Posted by Larry LeBlanc on September 29, 2009, 12:01 pm
207.200.116.134 | Message modified by user Larry1 September 29, 2009, 5:16 pm

Go off this Board for a few days and you realize coming back much of it is the same old crap of pissing on today's radio & talking how it was all better in the old days. Well, I was there in some of the good old days and many of the same people crapped on radio then, chafed at consultants and tight-formats. Yes, I have had my share of criticizing figures or specific radio stations on this page--and I stand by those comments--but I have also praised radio time and time again as a community. It is puzzling to me how someone can go on these pages and nail Astral for making the changes at CFRB (yeah I know the letters have changed). Get a grip. The station is #10th in the market. Before they started playing polka music Astral had to make some sweeping changes. In fact, they are long overdue. Being #10 ain't a badge one can wear too proudly. I know there are many people on this Board that have a passion for this medium as I do. While Warren Cosford & I have had our differences of opinion over the years, for example, I think what he writes is balanced. Warren, probably more than any of us, has much to b###h about over the industry he contributed so much to. But he doesn't at least in these pages. The same with my buddy Greg Simpson. He always has something valuable to say. So many others here moan and groan daily. Not just the odd shot but endless shots & putdown of the radio industry in general. It is just friggin' endless. I'm not saying that the current consolidation from some of the broadcasters like CTV/CHUM or Rogers doesn't deserve our attention. It does. But so do some of the other aspects of this industry. There are some people out there doing some damn good work (c'mon down Andrew Krystal & John Oakley to name only a few). As I said I have certainly been negative on these pages--and i will continue to be so when it is merited--but I haven't been on here b###hing on a regular basis. Nor will I. And I will keep in mind in the future that there are some positive & promising signs out there as well.

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Posted by oneil on September 29, 2009, 2:36 pm, in reply to "SOWNY--JUST A B____H BOARD TO CRAP ALL OVER RADIO"
99.232.81.37

Well, Thanks for the update Larry. We all were wondering about your thoughts.

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Posted by David Lennick on September 29, 2009, 2:41 pm, in reply to "hmmm"
76.71.28.102

Just to be fair, we poop all over television as well.

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Posted by Larry LeBlanc on September 29, 2009, 3:07 pm, in reply to "Re: hmmm"
207.200.116.134 | Message modified by user Larry1 September 29, 2009, 6:08 pm

You two can make a joke of it but this Board has been spiraling downward for some time. I don't see a lot of younger broadcasting people being attracted to it. Morg above has something to say (and something o ask). And oneil.....I don't presume anybody is awaiting for me to make pronouncements on anything. That said, I can express an opinion and see if anyone agrees with me. Maybe there are those that want to curtail the endless & daily carping here from a handful of people who were in radio 20-30 years ago & think everything's crap today. Yep, I know that's a generalization Guys, it's ongoing here. And they sound like a bunch of Monty Python Yorkshire men characters sitting around wheezing and snorting about the good old days. As I suggest, provide a balance. I cited two people that do...Warren Cosford & Greg Simpson. I haven't agreed on much of Warren has had to say since 1970 but when I read him he has something to say. And Greg Simpson is probably the best informed and balanced commentator on the Board. Try going off this Board and come back in a week and read through the deluge of sheer repetitive nonsense. Not from everybody but certainly from a hard core of a few who just whinge away. I'm not saying the Board has to operate in a Alice in Wonderland world but it is also not chronicling reality of today either. Go ahead take your shots at me. And you will. Hopefully, others will support what I am saying here and add their own two bits

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Posted by oneil on September 29, 2009, 4:49 pm, in reply to "hmmm"
99.232.81.37 | Message modified by user oneil September 29, 2009, 4:52 pm

Larry, The point was lighten up! For the most part all this board talks about is CFRB. It should be called the "CFRB and and some other radio stuff Forum" I've said it before, I keep waiting for a discussion on Bill Carrol's bowel movements! If you wish to come back after a week and show your displeasure you're more than free to do so. Just keep in mind that people might not be holding their breath waiting for your next sermon from the mount. Okay now BREATHE Larry...Breathe! (spelling corrected)

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Posted by mediaguy on September 29, 2009, 4:50 pm, in reply to "Re: the point was"
24.102.53.5

It's breathe, not breath. You may now exhale.

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Posted by David Lennick on September 29, 2009, 5:46 pm, in reply to "Re: the point was"
76.71.28.102

The speling has already been correkted..I was loathe to jump in on that one. If everything in radio were perfect, we'd have a blank page here.

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Posted by ig on September 29, 2009, 6:06 pm, in reply to "Re: the point was"
99.226.90.65 | Message modified by user radioguy September 29, 2009, 6:06 pm

I bet you $1,000,000 we wouldn't . Even with perfection, people would find something . "It's too perfect! It doesn't sound natural" for starters.

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Posted by oneil on September 29, 2009, 6:19 pm, in reply to "Re: the point was"
99.232.81.37 | Message modified by user oneil September 29, 2009, 6:30 pm

I think this place is just a hobby for some people. Stop by, rant..check back for a response to your rant....reply..and on it goes. Radio currently doesn't know what it wants to be. It's still a viable medium it just needs to be able to work within the framework of a large company that was never a radio broadcasting company before. Once the bean counters figure it out..maybe it will survive. But, it's going to be a lot different then the radio we knew 10-20 years ago. Just the same way radio in 1970 was a whole lot different than 1950. No media outlet is in good shape. Networks are doing poorly, Radio is barely holding it's own, legendary newspapers are shutting down. The newspapers bother me the most as I'll miss the accurate photo journalism. (That's just a personal issue as I love photography) By the way I don't give a rats ass what they do with CFRB. I discovered many many years ago there are actually OTHER stations in the market to listen to!

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Posted by Mike Cleaver on September 29, 2009, 7:06 pm, in reply to "It's a hobby"
76.10.186.26 | Message modified by user radiovoice September 29, 2009, 7:07 pm

I enjoy coming to this board on a very regular basis, having spent the bulk of my radio career in Toronto. It's easy to keep up with the current state of Toronto broadcasting by reading posts here. I personally know many of the posters, having worked with them. Everyone has an opinion and all are entitled to those opinions. You can agree or disagree about the current state of the industry and how it should be fixed. It's all interesting. Whether it's good or bad is subjective. But everyone deserves to he "heard," unless of course the rules of the board are being broken.

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Posted by Timmah on September 29, 2009, 8:40 pm, in reply to "Re: It's a hobby"
99.230.244.167

Amen Mr. LeBlanc Us young'ns can't sleep at night because we missed the golden age of radio. It's horrible. I don't know how I go on without experiencing the Spirit of Radio or 1050 CHUM that wasn't a sports or news station or a CFRB that calls itself CFRB. I love you old people, hell Zoomers (yeah I'm droppin MZ bomb) great stories, mucho respect...really, I love hearing about how good it was. Just stop telling me that it's so much better than it is now. I may not agree with everything that a) my employer does or b) what is being thrown on the airwaves but from talking with other "young'ns" who are working in Toronto in broadcasting...well, we be havin' fun.

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Posted by Dial Twister on September 29, 2009, 9:07 pm, in reply to "Re: It's a hobby"
64.229.9.240

Well, Timmah, since many of us have lived both the old and the new, I'd say we're better qualified to have an opinion, wouldn't you? ;-) By the way, how did you manage to tear yourself away from the "Trance Room" long enough to pay us any heed? LOL

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Posted by Timmah on September 29, 2009, 9:32 pm, in reply to "Re: It's a hobby"
99.230.244.167

Im totally listening to trance right now, trippin' balls on E and watching Groove.

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Posted by Scraps on September 29, 2009, 9:56 pm, in reply to "Re: the point was"
99.226.19.164

I thought it was the 1050 CHUM board? Guess that's a mute point now.....CP24 Radio or whatever they are. Not much to discuss.

