The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum / AM640's Doubletalk

**Posted by RadioActive** Yesterday 10:12 pm

Did anyone else tune into AM640 on Saturday afternoon? What I heard was frankly embarrassing for a major market station. I was curious to see if they were going to do any original programming on the weekends (the morning show with Davelle Morrison was not on for the first time in weeks, replaced by a reroll of Greg Brady. Is it one of the cutback victims?)

Would they do another repeat at 2 PM or go live as they have been? Turns out they would re-use an old show, but not in the way you'd expect. When I checked them out, the station was running two repeat shows at once, both talking over each other. Same with the commercials. I'm not sure what time it started but it went on for over 2 hours at least, as two repeats of Alex Pierson's Show, featuring guest host Mike Drolet, ran at the exact same time. You couldn't make out either one of them because they were both at full levels.

This is what happens when the entire place is on autopilot and there's no one to fix it. Finally, around 4:15 PM., the double talk stopped for good. When you cut your weekend staff, this is what can - and ultimately did - happen. Given the budget drain over there, it would not surprise me if this occurs again.

**Posted by 67GreenRambler** Yesterday 11:00 pm

I heard it from 3:38 to 3:40pm. That's all I could take. Don't know how you tolerated it as long as you did.

**Posted by RadioActive** Yesterday 11:04 pm

I tuned in and out just to see if it was still happening. It was unlistenable otherwise.

**Posted by Paul Jeffries** Yesterday 11:24 pm

RadioActive wrote:
Given the budget drain over there, it would not surprise me if this occurs again.

The real surprise is that they're still on the air. How they've managed to avoid the proverbial Grim Reaper is anybody's guess.

PJ

**Posted by Radiowiz** Today 6:10 am

Paul Jeffries wrote:
RadioActive wrote:
Given the budget drain over there, it would not surprise me if this occurs again.
The real surprise is that they're still on the air. How they've managed to avoid the proverbial Grim Reaper is anybody's guess.

PJ

They see in ratings that they are doing better than NT1010 and they just leave it at that. (for now...)

**Posted by RadioActive** Today 7:44 am

Just my guess, but I would think giving up a signal in the major market in the country is the last thing they'll want to do. It may help explain some of the other cuts across the country. But apparently not even 640 is immune, as their live weekend programming appears to have been all but eliminated - at least if this weekend is any indication.

**Posted by Saul** Today 8:06 am

RadioActive wrote:
I tuned in and out just to see if it was still happening. It was unlistenable otherwise.

Cool! If this was Air Canada you'd have been on flights to Amsterdam and Puerto Vallarta at the same time.

**Posted by mic'em** Today 8:20 am

I have heard some similar miscues on Kiss 105.3 here in Sudbury. It's like a moth and a bright light, you can't tune away , you have to see how it ends.

**Posted by mic'em** Today 8:29 am

If you want to just hear the same 100 songs on auto repeat, then the various rock station heard in the southern Ontario markets are ok. To hear something different, try MAX FM out of Orillia. That is the one station I truly miss since moving to Northern Ontario.

**Posted by Binson Echorec** Today 3:08 pm

RadioActive wrote:
(the morning show with Davelle Morrison was not on for the first time in weeks, replaced by a reroll of Greg Brady. Is it one of the cutback victims?)

Signs point to yes.

**Posted by jughead jones** Today 4:26 pm

Is it time to put Mulroney in the morning and Brady in the afternoon?

**Posted by RadioAaron** Today 4:39 pm

jughead jones wrote:
Is it time to put Mulroney in the morning and Brady in the afternoon?

They probably shouldn’t move Brady; he’s got the most momentum anything’s had at that station in quite some time.

**Posted by mace** Today 4:51 pm

If 640 eventually goes down the same path as CHML, I can listen to KFI late at night again.

**Posted by Saul** Today 6:13 pm

mace wrote:
If 640 eventually goes down the same path as CHML, I can listen to KFI late at night again.

You're more likely to hear WMFN Petone IL (Black Information Network), WHLO Akron OH and WOI Ames IA (NPR), among other closer-ins that now run all night. WMFN is consistently strong in second place under CFIQ in the Kawarthas.

**Posted by NW** Today 8:06 pm

Saul wrote:
mace wrote:
If 640 eventually goes down the same path as CHML, I can listen to KFI late at night again.
You're more likely to hear WMFN Petone IL (Black Information Network), WHLO Akron OH and WOI Ames IA (NPR), among other closer-ins that now run all night. WMFN is consistently strong in second place under CFIQ in the Kawarthas.

Would also make it easier to hear WSM Nashville on 650 without the 640 splatter. And CFCO (before they move to FM permanently) and WSBN-Washington and WLAP-Lexington on 630.