Laurie and Olga are back … on K103

Remember Laurie MacDonald and Olga Gazdovic, of CJAD’s Saturday afternoon Laurie & Olga Show? Almost a year after getting canned from CJAD along with a bunch of others, they’re returning to the airwaves, in their old time slot (1-4pm), starting next weekend.

A (grammatically incorrect) Facebook group has already been started, and the few hundred people who joined the “Bring Back Olga and Laurie” Facebook group will probably be happy.

MacDonald and Gazdovic got their first radio job through a contest at a mall in 1995.

When they were suddenly fired in August 2009, Gazdovic told The Gazette: “It’s the nature of the business. If I had the chance, I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”

And so, like Ted Bird and Paul Graif in the mornings, Laurie and Olga become new voices from outside the Kahnawake community being added to Kahnawake’s community radio station. And the country music that used to dominate CKRK’s schedule is seeing less and less airtime in favour of castoffs and disgruntled former stars of the big Montreal stations.

It’s up to the community to decide how to react to this. But some were already suggesting that K103 was suffering an identity crisis, and the 250-Watt station was trying too hard to compete with the 50,000-Watt powerhouses atop Mount Royal, a battle they couldn’t possibly win, even with some names familiar to Montreal listeners.

38 thoughts on “Laurie and Olga are back … on K103

  1. Sheldon Harvey

    It seems to me that at K-103 it has come down to a “do what you have to do to survive” scenario. If that means bringing in non-Natives that hopefully drag along advertisers with them (paying ones at that!) to keep the station afloat, it seems that’s what they are prepared to do.

    All of the hoopla regarding Bird coming to the station seems to have died down dramatically. The Facebook page traffic about the show seems to have ground to a halt and, certainly in the circle of radio-types that I travel in, hardly anyone is even bringing up Bird any longer. To quote B.B. King, it seems that “The Thrill is Gone”. Part of this could be due to the fact that so many people outside of Kahnawake are having difficulty hearing K-103. This is even being regularly acknowledged on-air. They keep saying that they are “working on it”, but there really isn’t a whole lot that can be done.

    Now with Olga and Laurie coming on board on Saturday, and with the addition of a “Best of Ted, Java and Paul” Saturday morning show starting up, the country music fans who have faithfully tuned to the station on weekends will suffer. It is someone ironic that all of this weekend there are promos running telling everyone how for “over 20 years” K-103 has served up country music, only to be followed shortly by promos for the new Saturday programming beginning next week.

    As you say, ultimately, it will be up to the community to voice their opinions on how they feel about the changes in content, the drop in on-air hours of Native broadcasters, and the apparent desire of the current management and Board to try to dip their broadcasting toes into the “Big Boys” pool of the Montreal radio scene. The water in that pool is already murky and trecherous.

    It will be interesting to see how the people of Kahnawake feel about the image adjustment to “their” community station.

    Reply
    1. Steve

      I’m just turned off that K-103 radio is trying hard to be like the other very commercial Montreal radio stations. How low can you get than bringing in Laurie & Olga? What kind of significant advertisers can they bring in? I still can’t even get a remotely good signal of K-103 radio anywhere I’ve listened in the Montreal-area the past few months. When I tried to listen to K-103 radio online early on when Ted Bird started there, the online signal was going on & off frequently. I haven’t tried listening to the K-103 morning show since(I wanted to give Ted Bird a chance, even if I never cared for him on the CHOM morning show).

      I’ll probably check out Laurie & Olga next Saturday afternoon on K-103 radio online just for the curiosity. Will they take shots at their previous radio employers? Do they even aknowledge their previous employer by name? If they plan to take calls from K-103 listeners(like they did on their CJAD radio show), will anybody call beyond their friends?

      Reply
  2. Bill

    Retreads one and all.

    I laughed when Bird said he was looking forward to being more creative at this new station. Yet, he’s doing the same old schtik that he did at CHOM for years.

    They are ruining a small community station that doesn’t deserve to be treated and destroyed like this.

