The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum » Who Richard Syrett Says Influenced Him To Get Into Radio

RadioActive · December 17, 2023 10:59 am

This comment took a long route to get to me - my sister lives in Staten Island, N.Y. and often has trouble sleeping. So she listens to Coast To Coast AM, which is on everywhere in the U.S. She told me she tuned in one night recently only to hear Toronto's (really Thornhill's) Richard Syrett filling in for regular host George Noory.

Somehow the topic of his beginnings in radio came up and he told listeners who his biggest influence was as he got into broadcasting. She thought I'd be interested and wrote the name down. Turns out it was former CFRB talk show host Ed Needham.

None of which surprised me! He was one of the most controversial talk show hosts 1010 ever had and was often under fire for some of the things he'd say on air. He was the subject of complaints to the CBSC and was eventually too hot for 'RB to handle and moved to Florida in 1991, but still contributed "commentaries" to the station.

It doesn't surprise me that Syrett would pick Needham as his muse. The former currently does the afternoon drive show on Sauga 960, where he regularly engages in the most outrageous (and completely unprovable) conspiracy theories in the world. I'm surprised there aren't more CBSC complaints about him, although I doubt he has a big enough audience for anyone to notice. Needham died in June 2022. (Unless that's what they want you to think!)

One other thing to note - my sister tells me he plays it pretty straight when he occasionally fills in on Coast, sticking mostly to the aliens from space sort of things, instead of some of the more ridiculous theories he spews locally.

Hansa · December 17, 2023 1:21 pm

It says a lot about Syrett that "play[ing] it pretty straight" for him is talking about space aliens.

Jody Thornton · December 17, 2023 1:27 pm

Hansa wrote:
It says a lot about Syrett that "play[ing] it pretty straight" for him is talking about space aliens.

Not to mention right-wing conspiracies. Sheesh! Same with Lou Schizas!

Dial Twister · December 17, 2023 5:55 pm

Hansa wrote:
It says a lot about Syrett that "play[ing] it pretty straight" for him is talking about space aliens.

That right there is funny.
😅

newsguy1 · December 17, 2023 9:31 pm

These people are not funny, they are revolting.
We need people to aggressively debunk them since it seems little can be done to stop them legally.
I have noticed that in the U-S law enforcement is finally catching up to them for a change.
Recently eight people who call themselves first amendment auditors were arrested and face a slew of charges in California for using their U-S first amendment to harass and terrorize public employees police and even private citizens all because they get money from putting their scam videos on Youtube.
Likewise so-called "sovereign citizens " in the U-S are getting tougher treatment for peddling their weird conspiracies and beliefs..
The weirdness is even travelling into Canada where things like the Ottawa truck convoy was fuelled by far right wing and white supremacy nutcases.
when Convoy organizer Tamara Leach had her bail hearing in Ottawa a year or so ago her husband from Alberta testified that she was only trying to protect our "first amendment rights!!!"
The judge threw her hands up in frustration.

Hammy · December 18, 2023 1:19 pm

Syrett gives a platform to a lot of dangerous far right personalities, even white nationalists, which is surprising given his background.

newsguy1 wrote:
These people are not funny, they are revolting.
We need people to aggressively debunk them since it seems little can be done to stop them legally.
I have noticed that in the U-S law enforcement is finally catching up to them for a change.
Recently eight people who call themselves first amendment auditors were arrested and face a slew of charges in California for using their U-S first amendment to harass and terrorize public employees police and even private citizens all because they get money from putting their scam videos on Youtube.
Likewise so-called "sovereign citizens " in the U-S are getting tougher treatment for peddling their weird conspiracies and beliefs..
The weirdness is even travelling into Canada where things like the Ottawa truck convoy was fuelled by far right wing and white supremacy nutcases.
when Convoy organizer Tamara Leach had her bail hearing in Ottawa a year or so ago her husband from Alberta testified that she was only trying to protect our "first amendment rights!!!"
The judge threw her hands up in frustration.

Chrisphen · December 18, 2023 4:14 pm

It's discouraging to hear he is still working on C2C AM.

67GreenRambler · December 18, 2023 6:39 pm

Plenty members here envious of professional success.

mic'em · December 18, 2023 9:38 pm

That thought struck me also rambler.

