Pete Marier
Last update: Dec. 27 at 2am, adding a comment from Marier at the bottom.
“My show on CHOM was terminated last night.”
That was the extent of the comment from Pete Marier Friday morning, on Facebook, to the fact that he’s leaving CHOM.
Rumours about Marier’s impending departure have been flying about for a few weeks, but things came to a head this week when Marier was given an ultimatum, a source close to Marier said. (Marier himself isn’t talking – his only communication with me directly was to confirm the news of his departure.)
According to the source, who asked not to be named for fear of pissing off Bad Pete, Marier was told Thursday after his show to sign a contract that would have decreased his salary by more than half, otherwise he would be terminated as of Friday. Marier refused, which led to a heated verbal confrontation in Astral Media vice-president Martin Spalding’s office on Friday morning. Marier was thrown out of Astral’s Fort St. offices, and called the police to press for charges of (very minor) assault against Spalding, according to the source, who was in the office at the time.
Spalding wouldn’t get into what happened in his office, saying he didn’t want to air dirty laundry, but he did say that emotions got the better of both of them. Spalding confirmed that Astral exercised an out clause when Marier made it clear he would not accept a new contract with a reduced salary, and his last day was set at March 8, 2012. Spalding said the new salary figure, which he wouldn’t specify but said was nowhere near a 50% pay cut, was “very competitive” for an afternoon host in this market, and that even if it’s less than what he would make in mornings, it’s higher than what he made the last time he was doing the afternoon drive show.
Spalding said Marier was given five chances to accept the offer and stay at CHOM. He maintained that Marier was to be one of the three “pillars” with Terry DiMonte and Tootall, and that they wanted him to stay. “He was in our long-term plans,” Spalding said.
“No choice”
“He left us no choice,” he explained. With DiMonte set to return Jan. 9, management wanted to get its schedule finalized by then. Spalding said he and Brand Director André Lallier didn’t want to go through a big launch Jan. 9 and have to make a big change two months later when Marier left.
Spalding said the decision was made Thursday night, after one final offer, to make Friday Marier’s last day. That still gave Marier the chance to say goodbye to listeners, which he seemed to accept on Thursday. But on Friday morning, Marier changed his mind and said he wouldn’t go on air.
Marier remains on CHOM’s payroll, as per the terms of his contract, until March.
“It saddens me because I think he’s a great guy,” Spalding said. Despite their falling out, Spalding had nothing but praise for Marier’s talent and said it was unfortunate that he wouldn’t accept Astral’s offer.
The timing is probably the worst part about this. Marier’s last contract wasn’t set to expire until next September, but with DiMonte’s return so close in the new year, the decision had to be made now.
On Friday, as they have done in the past with acrimonious departures, CHOM scrubbed Marier’s name and photo from its website. The 3-7pm timeslot on the schedule now just reads “The Drive”
Listeners fight back
Marier’s Facebook wall was flooded with comments from angry listeners, one of whom has started a Facebook group to demand CHOM rescind its decision, but its chances to success are just about zero now that the decision has been made. After initially allowing non-profane comments to stay, the people managing CHOM’s Facebook page deleted all comments about Marier. That didn’t stop them, of course, and they kept posting, adding more anger and some sarcasm to their voices.
It used to be that broadcasters, newspapers and other media could control their means of communication, and simply make people or issues disappear. But with social media like Facebook, their power is limited. They could shut down the page completely to comment, but that would throw away the baby with the bathwater.
Unfortunately for Marier, this kind of thing blows over. People aren’t calling in to CBC anymore to complain about Nancy Wood, or calling in to Q92 to complain about the axing of Tasso and Suzanne. CHOM can only hope that the protest about Marier dies down enough by Jan. 9 that it doesn’t harm their promotional plans.
Pillar of CHOM
Marier, 52, has been at CHOM since 1989 (except for a stint in Winnipeg from 2002 to 2005), mainly hosting morning and afternoon programs. He stepped back into mornings with Ted Bird and Chantal Desjardins, then went back to the afternoon drive when CHOM rejigged its schedule to prepare for the return of Terry DiMonte.
