Amanda Kline leaving CJAD for new Videotron cable show

 CJAD is losing one of its key behind the scenes players.

Amanda Kline, the producer of the Barry Morgan Show, will be joining her former colleague Tina Tenneriello on the new Videotron MAtv cable public affairs show called City Life. Tina is the host and Amanda will be a reporter.

Amanda Kline

The  27 year old Kline, raised on Montreal's West Island, was actually an interim producer. She assumed Sarah Deshaies duties when the latter moved to the morning show replacing Andrea Elias. Andrea is on maternity leave, but when she returns then Sarah resumes her role with Barry. So for Amanda, this is probably a good career move.

 "I'm really excited about the opportunity and what we are working on!" says Amanda, who is already looking for story ideas.  

Amanda has been with CJAD for a year as a producer and doing on-call reporting. Prior to that she was living in Toronto completing her Master's Degree in Journalism at Ryerson and chase producing  at  the CTV News Channel. I had many dealings with her at CJAD and she was really on her game. They will miss her.

Louis Douville and Jed Kahane taking on bigger roles with Bell Media in Quebec; Kahane heads all Quebec news operations

Louis Douville

Louis Douville and Jed Kahane have received well deserved promotions at Bell Media.  The former has gone from vice-president and general manager of CTV Montreal to occupying the same title as well for Bell's six Montreal radio stations (CJAD, TSN 690, Virgin Radio, CHOM, Rouge, NRJ). Kahane, who has been director of news and public affairs at CTV Montreal since 2008, retains those responsibilities but takes on the new role of news director for Bell Media in Quebec. In addition to the six stations listed above, he will also oversee the journalists and their work at stations in Abitibi, Drumondville, Sherbrooke, Gatineau, Quebec City, Saguenay, Trois Rivieres, St. Jean, the Gaspe, and Rimouski.

Kahane is one of the nicest guys in the business and  made an impressive transition from reporting to management. He began his media  career at CKO Radio in 1989, moved to CBC from 1992 to 1997 and then CTV's Alberta bureau in Calgary for three years. In 2000 he returned to Montreal as Quebec bureau chief for CTV, a post he held for eight years until replacing Mike Piperni at CTV Montreal. He has quite the responsibility right now, with more than 50 radio journalists plus the team at CTV under his wing.

Jed Kahane

Basically, Kahane is now  responsible for pretty much everything to do with news: from news policy and standards to hiring and cooperation between Bell Media's various platforms. He  will keep his CTV office on Papineau and have another right across the street which houses the six radio stations. While Kahane will have the overall responsibility for news,  Chris Bury remains the news and program director for CJAD and TSN 690. 

There have already been a number of changes at CTV Montreal, with crossovers involving Lori Graham doing weather on CJAD and Aaron Rand and Terry DiMonte doing noon spots with Mutsumi Takahashi. With Kahane dealing with these personalities on a daily basis one can only assume this could increase and that is a good thing.

Rick Moffat will indeed return to CJAD and TSN 690; McKenna keeps seat warm

Frequent listeners to CJAD and TSN 690 each morning might be wondering what happened to the golden pipes of Rick Moffat. While we heard him handling the play by play duties for Montreal Impact and Alouettes games, his regular spot doing sportscasts on the Andrew Carter Show and as a co-host of the TSN 690 morning show with Elliott Price and Shaun Starr has been occupied by the uber-talented Conor McKenna.

Rick Moffat

"If you're wondering about me, I'm back fresh on January 5," Moffat  tells us. "I just had to burn off time racked up from a year filled with Impact, Rogers Cup and Alouettes games."

The average listener probably does not realize it, but from spring to fall guys like Moffat work almost seven days a week with plenty of overtime. Not an easy grind for a fellow who has to wake up by at last 4 a.m.  "It feels weird to sleep normal hours," Moffat admits.

Last week Moffat was kept busy following the death of hockey legend Jean Beliveau. "I did radio hits from coast to coast," he said.

Conor McKenna

While we will welcome back Moffat, one wonders how TSN and CJAD might be able to find a permanent spot for McKenna who is indeed a rising star in the industry. He delivers his sportcasts with panache and has a great sense of humour. We have already grown used to his great work on the Habs post-game show. If AM 600 ever does go on the air, he'd be a wise choice to lead their sports team.

