Tuesday, 4 October 2011

Astral radio farming out traffic reports- Yarnell off weekdays


Orla Johannes

Montreal's three local Astral radio stations - CJAD, CHOM and Virgin 96 - have made adjustments to their traffic lineup.


In a memo to staff last week Martin Spalding, the GM of the three stations, announced that traffic reports are now being provided by the Canadian Traffic Network (CTN). "Some employees have been offered positions at CTN, while others will take on new challenges within our cluster of stations and unfortunately, some will be leaving us," Spalding stated. "Rest assured, all employees have been treated with the utmost respect and all efforts to assist them in this transition have been taken by Astral."

Sharman Yarnell
These moves will have no effect on the listener. CTN held auditions for those interested in working for them. Drop dead gorgeous Orla Johannes got the morning show post. Catherine Wood moves to the 11 am. to 4 p.m. shift and Eramalinda Boquer does late afternoons and early evening. No longer part of the traffic landscape is Sharman Yarnell, whose reassuring voice will be missed. For now we are told she will still be heard on Saturdays hosting the Travel Show with Chris Robinson and anchoring her wonderfully entertaining Showtime program at noon.

With CRTC hearings scheduled to take place soon for Cogeco's bid to launch an all traffic English radio station, likely at the 940 AM dial, Sharman would be a logical choice to join their lineup: a known commodity with vast traffic reporting experience.

2 comments:

  1. Anyone want to go in the traffic cone business with me? Seems like a good idea

    ReplyDelete
  2. Don DesChampsOctober 05, 2011

    I, for one, am certainly going to miss Catherine Wood in the morning. She was always so pleasant to deal with on the phone. I'm glad to see that she still has a "spot".

    ReplyDelete