In a posting from yesterday I mentioned the Torch Catastrophe orchestrated by CTV Globemedia.
They arranged for several of their personalities to jump the line and carry the Olympic torch ahead of deserving athletes and citizens who entered a contest in good faith.
I think it was downright shameful and if I'd been given the same advantage I wouldn't have taken it.
Unfortunately, among those CTVers who carried the torch was TSN's James Duthie who I have the utmost respect for. I still do, even though he made the tragic error of carrying that bloody torch.
To me, James Duthie represents the new breed of broadcaster who provides a great balance of knowledge, ability and humour. Yea, humour, it's important. The days of the tired old talking head is over and that was proved somewhat during Sunday's closing ceremonies.
Rather than have Brian Williams host the closing ceremonies, CTV opted for Duthie and it was a refreshing change.
Listen, I like Brian Williams. I've met him, he's a gracious gentleman and I have immense respect for his broadcasting history and what he's accomplished. He makes me look like a third year Humber student.
However by 2010 standards it's time for CTV to switch to somebody like Duthie.
Several times during the Vancouver games I found myself comparing Williams and Duthie and really, there was no comparison. Duthie brings way more to table than Williams.
The days of the authoritative fatherly type walking us through the games are gone. Television is supposed to be fun and entertaining and Duthie's wit, irreverence and easy style trump Williams old fashioned over annunciation every step of the way.
Apparently, part of the reason Williams jumped from CBC to CTV is because the latter won the rights to the 2010 and 2012 games. He wanted to host them.
Oh oh.
If the big brains at CTV are on top of their game they will make the switch sooner than later. Let Duthie host the prime time stuff and give a lesser shift to Williams.
It would seem obvious, but then again, these are the same people that insist on ramming the infuriating Ben Mulroney down our throats.
It's a funny little country in which we live, and that's been highlighted by the decision by CBC Television to replace the unfunny Royal Canadian Air Farce with the unfunny Ron James.
Yes, comedy is subjective and one man's giggle is another man's wriggle but I just don't understand this move. There's got to be tons of young, intelligent and relevant comics in this country who would be better suited a prime Friday night slot on CBC, but it goes to Ron James.
Let me get back to the one man's giggle is another wriggle. Have you ever sat there and watched a comedian and he or she was so unfunny that it made you uncomfortable in your seat and you start to shift or wriggle? Meanwhile the person beside you is shitting their pants? That's what I mean.
I know Ron James. I've met him several times over the years and he's a wonderful person. Warm, compassionate and genuine, but I'm sorry when the man steps onto a stage he loses me.
I've tried. Oh yes I've tried. Leading into his show that premieres tonight at eight o'clock, the CBC has run five of his previous "specials" and I've attempted to watch at least three of them. Yikes.
When I can actually understand his signature "east coast banter" I don't find it the least bit funny. He prances back and forth across the stage making sounds and gestures that have his live audience in side splitting funny pain. But I receive it like a boot to the balls.
Listen, I don't have any names or examples, but as a guy who likes to laugh, someone who's actually been paid to make people laugh, and someone who prides himself in having a pretty good idea of what's funny, I've got to believe there are a lot of other people in this country more worthy of a CBC show than Ron James.
But that's the corp for ya. That's Canada for ya. The Air Farce lasted for a couple of decades without being funny, why not Ron James?
This weekend in the west -end of Toronto my son Danny will be working with Humble Howard on Man-Up, a TV series that Humble helped develop and hosts.
My boy is a technical whiz, who like so many others right now, was caught in the crunch of graduating from college just when the recession and cut-backs hit.
But there's work with Redfish Entertainment right now and Howard made the connection, so it's the passing of the baton.
Hey Freddie, I was checkin' out your site and came across your posting about the Sports Zone. I remember that show, and I loved it.
You did some whacky shit on that show but I'll always remember the night you did a neat bit with your son Danny about playing hockey. I had met him with you at a baseball game the summer before.
Ever thought of doing another show like that?
Larry P.
Hi Larry.
I've thought about doing several things, the problem is getting them off the ground. But here's that bit you mentioned. It was the fall of 1988.
Perusing the papers this morning it was brought to my attention that tomorrow night marks the final episode of Corner Gas.
Corner Gas is the gem of a sit-com created for CTV by comedian Brent Butt. By Canadian standards it was a smash hit for the six seasons it ran and the world wide syndication possibilities will definitely make Butt a rich man.
The show wasn't cancelled, it was Butt's decision to end it.
Good on him. He created a monster that obviously struck a cord with millions of people across North America and it has set a new standard for Canadian television, but I've got to be honest, it didn't include me.
I tried. I tried on several occasions to watch Corner Gas but I could never get through an entire episode.
It had its moments, and I could appreciate how pockets of this country could embrace this show, much like Peterborough inexplicably sells out for three consecutive nights of Ron James, but Corner Gas never did it for me.
It was the pacing. Very slow. I guess I'm too impatient or fidgety or whatever you want to call it, but I've given it five or ten minutes several times and then find myself thinking about something else while I was watching it.
