Today in History

[Jack Bennest]

May 19, 1999




Citing economic reasons, CKNW, the province's biggest radio station, and its sister station CFMI announced the layoffs of 15 people yesterday, four of them on-air personalities.

Talk-show hosts Fanny Keifer and Stirling Faux, Owl Prowl host Jack Cullen -- who worked at CKNW for more than 50 years -- and gossip specialist Joy Metcalfe all received pink slips.

The news department lost reporters Terry MacIsaac, Myke Miller and Anna Gebauer.

Sportscasters Lee Powell and Ron Barnet were also cut.

David Karn, producer of Faux's midnight-to-4 a.m. show, was among six layoffs in technical and production departments. Two staff members at a small technical company owned by parent-company WIC also were dismissed.

WIC radio division president and chief executive Doug Rutherford said: "It was a dark day. Unfortunately it was one of those things we had to do to remain competitive in the Vancouver market."

Reducing expenses was the only consideration, said Rutherford. "All these people are excellent performers," he said.

He denied WIC's murky ownership status played a part, adding that Canadian media giants Shaw and Canwest Global are still both shareholders in WIC.

Shaw and Canwest Global have been locked in negotiations over how to divvy up WIC's radio and TV divisions.

Keifer said that when Rutherford told her about the changes, "he said they've had four years of mismanagement and we're cleaning up the mess."

Keifer added: "I'll be back somewhere."

(Copyright The Province 1999)
pg. A.3