Jody Thornton · December 18, 2023 9:58 pm

mic'em wrote:
That thought struck me also rambler.

Not at all. I think his opinions and the right wing rhetoric he spews are sometimes dangerous. Best not to chalk this up to petty jealousy. I don't begrudge anyone their just success. I left radio fair and square, and I'm damned glad I left. But even after some of his Humble and Fred appearances, his mindset is a tad scary.

mic'em · December 19, 2023 10:05 am

The fact he has been occasionally hosting a major syndicated broadcast for over two decades means he is professionally successful. That fact speaks for itself. Anyone who doesn't agree with him, including myself, is not forced to listen, which I do not. I really only remember Syrett as John Oakleys producer , and from fill duty on Coast to Coast. The first time I heard him on Coast, which may have been in the late 90's, I don't recall exactly, I was surprised that a guy from Toronto was doing it. That overnight program was a good radio companion all the years I drove a semi all night, especially with the number of stations it was available on. Subject matter not withstanding, I am glad it was there.

John D · December 19, 2023 10:36 am

I worked with Richard years ago when he was the producer of the John Oakley show at CFRB. He was one of the nicest, kindest people I have ever worked with in broadcasting. Also, very soft-spoken off air.

When he broke away from Oakley, he found his own voice. Not surprised, he mentions Needham. Ed and I became good friends in the mid 80s and became the first talk show host at CFRB. Ed was in Vietnam, and he told me that, that experience made him "suffer no fools." Ed gave me an American Flag that he carried with him for years. I've never forgotten him.

Fjiri · December 19, 2023 12:51 pm

Syrett was one of my first mentors where the production of talk radio show content was concerned. Sharp mind, soft-spoken off-air as John D stated.

I will always remember Richard lamenting his role in defiling episodes of beloved black and white classic TV shows and sitcoms (like McHale's Navy) back in his youth. He revealed to his listeners that he once had a job in Toronto where he 'colourized' the shows. I can't recall if he altered the original version of these shows, or if he was merely tampering with copies. At any rate, he said it was a regret he likely still harbours years later!

pinto · December 19, 2023 12:53 pm

I hear him on C2C sometimes, he's had a wide range of guests including interviewing musicians. Nothing far right radical that I've ever caught on the shows.

Chrisphen · December 19, 2023 2:31 pm

Your kindly, soft-spoken, puppy pettin' buddy got into the bottle of red pills. The results are dire.

RadioActive · December 19, 2023 2:53 pm

pinto wrote:
I hear him on C2C sometimes, he's had a wide range of guests including interviewing musicians. Nothing far right radical that I've ever caught on the shows.

If you listen to his daily show on Sauga 960 from 4 PM on, you might hear a different side of him.

Walter · December 19, 2023 5:21 pm

Jody Thornton wrote:
Hansa wrote:
It says a lot about Syrett that "play[ing] it pretty straight" for him is talking about space aliens.
Not to mention right-wing conspiracies. Sheesh! Same with Lou Schizas!

Schizas? Haven't heard that windbag since he was dumped from Oakley's former lineup. Is he still around?

Jody Thornton · December 19, 2023 10:16 pm

RadioActive wrote:
pinto wrote:
I hear him on C2C sometimes, he's had a wide range of guests including interviewing musicians. Nothing far right radical that I've ever caught on the shows.
If you listen to his daily show on Sauga 960 from 4 PM on, you might hear a different side of him.

This!!! (where's that "Like" button)

cash · December 19, 2023 10:19 pm

Most conspiracy theories are based in anti-semitism.

RadioActive · December 23, 2023 8:21 pm

I put this in this thread because I'm not sure it deserves one of its own. But worth noting the passing of Ian Punnett, who was a frequent substitute host on Coast To Coast AM, and often did weekends. He was on more often than Richard Syrett and had been part of that show since the year 2000.

Coast To Coast Remembers Ian Punnett

mic'em · December 24, 2023 9:54 am

Yes, I remember Ian Punnett quite well. RIP. I also just saw on the CP24 scroll that one of the Dixie Chicks, Laura Lynch was killed in a car crash yesterday. She wasn't in the band when they acheived their biggest success unfortunatly, but is being remembered as a founding member.

Last edited by mic'em (December 24, 2023 10:00 am)