Patrick Henry Charles (left) and Paul Zakaib (aka Tasso Patsikakis)
Tasso and Patrick is now just Tasso.
Patrick Charles, who started a new afternoon drive show with Paul (Tasso) Zakaib on low-rated ethnic station CKDG-FM last October, has decided to leave the station, and not come back from a three-week vacation.
“I really quit for personal reasons: the hours made it difficult, and things weren’t progressing the way I’d have liked them to,” Charles tells me. “Outside of that, we had a lot of fun. You can still tune into Tasso.”
Zakaib is remaining with the show and the station. He’ll be doing the show solo, which will mean having to play all the parts in his comedic sketches.
“I became a master at recording characters, playing it back and answering live, i.e., my mom and dad, my trainer, Jacques Ampere. It works quite well and there’s tons of stuff on the net for those short breaks. My producer chimes in and voilà, we have a show.”
“I’m sad he left but he has to do what a young dad with major responsibility has to do.”
Charles says he’s spending his time “hanging out with my son, listening to a lot of music, and looking for a new gig.”
Charles started at CFQR-FM (what was then Q92) in 2001, helping with writing for the Aaron and Tasso morning show, then left for CJFM-FM in 2009. He didn’t last long on the Virgin morning show, shuffled into an off-air position in 2010. He worked in various capacities for Astral until he finally left. Shortly thereafter he took the job at Mike FM.
I’ve asked station manager Marie Griffiths for comment. I’ll update this if I hear from her. The station, which airs English-language programs during peak hours and ethnic programs (particularly Greek) in other parts of its schedule, doesn’t subscribe to BBM Canada, so has no scientific way of measuring its audience.
Steve, you said “The station…doesn’t subscribe to BBM Canada, so has no scientific way of measuring its audience.”
Counting on your fingers and toes would work!
Patrick Charles didn’t “help” with the morning show Steve. I hired him as our head writer, and he wrote some of the best bits and some of the smartest and funniest song parodies I’ve ever heard. He was our head writer, and he was as good at what he did as anyone I’ve ever worked with.
Let’s give the man the props he deserves.
My intention wasn’t to portray him as some coffee-getting intern, merely as a member of the team. I’ll rephrase.
I know for a fact Patrick Charles did not quit his Astral Radio gig. He was let go. Yes, Patrick might of told you he had quit that gig.
As I have commented earlier, this station has the potential to go up, but the show structure sucks, I really liked Patrick on the show, really it’s not the same thing without this guy. Patrick and Taso would pump up the show, when it came time to play music, it was one of the most boring crap songs you would hear, like 30 year old songs, Songs you would hear from some amateur radio station in AM. I can understand once in awhile to play music like that, but as standard repertoire, forget it man. I mean even my kids scream in the car, “change it, change it” when they that Mike FM message. This is really true and the managment there should really do something about that.
I use the car radio for music only. When “one of the stars” start talking I have to change the channel.
20 songs, boring talks and commercials.
Now I am listening to french radio stations and CBC. If I want good music I use the internet.
Is funny how the 20 songs are changed before a singer/ band is coming to Montreal.
Thank you radio industry!
I actually loved the music MikeFM plays (mornings and afternoons), that’s why I was attracted to it in the first place. There is already overload of the mainstream hits other stations in town are circulating. The chemistry between and Tasso and Patrick was amazing…. so disappointed not being able to hear them together…
I have known Patrick for close to 20 Years, in fact for several of those years we both worked in radio unbeknownst to each other until I bumped into him several years back. The English Radio industry here is microscopically small and to get a good foothold on something that can sustain you and your family are reserved for a rare few, thats a fact.
Patrick is one of those rare few that deserves a shot at something more substantial. Mike FM sadly cannot compete for listeners and do not have the operating budget like the corporate stations do. There is no money in it, and for someone with a growing family you need to make choices. I tried to get a hold onto something, but I got into the game too late and could literally not afford to press on with a mortgage and child on the way. Add to that, the monopolistic stranglehold by Astral who are “doing more with less” are going to potentially put more talented folks out of work….Behind the car speakers out of sight of the average listener, English Montreal Radio is going to remain on life support for a long time
A sad but true anaysis of the deplorable state of broadcast, in all forms
In this city….MIKE is a revelation cuz at least there is warm blood and not
Just another lame cloned talking head, for the pre-determined 14 second break
Pat is a real gem and like Tasso his humanity shines through
Let us pray that Ma Bell will be forced to keep their promise to enhance english
Sports programming, at am690 and not SNEAK in a new RDS radio ..
MItch at CJAD doing drive….please say it ain’t so…..TSN690 forever!!!!
This is in montreal. Home of the guys who do the 4h podcast. Why aren’t they on the air?