A couple of heavyweight salaries being lopped from the CKNW newsroom budget. It’s been confirmed, veterans Tom Mark and Terry Bell have been let go. They are probably among the longest serving newsies at the Top Dog, with the exception of Terry Shintz who remains with the station. NW Sports reporter Stu Walters has also been let go.
Also gone from Corus Vancouver is Neil Morrison and Todd Hancock Midday & Drive on CFOX and Nikki Omen, Willy Percy‘s producer on Rock 101.
And late word has imaging voice Jim Conrad also out the door.
Schintz remains. Stu Walters also let go. Todd Hancock let go from CFOX.
Todd? No way…
Neil Morrison and some 20th floor staff also gone.
wow.
Isn’t the week before Canada day always dark for the Black Tower?
Heard that the numbers are about 60 people nationally as Corus desperately tries to appease Bay Street, showing that they can counter soft revenue numbers by reducing expenses.
Cornwall cut their whole newsroom, 3 people, but that’s scary.
I always figured if the Fox was going to cut it would be the morning show only. But what do I know. I am only just a listener not management
I remember, almost half a century ago, when I first began to hear about automation in the broadcast biz and then later with VT, how long it would be before the typical radio station was just a padlocked blockhouse containing a computer and a transmitter, all run from a highrise office suite somewhere in Central Canada. Can’t be long now… 🙁
Hate to hear about Hancock and Morrison. A couple of the best dudes i’ve ever met in this industry and Hancock especially is a master of his craft – one of the greatest technical jocks i’ve ever witnessed and fiercely passionate about his music. They’ll be missed.
Did you all note the promos for a NEW SOUND! coming to CKNW on Monday ‘Happy Canada Day’? What’s that all about?
They are running spots saying they will have an announcement on a new sound next week. Anyone know what thats all about.
Will Drex move into afternoons on the Fox? Or will he be moving to this “New” NW launching July 1st? He seems to be the super star over at Corus. As a listener, I can’t say I’ve ever been a fan of Morrison or Hancock but I do wish them both the best.
Sadly the one station to I have listened to for years is no longer the same. It started with Danger being let go then Scott Alan moving to rock 101 now Neil Morrison and Todd Hancock are gone. Stupid decisions are leading me straight to sirius/xm
One of the announcements in yesterdays noon-hour commercial block was for a street fair in Toronto … last week!
The New CKNW Morning News with Mike Eckford and Fiona Forbes?!
Yup, these bean counters just love their downward spiral. If Bay street had half a brain they’d consider good content to boost ratings, yet despite their approach failing for nearly 20 years now they keep at it. It’s pathetic.
NW has as many listeners as the traffic station. It’s a joke.
It should be LAW that in Canada there should be a live DJ on 24/7 even for safety reasons. This whole mess is CRTC based and corporate greed. I can’t WAIT for the day it all comes crashing down!
Why would anyone get into the radio industry? You work your way up by starting in small towns and then when you make it in a big market, the corporate hacks let you go.
Wow. That’s scabby. I hope it gets worse for Corus. I listen for the personalities as much as anything else. Morrison and Hancock were fantastic. Suck it CFOX. I have zero respect for companies who treat people as disposable after years and years of service.
The fox was the only station I listened to regularly over the last 20 plus years. all for the on air talent. I have a feeling what is happening is a national talk network on CKNW and other talk stations in Canada. Maybe have a show originate in different cities but broadcast nationally. I think The Fox will be in trouble now that the 2 best talents are gone. I assume the ratings will continue to decline then you will see Fresh or Jump come to Vancouver. I am hoping that with LG here that Rock 101 will tweak the format slightly to compete and maybe the Peak will open the playlist more to take some of the Shore listeners and Fox listeners.
All I can say is that I believe all of this is a direct result of the Bell/Astral deal. It is affecting the radio business everywhere
Tom Mark and Terry Bell both gone from NW, two of the best in news. One can only wonder what the ” No Minds” in Corus back east are thinking or not thinking.
So NW keeps Bill Not-So-Good and Philip Till, with their dropping ratings and bloated salaries? Yeah, that sounds about right….
Seems the Corus suits are taking a page from the KGO San Francisco suits playbook. For those not keeping track at home, that’s where you take a number one radio station year after year do major tinkering and turn that number one station into number 17, where KGO currently sits.
The downward spiral began after Frosty Forst was replaced with Phillip Till. Phillip a great newsman but my gawd, a painfully dull morning man.
Well done suits! The good news is that most of you get to keep your jobs.
Oh. Barf.
