The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum » Groundhog Day outdoes Hollywood movie

newsguy1 · February 1, 2024 11:47 pm

The real life Groundhog Day story you can't make up.. and it's Canadian.

The original Wiarton Willie (in Ontario) lived to the advanced age of 22, and was found dead only two days before Groundhog Day in 1999. The organizers were unable to find a replacement, and instead marked Groundhog Day by revealing "Willie" in a coffin. He had been dressed in a tuxedo, had coins over his eyes, and a carrot between his paws. The real Willie had in fact decomposed, and the body in the coffin was that of an older, stuffed groundhog. W

February 2, 2024 8:47 am

newsguy1 wrote:
Wiarton Willie (in Ontario) lived to the advanced age of 22, and was found dead only two days before Groundhog Day in 1999

An autopsy disclosed that Willie had lived a double life, firstly as female (no one had bothered to check when she was alive) and secondly (but more relevant to this radio board) she had been MD for radio AM 560 CFOS and had exerted considerable influence on its Oldies format.

That format was abandoned 24 years ago. You might say that 560 CFOS is today a mere shadow of its former self

RadioActive · February 2, 2024 9:47 am

R-S-T-L-N-E wrote:
newsguy1 wrote:
Wiarton Willie (in Ontario) lived to the advanced age of 22, and was found dead only two days before Groundhog Day in 1999
You might say that 560 CFOS is today a mere shadow of its former self

Does that mean six more weeks of oldies?

Last edited by RadioActive (February 2, 2024 9:47 am)

paterson1 · February 2, 2024 11:58 am

CFOS always had Willy's prediction live on air every Groundhog Day. I remember the year that the master of ceremonies announced to the sizeable crowd that Willy had died. You could hear the shock of the crowd and even the many children screaming NO!! It wasn't meant to be funny, but on the radio when it was replayed all day long as lead story in the news, it was hilarious. Sort of like telling the kids live on air about Santa.

The organizers of the festival handled it all very well, with Willy's lying in state and the fact that just before death, Willy made the prediction.

Enjoy the sunshine everyone!

February 2, 2024 12:16 pm

paterson1 wrote:
Enjoy the sunshine everyone!

You disagree with W. Willie's forecast as reported on 560 CFOS? Have you no shame?

paterson1 · February 2, 2024 12:38 pm

Hahaha..not at all. Willie didn't see his shadow this morning and predicted an early spring. A few hours later the sunshine comes out, and spring has sprung!! Supposedly mostly sunny for the next 4-5 days.

Tomas Barlow · February 3, 2024 12:40 am

R-S-T-L-N-E wrote:
newsguy1 wrote:
That format was abandoned 24 years ago.

I guess that’s part of the joke? It still plays oldies today. I know people who listen to it.

Marsden · February 3, 2024 2:34 am

As most know there was an electricty black out in Toronto Thursday evening. Seems it was caused by a racoon.

Im here to tell you that racoon was just jealous. How does a day get named after a Groundhog and us racoons get nothing. Well I'll show you - said the racoon as they laughed at all the folks caught in the black-out.

Yeah Yeah - I know........................

paterson1 · February 3, 2024 12:49 pm

CFOS as we know is hoping to move to the FM dial. All of the radio stations in Grey/Bruce and Huron counties seem to be surviving. The area has about 20 stations for a population of 235,000. The CFOS format is kind of eclectic, a little similar to Zoomer and will sound interesting and unique on FM. CFOS likely still does fairly well in the mornings.

Radio Bob · February 3, 2024 2:06 pm

Patterson says when the announcement of Wiarton Willie's death was repeated all day on the news, it was hilarious, "Kind of like telling kids on air about Santa."
What about Santa? Huh? This Santa denying has to stop!

djwildbill · February 3, 2024 4:21 pm

paterson1 wrote:
CFOS as we know is hoping to move to the FM dial. All of the radio stations in Grey/Bruce and Huron counties seem to be surviving. The area has about 20 stations for a population of 235,000. The CFOS format is kind of eclectic, a little similar to Zoomer and will sound interesting and unique on FM. CFOS likely still does fairly well in the mornings.

If approved by the CRTC, they’ll have to examine their ratio of 50s/60s/70s hits versus any hits 1981 and older. Why? The FM 49% non-hit rule versus 51% hit still applies. If it’s a hit on any of their approved charts before 1981 then it’s a “CRTC hit” but any top 40 hits from 1981 to current are considered “CRTC non-hits”. As long as the station meets the criteria then they’re good.

They might be able to axe that rule if they choose to simulcast AM on the new FM frequency. Zoomer Radio 740 and CKDO are doing this already in their markets.

splunge · February 3, 2024 5:54 pm

djwildbill wrote:
paterson1 wrote:
CFOS as we know is hoping to move to the FM dial. All of the radio stations in Grey/Bruce and Huron counties seem to be surviving. The area has about 20 stations for a population of 235,000. The CFOS format is kind of eclectic, a little similar to Zoomer and will sound interesting and unique on FM. CFOS likely still does fairly well in the mornings.
If approved by the CRTC, they’ll have to examine their ratio of 50s/60s/70s hits versus any hits 1981 and older. Why? The FM 49% non-hit rule versus 51% hit still applies. If it’s a hit on any of their approved charts before 1981 then it’s a “CRTC hit” but any top 40 hits from 1981 to current are considered “CRTC non-hits”. As long as the station meets the criteria then they’re good.

They might be able to axe that rule if they choose to simulcast AM on the new FM frequency. Zoomer Radio 740 and CKDO are doing this already in their markets.

the non-hit rule was eliminated years ago.

Forward Power · February 3, 2024 6:13 pm

splunge wrote:
the non-hit rule was eliminated years ago.

It was eliminated for most of the country, but last year, it was finally dropped in the Ottawa-Gatineau and Montreal markets, where the English commercial FMs had remained bound by the non-hit rule, to "protect" the French stations in those markets.

paterson1 · February 3, 2024 6:58 pm

Yes 92.9 The Grand in Caledonia is all gold and play quite a bit of music prior to 1981. All the gold is hit music. The hit/non hit was more or less gone by May 1997 when the CRTC said that any song after January 1st 1981 onward was considered non hit. This opened the door for more Top 40 and CHR on FM.

I believe because of their format CFOS plays 30% cancon rather than 35% so they should be able to move this to FM if they keep the same music. They still play a lot of music prior to 1981, even some 50's and 60's. Remember When which is on most evenings goes back even further.

djwildbill · February 5, 2024 9:03 pm

Forward Power wrote:
splunge wrote:
the non-hit rule was eliminated years ago.
It was eliminated for most of the country, but last year, it was finally dropped in the Ottawa-Gatineau and Montreal markets, where the English commercial FMs had remained bound by the non-hit rule, to "protect" the French stations in those markets.

From what I recall at the time, the CRTC did say any hit after 1981 was considered a non-hit but I thought that meant an FM station couldn’t play all 50s, 60s, 70s music because they were all hits. All the CRTC did was change the meaning of what was a hit and what was a non-hit.