At the time, Spalding agreed with myself and many others that Marier’s voice was probably more suited to afternoons than mornings. (Even though CHOM’s ratings actually went up with Marier in the morning show chair.) There was no indication at the time that Marier’s future at the station was in doubt. In fact, Spalding referred to Marier as one of the “pillars of CHOM” – a description he maintained even when discussing Marier’s departure.
Not DiMonte’s fault
There’s been speculation that Marier’s departure is related to DiMonte’s return. It’s true that the timing of that is why this decision came now, and that DiMonte’s return is why Marier moved back to afternoons (and hence was offered less pay), but neither of these things are DiMonte’s fault.
Still, many comments online are extremely negative toward DiMonte, suggesting his return is why Marier is leaving, in part because CHOM spent big bucks for DiMonte and has little left for the rest of its staff.
That’s just not true, DiMonte says.
“The notion that I had anything to do with it is complete nonsense,” DiMonte wrote to me on Saturday. “I was REALLY disappointed that he left. I’ve known Pete for years and we always got along great. He’s a great broadcaster, a Montreal favorite and part of the fabric at CHOM… and I thought with me, him and TooTall it was going to be a helluva lineup. I’m really sorry he left.”
DiMonte also denied that Astral is breaking the bank to bring him home (he denied similar rumours about the kind of money he was supposed to be making in Calgary). He said he’s getting a pay cut, not a pay increase, to come back home. “The notion that there’s nothing left for others is internet claptrap. It’s just not so.”
Spalding similarly flatly denies that other announcers are being offered less because DiMonte got more.
Though DiMonte is getting a say in his morning cohosts (no decision has been announced yet), he said he had no part in Marier’s contract negotiations and was only told about everything after the fact.
“It’s not going to be as much fun without Pete, but I’m not sure what I can do about that.”
Team Pete or Team Astral?
I don’t have access to the dollar figures involved here, so I can’t say whether CHOM’s move was justified or whether the contract was fair. A 20-plus-year veteran is obviously going to attract a lot more sympathy than a faceless corporation, but that doesn’t mean the latter has to cave to the former.
That said, if Marier’s only demand was that he get paid the same salary, it’s hard to be too outraged by it. If Marier was a “pillar” of CHOM, he should have been treated as one. Unless his salary as a morning DJ was unreasonably through the roof, would it have hurt the bottom line so terribly for it to remain at that level?
As with any negotiation, the two sides choose what they can live with. Marier believes his talent (or his dignity) is worth more than Astral offered, and if he’s right he won’t be unemployed for long. (He’s still doing freelance voice work, including a lot of radio commercials – many that are still airing on the station he left.) Astral believes it’s more profitable to let Marier go than to keep paying him a morning-show salary. If it’s right, the company will either save money by not having Marier on payroll, it will do better on ratings and revenue with the money it would have spent on him, or both.
No matter how this ended, or which side is right, it really sucks for something like this to happen two days before Christmas.
Lineup decisions coming soon
No decision has been made about the rest of the CHOM lineup, including who will replace Marier on the drive show. Spalding said Rob Kemp and Chantal Desjardins, who will get the bump from the morning show unless they become DiMonte’s sidekicks, are still part of their plans, and roles for them are being finalized. He said an announcement should be expected within the next two weeks. In any case, it’ll come before Jan. 9.
UPDATE (Dec. 26): From Marier, on Facebook:
Dear Friends, Thanks for the tremendous support and well wishes. Both are greatly appreciated. In spite of recent events (on which I cannot comment right now), my family and I had a great Christmas! I hope you all did too. Merci encore!
“Happy to sit down”?
UPDATE (Jan. 6): A Gazette story from Bill Brownstein on Terry DiMonte coming back to CHOM includes a sidebar that mentions Marier. It includes quotes suggesting reconcilation is possible:
Spalding: “If Pete called me today and if we could come to terms, we’d make it work. We would have him right back in drive. The last thing I ever wanted was to lose him. He’s an incredible talent.”
