Une nouvelle qui a fait peu de bruit sur CJAD ce mois-ci, voici l'article du quotidien montréalais The Gazette :
Source, The Gazette, Montréal: http://www.montrealgazette.com/life/CJAD+cuts+people/1868692/story.html
CJAD cuts 8 people
By KATHRYN GREENAWAY, The GazetteAugust 7, 2009
CJAD 800 AM is shaking up its talk-radio lineup. Eight on-air personalities will be leaving their posts.
Operations manager Bob Harris said they had spent the last year analyzing data gathered about who listens to what on the radio and thought changes were in order.
"It was a business decision, to enhance our programming," Harris said.
Peter Anthony Holder, the overnight host for 20 years, is gone; so is news anchor Kathy Coulombe, editorialist Rod Dewar, Saturday-night Solid Gold host Al Gravelle, Sunday host Jake Lawrence and Kevin Holden, husband and on-air co-host of Trudie Mason.
Also gone are Olga Gazdovic and Laurie MacDonald. The Olga and Laurie Show would have been on the air 14 years in October. The two won the radio co-host jobs in a contest. On a whim, they showed up, unprepared, at a South Shore mall where the on-air contest was being held.
"I chatted (with Laurie) about a salami I'd noticed at a grocery store earlier that day that had an expiration date over one year old," Gazdovic said during a telephone interview from her office at Vanier College, where she is executive director of the Vanier College Student Association.
MacDonald and Gazdovic were old friends, and their natural banter won them the job.
"Our show was about nothing and about everything," Gazdovic said. "It was like people invited us into their kitchens for a coffee. We were regular women having a laugh."
And now, it's over.
"I'm not angry or bitter," Gazdovic said. "It's the nature of the business. If I had the chance, I'd do it again in a heartbeat."
The two women dedicated much of their on-air time to raising awareness about various charities, and when MacDonald was fighting breast cancer two years ago, she shared her every experience with listeners.
MacDonald, who also works as a real estate agent, is philosophical about the upheaval.
"It's hard, but that's the nature of the business," she said. "You know you're only as good as your last (ratings).
"But I feel sad for the charities in the city, because they've lost a soapbox."
MacDonald said she was also sad she didn't get a chance to say a proper goodbye to her colleagues. As soon as they were told their jobs had been terminated, they handed in their pass keys and left the building.
"But I wish them well," MacDonald said. "It's been a hell of a ride."
Dan Laxer of Laxer Live replaces Holden and Mason in the 2-to-4-p.m. slot. Mason will move on to play a larger role in the news department.
Harris would not talk about the rest of the CJAD replacements because negotiations are ongoing.
In more radio news, Harris, who is also operations manager for CHOM 97.7 FM and Virgin Radio 96, said CHOM promotions director Skip Snair was let go and that there would be an announcement about the addition of another on-air CHOM host on Tuesday.
kgreenaway@thegazette.canwest.com
Source, The Gazette, Montréal: http://www.montrealgazette.com/life/CJAD+cuts+people/1868692/story.html
CJAD cuts 8 people
By KATHRYN GREENAWAY, The GazetteAugust 7, 2009
CJAD 800 AM is shaking up its talk-radio lineup. Eight on-air personalities will be leaving their posts.
Operations manager Bob Harris said they had spent the last year analyzing data gathered about who listens to what on the radio and thought changes were in order.
"It was a business decision, to enhance our programming," Harris said.
Peter Anthony Holder, the overnight host for 20 years, is gone; so is news anchor Kathy Coulombe, editorialist Rod Dewar, Saturday-night Solid Gold host Al Gravelle, Sunday host Jake Lawrence and Kevin Holden, husband and on-air co-host of Trudie Mason.
Also gone are Olga Gazdovic and Laurie MacDonald. The Olga and Laurie Show would have been on the air 14 years in October. The two won the radio co-host jobs in a contest. On a whim, they showed up, unprepared, at a South Shore mall where the on-air contest was being held.
"I chatted (with Laurie) about a salami I'd noticed at a grocery store earlier that day that had an expiration date over one year old," Gazdovic said during a telephone interview from her office at Vanier College, where she is executive director of the Vanier College Student Association.
MacDonald and Gazdovic were old friends, and their natural banter won them the job.
"Our show was about nothing and about everything," Gazdovic said. "It was like people invited us into their kitchens for a coffee. We were regular women having a laugh."
And now, it's over.
"I'm not angry or bitter," Gazdovic said. "It's the nature of the business. If I had the chance, I'd do it again in a heartbeat."
The two women dedicated much of their on-air time to raising awareness about various charities, and when MacDonald was fighting breast cancer two years ago, she shared her every experience with listeners.
MacDonald, who also works as a real estate agent, is philosophical about the upheaval.
"It's hard, but that's the nature of the business," she said. "You know you're only as good as your last (ratings).
"But I feel sad for the charities in the city, because they've lost a soapbox."
MacDonald said she was also sad she didn't get a chance to say a proper goodbye to her colleagues. As soon as they were told their jobs had been terminated, they handed in their pass keys and left the building.
"But I wish them well," MacDonald said. "It's been a hell of a ride."
Dan Laxer of Laxer Live replaces Holden and Mason in the 2-to-4-p.m. slot. Mason will move on to play a larger role in the news department.
Harris would not talk about the rest of the CJAD replacements because negotiations are ongoing.
In more radio news, Harris, who is also operations manager for CHOM 97.7 FM and Virgin Radio 96, said CHOM promotions director Skip Snair was let go and that there would be an announcement about the addition of another on-air CHOM host on Tuesday.
kgreenaway@thegazette.canwest.com