It never grabbed me.
And I'm not necessarily blaming the show. I wish I was one of those people that could make myself sit and learn to like something that is extremely popular with the masses, but I can't, especially TV shows because I don't feel I owe them anything.
So that's it, tomorrow CTV will make a huge deal of the final episode of Corner Gas.
The cast will appear on Canada AM, then endure a few moments with Ben Mulroney on e-Talk and then the finale will air on the Comedy Network, CTV and what's left of the "A" channels.
If you've been a follower of this blog for any length of time you know that before wrestling control of the Corus Radio Empire in Peterborough, I was a frequent guest on "CH Live @ 5:30" with Donna Skelly and Mark Hebscher.
I thoroughly enjoyed doing the show because it was wide open. I was never given any boundaries and it was fun to bang heads with Donna, Mark and whoever "the other" guest was.
There was something about doing "Live @ 5:30" that put me in a comfort zone that always left me wanting more, in fact in the back of my mind I was constantly thinking of ways I could unseat Hebscher and thus become the permanent co-host of "Live @ 5:30" with the delectable Donna.
Unfortunately for me, head transplants are not yet possible, so Hebshcer was safe.
Meanwhile, it appears that if something doesn't happen quickly, nobody will be hosting "Live @ 5:30" because CHCH won't exist.
During my frequent visits to the station over a two year period I got a weird vibe in the halls. Canwest was pulling all kinds of weird moves and it was making the staff feel uneasy.
The company is in dire financial straights and part of their recent repositioning strategy was to put CHCH up for sale, a wonderful TV station with a fabulous history of community service and local programming.
Something Canwest never seemed to respect.
Since buying the station a few years ago they've ripped it to shreds, and word is, if they can't find a buyer soon the station could shut down within weeks robbing Hamilton of what is rightfully theirs.
However, Donna Skelly has come up with an idea to save CHCH while keeping it out of corporate hands.
It's ambitious and there will be a few mountains to climb, but you've got to give the woman credit for taking action.
Yup, she's a darlin'
The Hamilton Spectator
(Feb 26, 2009)
CHCH staff members are proposing a new plan for their troubled station that would allow it to be owned and controlled by community members.
Donna Skelly, the station's former union chair and co-host of Live at 5:30, is spearheading a group of 100 CHCH staff members who are approaching the CRTC with their community-based business model.
If successful, the TV station would use a governing structure similar to a hospital. Rather than being operated by a large media company, CHCH would be governed by a board of directors made up of community leaders.
Canwest, CHCH's current parent company, has put the station on the market in light of Canwest's dire financial situation. If a buyer does not step forward, the station could be shut down within weeks.
"We can't wait for this. We have to intervene," Skelly said of the group's decision to take action.
Skelly says the station is a perfect candidate for a new annual CRTC funding program designated for local news that would allow the group to go ahead with its plan.
The funding, which amounts to $40 million for English programming, is generated by a 50-cent per subscriber fee from cable providers.
The recipients of the CRTC funding will be determined in April, Skelly said.
"We believe that we are the primary candidates for this fund. We are the only station in this market. We need this funding to survive."
Along with the CRTC funding, the station would also need to raise $500,000 from the community to go ahead with the plan.
The new model would also allow for local businesses to purchase advertising at a greatly reduced rate. Currently, CH's ads are priced out of the market for most local organizations, Skelly said.
The station would provide mostly local news, Skelly said, and no American programming.
Let me preface this entry by saying that I realize taste is subjective and one man's love is another man's misery.
And to take it one step further, for many years I was part of a comedy based morning show but that doesn't mean everyone found it funny. I'm sure there were many people who found the Humble and Fred Show to be downright stupid.
Now that that's out of the way I feel a little more comfortable giving my opinion on the Royal Canadian Air Farce.
It will come to an end tomorrow night on the CBC with New Years Special. Counting the years it was on radio, it marks the end of a 38 year run that began on television in the early 90's with a two hundred thousand dollar government grant.
Listen, you can't argue with success and apparently over its 16 year TV run it averaged over a million viewers a week, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. On the contrary, I can't stand it.
Sometimes when I'm flipping around the channels I'll land upon a re-run of the Air Farce and take it all in. I get this aggravating feeling in the pit of my stomach and they wonder who anyone could watch it and how it could garner enough ratings to survive as long as it did.
Maybe that was the key. It was like a train wreck and Canadians from coast to coast did what I did. They watched it while basking in the disbelief of how utterly horrible it was.
Sorry folks, you may have noticed I'm a political junkie and I love satire just as much as the next guy, but this show was badly written and the so-called comedic acting was even worse.
Roger Abbott and Don Ferguson aren't very good at the best of times, but the forced and amateurish offerings of Luba Goy is what always bothered me most about my tax dollars going to support this waste of time.
It's one of those inexplicable things. You sit there and watch it and you wonder how the hell it ever got to this point.
Who ever told these people they were funny?
Who thought it would be a good idea to give them a radio show?
Whose bright idea was it to put them on television?