Marier: “If Astral Media is willing to negotiate a contract with me, I’d be more than happy to sit down with Martin Spalding and try to work it out.”
I am a French listenner that grew up with CHOM.
It makes me very sad to see Pete leave.
Everything today is just how to make money and less and less human talent.
It seems to be a rule every where including radio; welcome to capitalism.
Lots of people seem to hit on the fact that announcers have large egos.
All celebrities have personalities and some more than others have strong egos.
Ego or not if we like the person or not its our personal choice.
I personally do not like the personality on air of Terry and Ted.
I am sure there wonderful people if I would meet them on the street, its juste the radio personality that does nothing to me.
Was not very happy knowing they would shuffle everything around Terry and all the propaganda around the comeback just got me colder. And now knowing Pete left.. that is what we say in french `le coup de grace`
There are some good people that are DJ at CHOM, Sharon is sweet, Bilal has a cool energy, Rob is quite a nice guy. tootall is phenomenal in his knowledge.
But I have to admit, the music since a while is quite the same and without a familiar voice that have the spirit of rock in them, its just a music box and nothing more.
Listening to Pete was a similar feeling than Tootali, you felt that they loved rock deep inside and are not just there to spin records and do commercials, the new people are great but miss that little part that these people could show them as a mentor. just imagine 2 sec if it was your first day in radio and you wanted to feel rock deep in your bones.. you would choose Pete or Tootall anytime before Terry.
Right now it feels like a station that is trying anything to make money instead of just make the listeners more loyal after all, its the only station that plays this type of music.
If I would have to make a suggestion:
Any type of music has its soul, rock is not different.
So stop doing stunts like Terry or Howard Stern and just keep the good guys that really knows the music and its soul, let them teach the new generation so they too can reflect that energy and let the station shine like it did before. Let the experience DJs dig in the archives and get some good old rock to hear and feel, having consultant choose formats does not work since there objective is only $ and by trying to make more $ the station is feeling like a very ordinary commercial station.
The sad part is most of the kids I know that hang with my kids all love rock even the old ones.
Makes me smile to know that its coming back to the new generation, I think we need a good station to
show them what is rock really about. I hope CHOM will wake up.
I am personally switching to XMradio this week.
I wish you all a wonderful year!
Well said Dan,
Chom has lost all credibility. What a cruel and shameful
thing they did to Pete, and especially around Christmas!
It was mean-spirited! “The spirit of rock”? Change it chom!
Change it to: “the mean spirit of rock”! PASS IT ON!
My dial no longer goes there.
Pete, hang in there buddy!
You’ve got alot of support out here!
PETE! DON”T DO IT! DON’T GO BACK! THEY FIRED YOU!
HUMILIATED YOU!
THREW YOU SCRAPS WHILE FAT BOY COMES STROLLING
INTO TOWN A FEW TONS LIGHTER!
BE MAN! TAKE IT LIKE A MAN! F*** THEM!
I TOLD YOU ONCE, YOU’RE TOO BIG FOR MONTREAL!
well they may fired him or Pete might have left on his own seeing he wasn’t going to see his pay stay the same, maybe Stan cooler heads are now most likely prevailing, ,the schedule on the website is still blank for the Drive at 3 to 7…..that tells me something is going on in the background…what’s happening with Rob Kemp n this circus…
I know two things. you and I would probably accept now what Pete was being offered…and I would rather have Pete back instead of hearing the bad news in the Gazette that Heather Backman is to be Terry’s sidekick, this certainly is not Terry’s doing….
I mean what were they thinking, again recycle continues…Nat Lauzon from here to there, Cat Spencer from here to there, Aaron Rand from here to there,, we could go and on, and now this one…there surely must be other talent out there and management types are too lazy to look for it or give it a chance…
Gosh Michael,
I hope it’s not true what you’re saying.
I’d rather let chom bleed like Alice says.
Pete told me a few months ago he was
leaving because of money. He asked me
not to say anything. I didn’t. Maybe I’m
saying too much here, nonetheless.