    Reply
  3. Katie Seline

    When all the lay offs happened last year we were joking at CJLO that we should try to bring in all of those left behind to form some kind of CJLO Power Hour. I wonder what would have happened if we had actually taken ourselves seriously. But of course “hey come have the freedom to do whatever you want at a small AM station but get paid nothing for it” probably wouldn’t have been very appealing. If any of you former radio hosts are reading this, our door is open :)

    Reply
  4. Laurie Macdonald

    In reference to Sheldon Harvey’s comment on the “radio types he travels in”, you can hardly call Ham radio groupies who gather in basements, radio types. These same “radio types” take great pleasure in putting down anyone they think they are better than. Their blog and their comments are not unlike bullies in the schoolyard.

    Yes, Olga and I auditioned in a shopping centre. So did 562 others, and yet, we not only won the contest, we lasted 14 years on the air. We could have just as easily auditioned on Fort Street, but the fact that it was a shopping centre lets this group of bullies continually put us down. It’s getting tired, Sheldon. Let it go.

    K103.7 is giving us a wonderful opportunity. Stop being jealous and either enjoy the ride, or get off the bus.

    Reply
    1. Dino

      Don’t be concerned about the wanna be’s.
      They fester in the negative abyss they have created for themselves and never know how to get out of that rut.

      It’s great to have you back.
      Say a special hello to Olga.

      Dino

      Reply
    2. Sheldon Harvey

      Strangely enough, Ms. Macdonald, you have no idea who the people are that I am speaking of. I have never met you; you have never met me. To my knowledge, we have never spoken, yet, somehow, you seem to think you know a lot about me.

      If you are speaking about the members of the “Radio in Montreal” group, the majority of those 300+ people are not ham radio operators. They are consumers of the broadcasting airwaves, in other words, people who listen to the radio and, the last time we checked, we live in a country where we are free to express our opinions, and they people choose to express their opinions about radio through this forum that has existed for over 10 years.

      During those 10 years I have personally been contacted by many, many people in the Montreal broadcasting scene, both in management and on-the-air personalities. Some hate what we do; others appreciate the comments and make it a point to check out what appears in our group on a daily basis. I have been invited into meetings with numerous people in the broadcasting field over the past 10 years or so, in many cases to constructively discuss the comments, observations and opinions that appear in our group.
      Many of them have expressed their appreciation for the effort and dedication of the Radio in Montreal group.

      I find it interesting that your comments, as well as those of “Dino” and Ted Bird, do not address any of the issues that were brought up in my comments with respect to the public reaction to the recent developments at K-103, both from within Kahnawake, and beyond.

      Mr. Bird’s comment about waiting for haters to send in airchecks is ludicrous. We’re not on the air and we don’t claim to be. We just tune in, listen, and comment on what we hear. I’m sure you watch TV shows, or go out to see movies, and then feel you have the right to pass judgement on whether you liked what you saw or not. How is that any different than what we are doing?

      I am also positive that Mr. Bird has not heard from all 8,000 residents of Kahnawake. If the loop he is speaking of us being outside of includes Kahnawake, then I can assure you, from conversations I have had with many people in Kahnawake, that it is obvious that he hasn’t heard from everyone.

      Radio programs are on the air for public consumption. Most people who take the time to tune in, generally speaking, never have anything to say, good or bad. Our group has, and continues to voice our opinions.

      As you are entitled to have opinions about our group, we have the choice to offer up our opinions on your broadcasts. No one is forcing you to read our comments, as we are not forced to listen to you. We simply choose to, and to comment on what we hear.

      Reply
    3. Steve

      What’s the difference between the people at RIM commenting on Laurie & Olga, & what you do on-air? And I don’t entirely agree with all that happens on RIM, & even had disagreements(including publicly) with Sheldon Harvey over the years. You two gals regularly talk hollywood gossip, giving opinions often negative; lots of male bashing; Toronto bashing all the time; commenting on sports issues which you two know nothing about(RDS for Olga is RESEAU DE SCRAP). Talk about negativity. Your radio program is suppose to be light entertainment.