But most of all, who are the people watching this crap in numbers large enough to let it continue?
To tell you the truth, if I get the chance I may actually carve out some time tomorrow night to watch the last show along with a million other people, but only for the same reason that people slow to down to check out a head on collision.
There's something weird within us all that attracts us to disasters.
The news that CTV will not produce Canadian Idol this year comes as bad news for potential singing stars across the country, but its welcome relief for thousands of viewers.
It means several hours "less" of the Ben Mulroney factor.
Besides my sweet mother, I'm still searching for another person in Canada who actually enjoys this man's work. It's unbelievable how someone who's so widely rejected by the general public continues to thrive in our television industry.
Mulroney really hasn't improved one iota since he was first inflicted upon the Canadian public several years ago through a series of events that may have had something to do with a former Prime Minister who has friends in high places.
Although Canadian Idol did very well in the ratings, it still only attracted half the audience in Canada that the American version attracts.
I'm convinced that Mulroney has to take a large part of the responsibility.
It's amazing how often you get the same response when you ask somebody who normally watches American Idol, if they watch Canadian Idol - "no I don't because I can't stand Ben Mulroney."
If I'd heard that response once, I've heard it a thousand times and it makes you wonder how the message hasn't made its way to the top of CTV where they make all the big decisions.
Then again, it was way up there that the original decision to hire the untrained, inexperienced Benjamin was first made.
Nothing personal against Mulroney, but when you consider how many young talented performers and hosts are looking for work in this country, it seems unjust that the awkward man with the orange skin and immovable hair continues to collect a pay cheque.
"The economy" has been a convenient excuse for CTV over the past few weeks, allowing the network to backtrack and correct several mistakes that probably had nothing to do with "the economy."
Biting off more than they could chew with the CHUM acquisition was a problem long before "the economy" popped its head up, but as long as "the economy" excuse is still timely, maybe they can do us all a big favour and re-think the Ben factor.
CTV claims Canadian Idol will return in 2010, although that's hard to believe. If it was making any money it wouldn't have been cancelled for 09, and if it aint' making money now, why would they bring it back to lose money in 2010.
I may be a cynic but I can't help but get the impression that "the economy" has provided an excuse to get out from under some expensive Canadian content.
How about this idea?
CTV comes back with another show in 2010 called "So you think you can host." It'll be a lot cheaper.
They scour the country looking for a young Canadian who has the natural ability to stand on a stage or set and host a television show without looking extremely uncomfortable.
The winner gets to take over for Ben - and they can pay him a fraction of the money - which will help, considering "the economy."
It was with great sadness that I read the news about Dan McLean this week. He's the long time CHCH news anchorman who was let go by Canwest/Global.
Dan McLean is one of those people you felt you knew before you even met him.
And why not, he's on a long list of CHCH personalities who had a large impact on Southern Ontario.
I don't think I've ever sat down and watched an entire Channel 11 newscast, but I was well aware of who Dan McLean was because he kept popping into my living room over the past 37 years, even if it was just in passing as I clicked around the channels.
A couple of years ago I actually got to meet the man.
I started doing segments on CH Live at 5:30 with Mark Hebscher and Donna Skelly and more often than not I would see Dan in the hallways.
He was a great guy, always upbeat and friendly, always willing to chat and showed a genuine interest in what I was up to.
I realize Dan McLean is 61 years old and he had a long and successful career, but it still bothers me that he didn't leave under better circumstances.
You get the impression he's another victim of a wild new world.
Channel 11 was a big part of my life because of Tiny Talent Time, and Hamilton Red Wings Hockey and Tom Cherrington and Dick Beddoes and Norm Marshall and all the wonderful local production they provided.
Back in the late 80's I was part of a show called "The CFL This Week" which was written and produced in Hamilton.
Dan McLean is probably the last link to the good old days of CHCH TV before it was slowly dismantled following a corporate take-over.
What was once a rich and vibrant media outlet serving Hamilton and the Golden Horseshoe, CHCH certainly ain't what it used to be.
No longer does it stand for what it was. It's not even called what it was.
He stepped down as Vice-President of the Much / MTV group yesterday after twenty five years of achievent at 299 Queen Street.
Here's the meat of the press release.
CTV Inc. announced today that David Kines has stepped down from his post as Senior Vice President, Much MTV Group, effective Friday, Oct. 3.
Kines has led a long and prominent career at the intersection of television, music, and pop culture beginning with The New Music on Citytv almost 25 years ago. He has overseen enormous growth: the Much MTV Group now includes eight national television channels, two websites, a world-class, original Canadian awards show, and a staff of more than 350 people.
"David Kines has always made it his mission to engage the viewers, stay at the leading edge of audience interaction, and embrace industry innovations," said Susanne Boyce, President, Creative, Content and Channels, CTV Inc. "We are grateful for his contribution during the transition period as these high profile brands were incorporated into the CTV family."
"It has been a privilege to have worked as part of an amazing team to create, build, and nurture some of the most successful and best-loved brands in television and new media," said Kines. "And I think it's safe to say I've had more fun making television than just about anyone."
