The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum / Overnight Radio In Toronto

**Posted by RadioActive** November 17, 2024 8:03 am

If you're one of the lucky people who slept last night, I envy you. A sick family member kept me up much of the night Sunday morning, and from around 4 AM on, I needed something to fill those empty hours before the sun came up. So I did what I often do when I wake up early - turn on the radio.

What I heard, to say the least, was astoundingly awful. I expected a ton of rerolls and they were there. But even the distant stations that were coming in (it wasn't the best DX night) were broadcasting absolute crap. The local stations were especially deficient if you were looking for some talk to pass the time. (Music just doesn't do it for me anymore.)

I wasn't expecting much. I got even less.

The Fan590 and CKGL were both simulcasting Infinity Sports from the U.S., most of it irrelevant to a Canadian audience. CKTB & CFRB simulcasted the execrable and unlistenable "The Social" podcast from the CTV TV show of the same name. AM640 had one decent show - Alan Cross' "Ongoing History Of New Music." But when that ended, we were treated to the 400th rerun of "A Little More Conversation With Ben O'Hara Byrne," which contained an hour long(!) interview with former "Zena" star Lucy Lawless and could not have been duller. And I'm not even sure what was on CBC Radio 1. But it was incredibly boring.

And yes, 680 was live, but how many times can you hear the same headlines over and over and over?

The out-of-town stations that were coming in were similarly wanting. And before you all pile on and tell me I could have listened to podcasts, without going into too much explanation I wasn't in a position to access anything online at the time.

So it was radio or nothing.

Which, in the case of what I heard overnight Sunday, was the same thing.

**Posted by pinto** November 17, 2024 8:42 am

There's always coast to coast ;)

**Posted by Walter** November 17, 2024 8:55 am

pinto wrote:
There's always coast to coast ;)

Speaking of unlistenable.

**Posted by Saul** November 17, 2024 9:26 am

A few months ago you could have listened to Funny 820. My, do I pine for the days of Bell...

**Posted by 67GreenRambler** November 17, 2024 10:13 am

Give the college/university stations on the FM side a try. Or even NPR 88.7

**Posted by RadioActive** November 17, 2024 10:35 am

Saul wrote:
A few months ago you could have listened to Funny 820. My, do I pine for the days of Bell...

I'm continually amazed at how much I miss Funny 820. I wish it was still around. It was the go-to when I couldn't find anything else that interested me. It would have been great overnight.

**Posted by RadioActive** November 17, 2024 10:38 am

67GreenRambler wrote:
Give the college/university stations on the FM side a try. Or even NPR 88.7

Don't think I thought of that, but I can't quite get NPR's signal where I am. The only FM that came to mind was CBC Radio 1. As mentioned, music isn't enough of a distraction and I just expected that might be all there is on the other band. (Not to mention it's all automated.)

I've had a few sleepless nights before, but at least on weekdays, the rerolls on 1010 are far more interesting, with replays of John Moore and The Shift, some of which I originally missed. But for some reason, they play nothing but dreck on weekends.

**Posted by mace** **Online!** November 17, 2024 4:00 pm

At one time both WBZ and WGN had live phone-in shows overnight. The majority of the WBZ callers were rarely from the Boston area. These days WBZ is all news overnights but WGN has a program called The Other Side of Midnight with Frank Morano. It runs 1AM-5AM on Sundays and 2AM-5AM Monday-Thursday.

**Posted by RadioActive** November 17, 2024 4:10 pm

mace wrote:
At one time both WBZ and WGN had live phone-in shows overnight. The majority of the WBZ callers were rarely from the Boston area. These days WBZ is all news overnights but WGN has a program called The Other Side of Midnight with Frank Morano. It runs 1AM-5AM on Sundays and 2AM-5AM Monday-Thursday.

I believe that Frank Morano show is syndicated out of WABC New York.

**Posted by RadioAaron** November 17, 2024 4:14 pm

RadioActive wrote:
67GreenRambler wrote:
Give the college/university stations on the FM side a try. Or even NPR 88.7
Don't think I thought of that, but I can't quite get NPR's signal where I am. The only FM that came to mind was CBC Radio 1. As mentioned, music isn't enough of a distraction and I just expected that might be all there is on the other band. (Not to mention it's all automated.)

