Tag Archives: Mike Finnerty

Finnerty’s gone – who will host Daybreak now?

June 28, 2009 – 9:00 pm| Posted in Montreal, Radio
Mike Finnerty giant ad outside Maison Radio-Canada

Mike Finnerty giant ad outside Maison Radio-Canada, slightly torn to reveal ... another giant Mike Finnerty behind him.

In case you missed it, Friday was Mike Finnerty's last day as host of Daybreak on CBC Radio One. Finnerty announced last month that he was leaving the CBC to move to London and take a job with the Guardian.

The theme of the final show (all links in this paragraph are streaming RealAudio format, which astonishingly it still uses) was what people will miss about Montreal (including lots of suggestions from listeners), since Finnerty is leaving the city. Finnerty also took the time to interview two CBC bosses, the big boss Hubert Lacroix, on the future of the public broadcaster, and local boss Patricia Pleszczynska on who would replace him as Daybreak host. Finally, he invited all the other CBC Montreal radio hosts to talk about what they'd miss about the city.

Despite hinting otherwise, there was no announcement of a new host. Pleszczynska said to "wait until September" while they evaluate the various candidates, many of whom we would expect would test-host the show over the summer.

You can listen to Finnerty's final podcast here (MP3), which includes some original "live... to download" host banter and repeats the morning interviews. Or you can listen to my selections from Finnerty's last Daybreak (MP3) from the over-the-air version.

Now it's time to decide who will replace Mike in the anchor's chair. I suggested a few names last month, but in the past few months during Finnerty's vacations to London we've had a few guest anchors who might be candidates for the job. Links below are to the podcast versions of their shows in MP3 format, which isn't a perfect way to evaluate how they do live on-air, but gives you an idea of their interview abilities and ability to socialize with the staff.

Shawn Apel is the first temporary host to take over the Mike's mic on Monday morning.

UPDATE (July 15): The Gazette's Mike Boone suggests it should be a woman in the host chair. Wood, Campbell, Sonali Karnick and Anne Lagacé-Dowson are mentioned as possible candidates.

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Mike Finnerty leaving CBC Daybreak

May 14, 2009 – 9:28 am| Posted in Montreal, Radio
Mike Finnerty giant ad outside Maison Radio-Canada

Mike Finnerty giant ad outside Maison Radio-Canada

Mike Finnerty

Mike Finnerty

Mike Finnerty, the host of Daybreak on CBC Radio One in Montreal, announced this morning that he will be leaving the show at the end of June and moving to London (England, the good London) to take a new job as multimedia news editor for The Guardian.

The reasons are mostly personal. Finnerty's partner moved with him to Montreal when he took the Daybreak job in late 2006, but had trouble finding work here. Finnerty's partner got a new job back in London, and Finnerty decided two and a half years was enough sacrifice to ask of someone else.

Mike Finnerty leaving CBC Daybreak (MP3, 6:05)

Both of them came here from London when Finnerty was tapped for the Daybreak job to replace veteran Dave Bronstetter. He worked at BBC World Services for 10 years, and before that he was a radio reporter for CBC in Quebec City and Montreal. Lest anyone question his loyalties, the Esterhazy, Sask. native told The Gazette's Kathryn Greenaway in 2007 that he still wants to be buried in Montreal. I assume that sentiment still applies.

Among Finnerty's legacies at Daybreak are the Daybreak Daily Podcast (a daily "best of" featuring interviews from that morning's show), the Daybreak Twitter account and the guest editor series.

Who wants to host a morning talk show?

Finnerty says that although the Daybreak crew has known about this departure for months, they don't know who will be replacing him in the show's anchor chair.

The job has a lot of exposure, but also involves a lot of work. Getting up at 3:30 every weekday morning is a deal-breaker for me (you know, in case they were considering me for the job).

So who should jump into the big chair now? With the budget crunch hitting the corporation, acquiring a high-paid external candidate would probably not look too good, and there are plenty of capable people from within the organization.

Two names that jump immediately to mind are Steve Rukavina, who has been a temporary host of Radio Noon and seemed to connect with some listeners until Sue Smith was given the job, and Sonali Karnick, who has been the hardest-working person in that office for years now and is currently on the sports beat for Daybreak. Both are young, dedicated, and most importantly adorable.

UPDATE: Brendan Kelly (who double dips as a Daybreak columnist) writes about Finnerty's decision in The Gazette.

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