The thought of more of the most unctuous Michael Eckford or this Dreck fellow, really turns my stomach. Eckford, who sincerly believes he has opinions that matter, and the ‘Dunder from Down Under’ Drex, with a voice built for submarines, who had the temerity to sit in Sean Leslie’s time slot a few times this month. Listening to him try to cover off any serious issues is akin to watching a fish try to pedal a bicycle.
Or, was that an analogy better suited to Eckford, given his obvious fondness for, and softballs lobbed at anything to do with City Hall? And I can’t decide if he’s slobbering or about to pee his pants when he’s in the presence of ‘Greatness”—like, one of the ‘Real Hosewives of Vancouver’.
If the ‘suits’ think that this kind of ‘infotainment’ is gonna bring the young’uns in (and the allowances they get from mom and dad, who have re-mortgagd their homes via ‘NW regular advertiser and one of the Horsemen of the Housing Apocolypse, Alpine Credits) they are mistaken.
My ears are already bleeding in anticipation for the ‘new sound’ that will be unveiled at CKNW on Canada Day. I shall reply with a new sound of my own: that of one hand clapping (with the other reaching to change to another station when these two are on).
Webster wept.
The above post STINKS of Tsakumis… So many big words for such a small mind. I thought you and Mike were best buds?
This is why I mostly listen to CBC Radio 1 and 2.
Jim Conrad also gone as the image voice for NW
I know and realize corporations have gained bad reputations, especially when it comes to the downsizing of staff, and complaints like that are totally justified, but to a point.
I’ve recently read on one of the blogs, accusations Brad Phillips and Ronnie Stanton are just filling their chairs waiting it out for retirement, so why should they give a sh** about the Vancouver cluster. I say to myself, say what? Where is this type of thinking coming from?
When I look at pros such as Phillips, a guy that started at the bottom, worked the all night show in the little prairie town… learned and worked his way up many a ladder and has done well because of his expertise, understand and insight in the industry, and more important he achieved results for his employers, be it Bell Media, Astral or Corus. That is why a company like Corus hired this man. Knowing about Brad’s background in the industry. I believe Brad and his current team have been working on many a plan and strategy for their radio stations and 980 CKNW is high on the agenda. I believe now is the time we will begin to see what and where that direction will be.
As for Tom Mark and Terry Bell, both of whom I’ve been long time fans, and I don’t want to sound mean or to offend my fellow broadcasters, but you two guys are beginning to sound ‘crotchety’ on the air. I’m sorry to say, and I recognize my days too, will soon be there as well Perhaps it’s time to hang up your head phones in this market before they’re hung up on you, like today. You’ve both had a good long run, and I commend them both for their long time commitment and efforts in serving the industry.
The ‘Reality Check’of my comment is, providing management under Phillips is truly sincere to put an all out effort in rebuilding this once almighty giant CKNW, which I believe can happen, then I wish him and his team well…
With regards to Willy, and the exit of his producer. I think it totally unfair to clump this together with what happened today. Moves like this happen for a reason. It’s never personal, it’s about ‘chemistry’ between the artist and his producer. Sometimes changes are needed.
As for the comments about Michael Eckford and Drex. Perhaps ‘Ash’ hit the nail on the head. The reason I say that is because I believe people like Mike Eckford and Drex are the ones who are going to re-energize talk radio on CKNW.
One of the major problems NW is experiencing right now is the ‘Staid’ sound of Phil Till and Bill Good.,.. it’s time for both to go, and the sooner the better. I’d like to hear Jon McComb move into Bill Good’s nine to nooner. Mike Eckford doing McCombs pm shift, and are you ready Vancouver? DREX in the Mornings on CKNW 980. He’s not only smart. A good interviewer… but he zeros in on the jugular. He’s fresh and he’s upbeat. He can and will be a winner for CKNW IMHO
To “Reality Check” I have some waterfront property in Arizona to sell you
Thanks for the kind words “Reality Check” But, there’s not a chance on God’s green earth i’d ever wake up at 2:30am for a radio job. Ever. Have you seen the people that do morning radio? Frightening stuff.
Reality Check, interesting assessment of this weeks firings at what many call “The Black Tower”, however I would say it is more fantasy than reality.
It’s all about these things right here, $$$$, nothing more , nothing less.
I believe your defense of Brad and Ronnie is just fine however in my opinion they probably have little to do with any of it. It’s the suits at Corus headquarters asking for cuts. They just hand them a calculator and ask them to do the math. Those with the bigger salaries tend to go first.
Another thing, we all know what direction ‘NW has been going in and it isn’t up , that one is easy to figure out. Does it have anything to do with well respected, seasoned announcers like Tom Mark and Terry Bell , who in my opinion sound anything but “crotchety”, I would say absolutely not.
I will agree with you on this one thing, broadcasting today seems to be for the young. There was a time when you wouldn’t even be looked at in Vancouver if you just graduated from BCIT no matter how great you sound, with exceptions of course.
