The Naked Truth Takes the Nation
Okay that’s just a slight over-statement! But so far I’ve been on radio from Halifax to Chatham, from Wingham to St. Catharines.  And today, it’s CFRB 1010 Toronto. …
radio
Elise’s Last Day
This summer our newsroom grew from 3 to 4 people with the addition of Blackburn London’s paid summer news intern.  That person is Elise Copps-Smith and today is her last day as she goes back to Fanshawe College to finish her course. …
The Chess Game: Radio
Here in London, one of the most competitive radio markets in the country, you can tell that fall ratings are almost upon us. Â In Toronto radio stations are now rated by People Meters but here we still go by the old spring/fall ratings periods and this fall is going to have more changes than any season in years. Â …
Weird Week at Work
Our radio station is in a nice part of the city. Â It’s in a beautiful building on Richmond Row, the mecca of London’s downtown shopping and dining spots. Â Just so you know that what I’m about to describe isn’t a shack in a derelict district of town. Â …
If Only They Knew Me
I wasn’t feeling well when we left for Michigan on Saturday morning. I had a headache and a mildly queasy tummy. Â After we stopped at the Port Huron Cracker Barrel, where I had a bland breakfast of plain oatmeal with raisins, the queasiness turned into full-blown nausea. Â I spent an hour of the trip with my seat reclined, under a blanket. Â If only I had taken that as a sign of what was to come! …
Story of the Week
An occurrence in St. Thomas yesterday morning made my day as a newscaster. Â …
Twitter Twits
There are some real dinosaurs in the journalism game. Â I just can’t understand the way some of them cling to the “way things have always been done” and refuse to realize that the world is being shaped by young geeks and we’d better fall in line or get left behind. Â …
Chris Martin Backs me Up!
In the radio announcer coaching part of this little enterprise my mantra is always; Â If you have to choose, always choose being clear over being clever. Â If only the members of Coldplay had heard me! Â …
Unanswerable Questions Part 348
Why do the people who are the most vocal about what’s wrong with the broadcasting industry no longer work (or never have worked) in it? Â …
Superbowl Ad for Canadian Hearts
Perhaps you missed this one. Â Although I’m not hockey’s biggest fan, it brings a tear to my eye to see what happens when a bunch of guys playing pick-up hockey get the star treatment. Â …
Syntax Crimes and Other Offences
I’m always amused by poor writing, especially in broadcasting. Â There’s inexperience, which can be forgiven of course. And then there’s just plain sloppiness. Â I get a giggle out of noticing them and always regret not keeping the ones I find. Â I foolishly think I will remember them. …
Always a Student
On Friday, I had the good fortune to speak to a classroom full of first year radio and broadcast journalism students at Fanshawe College. …
Finding the Funny
Funny 1410 has been on air since the very end of last year. Â If you recall, it’s a new format for a legendary (to me!) frequency here in London, where I worked the all-hit format many moons ago. Â …
Musical Musings
I’m a rock fan. Â I prefer pounding drums, wailing guitar solos and singers with passion that verges on a scream. And I don’t think that’s ever going to change. …
Laughs on the Radio
The radio industry today is worlds away from what it was like when I was starting out. Â …
The Lighter Side of the London Rippers!
Not everyone is horrified by the name, alone, of the city’s new baseball team. Â …
Burying the Lead
The subject line refers to a news cliche of hiding your best story. Â Say your cousin comes to visit and talks all evening about his ant-farming hobby. Â Then as he’s just about to leave he says, “Oh and by the way, I won $11 million in the lottery.” Â That would be burying the lead. Â …
Grammatical Sheep
Most radio stations, TV stations and newspapers subcribe to a news service called CP, Canadian Press, formerly known as BN or Broadcast News. …