      What was the purpose of The Throne talking sports for an hour? Giving opinions on sports, but often can’t even get basic facts straight. Confusing F1 cars with Indy cars; confusing players from different teams; confusing teams; didn’t even know basic rules of the sport you were talking about. Yeah, you two occasionally mentioned that you knew little of sports, but it got ridiculous. Don’t tell me, you are bringing back The Throne on K-103?

      While I don’t deny Laurie & Olga have a following. I also think you have lots of detractors(not just the RIM people).

      Reply
      1. Steve

        Gotta say I was pleasantly surprised with the Laurie & Olga show debut on K-103 radio this afternoon. Still the same show, but none of the negativity I spoke about in my previous post. Laurie & Olga had one of the native K-103 radio hosts as a guest. They took lots of calls, & it seems all of their sponsors are back. Even Bar-B-Barn(their title sponsor, & voiced by Tasso) is back(for a time at CJAD radio, they were dropped as Barb-Barn spokesperson on the radio commercials). Some of the usual suspects called in(ex-CJAD Program director Steve Kowch & Jim Cuddy of Blue Rodeo), besides some of the regular callers. K-103 radio still seems to be having some problems with streaming online(I had to reconnect about a dozen times, during the 3 hour program). Really no criticism of the radio program from me(maybe for first time, I praise Laurie & Olga).

        Reply
  5. Ted Bird

    Hi Laurie,

    The response I’ve received in Kahnawake has been overwhelmingly positive – open arms, open hearts and open minds, so I wouldn’t put any stock in what people outside the loop are saying.
    I keep waiting for the haters to send us airchecks of their long-running shows so we can learn how it’s done. Nothing yet, but I’m ever-hopeful.

    Reply
  6. Josee

    Wow.. seems the rumour is true about radio personalities being insecure and touchy. If you don’t like what they have to offer, you must be jealous or living in a basement. LOL. Too funny. No wonder radio has devolved so much in the last 2 decades. No more true professionalism to be found, sadly. And it used to be such a noble industry. Now its a joke.

    Reply
  7. Ted

    These ladies had a 14 year run on CJAD… all it proves is that really bad radio can survive when there is no other viable choice.
    I listened to CJAD to get the news… force of habit… but when these ladies were on, my taste for news disappeared and i either turned it all off or put in a CD.
    Maybe K103 will run the “best of L&O”… if they can find anything that rises above ho-hum.
    Too bad they are back… just like Chucky! Frankly, Chucky is probably less painful.

    Reply
  8. Steve Kowch

    Personally I think it is great that Laurie and Olga are back on the air. You don’t survive 14 years on air if no one is listening. Yes I found them in a mall. So what. It was a talent search. We were looking for new talent and went out into the community to find the talent. When L&O auditioned that day they drew a crowd. People heard them and came out of the stores to see what was happening. We auditioned more than 500 people. Only two auditions generated a crowd. Laurie and Olga and everyone’s favourite (lol) Ricky Cyr.

    The girls have their following. I’ve seen them out in public at events and have been in restaurants with them when patrons came up just to say hi and to express how they loved their show. I was there when they threw the first pitch at an Expos game in the Big O and I’ve been at their live broadcast remotes where people waited for hours before their show started just to get a glimpse of them or to say hi.

    Developing talent is an art. It is not a science. The first thing a broadcaster needs is to be able to connect with the audience. To be a story teller. To entertain. L&O do that in spades. Their success is that between the two of them they know almost everyone in the city who helps make Montreal the wonderful city it is.

    These are two girls who just want to have fun on the air. They aren’t out to change the world. Unlike other talk show hosts they don’t have an agenda and they aren’t interested in formulating strong opinons about the issues of the day. So their critics say they are light weight. They are dumbing down radio. They are boring. Take them off the air!

    When I returned to Montreal last year for a brief stint at CJAD after L&O were let go I cultivated and worked with an intelligent, well spoken and very professional broadcaster by the name of Anne Dowson Legace. She is everything the critics of L&O said the two girls lacked. So what happens. The same people who demanded L&O be taken off the air turned their hatred towards Anne.

