about this in all the Bell fallout, but I wonder if Tom McConnell managed to keep his job now that the station he was responsible for is no longer on the air. Hopefully, the news responsibilities on the TV side are enough to keep him employed.

CJBK not only carried the Western Mustang football broadcasts every fall hosted by Mr. McConnell but they were also the flagship station for the Leafs in the London area.

Not sure what is going to happen to those Leaf broadcast rights

Doubt they would disappear from the market so highly likely moving to FM

Interested to see what happens

There would be few other options as AM 980 is host broadcaster to the London Knights

As AM980 had the Leafs before... I bet you they will be happy to take them back. There will be conflict with London Knights, but spill over could happen on one of their FM's... perhaps the country? I just can't see Bell fighting to keep Leafs to air on Virgin or their Pure Country brands that perform well on their own. Corus on the other hand could afford to give some time on their country to Leafs if their is conflict with the Knights.

unclefester · September 3, 2023 7:14 pm

For RadioActive

I know you appreciated the on air work of Tom McConnell in the past

I was a listener as well

Mr. McConnell is back doing play-by-play for the Western Mustangs on OUATV - the Canadian Univeristy online sports channel

He's calling the game between Western & McMaster as I type this

It's FREE to sign up & the audio and video quality is quite good - more than acceptable.

Thought you kind sir might like to know.

Cheers!

RadioActive · September 3, 2023 7:31 pm

Thanks, Unc! Very kind of you. I still miss his show, when Reshmi is on RB and Oakley is away on one of his extended vacations. His was a great alternate and very entertaining. He's the news director for CTV London and area, but he lost the gig as P.D. for CJBK when Bell shut the station down.

Given how things are going at Bell Media these days, I hope he gets to keep his current position. But if not, I'd welcome him back. The replacements at CKTB have been unlistenable.