Congratulations!
Friday, March 25, 2005, 09:51 p.m. ET
Now is the time to avoid your telephone, if you can... an RCMP-confirmed phone scam is attacking Canadian phones - land lines, cell phones, and even 911 call centres! An auto-dialer in Florida (305-675-6263) is "war dialling", or calling every possible number in almost every possible exchange in Canada... and I've answered one of these calls at the radio station. If you answer, you'll get a recorded message saying you've "won" a vacation for $99 U.S. per person, and that you can find out more by pressing "9". Reports say that by pressing 9, you will allow the caller to bill long distance calls to your phone number. Obviously, I just hung up when the call came into the office - on line two, an unlisted number! They tried calling my home number this afternoon, but since I didn't recognize the number (I don't personally know any permanent residents of Florida) I let the VM take the call. If 305-675-6263 comes up on your Call Display, don't answer. If you don't subscribe to Call Display, and you answer to the recorded message, hang up. In both cases, report the call to PhoneBusters... it's an anti-fraud call centre run by the RCMP and the Ontario Provincial Police. Click above to go to PhoneBusters' website.
A radio tech's pet peeve (among MANY others)
Saturday, March 19, 2005, 06:43 p.m. ET
As Web Rage starts to take me over (misleading content/SEO, rip-off shopping sites, etc.), I figured now would be a good time to vent about one of my many pet peeves as a broadcast technician: vendors who don't publish their prices, or any pricing at all. When I'm writing up an estimate for new gear, I want to be able to pull up a dealer's website or catalogue, find the equipment we need, and see their price alongside the item's specs. I don't want to have to e-mail or call somebody who will try to sell me something far more expensive that I know we don't need. One U.S. vendor's excuse for not publishing prices (quoted from their site): "We want to talk to you! It's that simple. Our customer relations policy is to make sure you are absolutely comfortable with the equipment you are looking for. We cannot develop a good working relationship if you don't call or e-mail us. We do not want you to simply look at this page and say "that is too much for this piece of equipment" and never contact us. Call us! Let us help you..." No thank you... I know what equipment I need, and I know that when I get it, I will be comfortable with it, as will my co-workers and bosses. You don't know that, and you never will! I will never consider doing business with anybody who doesn't publish their prices. I, as a potential customer, expect your prices to be readily available without me having to call or e-mail you. If you require customers to contact you for a price, then you've talked yourself right out of a sale. Too bad, so sad...
BMac gets lucky - in more ways than one
Thursday, March 10, 2005, 09:33 p.m. ET
TVCogeco's scouted me again - this time to play a leprechaun! I guess they're doing a St. Patrick's Day segment on "TVCogeco Insight", and tomorrow, they want me to don a full leprechaun outfit, and act in front of a big blue wall (chroma key for you TV/film types) to make me look tiny compared to the host, who I believe will be in the St. Patty's capital of the Ottawa Valley, the community of Douglas. I weaseled my way out of playing Cupid on Valentine's Day, so I'm under obligation to do this not only for TVCogeco, but also for the radio station... not sure what I'll be doing on the morning of the 17th while dressed up, but in the afternoon, I'll abandon the costume in favour of spiky green hair. Any green T-shirts, Jon? The ironic thing about this whole St. Patrick's Day business is that I'm actually of Scottish descent. We've got Robbie Burns Day and Hogmanay. Still, I'll pull this off, and fire some photos to our Irish family friends in Alliston.
Not to be a nitpicker, but...
Monday, February 28, 2005, 12:12 p.m. ET
Was listening to some of Galaxie's music channels on the dish this weekend, and on the Pop/Adult channel, they were playing Fleetwood Mac's "Everywhere", but on-screen, it was listed as a "70's classic on Galaxie". FYI, "Everywhere" came out in 1987 on the "Tango In The Night" album. Galaxie had the album right, but didn't consider the song's year of release. 70's classics from Fleetwood Mac would be "You Make Lovin' Fun", or "Dreams", or even "Rhiannon". As long as they don't have "Little Lies" (also from '87) or "Hold Me" ('82) listed as "70's classics".
The first of a few 50th anniversary celebrations
Thursday, February 24, 2005, 10:00 p.m. ET
Just discovered this... Peterborough's CHEX TV (12) has begun commemorating its 50th year on the air, with a series of 60-second vignettes, which are available on the station's website. Check them out by clicking the link above. I have yet to find out if CHEX will be doing a full 30- or 60-minute special...