The cat is out of the bag and seeking
more victims to devour. I don’t miss
chom. Internet radio rocks! I like Winnipeg’s
92citifm.ca
He was to exit on March anyway, so
something serious must happened at
the studio.
Sure sure, it ain’t the same thing not hearing
a local DJs voice, but music is music, right?
And besides, chom’s music director is lost.
It was rotated so bad I got dizzy and had to
shut it off (at work). At home, I have tons of
my own stuff and now 92citifm.ca is playing
Van Halen all week-end. Need a boost after
all this negative crap here.
HOT FOR TEACHER!
Citi FM is certainly a good station and so is OZ-FM in NFLD, listen to it from time to time thru Bell Expressvu..but it’s not local…
But do agree that the music director is lost and no clue….you and I probably have music that the director in question most likely has never heard of , the rotation problem is aproblem at most stations run by corporate empires…
For example, I love the Rolling Stones’s stuff,, Satisfaction and Sympathy for the Devil are played too often, but what about Get off my cloud or 19th Nervous Breakdown or Heartbreaker, I could go on.
The Beatles’ same thing, I just love Get Back but again too often, how about Run for your Life from Revolver for example..
It’s the same problem weekends at the Beat, for several weekends I listened to Nat Lauzon her first few weeks, and great dance classics from the 70’s and early 80’s were being played, but then as I kept on listening, they were playing the same one, for example by Chaka Khan, I’m every Woman but not the ultimate, I feel for You…….the music directors are the problem in most cases in english radio…Amen..
OZ-FM, or “The Rock of the Rock” abandoned their long-time rock format and flipped to HotAC last week. Their new slogan is “Today’s Best Music.” They’re playing Gavin DeGraw as I type this.
I wasn’t aware of the format change as I just pop in once in a while to that channel when I do my radio browsing thing,,I am sure in this case, that the Newfie rockers all over the rock must be in arms….That station had legendary status..
I just got “DAVID GUETTA/WITHOUT YOU FT. USHER”. The Rock fans will pretty much be poking sharp sticks in their ears to avoid that stuff.
Nothing is sacred.
While I agree with your basic point about musical variety, your Beatles example might not have been the best choice to use. That song has been barred for years from commercial radio due to the subject matter.
I am assuming yo’re talking about Run for your life in my example, what’s wrong with the words…wasn’t that song used for the TV series of the same name starring Ben Gazzara..??
it seems like CHOM is at least trying to get back to personality driven radio,simply Entertain & Inform. Hopefully they get Pete back or someone like him who as Mark said has experience.
Virgin & The Beat sound like ET tonight with to many contest,that’s not interesting radio,
Montreal radio does not have to go far to find local talent with personalities, Astral has let go of a few in recent years. I did some research by asking around to see who is out of radio,and I am sure would love to get back on the air.
Al Gravelle,CJAD and Chom back in the day,Peter Anthony Holder, although CJAD talk a good broadcaster, Merv Williams,CJAD & Chom,Jake Lawrence, CHom,CJAD and I think the old Mix 96, Jeremy Zafran the old Mix 96 & Q92 who is doing traffic at CBC. There may be more,but I am sure these guys all have many years of radio experience,know the city and music and would sound great on Montreal radio.
@ George, you’re right that’s the direction they’re taking about personality and creativity, something you don’t get on Satellite…but those examples of so-called personalities that Astral let go, I wouldn’t call them barnburners or ratings getters…..Peter Anthony Holder was probably the most respected name in that bunch..
Imagine a Dan Delmar from 7 to 10 at night instead of Mr. Holder, I haven’t figured that one out yet..as for Al Gravelle and Jake Lawrence, they had sort lived Sold gold shows on CJAD, I have more knowledge about that era of music they were playing,,,so not missed…Jeremy Zafran, talks to bloody fast..Now Vern Williams should have been someone considered for the morning show with Terry….Miss Backman is more suited to the other two FM stations..
Check out MIKEfm, 105.1, mo-fr….