    Now we had a host on the weekend who was too opinionated. She was left of centre. She was (God forbid) from the CBC and her topics were boring (she was discussing issues of the day and conducting insightful interviews with all kinds of people including all the politicians running for mayor). Get her off the air, the critics roared. We want more light topics on the weekend. We don’t want a left leaning broadcaster on CJAD.

    It’s radio people. There is a reason for an on/off button or other buttons to change the station. You have a choice to listen to what you want. As a programmer I can live with that. Everyone knows better than the guy in charge of the radio station. What I can’t live with are the cheap shots and personal attacks against two people who have never harmed anyone.

    You don’t like their show. Don’t listen. Period!

    But to suggest K103 is selling out residents of Khanawake by hiring two white chicks is somehow going to destroy a proud and vibrant first nations community radio station is just wrong. I lived just down the road from Khanawake for years and spent more time there as a reporter telling their stories than any of all these white folks crying foul because K103 hired L&O or Ted Bird. If the loss of country music three hours on a Saturday afternoon doesn’t work the radio station will do what all radio stations do when they lose listeners – they will react to make changes to bring those listeners back. But I can tell you that L&O and Ted have a large following in Khanawake. Sure the critics found some people in Khanawake who don’t like Laurie and Olga … but even a blind squarrel can find a nut.

    I for one will be listening on line Saturday and will call in to wish the girls well.

    Reply
  9. Melissa

    I actually quite enjoy listening to K103 – it’s a switch from the same old, same old that is out there on the airwaves. All are doing a good job but sometimes, you need to switch your dial and see what else is out there. While listening to K103 in my car or at home, I have learned more about the community that they serve – and that’s not a bad thing. By having more mainstream announcers, they are widening their audience which is exactly what a radio station is supposed to do. Otherwise they remain stagnant with no listeners and no advertisers.
    Laurie & Olga (and Ted Bird too) might not have appealed to everyone but they were on the air for 14 years so obvciously they had an audience. Stop insulting them and what they do. Change the dial if you don’t want to hear the – nobody is forcing anyone (including Shedon) to listen.

    Reply
  10. Philip Coogan

    Hold on you guys. I’m trying to see both sides of the coin here. I believe Sheldon, even though he may not be a fan of Laurie and Olga isn’t saying they shouldn’t have a place on air. I believe he’s just saying that putting non natives on a native station is destroying some of its credibility. Perhaps that this station is trying to reinvent itself by bringing on old favourites dumped by their original stations, but all Sheldon is saying that maybe cultural identity is better than name value if you know what I mean. In reality, the regular stations lke CJAD and CHOM are shooting themselves in the foot with drastically overhauling their schedules, but in all honesty, it’s tough finding new places for old shows.

    In my opinion, I am glad that Laurie and Olga are back on air, (despite the quandary) It will give me something to listen to on Saturday afternoon. Sure I find Anne Lagace Dowson great, but on Saturdays, I prefer something light and nonsensical (and I think every station has a right to mix Light and newsworthy shows together) I would have suggested Dowson take over the slot taken over by Ryan Doyle. Sure, Laurie and Olga have their faults. Honestly, I prefer Olga to Laurie, but I do feel that they were getting better, with the guest co-hosts, the good guests they had on and they had a strong following, (maybe not the radioinmontreal crowd, but they do have a strong fanbase)

    I was not a particularly big fan of Sol’s and his non-stop political ranting. when I would wake up at night and wanted to listen to something, sometimes I would turn off because the show was too focused on “Gerald Tramway” and “fire Charest”, but when it left the airwaves for “George Noory” I was upset, as I don’t want to know the connection between Roswell and the Third Reich and not only was it on weekdays but it was on weekends as well. :( I wasn’t that big a fan of Sol’s but I did appreciate that someone was on the radio at that time so i had something to listen to at night. Now Sol is back but on an internet station. I find that aggravating. Maybe I can listen to it, but what about Morrie Cohen or Nayim??

    BTW, I am a very well-read guy who does keep in touch with politics and the like but I also have a side that likes to unwind and listen to shows about nothing like Seinfeld. That is why I am happy to have a show like Laurie and Olga back. I don’t know if Sheldon would have been this critical of the show had it been able to score a slot on another radios station. All this agidah is due to the fact that the “Girls” are back on a “Native station”, but we will see by the end of the year, what the ratings will be.