I might as well change my phone number if this keeps up
Thursday, February 24, 2005, 06:59 p.m. ET
If you hate telemarketers as much as I do, add the phone number 705-446-1217 to your blacklist. Some telemarketers in Collingwood (call display will show it as "customer servic" [sic]) got through to me six minutes ago. Since they've tried calling me several times before, and those alarm dicks in Hamilton got me last night (see the post below), I was prepared this time. Picked up, told the telemarketing slave "please put this phone number on your do-not-call list." Phone whore acknowledged. I hung up. I'm sorry, but I don't have the time, money or patience to deal with telemarketers, nor am I in the mood. I don't buy products or services pitched to me over the phone or at my front door. I don't do business with any company or organization that invades my privacy. My telephone line (the one I rent from Bell Canada) is not to be used for financial gain by any person or business that dials my number. I can no longer put up with telemarketers or telephone pollsters. Never did I knowingly give permission to any organization to contact me for marketing purposes. There must be some way of completely stopping these calls without changing my phone number. Disconnecting my land line isn't an option, because my Internet connection goes through it. Not answering won't help... telemarketers will keep calling and calling until they reach a live person. I learned the hard way in August, when the ICT Group called my number several dozen times (twice a day in some cases) before they actually got through to me, and tried signing me up for a credit card. I told them to add my phone number to their do-not-call list(s), which they did. Haven't heard from those twats since. You know, if we didn't have to worry about telemarketers or similar unsolicited business calls, the world would be a much better place, and my blood pressure would be closer to normal. And don't give me that bullshit that call centres "prop up depressed regions". The community would be exactly the same if your slaves were working for a fast-food or retail chain. To be honest, if I hadn't returned to radio, I'd take a job at Wal-Mart before I even considered a telemarketing call centre. Heck, I'd rather go on welfare than work as a telemarketer.
If I take a heart attack or stroke next time, I'm suing
Wednesday, February 23, 2005, 07:59 p.m. ET
Now I'm really goddamn sick and tired of scumbag telemarketers getting on my ass. 7:22 this evening, having just returned from grocery shopping, some telemarketing phone-whore from an alarm company in the Hamilton-Wentworth area (call 905-318-5408 and tell these morons to get a real job) claiming to be a "local ADT dealer" (bullshit, you're in the Golden Horseshoe, not the Ottawa Valley) called up, wanting me to buy a security system. Firstly, I don't own the house, dipshit... if you want to sell an alarm system for this house, bug my landlady downstairs, who gets enough phone calls already. Secondly, you asshole, if I really wanted or needed an alarm system and monitoring, I'd call you. Thirdly, I want to know when and how my phone number got on your calling list. If I have to carry out a thorough investigation into this matter, I will. If I have to take this telemarketing bullshit to the CRTC, I will. I'll be calling those alarm pricks first thing tomorrow morning, and explaining to them that 1) I expect my number to be taken off their calling list and put on their do-not-call list IMMEDIATELY, and 2) if I hear from those fucktards (or anybody associated with them) again, I'll report them to the CRTC and the Better Business Bureau. Next thing I'll do is call MP Cheryl Gallant's office and see if she can convince the feds to re-introduce the concept of a national do-not-call list. The idea was floating around shortly before Paul Martin was elected PM, but the election killed it. We don't need telemarketing companies and their slaves bothering us. TELEMARKETING IS THE LOWEST PROFESSION OF ALL. Prostitutes and fast-food employees rank higher than telemarketers. Even those child labourers in Bangladesh rank higher than telemarketers. Okay, that might be a little extreme, but still, telemarketing companies are the scum of the earth. Leave us alone. Don't call us, we'll call you!
Photo gallery update, and DVD update
Monday, February 21, 2005, 10:10 p.m. ET
Some new photos have just been added to my radio photo gallery, along with some caption updates. Click the link above to have a look-see. Also, while in Ottawa this weekend, I used up more of the balance on my Future Shop gift card, the one that bought me a Samsung DVD player on Boxing Day. Of course, the purchase consisted entirely of classic movies on DVD: 1) "Austin Powers - International Man Of Mystery", 2) "Forrest Gump" - the double-disc "special collector's edition" which cost only $11.99 versus $15.99 for Austin Powers, and 3) "UHF", starring Weird Al Yankovic, Michael Richards, and Fran Drescher. This fabulous 1989 comedy set me back less than ten bucks. Either way, I have yet to find a copy of Howard Stern's "Private Parts" for sale on DVD somewhere other than Amazon. Future Shop didn't have it (or at least the South Keys location didn't), and the chances of Renfrew's Moviemat having it for sale are slim to nil. Funny thing about the Austin Powers and UHF DVDs are that they don't have analogue copy protection on them. No colour stripes across the screen like the rest of my DVDs do. It's nice to watch a classic flick like Austin Powers and not have to dream of buying a "video stabilizer" or hacking (voiding the warranty on) my DVD player, just to keep analogue copy protection from ruining the movie-watching experience.
