Less than two years after being hired at the Corus-owned classic hits station in Ottawa, Pete Marier is out of a job again. He posted on Facebook that he was given the news over the phone on Thursday, and was told “corporate restructuring” was the reason.
“I am a big boy, with decades of radio experience under my belt, so I am not angry or entirely surprised,” he writes.
The news might be surprising considering just last month the station held a party to celebrate its ratings numbers. It had a 4.7% overall share among anglophones in that ratings report, up from 3.0% a year earlier.
Marier, who left CHOM over a contract dispute in 2011, and whose bridges there were pretty scorched at the time, did some part-time work at The Beat before getting the Boom FM job. Mark Dickie was general manager of Corus’s Ottawa stations when Marier was hired and had been at The Beat before that. Dickie himself left Corus in March.
Also gone from Boom FM, according to a Facebook post, is Sandy Sharkey. Jon “Gonzo” Mark is also not listed on the station’s website, but it says he’s “on vacation.”
For now, Boom’s website doesn’t list hosts for its morning show.
The radio business is tough and cold, ain’t it!
What is really sad for Pete at this point is that he is pretty much “dead” with two of the biggest players in Radio in Canada. Bell and Corus own more than 35% of all stations in Canada, and hold pretty much a combined majority position in the Ottawa and Montreal markets. His chances of getting back in the game in this area are either slim, none, or “hahahaha”.
None of these firings are surprising. Radio hosts tend to have a VERY short lifespan, and the constant trend is towards less known, “cheaper” workers. It’s a bottom line exercise which seems to be heavily supported by the general lack of competition in the marketplace.
There is always The Jewel station out in Hudson.
It’s a low-budget station. The number of Montreal castaways it can take on board is limited.
Pete Marier should replace Cosmo on 106-1 Chez afternoons or go on Chez evenings. Cosmo is kind of unfunny. Pete is better than Cosmo. He can also go on sister station Country 101.1 also owned by Rogers. He can replace Wendy Boomer. Boomer’s show comes from Kingston.
Since Boom let go some staff and they say they are restructuring, do you think that they will change format. Do you think they will change into a format like Bob FM or The Bear?
I am so sad Sandy Sharkey has lost her job too….I love her! )o:
Right on! She’s the best! I don’t listen any more!
Come back to Montreal Pete! VH Greg misses you!
Pete!
Go peddle your wares on the Franco side of the dial.
Sell them on a bilingual afternoon rock show, which you are more than qualified for!
It would rival our only pathetic rock station here in Montreal.
CHOM might even finally wake up and have something to compete against.
Your on air talent has been sadly missed since CHOM chose safety with “superstar” Demonte over you and your natural abilities and skill set.
CHOM, forever afraid of rocking the boat.
Once home to UB40, Simply Red, Paul Young and the more recent Arcade Fire.
Simply groundbreaking guys!
The 6 hour “replacement DJ” shift is also quite funny.