    BTW, it’s a bit odd that the Kahnawake radio station is hiring a lot of non-native people a few months after the whole controversy concerning all those non-native evictions.

    Reply
    1. Sheldon Harvey

      Thank you, Philip. You seem to be the only person who has fully digested my comments and who seems to understand the point that I am trying to make. Hopefully someone in a position of authority and decision making at K-103, or even some of the people within the Mohawk community, will step up and voice their opinions and feelings on what is happening at K-103. Instead, to this point, most of what we are hearing is reaction from those whose egos have been bruised.

      If I, or members of our Radio in Montreal group, and our comments are so ill-informed and irrelevant, then why are these people spending so much of their valuable time to rant and rail against us and our opinions. Better still, why are they even taking the time to read them?

      Thanks again for understanding the points that I have been trying to make.

      Reply
  11. Jason Vietri

    Congratulations to Olga and Laurie and Olga to finally be back on the air which is where a great team like them deserves to be. Just because you do not like them does not mean you need to create a radio group and bash everyone on the air. I would like someone from radio Montreal group go on air and see how long they last I bet it will be 14 seconds not years.

    Another congratulation’s to Ted Bird, Paul and Java to creating a breath of fresh air on radio and offering a great morning show. I would love to know how radio Montreal seems to think they know who likes what show and who is listening.

    And I would like to say hi to Dino Sisto and I miss his hockey play by play on cjad.

    Too bad Montreal radio group has nothing to do with sports cause I think Ted BIrd can do a real funny commentary on it on birds eye view on ctv which would also tell the truth. But yet of course who am I to assume that anyone is watching birds eye view no of course cause in my circle no one is talking about it. I am trying to be sarcastic of course which I would at the same time like to add how radio Montreal always seems to write no one is talking or listening to so and so but yet they are the ones who are listening to them because they are the ones writing about them and commenting the show so if these haters are listening and talking about them then the number of fans and lovers of the shows and personalities has to be huge and enough to make the stations successful if they were not then Ted, Laurie and Olga would not have new shows.

    Jason Vietri

    Reply
  12. pete

    only wish we could hear K103 out in the hudson valley area.. the old stations these people are from is nothing but a complete bummer to listen to now. the ladies are a good laugh now and then and ted has a good radio voice so hopefully a little more power can send them out here someday.

    Reply
  13. howard mosel

    I was never a huge fan of Laurie and Olga’s show on CJAD but I thought they sounded as though they were making an effort to be entertaining and informative.

    I find many of the comments on RIM to be mean spirited but maybe that’s part of what drives this group which is unfortunate.

    Howard Mosel

    Reply
  14. Sheldon Harvey

    Regarding your statement about what drives the Radio in Montreal group, I think our opening description says it clearly…
    “Welcome to our discussion group about broadcast radio in Montreal and the surrounding area. Offer up praise or critiques of, or suggestions for, area radio stations and their programming. Remember radio’s past or express your hopes for the future. Pose questions to the group. Visit the “Links” section for links to many web sites of interest to members.”

    The group was formed in April 2000 and in its 10 years it has seen over 16,100 postings. Our current membership stands at 377. No one is refused membership and all members are free to post their own messages, or to comment on those posted by others. All postings appear, unless they in some way contravene the guidelines set out in the opening blurb on the group home page.

    As founder and moderator of the group, I can tell you, and everyone else, that we have received a pretty good balance of praise and criticism over the years. We know that not only radio listeners, but many from within the broadcast field read, and often contribute material. Many, for a variety of reasons, particularly those in the business, do so under pen-names or aliases.

    It seems to be a part of human nature to complain about things much more often than it is to praise things, although members are encouraged to also tell us what they like about radio in our region.

    It is a free and open forum. If, as you say, many of the comments seem to be mean-spirited, I have no control over that. It is not meant to be what drives the group. The group goes wherever its members decide to take it on the hundreds of issues that have been discussed over the years.

