What We Have Here Is A Failure To Communicate

Radio News from British Columbia

Postby Glen Livingstone » Mon Jun 12, 2006 9:48 am

Corus launched its new format, Continuous Drive Time Traffic and the Best of Talk on AM730 exactly one week ago.

I fully expected that they would bring the same lack of expertise to this experiment as they had brought to the previous three ( MOJO Sports, MOJO: Talk Radio For Guys & NW2 All News), and they didn't disappoint.

Where to begin?

A confusing hodge-podge of garbled information delivered in an unprofessional manner by a young, inexperienced on-air crew who sound like they don't know what they're talking about.

The information is delivered in a free-form hit or miss style that will have your head spinning like Jodie Foster's in The Exorcist in no time.

Under the stewardship of program director Ian Koenigsfest this reincarnation of the sadly abused 730 frequency is the worst one yet.

The anchor I listened to this morning is a case in point.

Prior to his promotion he was a weekend board operator at CKNW.

"We're looking for an update" he said with a manufactured sense of urgency, pleading several times for listeners to phone in about a stalled vehicle in Maple Ridge.

Why?

Why are you looking for an update?

If you're reporting a traffic problem on the air and you don't have the whole story, why don't you send your helicopter reporter to the area to check it out?

Isn't this the reason you have a helicopter?

Why are you asking your listeners to do a job that you yourselves should be doing?

Didn't Corus Radio Vancouver General Manager J.J. Johnston say in a recent article in Broadcaster Magazine about AM730: ?This new and groundbreaking continuous traffic format fills a void in the Vancouver market. Imagine never having to wait for a traffic report during the prime drive times.?

J.J. brags about his groundbreaking new format, yet how committed can he really be to it when he can't even be bothered to give AM730 its own dedicated phone line?

That's right.

If you want to call in a traffic tip to them you have to call 'NWs number.

AM730 apparently has no telephone.

After listening off and on for the past week it's apparent that Vancouver isn't big enough to warrant this kind of wall-to-wall traffic coverage, even in peak times.

The repetition factor of the limited information available is way too high.

But of course, there is a quick-fix for this problem.

J.J. may want to consider sending the AM730 Community Cruiser out to cause its own accidents, thus ensuring continuous traffic problems for his groundbreaking new radio station to report on.
User avatar
Glen Livingstone
Advanced Member
 
Posts: 948
Joined: Sun May 07, 2006 8:12 pm

Return to British Columbia

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 186 guests