It's Tasso versus Aaron Rand as The Jewel moves Zakaib to drive home slot

Talk about an instant success story!  Paul "Tasso Patsikakis" Zakaib has only been hosting The Jewel 106.7 FM's 10 a.m. to Noon slot for two weeks and he has already been handed a nice promotion.

Beginning Monday, April 27, Paul/Tasso will move to the drive home slot from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on the unique new station geared specifically to the Hudson, St. Lazare and Vaudreuil-Soulanges area and heard clear as a bell across the West Island. I was able to get it in my car today on the Decarie Expressway. The station, which plays adult contemporary and easy listening music, already has a marquee name  in the morning show with Ted Bird.

Paul "Tasso Patsikakis" Zakaib

Now most radio listeners longed for the day when Paul/Tasso would reunite with Aaron Rand. The duo were magic on the old AM 600 and for more than 20 years on Q92 (now The Beat). That certainly won't happen at Rand's current home, CJAD. Now the old pals are actually facing off against each other - something which occurred when Paul/Tasso occupied the same shift on Mike FM  for a bit.

"I am not sure we are competing," Zakaib told me when we spoke today. "CJAD is talk radio, we are mainly music. Yes I am trying to bring in some comedy and my cast of characters, but the bits are meant to be very short."

Why such a quick time slot change? "Management I guess liked what they heard," he said. "They wanted me to move to the drive sooner, but I asked for a little more time to prepare."

Zakaib, who lives in Dollard des Ormeaux,  says he has been quite surprised by the response from listeners to the new station. "I went to my local garage the other day and a woman stopped to tell me how much she really loves our station," he said. "I am hearing that from a lot of people. We now attract the aged 40 plus audience that Q92 threw away when they became The Beat."

The Jewel is part of an eight station network across the country owned by the Evanov Radio Group. 

  

    

With Ted Bird and Tasso Patsikakis on board Hudson/St. Lazare's the Jewel FM is already a hit!

Editor's Note: Due to technical difficulties The Jewel programming, including the debut of Tasso, has been delayed until April 9.l

You must hand it to the folks behind The Jewel RadioNetwork. Part of the Evanov Radio Group, there are presently eight Jewel stations across the country and the latest has landed at 106.7 FM and serving Hudson and St. Lazare.  Now this is quite extraordinary for two small towns on the outskirts of Montreal’s West Island  having their very own radio station.

Ted Silver, who once upon a time ran Q92  (now  The Beat 92.5 FM), is the program director for this newest entity along with Jewel sister stations in Ottawa, Rockland and Hawkesbury and the man has clearly not lost his golden touch. Not only did he sign the

Ted Bird

legendary Ted Bird as morning show host (5:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.), but beginning April 8 Paul “Tasso Patsikakis” Zakaib makes his return to the airwaves as the host of his own 10 a.m. to Noon show. That is followed by the syndicated John Tesh Show.  Bob Coley steps in from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. with a  local drive home show.  Then comes a program called The Lounge.

Silver notes that the Jewel features an adult contemporary variety format featuring the best of yesterday and today. He calls it  easy listening, light and refreshing.”   The target market is Hudson, St. Lazare, Vaudreuil and most of the West Island. Evanov operates two other licences in Quebec: CHRF-AM, Radio Fierté, the world's only French language commercial radio service dedicated to Montreal's large and diverse LGBT community; and   CFMB AM, the city’s only multi-ethnic broadcaster.

I have already made a habit of tuning into Bird via my computer in the office weekday

mornings. One never gets tired of his great sense of humour. Now we can look forward to Tasso and his zany cast of characters, from Jacques Parizeau to Jean Chretien. Sure I’d

love to have him back on the air with Aaron Rand, but that is not in the cards for now. “We had talked to Tasso about doing our morning show,” Silver said. “In the end of course we went with Ted, but I am really happy to bring him aboard. We worked together at Q92. He will be entertaining. That is for sure.”

Ted Silver and Tasso

I reached Tasso and he is quite excited about the new venture.

"I'm going to try to do a little of the old and as much music as I can't play," he joked.   "They are a top heavy music station, but I assume they brought me on to add a bit of colour. When I was at MIKE FM, I learned how to bring my characters on and talk to them as if they were in the studio.  This should be an easier task at the Jewel.  I won't do weather or anything without a twist if possible and I'll be doing some odd stories as well, hopefully with an interview or comment from persons involved.  It's going to be something new for them and a new challenge for me."    
Both Bird and Tasso reside on the West Island.

Silver said that the feedback from The Jewel 106.7 is quite impressive for a station that has only been on the air for a month. “We have done some contests and our advertisers have really been surprised by the response,” he said. “People are listening.  We have been air testing since November, so that has helped attract an audience.”

Sylvia Asche Bullard

With local news during the morning and afternoon drives with Tanya Armstrong and Sylvia Asche Bullard, Hudson and St. Lazare are getting some great exposure.  As Silver points out, this is a growing area. The Suburban recognizes this which is why we have added this to our circulation area.

I shared with Silver my thoughts that a local sports talk show, perhaps airing late night, would be a great addition to the schedule. “Never say never,” he responded.

Right now the team from The Jewel 106.7 FM are working out of the Hawkesbury station – about a 20 minute drive. “We would like to establish a studio in Hudson or St. Lazare,” Silver said. “It is something we are working on.”