And one more thing, may sound like a bit of a contradiction but I agree Till must go. Not because he is of the older generation, he’s a great newsman, but because his morning program is just so gawd awful , painfully boring. The decision to give Till the morning slot can probably be pinned locally maybe even Phillips for all I know.
Till on the AM precedes Phillips, that would have been a Plasteras decision.
Ash,
No, I’m not Tsakumis. He should be so lucky.
But tell me. Are you Fiona Forbes? 🙂
PS Ash.
I smell pretty good, too…
😉
I would be overjoyed if Good, Till and McComb were shipped off in an easterly direction…somewhere past Saskatoon.These three dinosaurs are so boring , they make Sterling Faux sound exciting….as James Brown sang….”Please , Please ….”
This could be the greatest Canada day ever.
Hancock and Morrison unfortunately are the latest casualties as a result of the Corus Clown Show. Both are great jocks and great guys and deserved better.
Todd and I heard it at numerous stops together in school and various markets – “radio is a business”, but the continuous cuts being made by Corus and other media groups don’t indicate any kind of business acumen. Rather what these execs are displaying is a parasitic approach to their business. Cut and cut and cut until you no longer have anything to sell.
Todd and Neil’s skills and attitude have inspired many in this business and hopefully they will be given a platform soon to continue to do so.
“radio is a business”
Indeed. It can have serious impact on those working in that “business.” The broadcast industry today is all about declaring dividends to the shareholders. Public companies sink or swim on the bottom line. They are either above it or drowning under it. Hence, senior employees, below management, are first out the door because they cost more than the 20-somethings.
It’s time the CRTC made some rule changes about the amount of ownership in any given market.
Put some ZIP on the Air at NW hire Nick Volkow,give him a time slot on Talk radio he will have the lines jammed.Its time to have a broadcaster with some personality on the Air. The listeners will love him.
gad damn radio is really sucking these days. It all started with Shores 4th (in two years) radio format switch and corus making cuts. They really took advantage of their switch and got rid of two of their best DJs. STILL missing Neil and Handcock- who knows what will happen to them?
I like Pam stevens and Craig Stone a lot. Yet vancouver radio is starting to suck and LG old rock is not what it needs.
Good luck to Mr Koinexpress at NW. If the goal is to cut payroll at any cost (pun intended) he has achieved his goal. If his goal is to attract a younger audience to the am dial maybe he should try something easier like a car that runs on sea water. The younger audience gets older and presto they become listeners of talk radio. So Mr I.K. has allienated his older listeners in the hope of attracting the proper demographic. Less politics? Then what will they talk about? Good morning Vancouver this is Jon McComb and today we will investigate the differnce between a kale smoothie and a fruit smoothie. Good luck
I.K. has managed to dump two large salaries Good and Till and rework the on air talent only needing to hire Drex to fill the daytime schedule. Once again Chorus has put costs ahead of content. Ted radio is worse filler than an hour long K Tel infomercial. Mr Eckfords show the shift has all the appeal of a Saturday morning cartoon show.
The no-politics style of talk show has been tried in Vancouver already .. on C-FUN 1410. I was a big fan of the lineup that included Joe Leary, Jennifer Thomson, Mark Driesschen and others .. but it absolutely bombed in the ratings. The C-FUN personalities were very likeable .. unlike several now populating the former Top Dog.
And I too much prefer Roy Green to the TED Radio Hour.
I’m listening to the new Jon McComb morning show. He’s talking to Shane Woodford. Not the best radio I’ve ever heard. I suppose I’ll give it a week or as long as I can stand it. Thanks a bunch Mr Kionexpress. I would love to know why Mike Smyth didn’t get one of these time slots. If it was his choice so be it. If Corus couldn’t afford him then Corus will get exactly what they deserve.
CFOX has over the years become such a hipster music station. The days of turning it on and actually getting some real rock music have been over for a long time my friends. Corporate a-holes who don’t even listen to real music decide the basic format and choose the music for all their stations cross-country. The 90’s at noon if they still even do it, is the only worthwhile hour all day, musicwise that is. The personalities of the station are truly the only thing good about CFOX music. Losing Neil and Todd all but sinks the ship from 10am on. Radioheads in the big smoke of Toronto should soon figure out that the listening public has changed and with the advent of Sirius/XM radio over the past decade they can’t compete music wise. If they keep S&#t canning quality talent like Neil and Todd they are only shooting themselves in the last few toes they even have left on their last foot. When I start my own station and use a mix of the Sirius octane and lithium channels I will be sure to hire both these guys. “Coming up next!!!!” Thanks for all the bitchin lunch hours over the years brother Bill!