 

Life after CJAD: Claude Beaulieu and Sheldon Fried seek new challenges

I caught up with Claude Beaulieu and Sheldon Fried recently, two longtime CJAD staffers who were let go when the Bell Media takeover set in last fall. Beaulieu originally joined CJAD in October 1983, hired by the legendary Gord Sinclair.  He is now trying to make a living as a freelance writer and being his own boss. 

Claude Beaulieu

“I am past disappointment,” says Beaulieu. “My dismissal from CJAD is behind me, and  I am now looking ahead.  I'm seizing the opportunity that's been handed me to turn a corner and I've decided to do something new.  Actually, writing is something old. I've taken a few writing jobs already and  I am thoroughly enjoying it.  While I do miss talking to the audience, in particular to those of The Suburban's readers who moonlight as CJAD listeners, I can attest that there is indeed life after radio.”

 Here is Claude's Linked In infomercial: "Claude is a freelance copywriter and translator with vast experience as a reporter in the electronic media. A strong communicator noted for attention to detail and exemplary command of written English, Claude was a witness to many of the major political and other events that shaped the Montreal, Quebec and Canada of today. His broad experience, talent and professionalism make him a valuable resource for your written communication needs."



As for Sheldon Fried,  a master operator for decades at CJAD,  he is also moving on. “On Monday mornings I am taking French courses,” he shares. “On Tuesdays and Thursdays I go to workshops through La Passerelle, which caters to people ages 40 on up to help them get back into the job market. In May I will be going to McGill University in the evenings and will be taking Human Resources Management. One thing I can definitely say

Sheldon Fried

is that I was very fortunate in working with the best people in the business, the legends and the new up and coming people. This was a passion and something I always dreamed of doing since I was a student in high school and at least I know in my mind that I have accomplished this and that no one can take away the wonderful memories.”

If you are looking for a truly bilingual copywriter or a great voice, Claude can be found here on Linked In. Sheldon is happily reachable via  his Facebook page.

Will Impact and Alouettes broadcasts move to TSN 690? This and more from Chris Bury

I had a chance to sit down this week with Chris Bury, the boy wonder news and program director at CJAD and TSN 690. Only 36 years of age, he got his start in the business back in 1998 as a producer for the show anchored by the late Mark Rennie. He continued to work full-time while studying for his Journalism Degree at Concordia. “It took six years, but I got my diploma,” he says. 

Bury made a smart career move, accepting an offer to join the now defunct 940 News. Eventually all-news switched to news talk and Bury was gaining invaluable experience as a then very young program director. He’d move on to Q92 (now TheBeat ) and CBC before coming back to CJAD three years ago. “It was quite surreal to be given this job and the very office that was used by the late and legendary Gord Sinclair,” he said.

 

Bury (second to the right) with McKenna, Price and Starr.

While the father of three’s CJAD duties were time consuming enough, last summer Bury was handed the TSN 690 portfolio. He had to make some difficult decisions, letting go the likes of Ted Bird, Ric Peterson, Chantal Desjardins, Sharman Yarnell and reducing Suzanne Desautels’ footprint at CJAD.  Sportscasters Rick Moffat and Abe Hefter were morphed into the newly dubbed TSN Sports Centre. Moffat still does weekday sports, spelled by his new permanent backup Conor McKenna, but has become a regular part of the Elliott Price-Shaun Starr morning show. Mitch Gallo does sports updates for  both stations. Gallo, like so many others trained by Mitch Melnick, has become a very entertaining person to listen to.

 For the near future, Bury says he does not have any drastic changes planned for Montreal’s all-sports radio station.

Will the Montreal Impact and Montreal Alouettes broadcasts move from CJAD to TSN 690? “We are talking to both teams about that right now,” he says. “It is clear that TSN 690 is all sports and CJAD’s primary business is news and information.”

Bury is pleased with the crossover arrangements he has made with CTV Montreal: Lori Graham and Christine Long contributing to the Aaron Rand Show on CJAD and Brian Wilde, Randy Tieman and  André Corbeil becoming part of the Canadiens broadcasts.

"I am happy with TSN 690," he said. "This is a station I always listened to, starting when it was THE TEAM 990. I listened to Mitch Melnick for many years." 

This was my first chance visiting the Bell  Media studios, which became home to CJAD, CHOM and Virgin Radio well more than a year ago and then TSN 690. It is home to the Bell Media French sister stations as well. The TSN 690 and CJAD crews are right next to each other.

