The deterioration of radio in general and CFRB is particular is a sad commentary and the result of the usurpation of broadcasting by large corporations, mark that, Bell.  As a senior growing up with the original CFRB from the 50’s and 60’s, much of today’s AM programming is routine, repetitive and in many cases lacking in professional broadcasters.  An opiniated voice deficient in radio experience is not a recipe for success. As a retired former Toronto ND during BC radio (before computers), it’s difficult to hear what is purported to be acceptable broadcasting today.  

Well, if you thought the Roundtable was amazing, you should have tuned in later at 10:30 AM when Jerry Agar took on former Indian Affairs Minister (and ex-Toronto Mayor) David Crombie.

The subject: if we all agree that Residential Schools were a terrible thing for Canada's Indigenous population, why did he let it go on when he was in charge?

It was an absolutely astounding segment, where Crombie continually denied responsibility for what went on during those awful years. But it degraded into a long and often personal argument, as Crombie accused Agar of not listening to his justifications.

The two argued heatedly on air, pulling no punches, with Crombie at one point yelling, "You don't listen! You like to talk!"

It was the kind of radio you don't get to hear often, and neither man was especially nice to the other. You may hate Agar, but he certainly tried to nail Crombie. In the end, neither combatant won. But in an era where politeness tends to rule on talk radio, it was certainly a War of Words.

You may want to check it out once it goes online on Tuesday. 

If only some broadcast veterans could find financial backing to wrest control of the once-venerable CFRB from Bell's death-watch-grip.

I know, I know. Not going to happen.

RadioActive wrote:

It's been quite a day for insider radio on NT1010. On his "Party For Two" segment at 11AM, Agar welcomed in Assistant Program Director and SOWNY board favourite Robert Turner as his guest. 
 
At one point, a listener emailed a question. "If he's the Assistant PD., who is the actual P.D.?"

Agar's answer was perfect. "We don't have one. That way we get to pay him less money." 

Given Bell's notoriously penurious purse strings, I actually believe it!
 

His name escapes me, but didn't they have a brand manager brought over from TSN 1050, when Bendixen got tossed?  Is he gone too?
 

RadioActive wrote:

What a surreal morning it was on one Toronto radio station Tuesday. During the first Roundtable on NewsTalk 1010, the subject of CBC President Catherine Tate's rather bizarre appearance in Ottawa on Monday came up. (You can read about that here.) That segued into the future of the Corp.

Panelist Scott Reid argued that the CBC is necessary because it's the only one that will keep reporters in small towns like Thunder Bay. He then condemned Bell for what it did to CFRB's once legendary newsroom, telling listeners who may not have known that there no longer is one at the station. (It now comes out of CFTO and is a shadow of its former self.) 

Fellow commentator Jerry Agar seconded that emotion, turning on his own employer to say what Bell did to CFRB's newsroom was an abomination. 

Host John Moore eventually put an end to the condemnation of the station where both he and Agar work by saying, "Let's just not get into the radio ratings." 

Not sure I've ever heard so much negative talk about a radio station on that radio station before and it was hilarious. 

Later in the show, Moore was referencing the age of music video shows, and commented, "Not sure if we should mention a competitor, but Stu Jefferies used to do one." Jefferies currently does mornings on Boom 97.3.

Not what you'd expect to hear on a radio station but their honesty was certainly refreshing!

The segment about the CFRB newsroom (or lack of one) starts around the 33 minute mark in the podcast. One small correction - Agar did not call the lack of a 1010 newsroom an abomination. He called it a travesty. Just for the record. 

You can find the aircheck here.

I laughed when Crombie told Agar to "bug off."
And I think Crombie won the show.
He's right Agar would not listen.
Crombie kept making the point he as Indian Affairs Minister worked long and hard to end the residential school system, with Agar suggesting it could have happened overnight.
Agar proved once again that he is a talk show host, who knows nothing about being an elected political leader, or a doctor, or a lawyer etc.  Crombie beat him over the head with that.
I don't listen to Agar's show much but I was glad I caught that drubbing he took.


 

Bell's finest young MBA-addled middle management consider Agar a significant commodity. A punctuation mark on the corporate statement about their inability to do broadcasting good.

Chrisphen wrote:

Bell's finest young MBA-addled middle management consider Agar a significant commodity. A punctuation mark on the corporate statement about their inability to do broadcasting good.

They don't think about him at all. They're counting the days until they don't have to deal with him or the station itself.

Dial Twister wrote:

If only some broadcast veterans could find financial backing to wrest control of the once-venerable CFRB from Bell's death-watch-grip.

I know, I know. Not going to happen.

Because it's impossible. Bell's stake is only a fraction of the problem, which is way more fundamental. 

Chrisphen wrote:

RadioAaron wrote:

Chrisphen wrote:

Bell's finest young MBA-addled middle management consider Agar a significant commodity. A punctuation mark on the corporate statement about their inability to do broadcasting good.

They don't think about him at all. They're counting the days until they don't have to deal with him or the station itself.

Is he not rebroadcast on other Bell assets? If so they're certainly not hiding their shame.
 

Just CKTB.

Saul wrote:

RadioAaron wrote:

Just CKTB.

And that should change soon, no?

Seems like a pretty safe bet.