Chantal Desjardins making a name for herself on stand up comedy scene

Chantal Desjardins is enjoying life as a stand up comic. The gal with the movie star looks had a good career going for her on local radio, with gigs on Virgin Radio, CHOM and latterly on CJAD where she did sports and showed real on air karma  with drive home show host Aaron Rand. When Bell Media purchased Virgin, CHOM and CJAD, essentially merging TSN 690 with the latter, Desjardins was one of the casualties.

Desjardins, 31, can still be seen on occasionally on CTV, but what began as a bit of an extra curricular activity is developing into something more. She will be onstage at Club Soda on St. Laurent Blvd. Wednesday evening, May 7 for  the MediaExperts’ Evening of Comedy with Joey Elias and Friends. The third annual edition is once again being held in support of On Our Own, the Montreal‐based organization providing critical support services and affordable transitional housing for young parents wishing to develop the skills they need to live independently in the community.

“I got my start in standup comedy a couple of years ago when I took Joey Elias’ course,” Desjardins was telling me last week. “We had a friends and family night and when it was over three offered me events to perform at. I did not really pursue it at the time, but when I was laid off from CJAD last fall I had the time. Since then I have done 16 shows. It’s been lots of fun.”

Chantal Desjardins

Besides Desjardins, Elias  has invited David Pryde, Jeff Shouela and  Chris Venditto to be part of the  Media Experts’ event. “I had everybody calling me to be a part of this show this year,” Elias say. “Everyone last year had such  a great time, the word really got around and this event has become a regular fixture on the Montreal Comedy  calendar. The cause is truly a deserving one, Club Soda is a great room and I hope we raise even more than we did last year.”

Independent media services agency Media Experts has partnered with On Our Own and Canadian charitable organization, GIVGroups, permitting the public to secure their entry to the show by making a tax‐ deductible donation online. Created to help boost charitable giving in Canada, GIVGroups is a website where Canadians, companies, foundations and charities come together to support charitable causes. GIVGroups hosts matching giftchallenges helping to multiply the good deeds of corporate sponsors with the matching donations of Canadians to increase the value of those donations. 

“Crowd funding is an exciting new trend in charitable giving in Canada,” said Woodrow Rosenbaum, Executive  Director of GIV3. “We are very pleased to see Media Experts and O3 taking advantage of our free platform to raise money and engage donors.” 

On the GIVGroups website, http://www.givgroups.ca/campaign/63 people simply select the On Our Own ‐ Media  Experts GIVGroup and make their tax‐deductible donation. The public have only to present the printed receipt of  their minimum donation of $40  to be admitted to the comedy benefit on May 7 at Club Soda.

A native of Winnipeg, she came here to be with her then significant other a number of years ago.  Following an amicable split, she found herself single for the first time since the age of 17. The divorce and dating has become part of her routine. “I don’t doubt that at some point I will get back to radio,” she said. “I have a broadcasting agent trying to lure me to Toronto, but I’d like to stay here.”

Desjardins says she was really enjoying her time alongside Rand.  But when the TSN 690 deal came through the writing was on the wall. “I was not insulted,” she said. “Chris Bury is  a good friend of mine.  This is reality. They already had sportscasters right across the hall. It was a logical business decision.”

Could Desjardins end up at Rogers Sportsnet/City Montreal, where there is currently a vacancy for a local correspondent? One would think that both she and Jess Russnak of TSN 690 would be good candidates to succeed Aly Lozoff, who was doing a fabulous job yet did not have her contract renewed.

There is also an opening on weekends at Virgin Radio, with Nikki Balch off to Ottawa. Desjardins would be a great fit there as well.

In the wake of Peterson, Bird and Desjardins dismissals, what is next at CJAD and TSN 690?

On the day the intolerant PQ government let loose its controversial Charter of Quebec Values, CJAD Radio made big news of its own by letting go longtime program host Ric Peterson, sportscaster Chantal Desjardins, newscaster Claude Beaulieu, weekend host Sharman Yarnell and demoting Suzanne Desautels to a more limited status. Over at the new Bell Media sister station, TSN 690, morning show co-host Ted Bird was shown the door. Is this just the beginning?

Chantal Desjardins

 

"Seems the soul of English Montreal radio was gutted yesterday," former CJAD/CHOM/Virgin Radio boss Rob Braide wrote on his Facebook page. "So many great broadcasters with years of service and first class performance and ratings thrown out the door to crank the margins by a few cents. Shameful!"

 

Today, I am told, the hosts of TSN 690's weekend morning show called The Franchise were told they are gone. Both The Franchise and Bird are expected to play a more active role on the very popular Montreal Hockey Talk internet radio show. 

Peterson broke his silence on Facebook as well, writing: "After more than 30 years of broadcasting in Montreal I thought my first day off the air would be one without much talking on my part," he wrote. "I was mistaken. I am very touched by the many phone calls and moved by the texts, emails, comments as well as the posts to my social pages. Your kind words are very much appreciated. It pleases me to know how many lives I’ve touched, thank you for listening. Some wise soul once said, 'man maintains his balance, poise, and sense of security only as he is moving forward' I am looking forward to sharing my future adventures with you all."

