I thought this was worth a separate thread, simply because it's so unexpected.
As noted by RadioPaulPA in the CKNT post, Sauga 960 has apparently hired former CFRB noon show host Mike Bullard to front their afternoon drivetime effort, beginning Monday.
It follows the comedian's long court battle over his involvement with City TV's Cynthia Mulligan, which effectively ended his career. Or at least it threatened to, until he landed this. It will be very interesting to hear if he refers to those troubles on his inaugural broadcast on the new station, which happens at 4 PM.
Bulllard returns on CKNT. Insert sad joke here.
does this station have a website ??
Nothing on it right now besides an audio feed.
How exciting, daily Monday to Friday programming begins Monday Oct 29th at 9 am.
The Mid Day Show with Norm Murray and Martha Kruk Lifestyle and Entertainment.
Foster & Decker 2 pm to 4 pm Conversation that will amaze you.
The Getaway with Mike Bullard and Lawrence Morganstern 4 pm to 7 pm Your Drive home show, entertaining to no end.
I'm still amazed CKNT found the money to hire Norm Murray!
Surprised they haven't filled traditionally the most important time slot, that of morning drive, yet. You'd think that would be the first thing they'd do, instead it will be the last.
Everyone has the right to work so as much as I'm not a fan of Bullard's personality or comedy, I'm not going to begrudge him employment. I just hope he's sought the help he desperately needs or else he may find his old problems resurfacing.
CKNT is taking over the airwaves.
How about they put up atleast one highway billboard. If you take 10 people right now and ask them if they know about CKNT station 0 would know.
It's a test for whether there truly is demand for "local" radio.
If your sample of ten people know that it exists in (say) six weeks, the answer will be obvious. On the other hand, can you suggest anything to compare it with? For example, Bayshore Broadcasting is running all over southern Georgian Bay touting "local" radio, but after a few hours of listening, people point out that it's an Owen Sound broadcaster with a $1,000/month tower in every one-horse town.
Good luck to Mike Bullard, you're the Conrad Black of Mississauga.
Old dudes want local radio. Local radio is now 960 CKNT. Old dudes are angry.
Mike Bullard is ON THE AIR dudes of all ages are glued to the parlor radio. Can Cam Stewart + Lou Schizas be far behind?
"For the last two years, I've been on a modern dance scholarship in France."
-Bullard on his first show back, explaining where he's been all this time.
He relates that he had a gall bladder attack during the court proceedings, needed surgery, and that his attorney didn’t tell the judge, so he was charged with breaching his release conditions. Add to that, his mother died in the middle of all this, which only added to the stress.
Eventually, he says, he “admitted to what I did” and now he just wants to put it all behind him.
Perhaps the most disturbing statement, though, came from his comedian co-host, who insisted Bullard didn’t do anything that he was accused of!
The verdict would suggest otherwise.
He related what it was like to have to go the bathroom in jail, his court experience and why he hated the Crown Attorney who, he claims, went after him with every charge he could think of.
His co-host also wondered why almost no one was calling. They made jokes about it, but the real unstated answer is that no one (except maybe me, Geo and Dial Twister) is actually listening or knows that CKNT exists.
Slash my wrists...or keep listening? Decisions. Decisions.
no one (except maybe me, Geo and Dial Twister) is actually listening or knows that CKNT exists.
"Many are called; few are chosen"
Abusive-guy music radio. Man, this show isn't just off the rails...it's in the weeds.
I especially enjoyed Mike and his co-host disagreeing on what the station's name is. Just awful radio.
Pretty good reception here in High Park until the sunset power-down though.
Christ, it was unbelievably unfunny.
A bit of a rough listen indeed. Stiff and awkward - and that's being charitable. But, I'm willing to give them some time to settle into *some* sort of groove.
Poor newscaster Indira Tarachandra got pulled far more into the show and giving opinions than she likely would've liked ("Is that a compliment or not if construction workers hoot and holler at you?"), but at least managed to come out mostly unscathed.
One offhand comment made by Lawrence Morganstern was how him and preceding timeslot comedian Glen Foster were "poached" from Funny 820 and they jumped over to this station. Not sure if that's the best career move. However, that earlier show "Foster & Decker" was actually reasonably listenable.
It sounded like two guys at a bar who think they're having a great conversation while everyone sitting within earshot just wants them to shut up.
I tuned in shortly after 11 PM today.
What's with the use of a phone number that is not the easiest to remember?
They should have requested a number ending in "0960"...at least.
I actually listened to about five minutes of it on Tuesday and Bullard announced they'd be moving to a brand new studio next week. From the sound of it, it might not be in the same building but an entirely new place.
Questions: why would you sign on a brand new radio station (relatively speaking in CKNT's case) when you were only going to move to a new location a few weeks/months later? Wouldn't you just finish the new digs after having seven years to get everything ready and stay there?
I've asked this before and I'll ask it again: what is going on over there?
why would you sign on a brand new radio station (relatively speaking in CKNT's case) when you were only going to move to a new location a few weeks/months later?
Did the average listener care whether Roger, Rick + Marilyn's voices were coming from 1331 Yonge or 250 Richmond?
My understanding of a soft launch is when you have every thing ready to go but you don't spend to much on advertising so you can work out the bugs. In this case they seem to be missing all the stuff you need to run a talk radio station.
Like having multiple ways for people to contact the show.
Maybe it's just me but a new station wanting to make a name for itself in Peel Region might want to talk about stuff going on in Peel Region and not about Trump.