9 comments

1. gary4567 says:

   July 6, 2011 at 7:27 pm

   My favourite London radio memory is either when I hit the curve on the 401 and I get the Detroit stations or when I got Sirius in both my vehicles

   I have nothing but praise for people on the radio…it is a very tough job….however most if not all in London are not that good…which I guess is why they are in London and not someplace else

   For once if they could rip off some other large city morning show’s idea it may draw people…but a Two for Tuesady with the Tragically Hip just wont cut it
2. dan.brown says:

   July 6, 2011 at 8:18 pm

   gary4567: I disagree. We have some very talented people in radio here in this city.

   Compared to Toronto, compared to Sirius, London stacks up very well.
3. gary4567 says:

   July 7, 2011 at 7:40 am

   I would repecttfully submit Dan that your involvement in London radio (both via friends and your on air work) may be one of many drivers in your op ed.
4. JOBBOOM_8396138 says:

   July 7, 2011 at 12:45 pm

   A long time ago Janice Zolf did a nightly jazz show on what is now FM96. That was a time when the station played everything from folk, to rock, to blues, to country, to jazz. Almost like what CHRW does today. Unfortunately, radio has been regimented into strict formats (EZ Rock/Country/Oldies etc.) and I’ve really lost all interest in it. I do, however, listen to FM 101.3 out of Tillyburg…”No rock, no rap!”
5. dan.brown says:

   July 7, 2011 at 5:44 pm

   8396138: Easy 101. I love that station. They play a lot of obscure Canadiana from the 1970s, like Ron Negrini’s version of I’m Easy. Whoever is programming that station is doing a good job.
6. dan.brown says:

   July 7, 2011 at 5:52 pm

   gary4567: I certainly hope my love for London radio and its personalities comes through in my column, otherwise I wouldn’t be doing my job as a columnist.

   My remarks about Toronto radio are based on being a Toronto radio listener (and sometime guest) for almost a decade. Toronto is the city that gave Ralph Benmurgui a radio gig after he left the CBC and the same city that considers Kim Mitchell a superstar DJ, more proof that radio in that city is as much a wasteland as anywhere else.

   As for Sirius, are you serious? Look, I’m a fan and I’ve been listening almost from the beginning but that doesn’t blind me to their on-air “talent.” This is the network that employs Covino and Rich, Spider Harrison, JJ Walker and Taylor on Cosmo in the morning . . . you’ve got it upside down. These people aren’t on Sirius because they’re too talented for terrestrial radio, it’s because they can’t get jobs in markets like London.

   London radio has as much, or more, talent than any other market. And a lot of London’s hosts are here by choice . . . look at my friend Lisa. She could go back to Toronto, but she stays here because this is the community she loves.

   However, I agree with you on the point about radio being tough. If it was easy, anyone could do it.
7. gary4567 says:

   July 8, 2011 at 10:32 am

   Ok…it is somewhat unfair to refer to anything CBC related……it is akin to rationalizing a delusional persons actions

   I would submit that the pay scale, or lack there of, is the main reason some people end up in London rather than Toronto….

   Name 5 people who got “rich” in London radio…unless there is a pot of gold in ad money I don’t see it

   The upside of Sirius is the “DJ’s” you indicated (some I don’t know) have limited talk time…which leaves more time for music
8. nflfan says:

   July 8, 2011 at 5:38 pm

   Good column Dan. I do rememer the CJBK-CKSL dispute but in my case it was more like “change the channel, they’re playing disco”. My dad loved CKO. I think it was nation-wide; no? I was at Western when the CRTC made 6X move off the hard rock format to what their charter said they’d originally play. They even sold 6X baseball style shirts and I grabbed one up when I was over in Lodnon. The downside was it was hard to get 6X in St. Thomas.
   I’ve listend to Free a bit this week and am overall impressed. I’d like to here a bit more diversity (ie – not quite so much oldies) but generally, I like what I’m hearing. Free quickly replaced 97.5 on our car presets.
9. gary4567 says:

   July 8, 2011 at 7:20 pm

   do they not play “oldies” bc it is cheaper?