    For those who monitor the Fagstein blog who may not be familiar with the Radio in Montreal Yahoo Group, I encourage you to check it out at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/radioinmontreal/

    The group is open for all to read and review, but to post your own messages or responses to messages it is necessary to join the group.

    Reply
  15. David Lisbona

    Good for Steve Faguy, as I can’t think of another forum where so many Montreal media celebrities come together and actually say their piece!

    That being said, being from the libertarian camp, I agree with many who have said if you don’t like it, don’t complain about it, just don’t listen and the same being true of the Radio in Montreal group, don’t read it if you are offended by the comments posted there. If I took offense to every one of comments to my business columns written in the Suburban, I would probably be lying permanently in the fetal position! You have no idea how abusive the 5 people who read my column can be!

    Anyway, if you want real radio, tune in to the new Suburban radio show on Sunday nights on CJAD, I know absolutely nothing about it, but I’m sure Beryl will be terrific!

    DL

    Reply
  16. Stan

    I always found Laurie & Olga’s radio show to be entertaining, sometimes laugh out loud funny. I was very annoyed when CJAD gave them the boot, but am glad that they’re back on the air. I’ll be listening this afternoon. I’m also glad that I check out Fagstein’s blog every now and then, otherwise I wouldn’t have known that the gals would be on K-103.

    Reply
  17. Mikayla Cartwright

    I am not in the position to scroll through all of the above comments, and I certainly mean no harm to the recently hired DJs (having spent many afternoons listening comfortabley to Laurie and Olga, etc, my father has a jones for CJAD), but I would like to express something here that is not intended to offend or ruffle any proverbial feathers- i think perhaps K-103 should seek out qualified members of the Mohawk community to take it upon themselves to revamp the programming for this new generation. Who better to appeal to the listeners than the listeners themselves? There is something slightly offputting, as a member of the Aboriginal community myself, to see a Reserve radio station’s airtime consisting mostly of Montréal programming that hardly pertains to the citizens of Kahnawake at all. I really don’t want to step on any toes, and regardless of who the hosts are with respect to the station, I feel that one way to preserve or perhaps reignite a sense of pride and community is to leave the media in the hands of those who are most qualified to facilitate those sentiments.

    I am however going to be tuning in moreso to k-103, since CHOM plays too much Nickelback for any human to withstand and the whole Virgin takeover is vomit inducing, hopefully more Montréalers will do the same.

    Reply
  18. John

    Laurie,
    Don’t worry about what Mr. Sheldon Harvey says. He is just a bitter man, who is not happy unless he is complaining about something. I put it down to the fact that he maybe wanted to work in “big radio”, but he is still stuck volunteering in a tin pot community station. These hams or dxers are not worth the time of day.
    Doing a few things at RCI does not count
    John,
    Lasalle, PQ

    Reply
      1. John

        It may be, but it is obvious they want to become a larger player. I would suspect down the road they could apply for more power or even a different frequency.

        Reply
    1. Sheldon Harvey

      Hey, Steve. Come on, you’re going to have to fess up and let John know that you’re a ham operator as well, so that you too can be a worthless hump, wanna-be and not be worth the time of day, just like the rest of us!

      As we always say, everyone is entitled to their opinion, but most will have the balls to attach their full name to their statements. I don’t personally know any “John” in Ville Lasalle, but he seems to think he knows so much about me. Perhaps he can tell us all about his credentials at some point so we might have the opportunity to comment on his career.

      What he proves he doesn’t know is much about radio. CKUT, a roughly 5,000 watt station heard far and wide, transmitting from the CBC tower on Mount Royal vs. K-103’s 250 watt rated transmitter and antenna in Kahnawake that actually puts out about 220 watts. No contest as far as range, coverage, and listening audience. Perhaps he could go further in defining “tin cup”.

      As long as K-103 is on 103.7, they aren’t going to get a power increase, not with Joliette on 103.5. That’s what moved K-103 to 103.7 in the first place and, as for a frequency change, the FM frequencies allocated to the Montreal region are basically full, so there is really nowhere for them to go.

