Steve Kowch: CFRB to CJAD

Mike Bendixen: CJAD to CFRB

Who knows why people in commercial radio make their decisions anymore. But as if to emphasize the point that Montreal’s CJAD and Toronto’s CFRB talk radio stations are completely interchangeable in the eyes of Astral Media, the two stations have switched program directors.

Last week, after having to make painful cuts in staff to CFRB radio personalities, program director Steve Kowch learned that he too would be one of the casualties. CJAD program director Mike Bendixen, who himself just had to make painful cuts, was immediately sent to Toronto to replace him.

Now we learn that Kowch has accepted a six-month contract to be program director at CJAD after mulling it over for a bit.

The timing suggests that this is a demotion for Kowch and a promotion for Bendixen (no doubt reflecting how Astral feels about the Toronto and Montreal anglophone markets), but I’m sure Astral will find some positive way to spin all this that doesn’t make anyone look bad, assuming they even bother to issue a press release at all.

Kowch’s Twitter post says he’ll meet the staff on Friday and start his new job on Tuesday (after Labour Day).

Feel free to include a comment below about how middle managers always seem to land on their feet.