Happy Valentine's Day!
Monday, February 14, 2005, 09:44 p.m. ET
Apologies for no new entries so far this month... I've been nothing but busy between work, Toastmasters, and some personal matters. Last week was just nuts, preparing for the first airing of myFM's Weekend House Party with Tarzan Dan. On top of that, this Friday, we're hosting a little event in town, and on Saturday (barring any other commitments), I'll be off to Ottawa for another visit with my old man. As for happenings in radio in general, not much, other than CHUM putting in a new proposal for improving the coverage of AC "Y92" (CKLY-FM 91.9 Lindsay) - Y92's peak ERP will decrease to 11.4 kW (average ERP 5.3 kW) with a slightly more directional signal, but a taller tower will go up at the current CKLY-FM/ex-CKLY(AM) site south of Lindsay, raising the antenna to 131 metres above average terrain, nearly triple its current HAAT (45 m). That application goes before the CRTC on March 21st, in Hull. Also being considered on the 21st is a slightly revised application by Pineridge Broadcasting to move CHUC (1450 Cobourg) to 107.9 FM. Pineridge filed a similar app late last year, but there have been some changes on the technical end, plus they're asking for a six-month simulcast period. And on today's list of decisions, the Commission turned down Corus Entertainment's app for a low-power FM repeater of "Oldies 960" (CFFX Kingston).
BMac takes to the tube
Tuesday, February 1, 2005, 06:55 p.m. ET
Tomorrow night, yours truly will make his official television debut in the Ottawa Valley! I've been scouted by TVCogeco Renfrew-Arnprior producer Jeremy Charbonneau to host a live, half-hour panel discussion on "protective services" in the town of Arnprior. Having never hosted a live TV show, I'm a bit nervous, but then again, last year I thought about hosting a segment or two on Renfrew's Sunshine Coach telethon. Jeremy (and my boss, Jon Pole) said it'll be a breeze... there's nothing to it. Unfortunately, as far as I know, this show will only be seen in Arnprior, and not Renfrew. This isn't my first appearance on local television... I made a brief appearance in a New RO (CHRO-TV 5 Pembroke) piece about myFM (CHMY-FM 96.1 Renfrew) when we officially launched in August. If you're in Arnprior and close to a cable-connected TV, tune in tomorrow night at 7 on TVCogeco!
Another addition to the other site
Sunday, January 23, 2005, 04:36 p.m. ET
Yesterday, I added shots of the myFM transmitter site. Today, I've added photos from my pre-Christmas tour of Rogers Radio Toronto and Life 100.3 Barrie. Click the link above to see those, and pics from my previous radio jaunts.
myFM transmitter pics now online
Saturday, January 22, 2005, 01:38 p.m. ET
It only took me six and a half months, but I've finally captured the stills I shot during the myFM transmitter installation back in July... take a look by clicking the link above.
A toast to the host who can boast the most roast
Friday, January 21, 2005, 08:25 p.m. ET
Should have posted this on Monday, but I am now a member of the newly-formed Renfrew Toastmasters club! The idea came from a former colleague, Carl Richards, who is now the midday host on Kingston's FLY FM (CFLY-FM 98.3), and plays an active role in K-Town's Toastmasters club. What is Toastmasters, you might ask? Simply put, it's an international organization devoted to helping its members become better speakers. Renfrew's club currently consists of about ten people, including myself, who come from all walks of life. One's in the military, another is a reflexologist, and then there's me, a broadcaster. Funny thing is at 21, I'm the youngest in the Renfrew club. Next oldest would likely be in their 40s, with the oldest, a WWII veteran and very inspiring speaker, in his 80s. I'll be delivering my first speech, the "ice breaker", on Monday night, the first time I've delivered a true speech since my public speaking successes in elementary school. Wish me luck!
Martz toots his horn yet again
Sunday, January 16, 2005, 12:58 p.m. ET
This from Radio World... click above. Only somebody named "Careless" would write such an article.