Tasso and Patrick with Michael Dean…3p-6p
Amazing tunes and non insulting Montreal based banter
There is life after corporate character cleaning (purges)
Ps….Heather B called a finalist on American Idol “the blind guy” twice
On one particularly challenged shift,on Virgin
I could never figure out why CJAD got rid of Holder, he is a true classic radio dude and good at it. He always got dicked around by the hockey schedule, and that hurt his ability to pull a good audience all the time. I would say that once Barry Morgan runs out of steam in the evenings (I am thinking by spring or so) perhaps they can get PAH back and let him actually try to pull decent numbers.
I still stick with the basic problem: As long as Astral owns 3 out of the 4 big english stations, they won’t compete with themselves. The return of Terry D seems mostly to be a media play… not much else to it.
PETE, PETE,PETE,
I hope that ASTRAL has found some more dollars for Marier to stay.Does this mean they management has caved? The outcry registered ?
Indeed, I’m so sick of Sympathy for the Devil. Chom’s music director
(looks like Picard), knows nothing about music. Yes, it’s a money game
controlled from young punks in suits who never dropped acid and listened to Aphrodite’s Child’s 666 album from start to finish.
The rotation got so obvious it was ridiculous!
Case in point.
When Denis Grondin was working there in the 80s, I called up
(I think it was after midnight), and requested Bryan Ferry’s
The Chosen One from Boys And Girls. It was not on the playlist
nor a hit, and he played it! Thanks Denis! You rock dude!
In reference to who’s who and who can come in and replace Pete,
fahhhh-get about it! The ship is going down! The end is nigh!
Save yourselves! Run for the hills of Internet radio. Thars
gold in them thar hills!
Peter Holder? Ewww! He always insulted people when he was
on cjad. Called ’em idiots.
For me, when I listen to a music station, I want personality,
I want character, I want someone that answers the phone and
gives you a little time for a request, I want someone that connects
with people, I want a communicator! Pete had it all.
I listen to TooTall ‘cos he knows his music and when I call him up,
I can talk to him about an obscure song or band. I can’t listen to Sharon for too long because she’s always asking people to “like her” on Facecrook Twitter indeed.
Too needy for me. Even so, she excellent at answering emails!
Anyhoot, when I read that buddy-boy Spalding said: “If Pete called me today…,
blah blah blah blah, I almost puked! (good thing I hadn’t had lunch yet!).
Ok, let me pretend I’m Spalding: “I fired you just before Christmas before your contract ran out. I didn’t give a crap how it would make you feel with your wife and kids, how it would bring a dark cloud over Christmas and News Years, nor do I give a crap how it would destroy the moral around the station, nor do I give a crap about the relationships you have Desjardins, or whoever! I don’t give crap! I’m the boss and whatever I say goes! I don’t want to give you more money ‘cos I got Terry coming back! You an your lawyer can hit the road!”
Don’t do it Pete. Don’t go back to chom. It’ll look like you’re coming back like
a desperate dog for the bigger milk-bone after your owner threw you out into
the night. You have more pride than that. He just said that because chom’s
under alot of heat (losing listeners), and therefore he may be bending under
pressure and maybe thinking: “can’t we give ourselves one more chance?”
I repeat Pete, don’t do it! Don’t be a (I haven’t said this in years), don’t be
a suck-hole! Be a man. If yer gonna look like man, take it like man!
And I hope you chom brass and asstral media are reading this. You might learn something.
So Pete on the advice of a bunch of people who comment on this blog don’t go back to CHOM, because, apparently no one is listening to the station anymore. When the bank calls you up for your mortgage payments ask them if you could pay with your principals, the grocery store should accept principals as legal tender and the whole world is unicorns and fairy dust, but man you should stick to your principals. I remember hearing a story about Joan Jett in the day, of how she wouldn’t ever sell out to the “man”, some marketers wanted to use I love rock and roll and she stuck to her valued ideals and did not sell the song, she lived to regret it when the well ran dry. I was watching a movie over the weekend with Philip Seymour Hoffman and a bunch of foreigners (The Boat That Rock/Pirate Radio) maybe you should get someone to finance a ship for you go out into international waters and actually become Pirate Pete. But yeah don’t go back to CHOM because a handful of people won’t be listening anymore.
