I’ve written and set aside at least a half-dozen columns about the #metoo movement. Most of what’s worth saying has already been said. Then I considered my own experiences and realized I had an unusual one, long ago, that might serve as a cautionary tale. It became my final column before Our London closed its pages for good. I was also invited to talk about it this week on News 95.7 in Halifax. …
Back in September, I posted a blog about what potential radio guests should know before they pitch an idea. (Want to Attract the Media? Follow These Tips!) It was shared several times on social media and some people messaged me privately to say that these things never occurred to them. I know! That’s why I wrote it. 🙂 …
According to New York financial services expert Jack Kelly, they’ve all been fired. …
It’s been three years since Derek left his last radio job. Or, more accurately, since he was fired. (A rite of passage in our industry.) He decided then and there that he was done with radio and worked for one year in trailer sales before launching his own business: Derek Botten Media. …
Oh, the texts we receive. From picking apart the tiniest of phrases and attempting to twist them, to just foolish and naive thoughts and ideas, we get ’em all. And just like our Mean Texts video series, I can’t possibly show you the worst of the worst because they’re either full of spewing vitriol, vulgar language or racist and sexist slurs. Here’s a recent sample. Spelling and grammar errors and any crimes against punctuation have not been altered. …
Radio co-hosts in Sydney, Australia are getting a lot of attention because the woman discovered she made a lot less money than the man, and he did something about it. Dave and Kate were a team, equal in their contribution to the show and he decided it wasn’t right that she was paid less, which it wasn’t. …
Dear PR professionals and those who wish to be,
Every day we in the media are deluged with emails, social media posts, phone calls and other messages from you. Sometimes, what you have to offer is of value to us. Other times it is not. Regardless, if you want to develop a working relationship with us, here are some blunt and handy tips to follow: …
And now, more excerpts from the listener text file. …
Text-ament to the Innermost Thoughts of Some ListenersRead More »
My first two full-time on-air radio jobs found me in country music radio, first in Red Deer, Alberta and then in Prince George, BC. I had some earlier experience with what was then called country & western, through my Mom and Dad and my cousin Wayne’s country band. But my exposure was limited and carefully curated. I grew to love Waylon Jennings and appreciate Conway Twitty. But some of the nasally, twangy stuff made me climb the walls. John Anderson’s Swingin’, anyone? …
Throwback Thursday – The Beautiful Simplicity of the Gentle GiantRead More »
Does everyone get the Sunday Night Blues? Generally, I just get on with it, but sometimes I feel a bit of dread about Monday. I enjoy my job, really I do, but the longer I do it, the more concern I have about peoples’ states of mind. …
Ken and I are shooting a TV commercial this morning. It’s not just for our Morning Show on CJBK; afternoon drive host Andy Oudman is also in it and although the script is a closely guarded secret, I gather we are taking part in a mock debate, so it sounds like it will be fun. I will post it here once it’s finished and on the air. …
When Ken’s away, I’ll do whatever it takes to not be boring.  Our morning show – a talk show, may I remind you – eats up so much more content when there’s just one person at the helm. Without Ken there to keep the conversation going, there’s only so much I can do alone that’s interesting. Oh, I could prattle on incessantly if I loved the sound of my own voice a bit more! But “interesting” is the key! …
I’ve always admired Sharon Taylor. She was Canada’s first female radio Program Director. She’s smart, sensible and insightful and that’s never been more evident than in a recent post she wrote in her position as consultant with Byrnes Media. …
Reaction to our first CJBK Mean Texts video was terrific, so we are back with a second instalment. …
Imagine if someone was let into your workplace specifically to tell you what a bad job they thought you were doing. They responded to your every move in a negative way and repeated, often using foul language, how unqualified or unfit you were do be in your position. They made blanket statements and assumptions and battered you with their verbal assaults. Imagine also that you had no idea who they were. Their identity was hidden. That’s what it’s like to be a host in talk radio. …
Jamaica is beautiful. You probably don’t need proof, but here’s a photo I took off Montego Bay when I was there in the early 1990s. …
The January edition of the Byron Villager features an article on my hubby’s workshop pursuits. It’s drawn a lot of reaction, from people taking down old homes offering him a walk-through to salvage what he wants, to those ordering custom furnishings and lamps. Â …
The next time I’m asked to speak about my career to a university or college class, I’m going to say no. It’s not that I don’t want to help them, it’s that I don’t think that I can. Â …