The latest on the not-so-big screen (17 inches)
Saturday, January 15, 2005, 09:53 p.m. ET
It's about time I got to sit down and watch a movie on my Christmas gift DVD player... I ended up having to get an RF modulator for it to work properly on my computer's TV tuner, i.e. little or no thin horizontal lines (analogue copy protection) down the screen, which would show up like crazy if I put the player in the tuner's composite video input. They still show up under very thick, saturated colours, but otherwise, the lines aren't noticeable. The two flicks that came with the machine are both classics: "Ferris Bueller's Day Off", which I screened tonight, and "Good Morning Vietnam". After seeking out the RF modulator this afternoon at Wal-Mart, I knew I'd have to look around for a DVD copy of Howard Stern's "Private Parts", but obviously, none to be found. Oh well, there's always the Moviemat across the street from me. Oh, and in case you're wondering, my DVD collection will not consist entirely of radio movies. "FM" and "Pump Up The Volume" would be nice, but I'm desperate for "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" right now, along with "Big Daddy", "Deuce Bigalow - Male Gigolo" and "Rain Man". And you thought I didn't watch movies...
Crazy like a fox
Tuesday, January 4, 2005, 08:48 a.m. ET
After hearing much praise from our news director, I have finally taken the plunge and started using the Mozilla Firefox web browser instead of Internet Explorer. So far, it's been superior to IE... pages and images load faster, there's built-in pop-up and ad blocking, plus all kinds of useful add-ons. In fact, to be totally honest, there are so many good things about Firefox that I can't list them all here, so click this entry's title, and get Firefox! (This endorsement was not paid for in any way by the Mozilla Foundation.)
TV @ 50
Sunday, January 2, 2005, 07:02 p.m. ET
It'll be fifty candles on the birthday cake this year at six or more Canadian TV stations, including CHEX (12 Peterborough), CKVR (3 Barrie), and Newfoundland's NTV (CJON-TV 6 St. John's). You can bet NTV will air a special on their 50th anniversary this September, considering how much footage they pull out of the vault every week for "A Little Good News". 'VR should have a very interesting look back on the past 50 years, including the 1977 plane crash/tower collapse, the tornadoes in 1985, and its 1995 disaffiliation from the CBC. And depending on how much archived footage is available, CHEX may offer something this March to mark its 50th. Did you watch any TV stations' 50th anniversary specials from the past three years? If so, e-mail me with your thoughts.
A post-Christmas radio blog
Saturday, January 1, 2005, 11:43 p.m. ET
Worth noting from my trip back to Renfrew... came back Monday (Dec 27th), which was another day off for most people, so the majority of radio stations in the GTA had their weekenders on the air. Didn't listen to as much radio this past Christmas as I did at the same time in '03, and I didn't grab any airchecks this time, mainly because there weren't any changes where I was, and I'd already airchecked the whole Barrie-area radio dial (see December 2003 in the Archives). Despite having my laptop loaded with music, I think I listened to more radio on the train than I did at my grandparents' place in Alliston. One station I knew I had to tune in while passing through Belleville was AC "Lite 107" (CJTN-FM 107.1 Trenton), the successor to CJTN (1270 AM). So far so good, and a big improvement over AM. Not sure if I've already mentioned it but the VIA train from Ottawa to Toronto gives you close views of a few transmitter sites, including three AM directional arrays: the five towers of Ottawa's Oldies 1310 (CIWW) at Fallowfield; Cobourg's CHUC (1450) and its two and a half sticks west of town, by the lake; and the four-tower Darlington site of Oshawa's CKDO (1350). Passing through Kingston offers passengers a look at the CBC FM/TV tower on McAdoo's Lane, and the CFRC (101.9) antenna on a Rogers cell tower beside the 401. Several other FM/TV sites are visible from the train, but only if you look closely, and know what you're looking for.
Merry Christmas!
Friday, December 24, 2004, 01:23 p.m. ET
Hope you have a Merry Christmas and I wish you all the best in 2005! In case you were wondering how my recent radio tours went, the Rogers "campus" in Toronto was a blast... big thanks to Jaime Pulfer of 680News (CFTR) for showing me around. Also, I managed to make it to the new home of Barrie's Life 100.3 (CJLF-FM), despite the nasty weather and horrible road conditions yesterday morning... kudos to Life boss Scott Jackson and everybody at the station! Haven't heard from Bill Cosworth, though... he's most likely just spending time with his family, and I'll respect that. Oh well, there's always next time. Happy holidays!