Kines has a lot to be proud of, and on top of being a good guy, he's a great manager and builder.
He was also a faithful friend of the Humble and Fred Show through the years making many an appearance both over the phone and live in studio.
Over the past few days I've been meaning to write a piece about Ron MacLean and the fabulous job he's doing in Beijing.
I'm a huge fan of his laid back conversational style and he's the perfect fit for the anchor desk in China.
Unfortunately, the Olympic assignment is over. Ron had to fly-home to Oakville yesterday because his 82 year old mother finally succumbed to pancreatic cancer.
Needless to say, it will be a long and miserable flight for MacLean who will arrive to something none of us ever want to do. Say goodbye to a parent, forever.
By the sounds of it, MacLean's mother was in pretty rough shape and the decision to go to Beijing in the first place was probably a tough one. Then again, if Ron's mother is anything like my mother, or most mothers, she would have insisted he go and do his job.
In this case the timing didn't work out and I'm sure he's going through a tough time right now.
Earlier in the week I wrote about how insular radio is, and used Rick Hodge as an example.
Even though he was part of a smash hit morning radio show in Toronto, there would still be a lot of people in the city who would have no idea who he was, especially CFRB listeners because their demographic is so much different than CHUM-FM's.
Today I have a television example. Her name is Rosey Edeh. She's a track and field analyst for CBC in Beijing and she's wonderful.
The first time I saw her on CBC's coverage is actually the first time I "ever" saw her.
She's articulate, she's highly professional and she's downright beautiful. She's also a regular on "Entertainment Tonight Canada" but I didn't know that because I've never once watched that show.
Edeh has worked for CBC radio, which I rarely listen to, and she was a weather reporter for CNN and NBC morning shows a few years ago. But a few years ago, I was in no position to be watching morning television because I was doing morning radio.
Anyway, this woman has got the goods. I could watch and listen to her all day long and she brings a perspective to track and field that few other professional broadcasters can.
And that's because she's a three time Olympian who ran the 400 metres for Canada in 1988, 1992 and 1996.
One more Olympic note today. This is CBC's Jeff Marek at the Great Wall of China. He's been given a few assignments in Beijing and has done a great job!
"This was the issue: A small but dedicated group of Canadian football activists plans to march on Rogers Centre as a demonstration against the National Football League and the Buffalo Bills."
This was the segment.
I'll visit the highly professional studios of CH Live at 5:30 this afternoon and join the sweet smelling Donna Skelly and the rugged Mark Hebscher to discuss this subject.
There are a couple of young CFL fans who are upset with the Buffalo Bills so called invasion of Toronto, and they plan an organized protest.
I enjoy the young, but sometimes they're misguided. Especially in a situation like this where its basic commerce.
If people want to buy tickets to see an NFL game in Toronto, then why shouldn't they be able to?
If in the end, the people decided they want the NFL over the CFL, then so be it.
The issue was this - A British Columbia resident has filed a complaint with the province's Human Rights Tribunal after watching an episode of the Kenny vs. Spenny show online.
Dean Skoreyko, said that he filed the complaint on behalf of the "silent majority" of christians who would object to the antics, adding that these kinds of commissions apply double standards, often favouring minority interests.
I'll be visiting the CH Live at 5:30 studios this afternoon to talk about Kenny vs. Spenny and their brilliant stunt from last week.
The competition was too see who could "piss off the most people", so Kenny came up with the idea of renting a plane and flying a banner across Toronto that said, "Jesus Sucks."
Of course not everyone thought it was brilliant and it brought tons of bible thumpers out of the woodwork.
Today I'll be discussing the matter with Mark Hebscher, Donna Skelly and Joseph Ben-Ami, Director of the Canadian Centre for Policy Studies.
In passing yesterday, I heard someone mention Canadian idol, and then when I became part of the conversation it unfolded like so many others.
Both people I talked to admitted they can’t watch Canadian Idol because of Ben Mulroney.
I won’t pretend to know what the ratings are for Canadian Idol, but I can only assume they’re good because the show survives and that means somebody is watching it.
But you have to wonder how “big” the show would be if they had another host.
Believe me, I can’t stand the way Canadians tend to eat their own and not recognize achievement by a fellow Canuck until it comes in the States, but that’s not the situation in this case.
Canadians have been force fed Ben Mulroney for some inexplicable reason and he continues to survive even though the general consensus seems to be that he’s untalented and totally out of his league as a network host.
Mulroney should have never been given the shot he was given at the beginning, but we’re all aware of politics and the part they can play in the board rooms of the country and I’m sure that was the initial explanation.
But years later, and Mulroney not showing an ounce of improvement, and people from coast to coast complaining about the guy, you’d think something might have changed.
But it hasn’t.
Ben Mulroney still gets every juicy gig that CTV has to offer, and countless other people, with genuine talent, sit on the sidelines.
We don’t always eat our own in Canada, sometimes we spoon feed them.
