Friday 28 June 2013

Laura Casella leaving CJAD for City Montreal Breakfast TV

Laura Casella
City Montreal has rounded out its on air team for the new Breakfast Television Show, which will debut here towards the end of August. Laura Casella is leaving her post as morning reporter on CJAD to assume similar duties with City.  Alexandre Despatie and Joanne Vrakas are the co-hosts of the new shoe while  Wilder Weir has already been announced as the live eye reporter, meaning that he will be on location speaking with Montrealers from the city’s diverse communities. Casella will be on site for the day's top news story, just as she is with CJAD each morning.

Casella has been with CJAD for six years, starting off as an overnight newscaster, then producing the Tommy Schnurmacher Show.  For the last two and a half years she has been the morning reporter. She does have TV experience though, having worked part-time for CTV Montreal.

I have been touting Casella as a logical choice for full-time TV duty for some time now. She is attractive, poised and an individual with good people skills. A graduate of Dante Elementary School and Laurier Macdonald High School in St. LĂ©onard, I will make a pitch to have Laura broadcast live from one or both of those spots some time in the future.

City Montreal executive producer Bob Babinski has built a strong team, both in front of and behind the  camera, as he prepares to face off against the Global TV Morning News.

“Breakfast Television will combine local news, weather and traffic with the biggest celebrity interviews, community happenings and lots of big ticket giveaways,” promises Babinski.

CJAD news and program chief Chris Bury now must find a replacement for Casella. How about bringing Dan Laxer back for that role? He has been a good soldier since being let go when Aaron Rand was hired. Laxer still co-hosts the Trivia Show and fills in on  other shifts. This could also serve as an opportunity to take advantage of the de facto merger with TSN 690. Robin Flynn has actually been working for both CJAD and TSN 690 for the better part of  a year, producing, doing sportscasts and traffic. She is a real talent and might be a good fit, although her first love is really sports.
Dan Laxer

 

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