Actually, I think banks would accept principals as payment for loans. Principles, on the other hand…
Curse you automatic spellcheck.
Well new lineup might be looking like this, and acquaintance did some fun headbanging over this on the weekend….and seeing some of the comments here and the Gazette yesterday with some namedropping…..
so let’s thry this…and remember this is not official….but we’re sure we’re close,
Weekend mornings remain the same,
Sharon Hyland from 8 to 2, but can’t figure out the 8 am thing, so it might go from 6 a.m. to noon..
Rob Kemp from noon to 6 or 2 pm to 6 pm..on weekends….
you will notice the FMers are finally paying more attention to weekends instead of canned syndicated shows..
Randy Renuad might have a modification of hours as well..
during the week:
well Jason Rockman is evenings from 8 to midnight….one would assume that Brandon Craddock and Ronnie Mack will split the all night shifts.
PM drive seems to be going to Bilal from 4 to 8….Didn’t he do drive before..
but now things get interesting, one doesn’t think that TooTall will go from 10 to 4 instead of 3..so will go to 1 or 2…which means either a mid-afternoon shift of 1 or 2 pm to 4 pm…
could it be someone new or Rob Kemp and someone new on weekend afternoons…they have been tight-lipped about poor Rb Kemp…
but to another wrinkle here, they’re talking about those daytime pillars of Terry DiMonte, TooTall, and Pete Marier, but they have another pillar in their arsenal and that is Randy Renuad..does he get back to weekdays,,,which would mean, CTV having to get a third wether person…
If CHOM os gonna make wholesale changes, this would seem to be the time to do it..don’t you all love musical chairs??
For all you bloggers out there..I thought I was impressed with myself and my amazing predictions about who was going where and when……hey I always predict elections with accuracy all the time…
So this was easier with no volatile electorate to deal with….Actually a Grade 6 student might have figured out this lineup …assuming Pete wsn’t coming back, it was predictable, but one would have thought they could have brought someone new in, as in new, and not from another station, like NEW I mean…instead of just shuffling the deck…Rob Kemp would seem to be the loser in all of this…Happy Listening..
Hey Michael D.,
Whew! I’m drained!
I can just imagine the generals over at chom running
around like squirrels trying to get [they’re] nuts in one place!
This one goes here, that one goes there, this one I’ll hang to dry,
and oh, this one, wadda-am-I gonna with this one? Gosh, this is
driving me bananas!
I’m a monkey!
Hey folks!
What did I tell ya?!
Terri had and still has a filthy, blasphemous mouth.
In the Gazette’s Brownstein interview he says:
“There’s a rhythm to the language and the city that you miss.
When you’re there all the time, you say: ‘Oh Christ, here we go again.’
What kind of language you talking about Terri? Clean up your act.
Makes you look classless and cheap, not to mention your blasphemy
against the man you’ll face one day, whether you like it or not.
Jesus… Stan, give it a break!
Pingback: CHOM’s new schedule adds Terry DiMonte, Heather Backman in mornings – Fagstein
Ok Alex,
I made my point, as did you. :)
Hey Pete! How ya doing?
Watch-cha-gonna-do?
Hope all is well!
Like I said, maybe you should try acting!
Ya got the mug for it!
Cheers!
Stan
i gave up on commercial radio with 5 minutes of brainless ads after 2 songs and stupid announcers talking right up to when the song’s singer starts……… terry does this so well
bob,
Never heard (read) it so clearly!
There’s so much more out there.
I was listening to a rock station in London, England
and it was great! Little talk, lotsa rock.
You’re right, too many blow-hards blabbing
giving weather & traffic reports and clicking
a button for incessant commercials.
It’s all about the money.
Pete was sacrificed like a little lamb
for the giant-billy-goat gruff.