Radio One isn't music overnight.

**Posted by mace** **Online!** November 17, 2024 4:19 pm

RadioActive wrote:
mace wrote:
At one time both WBZ and WGN had live phone-in shows overnight. The majority of the WBZ callers were rarely from the Boston area. These days WBZ is all news overnights but WGN has a program called The Other Side of Midnight with Frank Morano. It runs 1AM-5AM on Sundays and 2AM-5AM Monday-Thursday.
I believe that Frank Morano show is syndicated out of WABC New York.

Indeed it is. I just looked it up.

**Posted by RadioActive** November 17, 2024 4:21 pm

RadioAaron wrote:
Radio One isn't music overnight.

Yes, I'm well aware of that. Especially after the morning I had.

I did tune them in during the wee hours, but whatever spoken word show they had on was absolutely dull and not something I stayed with for long - less than 60 secs. and I was back on AM, still searching for something interesting.

Never did find it, until 6 AM when CKTB's always entertaining (and live!) "Secret Hour" with Karl Dockstader and his producer talking about nothing important and kibbitizing for 60 minutes came on. It's very entertaining. Just wish it was on earlier!

**Posted by cash** November 17, 2024 4:34 pm

Yo u don't have access to radio apps?

**Posted by RadioAaron** November 17, 2024 4:38 pm

RadioActive wrote:
RadioAaron wrote:
Radio One isn't music overnight.
Yes, I'm well aware of that. Especially after the morning I had.

Ah, got it. Your wording was uncharacteristically poor. The CBC shows require a bit of time listening to really engage; they definitely don't grab you immediately.

**Posted by RadioActive** November 17, 2024 5:04 pm

cash wrote:
Yo u don't have access to radio apps?

Yes, but for reasons that are too complicated to get into here, the situation I was in did not make online listening possible at the time. So I had to make do with just the radio.

**Posted by Chrisphen** November 17, 2024 5:42 pm

67GreenRambler wrote:
Give the college/university stations on the FM side a try. Or even NPR 88.7

CIUT's overnight programming can be hit-or-miss.

**Posted by RadioActive** November 17, 2024 5:49 pm

I really think it was the weekend overnights. I've been up early on the weekdays and it's much better.

**Posted by newsguy1** November 17, 2024 6:12 pm

All I know is I hardly listen to the radio on the weekend. It is simply unlistenable.
The only show that is at all tolerable is the trivia show with Jason Agnew, but I can only take a few minutes of it as he stumbles his way through tedious remarks and endless boring explanations about how his games work and how to follow endless rules etc.
I used to sort of enjoy some of the things Roy Green did, at least he has some interesting guests .
But Last week I stopped listening to him after he had on a Trump surrogate and Green admitted if he were American he would have voted for Trump.
Never again, Roy.

**Posted by Saul** November 17, 2024 7:29 pm

RadioActive wrote:
cash wrote:
Yo u don't have access to radio apps?
Yes, but for reasons that are too complicated to get into here, the situation I was in did not make online listening possible at the time. So I had to make do with just the radio.

Presume you made bail...

**Posted by Stefanie** November 17, 2024 7:45 pm

Maybe just going back to sleep would help?

**Posted by cash** November 17, 2024 8:17 pm

RadioActive wrote:
cash wrote:
Yo u don't have access to radio apps?
Yes, but for reasons that are too complicated to get into here, the situation I was in did not make online listening possible at the time. So I had to make do with just the radio.

You need Calm Radio

**Posted by RadioActive** November 17, 2024 8:38 pm

Stefanie wrote:
Maybe just going back to sleep would help?

Impossible on the night in question, with a sick person in the house. Life happens. Unfortunately, good radio doesn't always.

Overnight Radio In Toronto - Listening To The Unlistenable

pinto wrote:

Saul wrote:

67GreenRambler wrote:

mace wrote:

RadioActive wrote:

67GreenRambler wrote:

RadioActive wrote:

mace wrote:

RadioAaron wrote:

RadioActive wrote:

RadioAaron wrote:

cash wrote:

67GreenRambler wrote:

RadioActive wrote:

cash wrote:

RadioActive wrote:

cash wrote:

Stefanie wrote: