Tom's Memo - more than a year later

[Jack Bennest]

MEMORANDUM

TO: All Staff
FROM: Tom Plasteras
DATE: June 21, 2005
RE: CKNW MID-DAY PROGRAMMING

With yesterday's announcement that Brian Burke will become the new General Manager of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks comes the resulting departure of Jennifer Mather as host of the midday program on CKNW.

Jennifer started with us in September 2003 and in her short time with us she grew into a very good talk show host with strong opinions, natural curiosity and a connection to the community. Jennifer is a very talented broadcaster and we're sorry to see her go. Please join us in wishing her and Brian all the best with their new life in California!

And, when one door closes another one opens. We are very pleased to announce the following line-up effective Monday, July 4, 2005.

First, we will be expanding the Noon News with John Ashbridge to a full hour, from Noon-1pm. Our highly-rated noon news package with Ash, JP McConnell and Bruce Allen's Reality Check has become an appointment tune and re-attracts audience to the station midway through the day.

Following that, we are very excited to announce the addition of "Adler Online" with Charles Adler from 1pm - 3pm.

Charles is opinionated, brash, and one of Canada's best talk show talents. He is definitely on the 'show-biz' side of talk radio and has grown audience in every time slot he's occupied. He's known to stir the pot and he's sure to get the phones ringing!

But why would CKNW air a nationally networked show in prime time? We're a local station!

This is a question programmers in our company have been hotly debating for years. But, as the debate has progressed, a couple of key points have emerged as indisputable:

1. Our obligation to the listener is to provide them with the best show possible. Period. Where the show originates is immaterial. Virtually every major news/talk station in North America airs some national programming and prospers from it.

2. The very definition of "local news" has changed. Local news has evolved from "events that happened locally", to events that local people are interested in.

Upon arriving at these conclusions we have been working on this national initiative with confidence and excitement and we look forward to its debute in Vancouver on July 4!

There has been a lot of change in recent weeks for CKNW, and change is never easy. But, with a line-up that now begins with the CKNW Morning News with Philip Till, followed by The Bill Good Show, The Noon News, Adler Online, The World Today with Jon McComb, Nightline BC with Mike Smyth, and Sportstalk with Dan Russell, we are perfectly positioned for the future and can now focus on making these programs the best they can be.

If youi have any questions about our-line I would be happy to discuss them with you.

Tom

[tuned]

And what has happened to the ratings since this memo?

[Glen Livingstone]

I love Tom's memos; they are great examples of bullshit doublespeak - a bunch of wet words, that, when taken apart, mean absolutely nothing.

"Our highly-rated noon news package with Ash, JP McConnell and Bruce Allen's Reality Check has become an appointment tune and re-attracts audience to the station midway through the day."

Just over a year later, and two thirds of 'NW's highly-rated noon news package has left. Ashbridge retired, and J.P. McConnell was turfed.

That leaves Bruce Allen and a rotating staff of news readers to carry the package. It's a pretty light one though, so they probably won't be needing a handcart.

Just as an aside, I've never heard an appointment tune, but if you hum a few bars, I'll give it a try.

Must run now; I feel strangely re-attracted to a real radio radio station:

KGO, San Francisco.

[glaherty]

I like how they're always "very excited" about everything, of course what
are they gonna say: "We are completely indifferent about these changes, and
are guessing they might be okay.?"

[Glen Livingstone]

MEMORANDUM

TO: All Staff
FROM: Tom Plasteras
DATE: June 21, 2005
RE: CKNW MID-DAY PROGRAMMING

We are perfectly positioned for the future and can now focus on making these programs the best they can be.

Tom

Uh, Tom ... I have a question.

As far as making these programs the best they can be... it's been over a year now. When do you plan to start?

[cart_machine]

I love Tom's memos; they are great examples of bullshit doublespeak - a bunch of wet words, that, when taken apart, mean absolutely nothing.

"Our highly-rated noon news package with Ash, JP McConnell and Bruce Allen's Reality Check has become an appointment tune and re-attracts audience to the station midway through the day."

Pluto, let me get this straight:

Mr. Plasteras praised Jennifer Lo/Mathers/Burke's talk show skills .. but THEN says that the noon newscast re-attracts listeners.

If that's the case, people were tuning BACK in .. so that means they WEREN'T listening to Jennifer, doesn't it? Then why was she getting praise?

Just as an aside, I've never heard an appointment tune, but if you hum a few bars, I'll give it a try.

Sounds like some kind of consultant-speak.

Must run now; I feel strangely re-attracted to a real radio radio station:

KGO, San Francisco.

I'm listening to an old Smiley Burnette radio show. Originally a syndicated transcription. With Georgia Brown and the Gay Rancheros. There's a Brokeback joke here somewhere.

cArtie.

[Stn Brk]

If memory serves me correctly (and it doesn't always these days), Jennifer hosted the afternoon talk show. Bill Good hosts the morning talk show and presumably he was the one losing audience members who then had to be 're-attracted' by the noon package.