Barry Morgan, probably the most versatile broadcaster in Montreal, has temporarily taken over the Ric and Suzanne Noon to 3 p.m. slot. Dan Laxer, who lost his full-time status two years ago  when Aaron Rand was hired, returned Wednesday evening to his old 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.  spot once known. Laxer has been a good soldier, never making waves over his dismissal. He continued to co-host the Sunday Trivia Show and filled in doing traffic and other shows whenever called upon. In order to pay the rent he became a personal trainer, a programmer of Yiddish theatre and social media specialist for a local school. I have never hidden my  admiration for Laxer, who I think is a natural on radio.

Dan Laxer (with his daughter).

"It felt fantastic to be back in that role again, even for just one night," Laxer told me. "That was my timeslot when I first started in 2006. I don't know what management has planned for evenings, but I've told Chris Bury that I'd gladly jump in there, if they'll have me."

I am quite shocked to see Beaulieu cut loose. We just spoke last week. Wearing my PR hats for Canadian Jewish Congress and the EMSB, Claude and I communicated regularly. An impeccably bilingual professional, it is sad to see him go.

CJAD and TSN 690 program director Chris Bury was not able to talk to me today, understandably busy. This was the first day of TSN 690 studios debuting under the same roof as CJAD, CHOM and Virgin Radio. Convergence has begun and we  should expect  a series of big changes to come. Dropping Desjardins, who had amazing chemistry with Aaron Rand, can only mean that sports will soon be centralized at TSN 690. So will Rick Moffat soon do morning sports on both CJAD and TSN 690 and Mitch Gallo split his time between Melnick and Rand? Where does  Abe Hefter stand? Will the Alouettes and Impact broadcasts be moved over to TSN 690 for next season?

Whenever the much anticipated AM600 Radio begins airing, perhaps the likes of Peterson and previous CJAD casualties such as Peter Anthony Holder,  Kevin Holden  and Sol Boxenbaum can resurface. Former CJAD boss Steve Kowch is presently charting a course for the new station, which has no projected air date. 

I spoke to Kowch today.  "In radio, it's not if but when you get fired," he said. " Being on air is like being a star on a sports team. Eventually someone else comes along who hits more home runs or shoots the puck in the net more often. And like the sports personalities, radio personalities have fans who get upset when they're let go.

"I've spoken to Ric Peterson, Ted Bird and Claude Beaulieu since their departure and they're all taking it in stride - upset yes, but at the same time they're looking at others options. I wouldn't be surprised if some give up radio all together and do something else.  I always told students when I taught talk radio in college, that they were getting into a profession where there is no gold watch waiting for them in 30 years.

"What is surprising with this round of cuts is the timing. Montreal radio is two weeks into the fall ratings season. Normally management makes these kind of moves before ratings or after the 13 week rating period. This isn't the first time local radio personalities have been let go and it won't be the last. It's not a Bell thing, it is just the nature of the beast called radio."

Steve Kowch

Desjardins has done some sportscasting for CTV Montreal. She's gorgeous and personable and would be a great pickup for Global TV or 925 The Beat FM.  Is there a spot for Peterson on CBC Radio One?

Every time I see something like this happen I thank my mother for convincing me not to make radio broadcasting a full-time endeavor. There are the lucky ones who can spend a lifetime in the business.  Then there are others who find themselves unexpectedly on the unemployment line.

Check out the amazing Fagstein's analysis and colourful comments section.

Who will be Terry DiMonte's sidekicks? Dan Laxer?

Who will be Terry DiMonte’s on air partners when he returns to the CHOM FM morning show on Monday, January 9? When I spoke to him last week from Calgary he was not quite sure.

For most of his year on the Montreal airwaves, DiMonte was partnered with Ted Bird. They made a spectacular team. Four years ago it was the Terry, Ted and Kim Show – Kim being Kim Rossi. DiMonte now makes it clear that Rossi’s presence was forced upon him. He was not getting along at all with station management at the time, then under the direction of Standard Radio, and decided to leave town.

“I was so burnt out  and tired when I left,” DiMonte said. “I had such a horrible and adversarial relationship with the guy running the station at the time that I was having difficulty sleeping.  I was simply being treated terribly. So I left and Calgary looked like it would be the place I would go to and retire one day.”

Two years ago Bird quit the CHOM morning show, then co-hosted by “Pirate” Pete Marier and Chantal Desjardins, claiming that he could no longer work with then program director Daniel Tremblay. He would end up resurfacing on K103 FM, the Mohawk  Station.

Wouldn't Dan Laxer look good with Terry?

Bird has told all who wish to listen that he has no plans on returning to CHOM, even though  there is new management in place and his pal DiMonte is back.

DiMonte seems to agree. "Ted is one of my best friends," he remarked. "He is clearly very happy where he is now."

I would personally recommend that  DiMonte keep Desjardins as part of his team and add someone familiar with all of us who has a sense of humour. Who better than Dan Laxer, recently cut loose by CJAD but still pleasing listeners once a week on The  Trivia Show.  My second choice would be comic Joey Elias, host of the CJAD Comedy Show and one of the funniest guys in this city.

Will DiMonte embrace the social media phenomenon, which was not so much of a factor when he left? “I suppose so,” he said. “I had a crew from CHOM come to Calgary to do all kinds of taping with me. I expect that will find its way on the internet.”

Take a look at the slimmed down DiMonte here on a clip from his Q107 morning show broadcasting from a radiothon: