Patrick Charles
After a year on the CJFM (aka Virgin Radio 96) morning show, Patrick Charles, aka Sir Patrick, is being shuffled into an off-air job at Astral Media.
As seems to be the usual procedure in this town, when a host is removed from a show there’s no announcement or long goodbye. The name of the show is simply changed – it’s now just “The Breakfast Show with Cat and Lisa” – and the offending host’s image scrubbed from the website.
Charles made the announcement himself to his Twitter followers on Saturday night (his new Twitter handle being itself scrubbed of links to Virgin Radio). “The company has new plans for me,” he said, indicating that this wasn’t his decision.
Sources who support Charles tell me this is the outcome of a personal conflict between Charles and co-host Lisa Player. Because Player is the more senior co-host, it’s Charles who gets the boot. (I’ve asked Player for comment, and will update this post with any response.)
But Charles isn’t leaving Astral Media. He says he’ll be doing “new stuff for the company” – he’ll be working in an off-air capacity, continuing to do his parodies for CJFM and CHOM. He will also have a regular segment on CJAD, joining morning host Andrew Carter at 8:20am weekdays starting April 19. And he appears semi-regularly as a pop culture columnist on CFCF newscasts.
It’s expected Charles will return to the air in a more permanent capacity soon, possibly at CJAD.
UPDATE (April 12): On the first show as Cat and Lisa, a pathetic 35-second announcement (MP3) about Charles’s departure suggests that this decision was somehow his and that he’s welcome to be a guest “sporadically”:
Spencer: By the way, as you probably have mentioned, or probably have noticed by now if you’ve been listening this morning, it’s now Cat and Lisa. Sir Patrick is still with us in the building and with all three of our radio stations now. He will be doing other work behind the scenes and he’ll be welcome to join us on the air here and there sporadically.
Player: That’s right, when he gets a chance. When he has time.
Spencer: But the show now is Cat and Lisa, but it’s nothing that he has been asked to leave or let go or anything like that –
Player: No no no.
Spencer: He’s still working with us and all three of our stations in a different capacity.
Player: Yeah, we’re trying to use him even more.
Spencer: There you go.
The announcement aired only once during the three-and-a-half-hour show, at about 7:37am.
Compare this to the multiple announcements throughout the morning totalling almost 17 minutes given on sister station CHOM-FM when Ted Bird left in January. Is Charles less important to CJFM than Bird was to CHOM, or did they want to sweep this under the rug and hope people wouldn’t notice?
I only listen to Virgin between 8 andf 9am, and I have noticed that Sir Pat’s contribution was much more limited these days. I guess this is why.
Does anyone ever get along with Lisa????? She seems to create a lot of conflict with co-hosts.
So, “Sir Patrick” takes over the second Hollywood minute beat from Ann Shattilla, who took over from John Moore…….. I guess Ann is only going to be on with Ric now. Refresh my memory, when Patrick was on the Q and Maureen was on vacation, did Patrick play the annoying Hollywood reporter that filled in for her?
It is interesting that Murray and Patrick were originally on CFQR then Murray moved to Mix , his daughter joined CJAD.Then Murray and Sir Patrick switched radio stations again, with Murray back at the Q, but Catherine still at CJAD.
Just a small question. I know John Moore does Double Double with Andrew on CJAD AT 5:45 joining the two stations in a dual link, and then he returns for a couple of minutes at 7:20 to do the first Entertainment news segment independently of his stations, How is he able to get away to do the segment if he’s the Toronto morning man? What if the previous segment goes over?
Philip, Catherine is Murray’s neice, not his daughter.
Omigosh Silvia – I thought I was the only person who perceived people were in conflict with Lisa!!! I think during the first months it seemed like there was a conflict between her and Patrick – she likes to take up space. I liked Patrick. He was funny on Q92 but here he never had the chance to talk – it’s either Cat talking 89.9% of the time or Lisa joking around. Oh well. I still prefer them over Aaron Rand solo.
Hi Mena, yeah I don’t think she got a long with him because he was taking up too much of her space. If my memory serves me correctly she also didn’t get along with Andre who she was paired with after the mix got rid of Ken Connors & Cat Spencer from the morning show.
Mena… what do you know?… …Q Mornings with Aaron Rand is climbing… The breakfast show…. is slowing tumbling down the very high mountain! BTW.. Aaron Rand is not solo… he’s joined by Murray (the best, who finally realized where the real talent lies … at the Q) Sarah Bartok (totally cool) and Shaun!!!!
It was just a question of time before they got rid of him! he’s was horrible replacement for the Sheriff.
Yes I”ve noticed Lisa does take up all the space, they should change the name to Lisa show, because when Cat talks it”s all about his weekends, listen people go to 103 for Ted Bird, know he was a radio man!!!
I am switching to 103 the only issue I have is I can’t catch the signal on my radios at home…..will have to wait until I get into my car. I’ve been listening to 103 last week to get ready for Ted & I must admit I LOVE it!
It’s really too bad. One wonders if TIIC know what people want to listen to. It’s not always about the music. Sir Patrick is very witty, and quick with a comeback. I guess Silvia will be next… it’s clear Lisa doesn’t like her movie reports much either. (I know Silvia isn’t staff… should make it that much easier to bounce her, right?)
It’s really too bad. One wonders if TIIC know what people want to listen to. It’s not always about the music. Sir Patrick is very witty, and quick with a comeback. I guess Silvia will be next… it’s clear Lisa doesn’t like her movie reports much either. (I know Silvia isn’t staff… should make it that much easier to bounce her, right?)
Was Sir Patrick the guy who used to fill in for Maureen Holloway on CFQR playing the role of Todd Gack, the annoying reporter who thought he was all that? Or was that someone else? How is he now on CJAD?
If I had a choice, Lisa would have gotten the boot a long long time ago. She’s the most insulting negative radio host I’ve ever listened to…..Love Cat and miss Sir Patrick, Lisa is annoying…kind of like a rash……
I liked Sir Patrick. I find that everything that Astral touches is ruined. We had a small radio station out where I live they bought it and ruined it. It was Z104.
Astral is profit only and to hell with the rest.
Robin
Greetings,
Of course she felt threatened by Sir Patrick. He’s the cool local guy who grew up in Montreal and knows this city and she’s the redundant second small town westerner on the show. I can’t believe a city this big is being hosted by two westerners who relate to things happening on the prairies such as some has-been band visiting their town being the social event of the year. At least with Patrick we finally got a guy who knew the high schools here, the way the city works, etc. This is not Moose Jaw Saskatchewan, this is Montreal, top 15 city in North America. Stop treating us like a dumping ground and give us local hosts, Astral!
James
Patrick has been a friend of mine for many years, and not having him on Vurgin will be their loss. A talented indivudual like Patrick, he will be on another Radio Show and that will bring the rating higher than ever.
Good Sir. Patrick
JB
It’s too bad Sir Patrick left, Lisa is always making fun of everything. She is a nasty girl ( not to say the B word!!!) Shouldn’t be there … I’ll try 103 this week!! Too bad for cat he’s good.
Don’t listen to them Lisa I believe your the reason why the morning show has been so successful. Yes Patrick brought something to the show but you could feel/hear the chemistry
between Cat and Yourself. I think you always give the advice that most women want to hear, and I feel that your a very sweet and sensitive person. Keep doing what your doing. Patrick will not be lost without you
People time to make the switch to K103 or K103radio online line. Ted Bird is back with a great new morning program. They are a hoot & the music they play is great. There is no producer signaling them that they have to go to their 101 commercials etc… Give it a try you will really like it.