You guys realize that CHOM is a commercial radio station. You know when you tune your dial to 97.7 on the FM band and you get this “free” music pumped into your house or office, someone, somewhere is paying for it. The musicians aren’t giving away music for free, the announcers aren’t wiring for free, Hydro is not providing CHOM with free electricity, the owners of the building on Fort street is most probably asking for rent every month. So yeah, they blast us with commercials in-between everything. Your not growing your own food and making your own clothes are you? Might as well listen to the CBC, you are paying for it and they won’t bore you with commercials, no they will bore you with everything else. CHOM is a business, they are taking a chance that Terry will bring in more listeners, which in turn will mean more advertisers who will pay more to be heard on CHOM. Was Pete working for free? No he was part of the machinery too wasn’t he, all playing the same game without mentioning it’s name.
Welcome to the machine!
Thanks for the reminder of the commerciality of chom Vahan.
Indeed, Asstral will need more money to fill Billy-Goat’s feed trough.
I know I’m hard-on TD, but I just don’t like his filthy mouth.
Hey Pete! Have a nice day!
You keep going on about Terry’s filthy mouth, I have listened to him for years and haven’t heard him say anything offensive. Am I missing something here? But that is my opinion, if I am allowed to have one here, I prefer adult language when listening to an adult radio station playing good old rock and roll. I don’t want Mr. Dress Up or the Friendly Giant on the radio playing the music of all those drug addled musicians such as the Beatles, Aerosmith, The Doors, Nirvana, Black Sabbath and on and on, or the favourite of the acid droppers Aphordite’s Child. So we want hard hitting music, by what some may call degenerates, yet Terry is a potty mouth? You know the CRTC should be notified about this, that is their job. http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/INFO_SHT/G8.HTM
Stan you are great, Thanks for this nice back and forth.:)
Thanks Vahan,
Scroll up and you’ll see what I mean about his mouth.
Maybe you’ll have to look at the older posts.
————————————————————
Here, I grabbed this from above:
In the Gazette’s Brownstein interview he says:
“There’s a rhythm to the language and the city that you miss.
When you’re there all the time, you say: ‘Oh Christ, here we go again.’
————————————————————————————–
See what I mean?
But if you want to know, I recall him & Ted Tird laughing and making
fun of Catholic priests.
After that, I turned off chom. After he left, I turned it back on.
If I ever see him in person, I’ll be sure to let him know how I feel.
its sad that many business’ have lost sight of what really is important, airline execs have lost sight of why they are there …passengers, radio execs listeners…no listeners equals no revenue, no revenue no exec bonus.
Thats why they are bringing Terry back, someones switch went off, they need to bring Ted back too…its easy morning listening and they need a younger male or female in there to stir it up for the two old grumpy guys, they are broadcasters of the highest caliber.
I was never big on Pete but he was the drive home and comfortable. Too much in the morning but great in the aft. He has talent and knows Montreal and Montrealer’s listen to Pete. He is bilingual and passes along whats special about Montreal by being Pete an anglo and franco and that folks is what Chom was built on.
BTW in a big fuckin way…Chom was the spirit of montreal long before it was the spirit of Rock…like wtf is that spirit of rock you can have a spirit of rock in Arkansas!
L’esprit de Montreal is what I grew up with. Where the fck did that get lost?
I got engaged on Chom on Terry’s show and soon divorced on Chom too I hope!!!!! lol
I have listened to Chom since it was CKGM FM.
Spalding, you want radio numbers to rock your world and bonus….listen up.
Get Ted (yes get the balls to hire Ted back with a decent pay.) back with Terry in the morning, its kind of like OJs glove but this team fits, and maybe the new chick as the spolier and younger edge.
Make them work hard at delivering great, fresh but comfortable morning radio and you will get the listeners and your bonus. They can do it they just need to be motivated consistently and they have the talent to deliver.
I have loved Montreal radio and have now been forced to IPOD my music because of lack of vision on the radio execs part.
If i listen to non personality radio and no news and little traffic and no jokes, no local events and head banging music and the morning show ends before i hit the office, I dont turn them on at the office dumbwit…keep them til 10 n 40 minute rock ride sucks …really? IPOD has real rock rides……tell me about the market, tell me abut Montreal anglais puis francais , tell me about my day before it unfolds…your power is the info that you deliver and hook me with …
Yes i love rock but ya gotta get a smoother less head banging tone in the morning or you will lose me again Terry or no Terry.