I read with mixed emotions the story of Ed the Sock yesterday.
He's become the latest of victim of the changes at City-TV. Rogers seems to have some distinct plans for the station, and the edgy off colour sock is not part of them.
People can bitch and complain all they want about what's fair and what's just and what makes sense and what doesn't, but it won't get you anywhere.
The broadcasting industry in Canada isn't what it used to be, and somehow "product" doesn't matter much any more. Bottom line is the ruler.
But on the subject of product, I have to say this. I was never a fan of Ed the Sock the show, but I was always a big fan of Ed the Sock the entity.
I can't explain it. I just never found the sock funny. He never made me laugh, he rarely made me smile. I don't care for the act, and I never got the humour.
Of course that means nothing in the over-all picture.
All that matters is that Steve Kerzner took and idea and made it extremely successful, and for that I'm a huge fan. Talk about perseverance.
Kerzner took an idea and developed it on cable TV and then took it to commercial TV and Ed the Sock became arguably one of the most recognizable characters in Canadian television history. That's impressive.
Steve Kerzner claims the cancellation of Ed the Sock on City-TV doesn't mean the end of the character, it only represents a new beginning, and that I'm glad to hear.
It may not be my cup of tea, but you can't argue with success and there are obviously enough people across this country that do enjoy Ed the Sock.
I'll be joining my good friends Mark Hebscher and Donna Skelly on CHCH Live at 5:30 this afternoon.
The issue is a decision by the IOC not to allow women's ski jumping at the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver.
In a twisted use of logic, several female ski jumped have gotten together and decided to sue the Vancouver Organizing Committee, using the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Problem is, the VOC had nothing to do with the decision. It was strictly the IOC, which has determined that women's ski jumping does not meet technical standards.
There aren't enough jumpers to make the event valid, and the sport is grossly underdeveloped. There's never even been a world championship held.
It's a little on the hysterical side, and I plan to make that point this afternoon.
I have to admit, I don't think I've ever watched an entire episode of Corner Gas, but that's doesn't matter.
Corner Gas has been a ratings winner for CTV, its Canada's favourite comedy and the countries most watched scripted series, so somebody likes it.
That's why I'm so impressed with creator and star Brent Butt. Canadian success stories for shows of this ilk are so few and far between; you'd think Butt would want to ride the gravy train as long as he could.
But that's not the case. Earlier this week he gathered the cast and crew together to tell them the show will end after the upcoming sixth season. The final episode will air in a year from now.
That's it. No matter what happens between now and then, Butt has decided the show has run its course and he wants to go out on top. So in love with this project, and so concerned about its image, he doesn't want to stick around longer than he should, so that's it.
Extremely impressive for a Canuck involved in Canadian television. Most shows don't last, and those that do usually last too long. Look at the Air Farce.
The CBC has pulled the plug on this unfunny waste of time and money after fifteen years of excruciating boredom. It should have ended after 15 episodes, and that would still have been too long.
Meanwhile, we haven't seen the end of Brent Butt. Success makes doors fly open and already CTV has offered other projects. And don't worry about Butt's future income, Corner Gas will live on for years in re-runs.
Already it's seen in 24 countries around the world. I have a feeling he could probably retire.
I’m heading out to join my friends Mark Hebscher and Donna Skelly on CHCH Live @ 5:30 this afternoon.
We’re going to talk about beer at the Rogers Centre.
Turns out there were far too many drunkards at the Blue Jays home opener on Friday night, and again on Tuesday for the Jays special promotion “two dollar Tuesdays.”
More than a hundred fans were thrown out on each night because they got too pissed and then started fighting.
Now there’s a threat by Blue Jays President Paul Godfrey to cancel “two dollar Tuesdays”, and there are others who question whether alcohol should be sold at sporting events… period.
One of those is the Reverend Charles McVety of the Canadian Family Action Coalition.
Of course the very thought is ridiculous. Why should the actions of a few, ruin the enjoyment of thousands who like to have a beer at the ball game.
I’ll look forward to knocking heads with the Reverend.
I'll be joining my fine friends at CH Live at 5:30 this afternoon to talk about the story that I've posted below this one.
They need me to quell the hysteria that will ramp up today. The outrageous demands that will be made by several groups who will pretend they've never said or done anything stupid in the past 17 years.
Should be fun.
CH Live at 5:30 with Mark Hebscher and Donna Skelly.
I'm off to join my friends at CH LIve at 5:30 for a frank discussion of "pantsing".
What is "pantsing?"
Read this story and you'll get an idea.