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Posted by the original hank on September 30, 2009, 12:53 am, in reply to "Re: It's a hobby"
99.243.112.249

i guess it's a matter of what you're looking for. if you're focused on finding negative posts you'll find them here. the same can be said for positive posts. as an aside, it's more than a bit ironic when the person commenting on the negative tone of this board is becoming known, as of late, for making negative comments. mmm

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Posted by Larry LeBlanc on September 30, 2009, 2:26 am, in reply to "Re: It's a hobby"
205.188.116.11 | Message modified by user Larry1 September 30, 2009, 10:42 am

The negatives you point out I made, I not only owned up to but I'd argue they were specific and not generalized as many of the comments on this Board are. It's a far cry from carping about the state of radio or owners to pointing out the follies of a morning host who was spinning how he was leaving his show & then proceeded to do a shameful 45 minute segment on his show where he tossed small grenades at his fellow workers and his new boss. Yep, I critiqued this twit and his actions. But I also defended the actions of the station's owners in light of the fact the station is #10 in the market. That's called balance. As I said there's a big difference commenting on the events of the day than the endless go-around of how our profession sucks today. Yeah and the tykes out there now have had their fill how great CHUM, The Spirit, Q107 and the old CFRB was. Frankly, I've have had my fill too like others with the contrast with today. I generally love hearing some of the war stories of yesteryear. But c'mon guys I worked some of the same stations you did and it all wasn't good. Let's certainly recall the good times, for sure, and let us never forget some of the people we worked with, especially those who are no longer with us, but not at the exspense of writing off today completely either. Yes my heros were Big G Walters and Dave Mickie and Red Robinson growing up. And I'm glad I knew all well. But I'm also very proud of the work Andy Barrie is doing today. And John Oakley. And Andrew Krystal. And John Donabie (and I agree he would have been great in mornings at anytime). And John Derringer who's still often overlooked I could go on. Or is that enough negativity for you Hank?

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Posted by Don O'Shaughnessy on September 30, 2009, 12:46 pm, in reply to "Retort To Original Hank"
204.101.27.98

Larry, there's no doubt that some of us old farts can bemoan the fact that the business just isn't what it was back in the day. But the truth of it is that back in the day, our own set of old farts bemoaned the fact that.... well, you get the gist. Some people probably can't make the generational leap to accept that what is happening today is in many cases better than way back when. We remember the wheat, but there was a lot of chaff, too. Media can only reflect the culture in which it is created, and the culture we live in today would have been unthinkable to many of the people at or close to the leading edge back then. Some of us can remember non-stop polka or sing-along programming but speaking personally the gorge rises at the memory. I used to listen to Dick Biondi when he was on WLS and I could get it at night on my radio in Montreal. I wouldn't (and don't) listen to late-night radio today - I don't have the time. I select podcasts to listen to on my own schedule, opt for a jazz morning radio source to my taste and hit 680 for traffic when I need it. Radio has become less of an entertainment and more of an essential data input. While I remembering liking it 'the way it was' there's no way it can be like that again. The world is different, and in the middle of a massive shift in focus. That's exciting, and threatening, and sad, and incredibly motivating - all at the same time. Rock on, eh? :-) dos

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Posted by the original hank on September 30, 2009, 3:00 pm, in reply to "Retort To Original Hank"
99.243.112.249 | Message modified by user original September 30, 2009, 3:16 pm

i can't stand it when people make negative posts. negative comments don't help matters. unfortunately these people can't understand the negative impact such venting creates. it seems they will never change. it's hopeless. we're all doomed! why can't people be positive like me?

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Posted by Elshaw on September 30, 2009, 8:41 pm, in reply to "Re: Retort To Original Hank"
64.229.160.177 | Message modified by user ke September 30, 2009, 8:41 pm

Best Thread Award, gentlemen!

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Posted by The Original DOS on October 1, 2009, 10:56 am, in reply to "Re: Retort To Original Hank"
204.101.27.98

Elshaw wrote: "Best Thread Award, gentlemen!" ...we can haz pryz?

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Posted by greg simpson on October 7, 2009, 5:07 pm, in reply to "hmmm"
99.249.133.183

Thanks, Larry. As Steve Matthews said to me a few years back, who would have ever thought that I would grow to become a voice of reason. Simply put, I have too many friends and very few enemies, and I'd like to keep it that way. The only real criticism I have about radio in the 21st century is that it has not, yet, found a place for me. Come on gang. Everybody knows I work cheap LOL

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