(As I type this at 21:45 YOU HAVE SOME HEAD BANGING ROCK GOING ON AND MY RADIO JUST GOT SHUT DOWN! SAYS THE GUY WHO IS HARD OF HEARING DUE TO A PINK FLOYD CONCERT IN MY YOUTH)
You have pushed me to IPOD once, it is now much easier to push me back to my IPOD. It is evident that Steve Jobs certainly had more vision as to where radio was going and radio execs certainly have lost sight of what makes radio great.
People make radio great.
Mr Spalding , please work out your issues with Pete, bring him back. Saying your sorry that you got inot it with him like a brother and that you have respect for your brother announcer and maybe cant cough up the bucks he expects but give him respectful bucks,,,he deserves them as he delivers listeners.
Mr Spalding, please work out your issues with Ted, bring him back even though he may be some other’s mess left behind for you to manage.
I listen to k103 because its a breath of fresh air for the ears….get me back to chom. For that little station in Kanawake…they really do the best anglo morning radio …its pure, honest and the best news delivery by Paul… thats what you need at Chom …pure and honest Ted and terry and backman…
You have the chance to grow your numbers with proven players and talented broadcasters.
And sharon is great but toots on sunday mornings was the best.
Sharon has toned down from her lunch time machine gun delivery but toots was the best sunday brunch….great obcure tunes and i always dialed in…it made me want to listen to chom on sunday hungover not hungover as cooking brunch many guests commented as to WOW what great radio for a sunday morning.
Forget the beancounters and follow your gut for greatness, push the talent to deliver their talent and some freshness,
If its only about music as your tagline presently states the music chom blah blah blah ..then Steve Jobs wins and you lose….I dont know you so cant call you a loser and I feel that you are not as you have understood that Terry is important to Chom, so is Ted and so is Pete, they is rebels and so is rock n roll.
If you want to lunch sometime and get some real fair and honest advice to help you make your bonus let it be known here and I will contact you and I wll on behalf of all Montrealer’s even pay for lunch. It would be my pleasure.
The habs management lost site of the same thing, airlines have lost sight of the same thing…fight in a generic commoditized market and dont personalize your business with humanity you will LOSE in the new economy that is unfoldig before you.
ok thats all for today…the vent has been made. Dont lose sight of the where the new economy is going to take you Martin Spalding…bonus is just 12 months away….make it happen! You have the power….bestests Vic
I would like a station that is like edge 102 and Q107. Rock listeners in
Winnipeg have the best choices. Power 97 play bothe old and new
i am 41 and have been listening to chom since i was heard bad pete, when i heard the news that he was leaving i stopped listening, pete was the voice of chom, but that’s my opinion and i think they would of done alot better with pete than terri, but again that’s my opinion. i listen to pete on his new show..
Because I share almost all of the posters’s sentiment, I’ll try not to be redundent.
My comment will be more about how corproations turning their backs on loyal employees at the expense of saving money.
This corprorate situation (Astral vs. Pete) is no different than the aerospace industry, the industry I’m presently working in.
Aero companies are now hiring engineers from Poland and India because they are a 50 to75% less expensive. An insult to injury is the fact that employees and citizens, no less, who invest in homes and pay taxes like us “gars de chez nous” are given contract jobs and let go after 6 months while outsiders are given full time permanent jobs with benefits.
One of the best kickers for me was while working for Pra** & Whit**, my job was to show a person in India how to do my job. In others words I was obseleting myself. How can I compete when in India a $400 a month job is pretty good pay?
Pete stick to your guns. They have the money. Have them crack open their wallets. CEO’s make enough bonus money !!!!! Share the wealth.
But it is funny (in a not HA HA kind of way) when I hear Pete announce “Cyndie Lauper coming up next!!” at 92.5FM on Sunday mornings.
He’a a rocker and will always be in my eyes.
As for Chom….. I only listen to Too Tall. The radio is shut before and after that.
Long Live Classic Rock.
Frankie D.
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