Bury also shared with me the fact that longtime promotions guru Matthew Wood has become his assistant program director. 

In my case, I have had the privilege of watching Bury grow in the business. Wearing my other hat as a communications expert for first the Canadian Jewish Congress and then (and now) the English Montreal School Board, Chris and I have spoken regularly during his various incarnations. He has done every task handed to him very well, always rising to the occasion.

Suggestions for new TSN 690 Program Director Chris Bury

Chris Bury says he is excited to get to work on his new project as program director for TSN 690 Radio, while retaining his role as brand and news director for CJAD.  I have known Chris since he was a young reseacher  for Jim Duff on CJAD. He moved on to 940 News for a number of years, then to Q92 (now The Beat)  before returning to NewsTalk 800 AM.

Having Bury oversee the programming duties at another station is a huge task, on top of his already heavy load. "It kind of makes sense as there will be a lot of synergy between the two stations," he told me. "There is a logical connection and a lot of opportunity for cross promotions. I can't wait to get going on this!"

Bury said at this point he wants to begin a discussion and evaluation process. He did not dismiss the possibility that some changes could be implemented in time for Montreal Canadiens broadcasts. TSN 690 will soon vacate their Greene Avenue facility in Westmount and join CJAD, CHOM and Virgin Radio at the corner of René-Levesque and Papineau. They are also across the street from CTV Montreal and RDS.

Bury was not ready to speculate on any potential programming changes. Well, here are some lucky guesses and suggestions.

Jess Rusnak

HABS BROADCASTS: Everyone agrees that play by play man John Bartlett and colour commentator  Sergio Mommesso are a dynamic team. But will  CJAD sports director Rick Moffat and Abe Hefter find their way back into the mix?  The pre and post game shows are definite possibilities. Jess Rusnak does a fabulous job covering the Habs and could be a valued asset for CJAD as well. Connor McKenna has also come into his own with the Delmar Post Game  Show.  UPDATE- Clearly Bury has been listening as Conor McKenna became the first TSN 690 personality to cross the floor. On Friday, August 16 he was chosen to fill in for Rick Moffat to handle morning show sportscasts with guest host Barry Morgan and he did not sound out of place. A good omen for McKenna?

Connor McKenna

MORNING SHOW: While Ted Bird clearly seems to adore his gig on TSN 690 mornings, will we see him cross the hall to CHOM FM and rejoin his pal Terry DiMonte for some sportscasts? And how about Moffat or whomever  is doing the sports on CJAD handling the same duties on TSN 690 with Shaun Starr and Elliott Price? I would love to hear Michael Farber and Dave Stubbs on both stations.

Tony Marinaro

THE MONTREAL FORUM: Tony Marinaro has a loyal following and provides good radio. If anything, Bury should strengthen his show The Montreal Forum and continue to use him on Habs broadcasts. Just look at the man`s Twitter followers! Not since the late Ted Tevan have we had a more opinionated and well liked talkshow host. Marinaro is also a walking encyclopedia on international soccer and the dad of a young boy who is already so prolific at the sport that many say he is destined for the pros.

Barry Morgan

OFF THE CUFF: Will Chris Nilan remain as co-host with Marinaro for the Intermission and host of Off The Cuff from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m or will someone like Barry Morgan or Hefter be offered that slot? Nilan is still a rookie at doing his own show and continues to approve. He also has a huge list of "A" level contacts.  Perhaps Morgan and Nilan?

MELNICK IN THE AFTERNOON: Mitch Melnick is already a legend in this city. He spent many years on CJAD. He is definitely an "untouchable." Hopefully he can access the likes of Farber, Stubbs and others.

Matthew Ross

EVENINGS: When the Habs are not on, TSN 690 airs a variety of programming weekday evenings. Bury would be well advised to take a long look at Matthew Ross and Dave Kaufman in particular, two talents who could be plucked up by the soon to debut AM 600 English station.

ALOUETTES AND IMPACT: It makes sense to move these broadcasts over to TSN 690, reverting back to CJAD in the case of  a conflict. That means the great Noel Butler could return to the Impact broadcast team.

MANAGEMENT: There must be a place for Wayne Bews, who has played a critical role in keeping Montreal's all-sports station alive. Wayne has done it all: sales, programming, promotions. He is an amazing fellow who gets out there in the community. His experience could be a benefit to the new Bell Media English radio group here.

