It didn't seem right to let this one pass by unnoticed.
Today is the 4th anniversary of the short-lived birth of Corus Entertainment's bastard lovechild, MOJO Radio.
Yes, it was four years ago today - August 6th, 2002 - when the fragile little sprog
emerged from the birth canal of the TD Tower as its proud parents, Lou del Monte and Tom Plasteras sat in the waiting room holding hands in giddy anticipation.
Who could forget those promising early days; Jesse Dylan; Scruff Connors; Glenn Beck; Bruce Allen; Brook Ward, and those of-so-funny phony phone calls.
Life was sweet up on the 21st floor of The Black Tower. For about five minutes.
Sadly, shortly after the press release heralding the arrival of the new future King-of- the-airwaves was issued from head office, it was all downhill for little MOJO.
Here it is, reprinted verbatim.
Enjoy!
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MOJO RADIO LIFTS OFF AUGUST 6 WITH JESSE DYLAN LEADING THE WAY
August 6, 2002
Mornings will never be the same as JESSE DYLAN takes to the airwaves on August 6 with the launch of MOJO Radio Vancouver, the all-new AM730 talk radio station for men. The Jesse Dylan Show leads the program schedule with his special brand of mischief and unpredictability, sending a high-octane jolt through Vancouver?s airwaves weekday mornings from 6 ? 10 a.m.
?It is with great excitement that we launch this raucous all-star lineup of provocative shows for men and it?s with mild fear that we unleash The Jesse Dylan Show on the citizens of Vancouver,? says Tom Plasteras, program director, MOJO Radio Vancouver. ?Without a question, MOJO will be a stand out, unlike anything this city has heard before.?
After Dylan, the MOJO day continues with the antics of legendary Canadian personality SCRUFF CONNORS? Nationwide, weekdays from 10 a.m. ? 1 p.m. Master of the phony phone call, Scruff?s new show Nationwide combines topical talk with witty bits and, of course, lots of phony phone calls.
Mid-afternoon airwaves are filled with the frank, direct and brutally honest GLENN BECK. He has a remarkable way of getting the story behind the story and has people listening, howling, cheering, or crying foul. The Glenn Beck Show is heard weekdays from 1 ? 4 p.m.
The ultimate guy?s guy, the unofficial mayor of Vancouver, and Canada?s #1 talent agent with clients such as Bryan Adams and Martina McBride, BRUCE ALLEN kick-starts the week every MOJO-Monday afternoon from 4 ? 7 p.m. If you can?t take the heat, get out of thekitchen, and be warned, this show is hot!
Then, MOJO listeners can tune in to hear Rush Hour Sports with veteran Vancouver sports personality BROOK WARD, long-time sports reporter RICK QUINTON and the latest news, weather and traffic with CLAUDINE GRANT. Cool and confident, Ward takes the pulse of the sports world, Tuesday ? Saturday from 4 ? 7 p.m.
The evening programming begins with The Phil Hendrie Show weeknights from 7 ? 10 p.m. A California native, Phil employs his acid wit to poke fun at the news and newsmakers of the day.
Sex is front and centre in the late evening with DR. DREW PINSKY and The Man Show?s ADAM CAROLLA as they discuss issues of the heart, gut, and groin. The two hours of no-holds-barred conversation airs on Loveline, Sunday ? Thursday from 10 p.m. ? midnight. The Loveline radio program has become a cult hit in the U.S. and has already transitioned to television (MTV).
Sundays from 8 ? 10 p.m., MATT DRUDGE, the one-man news bureau who broke the Monica Lewinsky scandal, covers political news and the business of Hollywood.
Diehard sports fans can find their weekends peppered with ESPN. ESPN Gameday Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon and ESPN Gameday Sundays from 8 a.m. ? 4 p.m. circumnavigate the wide world of sports, touching down in every NFL stadium with up-to-the-second scores and in-depth analysis.
MOJO Radio is also the proud official voice of the Vancouver Giants WHL games. Listen for the expert play-by-play commentary of JIM MULLEN and BILL WILM throughout the entire Giants season, including the 2002 WHL All-Star Game.
Geared to males aged 25 ? 54, MOJO fills a void in the Vancouver market by providing a forum for men to discuss and debate issues that matter to them, from health and fitness to cars, careers, beers, business, women and sports.
MOJO Radio is owned by Corus Entertainment, a Canadian-based media and entertainment company. Corus is a market leader in both specialty TV and Radio. Corus? assets include 52 radio stations, four of Canada?s leading specialty television networks, Canada?s western pay-TV business and five digital channels. Corus also owns Nelvana Limited, one of the world?s largest international producers and distributors of children?s programming and products. The company?s other interests include music,television broadcasting and advertisingservices. A publicly traded company, Corus is listed on the Toronto and New York Exchanges. Corus? Web site can be found at corusentertainment.com.
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Jesse Dylan's special brand of mischief and unpredictability proved to be of no interest to the listening public, and the high-octane jolt through Vancouver's airwaves failed to materialize.
?It is with great excitement that we launch this raucous all-star lineup of provocative shows for men and it?s with mild fear that we unleash The Jesse Dylan Show on the citizens of Vancouver,? says Tom Plasteras, program director, MOJO Radio Vancouver. ?Without a question, MOJO will be a stand out, unlike anything this city has heard before.?
Ace programmer Plasteras couldn't have been more wrong, except for the part about MOJO being unlike anything this city has heard before."
Yeah, that part he got right.
Vancouver listeners had never before experienced a more amateurish-sounding and poorly-run radio station.
Almost immediately, and with no fanfare, the personalities began to disappear from MOJO's polluted airwaves.
Scruff Connors, Glenn Beck, Bruce Allen, Brook Ward, and finally, Jesse Dylan The Bard of Bad himself, until there was no one left.
The foul-smelling air biscuit that was MOJO Radio had sprung a leak, and, much like the doomed Hindenburg, crashed and burned a mere year and a half after it had launched.
Only the cockroaches emerged from the smouldering rubble.
"We can rebuild," they said, and gave us MOJO Mach 2, MOJO Sports Radio.
Sorry boys, try again.
And they did, with AM 730 - the current shitstorm - a festering mix of Continuous Drive Time Traffic and signature time-shifted CKNW talk - read Adler, Good, et al - re-thermalized for your dining and dancing pleasure - which launched on June 5th.
This time around though, when the shareholders order the plug pulled; the late lamented Lou del Monte won't be the one passing out the pink slips and black cigars.
No, that honor will surely default to Mr. Ian Koenigsfest, the current abortion's Program Director.
You read it here first.