A 15-YEAR-OLD JAMES CITY COUNTY BOY IS FACING A SEXUAL BATTERY CHARGE FOR PULLING DOWN THE PANTS OF A 14-YEAR-OLD GIRL OVER THE WEEKEND, JAMES CITY POLICE SPOKESMAN MIKE SPEARMAN SAID. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED JUST BEFORE 7 P.M. SATURDAY ON DEHAVEN COURT IN THE LAFAYETTE SQUARE APARTMENT COMPLEX. SPEARMAN SAID THE BOY APPROACHED THE GIRL FROM BEHIND WHILE SHE WAS TALKING WITH A FRIEND AND PULLED DOWN HER PANTS IN FRONT OF A GROUP OF PEOPLE. HE THEN FLED THE SCENE, BUT WAS LATER TURNED IN AFTER POLICE CONTACTED HIS MOTHER. POLICE TOOK THE TEENAGER INTO CUSTODY SATURDAY EVENING AND HE WAS DETAINED AT THE MERRIMAC JUVENILE DETENTION CENTER.
WHILE IT MIGHT SEEM LIKE A HARSH REACTION TO A CHILDISH PRANK, "ANY UNLAWFUL TOUCHING IS AN ASSAULT," SPEARMAN SAID. SEXUAL BATTERY IS A CLASS 1 MISDEMEANOR - PUNISHABLE BY UP TO A YEAR IN JAIL AND A $2,500 FINE FOR ADULTS. HOWEVER, THE 15-YEAR-OLD'S CASE WILL BE HANDLED IN THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM.
I'll be joining my good friends Mark Hebscher and Donna Skelly at CHCH Live at 5:30 this afternoon and we’re going to talk about New York State governor Eliot Spitzer.
This guy is quite the package, providing so many angles to look the situation, including the part that wives play.
How can they stand there and show support for their slime-dog husbands when they’ve been humiliated in front of the world?
It’s downright disgusting.
I have more thoughts on the subject in the next posting.
Listen, as an unemployed man who am I to question the abilities of others, but I have to say the Cassie Campbell experiment should come to an end.
Cassie’s a sweet heart and she done a lot of woman’s hockey not only in Canada, but around the world.
She’s from Brampton too, which makes this posting that much harder to do, but Cassie just doesn’t have the right stuff when it comes to broadcasting.
I find her appearances on Hockey Night in Canada painful to watch. I feel embarrassed for her, because she’s been thrown into a situation that she really isn’t ready for.
Maybe she’ll get there one day, because it really isn’t rocket science, but until she can at least add some inflection to her voice and display a little more personality, she isn’t doing herself any favours by appearing on the countries most popular television show.
Her work as the colour person in the broadcast booth was flat, but her pre-game rink side interviews aren’t any better.
I don't even know where to begin with the Roger Clemens story.
Yesterday's congressional hearing was a farce with questioning done by a bunch of bozos who came across as extremely partisan.
Republicans wanted to beat up on Brian McNamee, while Democrats went after Roger Clemens.
But none of that mattered to me, I saw and heard enough to do nothing but reinforce my position that Roger Clemens is a lying rat.
Brian McNamee might be a weasel and he may have a suspect history, but the purpose of yesterdays hearing was to determine of Roger Clemens ever took steroids and human growth hormone and based on what we heard I think its safe to say he did.
I actually felt story for McNamee yesterday. I came away with the impression of a man who lied through his teeth in the early going to protect the reputation of the major league baseball players he worked for, but once it became apparent that it could come back and bite him in the ass, he had to tell the truth.
Meanwhile, Clemens never really answered a question while having the benefit of having high priced lawyers blow in his ear all day.
And despite all the bullshit, these questions were never answered.
1. If McNamee is so slimy, why would Clemens continue a long term relationship with the guy unless he was providing something Roger needed?
2. Why would McNamee tell the truth about Chuck Knobloc and Andy Pettitte, but lie about Roger Clemens?
3. Why would Andy Pettitte admit that he did steroids, but lie about Clemens doing them?
The best answer Roger had for the Pettitte question is that "Andy must have misremembered."
"mis-re-membered!" Can you believe it? Not only does the guy make up stories, he also makes up words.
I don't know why I let this stuff get to me but this reminds me so much of the O.J. Simpson circus that it pisses me off, although I will allow that Roger didn't decapitate his wife, he only threw her under the bus.
Roger Clemens is just another delusional athlete who thinks he can buy his way out of anything, and what pisses me off even further are people who actually believe the guy.
Yesterday I appeared on CHCH Live at 5:30 at got my first taste of a guy named Howard Bloom who runs something called Sportsbusiness.com and we knocked heads right out of the gate.
Have a listen won't you? Mark Hebscher is the first voice you hear.
I'm heading out to CHCH today to tape one of two things. Either a debate with Bill Carroll about Valentines Day, or a debate with Howard Bloom of Sportsbusinessnews.com about Roger Clemens.
It all depends on what transpires in the Clemens case today when he stands before congress and either tells the truth about taking steroids or takes one giant leap towards a jail cell. It should be compelling stuff.
Check it out. CHCH Live at 5:30 with Mark Hebscher and Donna Skelly.
One of the great things about going to Florida tomorrow is escaping Canadian channel substitution of the Super Bowl.
We’ve already lined up a place on Clearwater Beach that is having a Super Bowl party and that means not only will we be able to watch the game, but we’ll be able to watch all the fantastic commercials that come with it.
In Canada it will be the usual maddening situation where the cable and satellite companies, with the blessing of the CRTC, will substitute the American feed with the CTV feed.