Early Christmas gifts
Tuesday, December 21, 2004, 12:46 p.m. ET
It was a Christmas lunch at the station today, as a couple of us are off tomorrow, including yours truly... I'm away on holidays until Monday. Before I get into the itinerary for the next week or so, kudos to the management & staff at Pippin Technical in Toontown for sending down a box of Saskatoon berry syrup, jelly, chocolate & tea... Jon & Andrew each got a box too, although we first thought the packages would be a piece of broadcast equipment, but we don't remember ordering anything in the past couple of weeks. Big thank-you to Jon for the $50 in gift certificates from M&M Meat Shops, to Janie Bilson & family for the LifeSavers storybook (always a treat at Christmas)and to Margi's Restaurant and Catering in Renfrew for the very delicious lunch. Tomorrow afternoon, I'll be touring the Rogers radio facility in Toronto, thanks to my boss and a friend of his with Rogers. And Thursday, I'm in Barrie, checking out the new Life 100.3 (CJLF-FM) studios, as well as meeting myFM voice Bill Cosworth, and possibly dropping by the Kozlov Centre studios of Rock 95 (CFJB-FM 95.7) and Star 107.5 (CKMB-FM). If I'm lucky, a visit to the Corus facility up in Midhurst might be in order too. Watch for photos coming to my other site sometime early in the new year, if not earlier. If I don't post again this week, merry Christmas, happy holidays, and stay tuned!
Hell's Bells
Monday, December 20, 2004, 08:15 p.m. ET
I now have very little respect for Bell Canada and its "customer service" department (or lack thereof). Friday night, 6:30 p.m., to avoid a late payment charge, I made a large payment online, in advance of today's deadline. Took down the confirmation number, and tried getting through to a live person. Unfortunately, their "customer service centre", which I doubt is staffed by more than five people at any given time, is only open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays. So I ended up having to wait all weekend to find out if the payment went through. Got to work this morning, tried a live person again... ring, ring, ring, ring, and a strict female voice comes on, telling me nobody's there and that I should go to the website. I WAS ON THE WEBSITE SEVERAL TIMES THIS WEEKEND! AND WHY ISN'T ANYBODY MANNING THE PHONES DURING BUSINESS HOURS?! So I call once more this morning, and get through to some cheery-sounding idiot asking how he can "serve [me] with excellence today" or something to that effect. Sure, he helped a little, but before he gave me the answer to my question, he tried to sell me a cell phone! I ALREADY HAVE A CELL PHONE (from Telus), AND I'M MORE THAN HAPPY WITH IT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, YOU BRAIN-DEAD PRICK! When I call during business hours, I expect somebody to answer my call immediately, especially when I'm calling Bell Canada! And when I call, you will not sell or attempt to sell any products or services to me. I'd abandon Bell in an instant if 1) I could get terrestrial Internet access without using a Bell line (cable Net's not available here yet and reportedly won't be for another year and a half), and 2) Bell didn't have a monopoly on land lines. Plain and simple: Bell Canada sucks. And I'm not the only one saying that.
A pre-christmas rant
Sunday, December 19, 2004, 05:35 p.m. ET
Don't ever let Whitney Houston do "The Christmas Song" or any other holiday tunes again! While I added her rendition of Mel Torme's "The Christmas Song" for myFM's first round of Christmas music, I've decided we're not running it next year. Why? SHE BUTCHERED IT! At the end of the song, instead of the words "merry christmas, merry christmas, merry christmas to you", she goes "merry christmas, happy hanukkah, happy kwanzaa..." Have we become so politically correct that we have to rewrite timeless holiday songs to make them friendly to people of other religious or ethnic backgrounds? Geez... only in America would they do such a thing... that's why I'm proud to be Canadian. We're not as uptight about political correctness as the Yanks are.
Country 105 relaunched... online
Friday, December 3, 2004, 08:40 a.m. ET
Peterborough's Country 105 (CKQM-FM 105.1) unveiled a new website this week, this one produced by Curious Projects of Belleville, the same company behind the sites of Quinte Broadcasting. Country 105's new site is a big improvement over the previous one, especially with Curious Projects on board. Check out the site by clicking this entry's title.
BMac backstage with the Irish Rovers
Tuesday, November 30, 2004, 06:52 p.m. ET
As promised, a photo of yours truly backstage with the Irish Rovers last night... click this entry's title to have a look.
