The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum / Just How Shorthanded Is Corus' AM640 Newsroom?

**Posted by RadioActive** July 4, 2025 6:36 am

I know it's summer vacation and all, and AM640 newsman Dave Bradley is off on his. That's fair - everyone deserves time off. But I turned on the radio Friday morning at 5 AM to hear Danny Longo taking his place on Greg Brady's show.

Not a big deal except I'm pretty sure he was doing the afternoon drive shift less than 12 hours before. That is quite the turnaround. It wasn't that long ago that they decimated their entire news staff. But if they're so shorthanded that they have to have their afternoon guy doing a morning turnaround that dramatic, that's really saying something.

I have no idea if he volunteered for the gig or had no choice but to do it because there simply wasn't anyone else. But what a sad state of affairs for a place that once had a pretty good newsroom.

I hope he's not expected to do the afternoon run, too!

**Posted by Binson Echorec** July 4, 2025 8:53 am

I believe Messrs. Bradley and Longo are the newsroom.

**Posted by RadioActive** July 4, 2025 9:18 am

Perhaps, but you really can't ask someone to do a less than 12 hour turnaround. Remember, he's off the air after 5 PM (with Global TV's newscast running at 6.) But in order to get his first newscast ready in the morning, he'd have to be in by what, 3:30 AM the latest, and I'm being generous because there's a 5 AM newscast. So less than 12 hours later.

I don't care how much overtime that is, that's just crazy.

(They also had Heather Goode reading the morning news run for a few days. Obviously, she wasn't available Friday.)

**Posted by Binson Echorec** July 4, 2025 9:51 am

Yes, you can ask. I would think an employee is well within their rights to say "no".

The legal minimum time between the end of a shift and start of the next is eight hours. Using the times you've suggested, Mr. Longo had 10.5 hours between shifts.

It's not ideal and I don't agree with the path 640 has chosen but here we are.

Source: https://www.canada.ca/en/services/jobs/workplace/federal-labour-standards/work-hours/breaks-rest-period.html

Subject to the Exemptions from, and Modifications to, Hours of Work Provisions Regulations, as an employee, you are entitled to an unpaid rest period of a minimum of 8 consecutive hours between each shift or work period. This does not apply to managers and certain professionals.

Last edited by Binson Echorec (July 4, 2025 9:54 am)

**Posted by Dale Patterson** July 4, 2025 10:02 am

When I was at CP-BN I believe the mandated turnaround was 12 hours.

**Posted by RadioActive** July 4, 2025 10:02 am

Just because you can doesn't mean you should! I'm not ascribing anything to the guy, because he seems like a good news person. But if you're obviously tired, that could hypothetically lead to an on-air factual mistake that could get you sued. As if Corus doesn't have enough problems.

**Posted by Binson Echorec** July 4, 2025 10:23 am

Interesting point but I really do think Corus has bigger fish to fry so they're okay to chance a fatigued newsman. Again, said newsman could have said no but why not get an early start to the weekend? I'd've said yes too.

I'm now curious if they'll have someone in place for the afternoon shift - or will they just have Longo tape some casts to run? I'm leaning toward the latter.

**Posted by RadioActive** July 4, 2025 10:29 am

Binson Echorec wrote:
I'm now curious if they'll have someone in place for the afternoon shift - or will they just have Longo tape some casts to run? I'm leaning toward the latter.

That would be monstrously irresponsible, given how stories can change, crimes can be committed and accidents can happen in that time span. I'd rather they do no news than taped news.

**Posted by AspectRatio** July 4, 2025 10:38 am

Binson Echorec wrote:
I'm now curious if they'll have someone in place for the afternoon shift - or will they just have Longo tape some casts to run? I'm leaning toward the latter.

This thread is eerily similar to https://gta.boardhost.com/viewtopic.php?id=14033 - also on a Friday, back in February. Sadly, taped afternoon news was what resulted there.

**Posted by Binson Echorec** July 4, 2025 11:56 am

AspectRatio wrote:
Binson Echorec wrote:
I'm now curious if they'll have someone in place for the afternoon shift - or will they just have Longo tape some casts to run? I'm leaning toward the latter.
This thread is eerily similar to https://gta.boardhost.com/viewtopic.php?id=14033 - also on a Friday, back in February. Sadly, taped afternoon news was what resulted there.

Thanks for digging this up, Aspect - that Feb thread is why I'm expecting taped news this afternoon.

**Posted by RadioActive** July 4, 2025 4:02 pm

Afternoon is live featuring Heather Goode, who was doing mornings for Bradley earlier in the week. No idea why they had to mix it up the way they did, unless one of the two newscasters had a personal commitment they could not get out of. But at least it's not tape as predicted!