      Reply
      1. John

        I use to listen when you did the show years ago and every now and again I tune in. I returned to Brussels in 1999. Since your so interested in my full name it’s John Verhoeven.
        From 1990 to 1999 I was working as a producer for Radio-Canada. Now I’m back at RTBF as a producer with Musiq3 (http://www.musiq3.be/index.htm).

        Reply
  19. Alex H

    The moves by K-103 really should be considered by the CRTC as a clear indication that (a) the Montreal english radio market is underserved, and that (b) having basically two companies owning everything in the market isn’t exactly competition, more like a duopoly.

    I agree with John – I could see K103 pushing to become a larger player in the market. Actually, I wonder what they would sound like on 690 or 940 AM ?

    Reply
  20. sal

    i live in k-town..change is good! keep them coming.. the old boring station ‘just got better’. [ted..l.o. paul.. java too! and the rest] i tune in more often now.. there is a bigger world out there!! and mine just got bigger…have fun guys and gals… welcome to K-TOWN!!!

    Reply
  21. Ryan

    I used to tune in to K103 in the car for country music back in the day of no internet and no country music in Montreal. Now with the ipod, the internet and the choice of so many other non-local stations online or satellite radio playing country music, I haven’t in years, except to once hear Dino Sissto do play by play on a hockey game. If it’s a community station only, then it needs to live and die by what the community can bring in in terms of ad revenue. If the station is community subsidized or owned like the CBC that’s one thing, but if it is privately owned then it is clear the mission now is to boost revenue by appealing to a broader market. Don’t know how they can sustain what their striving for without a major change in listening reach…Anyway, good luck to all of them and if they bring on Peter Anthony Holder, I’ll be sure to tune in.

    Reply
  22. Karleen

    I am absolutely crazy about Laurie and Olga. My weekend shopping, housework, etc were all done around their being on the air at 1 pm and anyone who knew better did not call me between 1 and 4. I was ecstatic when other hosts would go on vacation and they would replace during the week. I looked forward to having my weekly laugh after hearing all week about the trials and tribulations of everyone across the world. I nearly had heart failure when I heard they were gone from ‘that other station’. Now no matter what I do I cant get K103. When are you going to expand the tower so I can have the PRIVILEGE of listening to them again. It makes me crazy they are on the air, and I can’t listen to them!!! I still need a GOOD laugh, AND THEY ARE IT!!!! Girls, keep up the great work. You are missed.

    Reply
  23. Philip Coogan

    I’ve just finished listening to the Olga and Laurie Show on k103 and I have noticed that something is missing with this show and I am not talking about the Traffic and news reports! lol.

    It’s just that I think people aren’t just catching on. I was enjoying it for the first couple of weeks. I loved their first week and then the following week with that girl that was running across Canada and Shania Twin. But then even if there is good interplay between the two that I missed about nonsense, there is something lacking.

    Except for Debbie, there are no other people calling the show to discuss the selected topics or tell anecdotes. Last week, they had to cede their usual show to coverage of the local Powwow, so that took up their entire show last week. You just heard somebody shout “Can we have the boys 6-18 for their smokedance” soon followed by Laurie cooing “OOH I like that little boy in his costume” or something to that nature. Nothing against the community, but it was not something that I was interested in listening to on the radio.

    This week’s show was interesting. It was strange to hear them talk to Skip Snare (wasn’t he get let go from CJAD at the same time as L& O?) and Silver Butler. But all today they were busy talking mostly about music and there were so many songs being played during the program, it was weird. They even finished the show at 3:50.

    Even though I miss a show like that on Saturday afternoon, my friend thinks that the show might be struggling already.

    Thoughts?

    Reply
  24. Brian

    I don’t any one with a mind can believe this crap. Ted Bird was done this is a last resort to earn a buck,TRANSLATION you are going to have to go back to the mini,
    Laurie and Olga was a joke to fill in a Saturday afternoon. What 27 listeners from the Mapes.

    This is not “big league” it’s has beens

    Brian

    Reply
  25. Pingback: K103 cancels Laurie and Olga show – Fagstein

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