Winnipeg's Power 97 Morning Trio to CITI

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Winnipeg's Power 97 Morning Trio to CITI

Postby jon » Thu Sep 13, 2012 12:19 pm

Power 97 morning show's three hosts resign
By: Rob Williams
Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
September 13, 2012

THE wheels have come off the Power 97 morning show.

Wheeler in the Morning with Philly and Rena has ended its three-year run after the trio handed in their resignations Wednesday after signing off for the last time just before 10 a.m.

"Unfortunately we couldn't come to contractual terms with Corus Entertainment and Rena, Philly and I are no longer employed with Corus," Dave Wheeler said Wednesday afternoon.

"We feel really confident in our product and we thought we were better suited as a team and decided to stay that way."

The trio's contract expired Aug. 31, but Power 97's owners, Corus Entertainment, and the morning show crew couldn't agree on a new contract, so the three resigned en masse.

Neither side would say what the main sticking points were, but Power 97 program director Matt Cundill said the show would go on without them.

"We'll keep broadcasting. There's a lot of talent in this building," he said, without naming an immediate replacement.

Wheeler has been on the modern rock station for nearly 10 years. He first moved to Winnipeg from Lloydminster, Alta., in January 2003 to be one half of the Wheeler and Hal Show with Hal Anderson.

Anderson moved to CJOB in 2009, which led to the hiring of Phil Aubrey and Rena Jae to make up the new morning team.

Any references to the morning show have been removed from Power 97's website.

Wheeler said the trio doesn't yet have a plan in place for its next move but would be looking at all offers in Winnipeg and elsewhere as a team. A picture of a "for sale" sign in front of Wheeler's house was Tweeted by his wife Wednesday afternoon.

"I consider this home but I'm not averse to having a conversation with anybody. As much as I've shown my loyalty to Corus the past 10 years I think the loyalty to Philly and Rena will really stand the test of time," he said.

The trio's departure comes in the midst of the BBM Canada fall radio survey schedule, which started Sept. 3 and runs through Oct. 28, and is when many radio stations pull outrageous stunts in order to boost ratings.

rob.williams@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition September 13, 2012 D5
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Re: Winnipeg's Power 97 Morning Trio Gone To Rogers 92 CITI

Postby yoshi » Thu Sep 13, 2012 7:32 pm

that happen september 13
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Winnipeg's Power 97 Morning Trio to CITI

Postby jon » Thu Sep 13, 2012 9:57 pm

Power 97 crew moves over to CITI
By: Staff Writer
Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION

The Power 97 morning crew is moving to CITI.

A day after announcing they were quitting Power 97, Dave Wheeler, Phil Aubrey and Rena Jae were introduced as the new hosts of the morning show at rival station 92 CITI FM on Thursday.

Wheeler in the Morning with Philly and Rena will replace the Tom & Joe morning show which has been on the air for 18 years.

"As Winnipeg’s highest-rated rock morning show, securing the on-air team of team of Dave Wheeler, Phil Aubrey and Rena Jae will take one of Canada’s pioneer rock radio stations to the next level in this competitive market," said Scott Armstrong, 92 CITI general manager and program director.

The move involves a shuffle at CITI and Clear FM, both owned by Rogers Radio. Joe Aiello will move to pop station 102.3 Clear FM as co-host of the morning show with Kerri Salki. Her former co-host, Jay Oliver, and Aiello’s co-host, Tom McGouran, were both let go by the station.

No date was given for the première of the new morning shows, but the Tom & Joe show is over, said McGouran, who was informed of the new plan after getting off the air at 10 a.m. Thursday.
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Re: Winnipeg's Power 97 Morning Trio to CITI

Postby radiofan » Fri Sep 14, 2012 12:29 pm

CITI FM Steals Power 97 Team

BY ROSS ROMANIUK ,WINNIPEG SUN


It’s the sound of a shakeup in Winnipeg’s rock radio.

A battle for listeners has prompted 92 CITI FM to hire away its competition’s morning show personalities while dropping an institution of the local airwaves — longtime host Tom McGouran.

Rogers Media announced on Thursday 92 CITI FM had hired the voices of Power 97 FM’s top-rated morning show, Wheeler in the Morning with Philly and Rena. The announcement came a day after on-air personalities Dave Wheeler, Phil Aubrey and Rena Jae resigned their positions at the Corus-owned station following a breakdown in negotiations on a new contract.

“It’s exciting. It’s been a difficult couple of days, but we’re excited to be staying on the radio in Winnipeg and a new challenge,” Wheeler, 33, said of his move to CITI and its “world class rock” format. “We’re still going to keep doing the great show we have been doing together for the past three years.”

No on-air start date for the trio at CITI has been announced.

Their hiring means CITI has ended the long-running Tom & Joe morning show, hosted by McGouran and Joe Aiello. Rogers is moving Aiello to another of its Winnipeg stations, the pop and light-rock 102.3 CLEAR FM, to be paired on a morning show with current co-host Kerri Salki.

McGouran, meanwhile, has been let go.

“It’s actually not unfortunate. At the end of the day, it’s business. So now, I look for a gig and re-emerge somewhere else,” McGouran, 55, said after being told of the moves following his show on Thursday.

“I understand how business works. They’re trying to cut costs, so they bring in a younger crew who are cheaper,” he said of Rogers. “That’s the way it goes. We live on contracts, year to year. That’s the business we’re in, because we’re working in the greatest business in the world. I love it. Every day I do my gig, it’s not like ever working. That’s the risk you always take.”

The shakeup has led to other job losses, with Jay Oliver being let go from his 102.3 CLEAR FM morning co-host spot to make room for Aiello. As well, CITI’s Alix Michaels has been dropped from that station’s midday host slot. After a stint co-hosting the morning show with McGouran and Aiello, Nesta Matthews moves to afternoons on CITI with Shadoe Davis.

Aiello called it “kind of a goofy day” that he hadn’t seen coming after 18 years on CITI’s morning airwaves with McGouran, a 30-year veteran of Winnipeg FM radio.

“The old line for us is that you’re hired to be fired. As entertainers, we know that. And the show has to go on, as they say. But it’s been a tough day, because in anybody’s line of work you never want to see people lose their jobs,” said Aiello, 46.

McGouran said he’s taking the shakeup in stride.

“I love the business. I love Winnipeg. It will work out,” he said. “I’ve had a fantastic time, and I’m looking forward to a fantastic time at the next place I’m working at. Just tell Winnipeg it will hear from me soon.”

http://www.winnipegsun.com/2012/09/13/c ... er-97-team

Thanks to Shawn Axelrod for passing this story along
Those who danced were thought to be quite insane by those who couldn't hear the music.
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