It means all those expensive and entertaining commercials that are produced in the States solely for Super Bowl won’t come into Canadian homes.
Instead you’ll get a handful of basic commercials run over and over again embellished I’m sure by several CTV promos that feature Ben Mulroney over and over again.
I’ve touched on this subject before and it’s usually around Super Bowl that it really hits home how unfair and corrupt this practice is.
As a subscriber to Star Choice when I choose an American channel I expect to receive an American channel. But not in Canada. As “protectionist” measure when a Canadian channel is showing an American show, channel substation kicks in.
Who are they protecting? Canadian networks. They're eliminating a fragmented audience which increases the value of the Canadian networks commercial inventory.
Bottom line, you aren’t getting what you paid for but there are no financial considerations made because of it.
It blows and it’s precisely why you won’t be able to watch all the cool spots on Sunday.
I’ll join Mark Hebscher and Donna Skelly this afternoon for another round of CHCH Live at 5:30 today.
It seems the city of Vaughn wants to adopt a dress code for their municipal office workers and its being met with great resistance.
I think it’s a great idea because sometimes women show up at work showing too much of their boobs and that’s not good, and it will provide a good argument against Toronto Sun writer and liberal Marianne Mead Ward who’s also on the panel today and I love to knock heads with her.
My name is Lucy Lopez with CBC News in Toronto and I'm looking for parents concerned about some of the spending by TCDSB trustees. I noticed your website and I'm wondering if you've got kids in the board and would like to chat with us.
I'm at 416-434-2683.
Thanks in advance
Regards,
Lucy Lopez
CBC News at Six
I called Lucy and explained to her that I’m an old guy who lives in Brampton with grown kids, but I would be more than happy to convey this message to my readers.
I was invited to be part of the panel on Michael Landsberg's Off the Record today but then the story broke of John Ferguson's Jr's imminent firing, so I was bumped in favour of some other people who they feel can address the situation better than I can.
I was invited back for Thursday, but this is second time in the past couple of weeks I've been bumped, so I'm not so sure I'm going to take them up on the offer.
A lot of media guys in the city refuse to do Off The Record because it doesn't pay for guest appearances, so maybe I'll join that group.
It should be fun on CHCH Live at 5:30 this afternoon. We’re going to talk about the Toronto Maple Leafs and their horrendous situation.
Bill Carroll is filling in for Donna Skelly today, so it will be a guy fest with Mark Hebscher, me and Carroll.
Here’s a little preview.
I have to agree with the strategy of hiring of Cliff Fletcher on an interim basis.
Ideally, you’d like to bring in a young and dynamic General Manager, but these are the Leafs and they don’t do anything properly and there isn't anyone available mid-season.
Anyway, here’s the scuttlebutt.
The Leafs will fire JFJ and then bring in the 72 year old Fletcher to do whatever has to be done to fix things. Then n the summer, when the season ends the Leafs would choose from a pool of long term managers.
The best thing that could happen to the Leafs would be to continue of their current path and fall to the bottom of the standings and right now Ferguson’s doing a fine job with that but there’s something else to consider and it’s beyond JFJ.
The trade deadline.
The Leafs shouldn’t hesitate to move Mats Sundin if he agrees to lift his no trade clause, and they should trade Darcy Tucker and Tomas Kaberle while they’re at it.
Trading the grossly overpaid Jason Blake and Pavel Kubina will be impossible.
Sundin, Tucker and Kaberle would command a lot in return but you need the right guy to make the right trades to make sure they get enough in return.
Obviously you don’t want a lame duck like Ferguson to make the trades, so you have to let somebody else do it, and Fletcher seems to be the best available at this point.
However, this has got to be interim.
The Leafs don’t need Cliff Fletcher or Scotty Bowman for the long term, they need a new era General Manager and their search should stop at Brian Burke.
Look at this track record. The Leafs should do whatever it takes to get him out of Anaheim.
Holy Cow, was the Oprah Show ever good last night. It was about lesbians.
More specifically about women who marry and then come to terms with the fact they’re gay. I’ll be honest, for a guy such as myself who’s a lesbian fan, the show was fascinating.
The first segment involved a woman named Chris who was married to a guy named Joe.
Seven years into their marriage she couldn’t suppress it anymore, she had to tell Joe that she was gay and she had to get out of the marriage because she had fallen in love with another woman.
Not all guys would admit it, but for most of us news like this would cause mixed reaction. I know at first I would be surprised, but then being the level headed guy I am, I’d try to make it work.
I’d ask my wife what I could do to make the transition as easy as possible. Could I sort of be the in-between guy if you know what I mean? Could I still be involved on some level?
This segment was actually a tad disappointing however because Chris was your classic lipstick lesbo. She was a very attractive woman that any fan of the lesbian would love to see in action with another lipstick lesbo of the same sort.
However I quickly became aghast when they showed Chris’s current partner who looked more masculine than the husband she dumped. There’s no way I’d want to be the in-between guy in this relationship because the other chick was extremely rugged and therefore intimidating.