Wasn't that a party!
Monday, November 29, 2004, 10:49 p.m. ET
It sure was... by far the best concert I've attended. The Irish Rovers played in front of some 800 people at Renfrew's RCAF Wing tonight. By the second half of the show, there were dozens of people in the back, dancing like crazy. Just a great show tonight, and a good time was had by all, including Renfrew mayor Sandi Heins. Watch for a photo of yours truly with the Rovers coming soon to one of my other pages, so stay tuned!
It's a girl!
Wednesday, November 24, 2004, 06:51 p.m. ET
Congratulations to myFM midday host/traffic manager Julie Larocque and husband Simon on their new bundle of joy! Baby Helen Baillie came into the world yesterday morning at 4:30 a.m. in Ottawa, at a weight of 8 pounds, 3 ounces. Mother and child are doing very well, and will come home in a few days. Once again, congrats Julie & Simon, and we'll see you soon!
The Bear prowls up the Ottawa Valley
Wednesday, November 24, 2004, 06:31 p.m. ET
Just got the news this morning... Ottawa rocker 106.9 The Bear (CKQB-FM) is now testing its Pembroke rebroadcaster (CKQB-FM-1 99.7), authorized for 45.2 kW from the Rankin antenna site of sister country outlet Star 96 FM (CHVR-FM 96.7 Pembroke). The test broadcast consists of little more than rock music and a legal ID between each song. The legal ID, by The Bear's voice guy, goes like this: "This is CKQB-1, testing at 99.7 MHz. If you have transmission difficulties, please call 613-225-1069." As of today, Industry Canada's broadcasting database doesn't list 99.7 as CKQB-1... it's still listed without call letters.
A wacky weekend
Sunday, November 21, 2004, 12:05 p.m. ET
It has been a rather unusual weekend... one that began with the sad news that veteran Toronto broadcaster Tom Rivers has passed on. I don't remember ever hearing Rivers in his heyday at CFTR (680 Toronto), and his CHUM years were long before I was born... the only memories I have of 'TR mornings were the shenanigans of Jesse & Gene, plus Dick Smyth's newscasts. My condolences to Tom's family, and Tom, may you rest in peace. | The other bizarre occurrence this weekend was the all-Christmas playlist on Leeza Gibbons' "Hollywood Confidential". I was at work yesterday, with two jocks live-on-location in downtown Renfrew, and wasn't expecting all-holiday stuff on HC. You see, I have a habit of not looking over the song list/cue sheet when I download the show, so I didn't know we'd be getting a dose of holiday tunes this weekend. I even had a little girl call in and request "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer" (kind of appropriate with the Irish Rovers coming to town next week)... couldn't quite squeeze it in, even though I threw in Ryan Malcolm's rendition of "Let It Snow" as filler to news. Frankly, the Harry Connick Jr. version Leeza played the next hour was much better. And the all-xmas HC this weekend came at a good time, with Arnprior and Kanata having their Santa Claus parades yesterday, plus Petawawa's and the 100th Toronto SCP today. Of course, continuing the tradition, Global's got it... same-day tape at 4:30 this afternoon.
Remember... to give us a break
Thursday, November 11, 2004, 07:32 a.m. ET
Yes, I know what today is, thank you. And I do not need every media outlet constantly reminding me. I'm sorry, but it's the same B.S. every November 11th... every TV station invades every cenotaph, legion and school, get the same shots they got the year before, and make it the lead story, which ends up being dragged out over the first ten minutes of the evening cast. Apparently, in this digital world, TV news types don't know what "B-roll" is, or how to use it at the right times. That's why you won't see a poppy on my parka ever again: because the sensationalist media, particularly television, take today and turn it into a massive production, which it should not be. When the vets talk about "silence", they mean it. That includes the crew of 50+ each that the networks hired to televise the damned memorial service. When the hush falls over the crowd, turn off your headsets. When everybody else is quiet, we don't need you blabbering away in the truck doing play-by-play on the intercom. Shut up and honour the men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces, but at the same time, don't turn it into a gigantic event with a bunch of sponsors on board. The last thing we need on CTV is "this live broadcast of the Remembrance Day memorial service in Ottawa is brought to you by [a sponsor that's rolling in dough and doesn't give a rat's ass about war veterans]...", and then Craig Oliver or Mike Duffy yapping with a Globe columnist. How would you feel if you were a vet and saw today being commercialized by Canada's biggest corporations?
