If you notice some of your favourite shows have suddenly disappeared from CJAD’s schedule, it’s because they’ve been cancelled.

Montreal’s news/talk station has canned four of its shows:

• Kevin & Trudie (Kevin Holden and Trudie Mason), weekdays 2-4pm
• Holder Tonight (Peter Anthony Holder), weeknights midnight to 3am
• The Laurie & Olga Show (Laurie MacDonald and Olga Gazdovic), Saturdays 1-4pm
• Solid Gold Saturdays with Al Gravelle, Saturdays 4-10pm

In all, The Gazette reports, eight on-air personalities are leaving the station:

• Peter Anthony Holder, overnight host
• Laurie MacDonald, Laurie & Olga host
• Olga Gazdovic, Laurie & Olga host
• Kevin Holden, Kevin & Trudie host
• Al Gravelle, Solid Gold Saturdays host
• Jake Lawrence, Solid Gold Sunday Nights host
• Kathryn Coulombe, news anchor
• Rod Dewar, editorialist

Trudie Mason will remain with the station, expanding her morning news role.

Holder was the latest to get the news… yesterday. He received so little notice that he had to cancel a booked guest. Holder confirmed he’s been fired but wouldn’t comment further (UPDATE: See below). Laurie MacDonald told The Gazette they were told to give in their pass keys as soon as they were told they were fired.

As for what’s taking their places:

• Dan Laxer will be taking the Kevin and Trudie spot from 2-4 weekdays
• Laxer’s weekday evening slot is taken over by a syndicated show, The Ryan Doyle Show, from CFRB
• Ray Scott takes over Solid Gold Sundays from Jake Lawrence
• Former CBC host Anne Lagacé-Dowson takes over (on an interim basis) the spot left by Laurie & Olga at 1-4 Saturdays
• Saturday evenings will have “weekend” versions of weekday shows

Bendixen says other announcements will be forthcoming “in the next couple weeks.” Operations Manager Bob Harris told The Gazette that negotiations are ongoing.

Sports reporter Rob Martier has also left CJAD to move back to Chicago, though that move was for personal reasons and is unrelated to the shakeup.

More coverage:

• CBC.ca
• Coolopolis mourns the loss of Holder Tonight
• RadioInMontreal has some info from local radio watcher Sheldon Harvey
• The Suburban business columnist David Lisbona argues it’s just business

UPDATE (Aug. 11): Holder talks to The Gazette’s Kathryn Greenaway, saying “they can only fire you, they can’t kill you.” Holder’s fans are making themselves heard loud and clear, starting up a Facebook group, Facebook cause and commenting en masse on his Facebook wall. The Gazette piece resulted in lots of feedback from readers.

And The Mirror points us to “Why CJAD sucks“, published exactly 10 years ago this week.

Meanwhile, Kim Fraser, who survived the cuts, responds to criticism of her on the Radio in Montreal group.