To be continued...

92.5 The Beat and TSN Radio 990 show gains in ratings

Well it looks like the new 92.5 The Beat FM format  is working out quite nicely. In its first Bureau of Broadcast Measurement (BBM) ratings period via the  Personal People Meters (PPM) method since reinventing itself from The Q 92.5 FM to the Beat, the Cogeco station showed comfortable gains from  the last survey. TSN Radio 990 (formerly  TEAM 990 and soon to be TSN Radio 690) also showed improvements.

The survey was taken between August 29 and November 27.

In terms of the weekly reach of listeners in the anglo market, Virgin Radio (516,000) remained in the lead followed by The Beat (483,000 compared to 475,000 previously), CHOM (342,000), CJAD (304,000), TSN Radio (131,000 compared to 83,000) and CBC Radio One (121,000).

In the all important  aged 25 to 54 demographic, Virgin Radio’s morning show, hosted by Freeway Frank and Lisa Player, leads the pack between 9 am and 10 am (Andrea Collins does the final hour) with a 28.9 percent share. CJAD's Andrew Carter (22.3),  Cat Spencer and Sarah Bartok at The Beat (21.4 up from 17.5), Rob Kemp and Chantal Desjardins on CHOM (20.5) and Elliott Price and Shaun Starr on  TSN Radio (6.8 up from 5.0) follow.

"The Montreal radio landscape had more competition than ever this fall, which made things fun for everyone!" said Virgin Radio brand director Mark Bergman. "As the leader our plan was not to react, rather continue providing our loyal listenership with the biggest hits in Montreal, a fun personality filled line up, all wrapped up in a premium radio brand. We're thrilled with our results! Over two million listeners and number one again with adults aged 18 to 54."

Mitch Melnick

Between 10 and 4 pm, Virgin Radio (36.7) is in the lead followed by CHOM (24.6), The Beat (23.1 from 19.7), CJAD (8.8) and TSN Radio (6.9 up from 4.5). During the drive home, from 4 pm to  7 pm, Cousin Vinny at Virgin Radio  is way out front (37.7) followed by AJ Reynolds at The Beat 20.2 (up from 19.0), Pirate” Pete Marier  at CHOM (19.3), Mitch Melnick at TSN Radio (14.8 up from 9.0) and CJAD’s Aaron Rand (13.9 up from 12.9).

“We are pleased with The Beat's first book,” commented Mark Dickie, general manager and mastermind behind the new station. “We did very with females aged 35 to 54, which is the demo we need to own for our goal to own  females aged 25 to 54. Virgin is the choice for 18 to 34 year olds and The Beat is quickly becoming the choice for adults. We aren't able to publish November's results, but the three-month trend is very impressive. It is nice to see them get rewards so early in the game.

In the overall standings, which takes into account every singer listener regardless of age, the presentation is a bit different. It shows CJAD in the lead (24.4), followed by Virgin Radio (18.3), The Beat (16.3), CHOM  (12.3), CBC Radio One 88.5 FM (8.4) and TSN Radio (4.0). These are not the numbers, though, that advertisers take a particularly close look at.

“We know that Montrealers are embracing The Beat. Our mission every day is to make sure more and more people tune us in and sample our great radio station. We are hearing that once someone has sampled The Beat they are almost immediately making the station their preferred choice to listen to. We get feedback through our street team, Facebook postings, listener calls and emails.”

For Wayne Bews, general manager of TSN Radio 990 he had one word to sum up his reaction. "Proud," he responded. "We knew getting the rights to the Montreal Canadiens would help us. But keep in mind that when this survey was taken, the Canadiens were only playing during six of  the 13 weeks."


Bews says the most telling statistic is how the station performed with the male aged 25 to 54 demographic, where they were previously in fifth place with a 3.7 share. From  7 pm to 11 pm Monday through Saturday evenings, they are now number one with a 19.8 share ahead of Virgin Radio (17.3). "All of our staff worked really hard from the time we got the rights last June," he says. "This is really an excellent start."

The Beat spent a lot of money to promote the new station, via newspaper ads, billboards and bus stop posters. “Advertising does work,” says Dickie. “It creates the awareness for sampling - then it is up to our on-air team, programming, music and promotions to deliver.”