Comments on: Aaron Rand, the last DJ

By: oscar bonilla

oscar bonilla — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 20:37:02 +0000

Sad to hear that Aaron Rand is leaving the Q.Listened to him for more than twenty years during my stayed in Montreal.Missed him,wish him the best. Oscar Bonilla Costa Rica.

By: Aaron Rand moves on – Fagstein

Aaron Rand moves on – Fagstein — Fri, 27 May 2011 16:21:06 +0000

[...] already written about Rand, why there are few people like him nowadays on the radio, and his views on how clueless managers are ruining this art form. I don't like repeating myself, [...]

By: kenneth

kenneth — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 02:54:29 +0000

Just found out today that Aaron is leaving and I will be leaving also.

By: Marc

Marc — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 02:37:51 +0000

Brian DePoe left back in early January. I guess he saw the writing on the wall and didn't want to be escorted out the door on Feb 1st as Cogeco did to other managers who didn quit in advance.

By: Ruth

Ruth — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 11:46:14 +0000

When they fired Tasso and Suzanne, I sent Brian DePoe some pretty explicit e-mails regarding their really bad decision. He replied and though I knew it was not his personal decision, I don't know if he fought hard enough. I don't even know if Brian is still with the Q any longer. Again, the Q is making another terrible decision. I stopped listening to the Q for quite a while, but went back and listened to Aaron. Now Aaron is leaving the station and so am I. This will come back to haunt you the Q, and the fact that you are only looking at the bottom line and forgetting the human side, will only hurt your station. Unfortunately, the "human" has gone out of the "Human Relations" in all companies these days and people are just numbers. I worked for a very large international Company for many years and we always treated our employees as humans, not numbers, and our Company flourished. But, once the US took over, our Company closed its plant and moved everything to the US. Now, where are they - they were bought out by another company. What more can I say, except that someone up there on the pedestal is in for a big fall.

By: Aaron Rand leaving CFQR’s Q Mornings – Fagstein

Aaron Rand leaving CFQR’s Q Mornings – Fagstein — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 12:19:52 +0000

[...] If this seems like more than just a simple case of a long-time radio personality hanging up the mike (he's pushing 60, but he hasn't said he's retiring yet), it's because Rand is one of the few remaining people in commercial music radio in Montreal's anglo market who isn't afraid not to sound like a marketer sometimes. Where the standard procedure might have been to pretend his departed co-hosts never existed, Rand granted interview requests, spoke highly of them, gave Zakaib a chance to say goodbye on air an.... [...]

By: Len

Len — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 15:40:24 +0000

I grew up in Montreal and used to listen to Aaron and Tasso all the time. They were extremely funny. "spoke some franch with Armidas Lafortune" Loved it! "Eh, stupide, est-ce-que tu lave ton cheval de temps en temps?" or "do you take your orsie to da orsie wash?" hehehe....still classic to me! I hope you guys reunite again sometime somewhere (like here in Toronto :) )

By: What’s happening to Montreal radio? – Fagstein

What’s happening to Montreal radio? – Fagstein — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 18:08:05 +0000

[...] the few remaining veterans of commercial radio in Montreal. It was actually a belated response to comments I made about him after he lost two co-hosts at CFQR. But he included some thoughts about the radio industry that he [...]

By: Fagstein

Fagstein — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:36:44 +0000

That would have accomplished nothing except for putting Rand out of a job.

Would you quit your job if your friend got fired?

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:18:47 +0000

Man you're dumb. What does that song say? "Don't stop, believin'"

By: RoknRob

RoknRob — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:01:34 +0000

If he is such a class act, why did he not resign in protest and solidarity, leaving them with NOTHING!!

By: Vahan

Vahan — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 13:13:50 +0000

It may be time for the Boy to leave the Box.

By: David C.

David C. — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 21:38:59 +0000

What a gutsy and classy move.A true friend stands beside you when times are the tuffest.Only wish the employers had the same qualities.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 16:59:39 +0000

I had the pleasure of working with Aaron way back when. A class act then...and now.

By: Mark Hebscher

Mark Hebscher — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 16:24:07 +0000

Even when he was an up-and-coming broadcaster back in the late 70's, Aaron Rand always had a strong connection with his listeners. I think it shows a lot of class to step up and acknowledge your "teammates" by throwing a soiree. Suzanne and Tasso are lucky to have such a good friend who's willing to stick his neck out and risk his job. Montreal is richer for having Aaron on the airwaves for so many years. I had the good fortune to work with Aaron many years ago at CJAD and always knew that he was much more than just a funny guy. Smooth move Aaron! You will be rewarded for your honesty and "chutzpah".

By: Jean Naimard

Jean Naimard — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 16:19:16 +0000

Radio is dead. With the demands from owners for more and more profits (ad dollars), it has become a race to the bottom-line. The same reasoning holds for print newspapers.

With the generalization of portable MP3 players, people don't have to put-up with music they don't like, nor with the DJ chatter overlapping with the songs.

Only government-funded radio has any future nowadays.

By: Marc

Marc — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:14:32 +0000

I hope they do. And I hope they understand that if local radio had more people like Aaron Rand, they might care a bit more about local radio and fewer of them would be leaving in droves for iTunes and podcasts.

Couldn't agree more.

By: Steve

Steve — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 13:45:40 +0000

Actually Tasso(Paul Zakaib) talked about his firing the next day, on-air on the The Q morning show(the same show he was fired from). I can't remember now if he called up Aaron Rand, or vice-versa. So Tasso has talked publicly since he was fired. If you don't believe me, e-mail Aaron to confirm.