One reason to play The Tornadoes' "Telstar"
Tuesday, November 9, 2004, 12:08 a.m. ET
Well, the sat service came much earlier than I'd expected... as of 2:00 this afternoon, 90 minutes after I walked in Noron's door, Star Choice programming is now being piped into my pad. As I type this entry, I'm very actively listening to Halifax's market-leading hot AC/CHR, C100 FM (CIOO-FM 100.1). Earlier this evening, radio listening on the dish included Winnipeg's perennial ratings king, talker CJOB (680) which was airing a Manitoba Moose hockey phone-in show when I tuned in. Also, Calgary classic rocker Q107 (CFGQ-FM 107.3) and Jack FM in Vancouver (CKLG-FM 96.9), with an incorrect description on the channel guide - it's still listed as CKKS-FM "97 Kiss FM", even though the station "got jacked" nearly two years ago IIRC. On the TV side, not much viewing from me, other than a little drooling over the snowboarding & mountain biking seen on Xtreme Sports, and some laughing at Newfoundland's joke of a TV station that is NTV. Oh yeah, and for the first time in several years, seeing weather forecasts from Bob McIntyre and Peter Fialkowski of The New VR (CKVR-TV 3 Barrie) and CHEX (12 Peterborough) respectively, plus Gary Dalliday's sports report on CHEX. I'll have more comments coming later this week, so as always, stay tuned!
I want my (M)TV, Pt. 2
Sunday, November 7, 2004, 12:33 a.m. ET
As previously mentioned on BMac's Blog (click this entry's title and scroll down to "I want my (M)TV", Sept 26), I've strongly considered having satellite TV installed, and today, I've made the decision to take the Star Choice route. For the past six months that I've been in Renfrew, my TV choices at home have been little more than The New RO (CHRO-TV 5 Pembroke) and CTV's CJOH (13 Ottawa), plus anything else the rabbit ears will pick up. But very soon (I'm hoping within the next week or two), it'll be well over 100 TV channels, 40+ music channels, and the biggest hook for me, 60-something radio stations from across Canada. No more boredom on quiet weekends like this. The other reason I got into serious thought about cable/sat TV is because my boss(es) recommended that, as a radio music director, I watch MuchMusic, MuchMoreMusic, etc. on a regular basis. Considering I'm programming an AC/hot AC format, MuchMore will get my eyes and ears longer, while the available AC radio stations like Vancouver's QMFM (CHQM-FM 103.5) or Toronto's CHFI (98.1) will get a good chunk of listening time from me. Ditto to hot ACs like CHUM FM (104.5) and Z95 (CKZZ-FM 95.3 Vancouver BC).
Why Canada needs a national do-not-call list
Thursday, November 4, 2004, 08:35 p.m. ET
So the telepollsters at Leger Marketing in Winterpeg (204-784-4855) are looking for my opinion. Well guess what? You won't get it over the phone when you interrupt me at home. I've had enough problems with unsolicited business calls (go to the Archives for complete details on my previous ordeal with telemarketers), and I CERTAINLY DO NOT NEED A SURVEY CONDUCTED OVER *MY* PHONE LINE AND ON *MY* PERSONAL TIME! I give my employer eight or more hours of my time every weekday (and a few hours on some Saturdays), and in return, I receive monetary compensation, as well as the occasional favour. But when a company calls me out of the blue asking me to a) buy/order something, or b) take a survey, I end up losing time and money either way, plus I lose my privacy. The CRTC really needs to create a national do-not-call list, similar to that in the United States, but with a plus. People who add their phone number(s) to the do-not-call list should, for a fee, have the privilege of not being called by charities/non-profit organizations or pollsters. I'd be willing to pay the fee, whether it's $10/year or $100 every three years. Regardless, telemarketing must go... and it is, in parts of the States where call centres are being closed left and right. Thank goodness. The only problem: bigger, more profitable companies will go back to the real privacy invader, door-to-door sales. Where I'm living, I'm mostly immune to the vacuum salesmen, Jehovah's Witnesses, etc., because the lady that owns the house answers the door whenever she's home, and if it's for me, she'll let me know. Still, as a now-familiar voice in the Ottawa Valley, I can't sacrifice my privacy, or I'll end up in the "entertainment gossip" along with the likes of Jennifer Lopez or Paris Hilton, or Donald Trump. The LAST thing I need.
CHUC-FM?
Wednesday, November 3, 2004, 11:40 a.m. ET
Next year's first CRTC broadcasting hearing is set for January 10 at commission HQ, and among the 28 applications on the docket is one from Cobourg's Pineridge Broadcasting. Pineridge is applying to move CHUC (1450) to 107.9 FM with 1.4 kW peak ERP from the Global TV tower on Alnwick Hill, where sister Star 93.3 (CKSG-FM) transmits. Pineridge already has permission to change CHUC's AM frequency & power to 1580 kHz/10 kW, but if the 107.9 application is denied, CHUC will simply move to 1580, reactivating a Canadian clear-channel that's been mostly silent since CBJ (1580 Chicoutimi QC) went FM. Check out CHUC's FM app and the 27 other applications by clicking this entry's title.
A Canuck's thoughts on the US election
Tuesday, November 2, 2004, 07:14 p.m. ET
Who cares?
He who forgets the past... (sort of non-radio)
Monday, October 25, 2004, 12:16 a.m. ET
This thought came to me after browsing through a "names database" to which Dan at Mix 97 (CIGL-FM 97.1 Belleville) referred me... whatever happened to the dozens of people I knew from school? Many of their names popped up on the "names database", but unfortunately, given how anybody's situation can and will change in an instant, it's very difficult, if not impossible to find out where they are now and what they're doing. It's tough enough finding my older brother, let alone one of my K-12 classmates. Anyway, I'm now putting out the call to anybody who attended Holy Cross Secondary School in Peterborough, Ont. between its September 1998 opening and June 2001, or Scott Young Public School in Omemee, Ont. between its September 1993 opening and June 1997. I'd especially like to hear from any of my classmates. Where are you now, and what are you up to? E-mail me via the address at the top of this page. Chances are at least one high school classmate has a) earned his degree and become a pro athlete, b) gone overseas on an exchange, and/or c) become a bigtime snowboarder. One final question before I hit the sack (Ian, you can probably answer this one): is Shawn Whalen of 93.9 BOB FM (CKKL-FM Ottawa) the same Shawn Whalen I remember from public school? Probably not...
"Power The Tower" gets the green light
Friday, October 8, 2004, 08:23 p.m. ET
The decision has been made by the CRTC... my radio "alma mater", Belleville's CJLX (92.3), has finally been granted permission to go through with its "Power The Tower" project. CJLX will relocate its transmission facility to the T.A.S. Communications tower in Oak Hills, northwest of Belleville, change its frequency to 91.3 MHz, and increase power to 3400 watts ERP, omnidirectional. Since its 1992 sign-on, CJLX has put out 50 watts from a two-bay antenna atop the old Queen Mary School, on a hill just west of downtown. The past year and a bit has been filled with upgrades to the CJLX/Loyalist radio facilities, mainly on the tech/IT side... last year, before I left for Cornwall, a bunch of brand new Windows XP-based Dell PCs were installed in the radio & broadcast journalism departments, including some in the newsroom, which has been running the Burli system (connected to Broadcast News' "wire" service) for about two years now. Other machines went into production rooms and faculty offices. And this past March, CJLX's five-year-old MediaTouch on-air/automation system was replaced by a new Scott Studios SS32 package. Next, they'll "Power The Tower", reaching a much larger area. Check out the coverage map and more on Power The Tower by clicking this entry's title. From a CJLX alumnus, congratulations, and all the best for the new CJLX at 91.3 FM!
"Idols" are the same song and dance... almost
Wednesday, October 6, 2004, 06:51 p.m. ET
So Kalan Porter's first single, "Awake In A Dream", went into regular rotation today on myFM. After listening closely to the song during my show this afternoon, I noticed that the debut songs from most of the American and Canadian Idols are very similar in lyrics and sound, among other things. In the case of "Awake In A Dream", I found it a lot like Ryan Malcolm's "Something More" - same key, same length (4:04, give or take a couple of seconds), but thankfully, not the same production. "Dream" was much more intense and radio-friendly than "Something More". But will Malcolm's forthcoming sophomore release make as much of a mark as his first CD, "Home", did? Kalan's getting far more positive buzz right now, so many would say that it won't get very far, except of course in Ryan's native K-Town. Watch for copies coming to CFRC (101.9) and CKVI (91.9).
Classic BMac's Blog
Wednesday, October 6, 2004, 06:50 p.m. ET
Yet another archive job... if you're looking for older entries (the earliest dates back to April 2002), click this entry's title or hit "Archives" at the top-right of this page.