And to back up a bit, there was another wild twist to this story. Shortly after Chris told Joe that she was gay, Joe told Chris that he was gay. Extremely odd, but not enough to get my mind off Chris who was hot as a pistol but mired in a relationship with another woman who looked like Dougie Gilmour.
As I watched the show I kept saying to my wife, “what a waste.” She’s gorgeous and she’s gay but she mows on somebody who looks like her brother.
“You’re sick” is all my wife would say.
But she just doesn’t realize that most men love the lipstick lesbo and all the wonderful things they bring to the world, and just as I said that, the show ended with a bang.
Oprah introduced a woman who had just left her husband for another woman and she was good looking. Not as good looking as Chris mind you, but still good enough to make your thing spring.
She told her intriguing story of not wanting to bone her husband for years on end and then finally telling him that she had to leave the relationship for another woman.
And then they showed her new partner and she was like something out of one of those movies they show on the Movie Network after midnight on Starchoice channel 603.
I've been invited to appear on CHCH Live at 5:30 again this afternoon.
We'll talk about Hillary Clinton's emotional response to a question on the campaign trail yesterday, and the affect it could have on her chances of becoming President.
Also on the panel today will Hamilton East NDP MPP Andrea Horvath. I like her, she's a bit of a whack job.
If you want to know my position on the subject, look below to the next posting.
CHCH Live at 5:30 with Mark Hebscher and Donna Skelly.
I make a year end appearance with Donny Skelly, guest co-host Mary Ann Meed Ward, and freelance TV critic Bill Brioux. (Mark Hebscher is pullin' his plank somewhere in downtown Dundas.)
On today's show we’ll discuss the good and bad of 2007.
Did you know that Bill Brioux lives not far from me in Brampton, and he loves it just as much as I do?
Bill and I spent a several minutes talking about “B-town” the other day and how it unfairly takes a bad rap.
Like I did, Bill is raising his kids and Brampton and can’t say enough about what it offers young families. The parks, recreational facilities, wide open spaces and safety.
By the way, Brioux has recovered nicely since being unceremoniously dumped last year by Quebecor who own the Toronto Sun. He was just another victim in a long list of people who gave their heart and sole to the company.
Bill is freelancing for several publications out of his home in Brampton and it doesn’t get any better than that.
It was just by chance that I happened to be on my Ottawa Starchoice feed last night and saw Jeff Marek on Hockey Night in Canada.
He was doing the rink side stuff that Elliotte Friedman often does in Toronto and Jeff looked right at home.
I don’t know if this was Marek’s debut on Hockey Night in Canada, but when I saw him I wondered what must be swirling around his head. Appearing on Hockey Night in Canada is the dream of any young sportscaster in this country, and Jeff Marek has made it.
Eyebrows were raised when Marek left am 640 and his association with Bill Watters because many felt he was leaving conventional radio for satellite radio and that’s still considered precarious at this point.
But that wasn’t the entire story. Marek was leaving 640 to work for the CBC and Hockey Night in Canada, the vehicle that he would be hosting just happened to be on Sirius satellite radio.
Marek made the move with a long term goal in mind. He was promised opportunity within the HNIC franchise and other work with CBC including the Olympics so it was something he couldn’t say no to, and last night was just the first step in what I’m sure will be a long and lucrative career.
Jeff’s a good boy and I can’t help but think back to 2001 when I first started working with him at MOJO.
Marek became the newscaster on the Humble and Fred Show and I remember knocking heads with him during the aftermath of 911.
Jeff subscribed to the idea that American foreign policy was to blame for 911 and it would probably open the door for a war in the Middle East and an excuse for George W. to go into Iraq.
Marek laughed at the weapons of mass destruction stories while I supported them whole heartedly. Marek predicted a long and useless war in Iraq that would accomplish nothing but make a whole lot of people rich, and Marek predicted that Osama Bin Laden would never be caught because the Americans really didn’t “want” to catch him.
I vehemently disagreed with the naive young man and figured time would tell the real story and eventually he’d be forced to understand the realities of the situation.
I made this point last year; one of the highlights of the Christmas break is the World Junior Hockey Championship that gets underway on Boxing Day.
Unfortunately, for the past several years the tournament has been missing one significant ingredient and that’s our pal Paul Romanuk.
Say what you will about Paul’s politics, when it comes to calling a hockey game there are few better. His voice became synonymous with World Juniors and then it came to an abrupt end when he made the decision to leave TSN for the doomed “Team” radio experiment.
Since then the play by play duties have been handled by Gord Miller, and although capable, he’s not nearly the equal of Romy.
Having said all that, you can still enjoy Romanuk’s over the holidays on Rogers Sportsnet. For the past few seasons Romanuk has been calling the games of the Spengler Cup in Davos, Switzerland.
Admittedly, it’s not the World Juniors but it’s a good brand of hockey played by a bunch of guys who absolutely cherish the chance to wear the maple leaf on the front of their jerseys.
The Spengler also gets underway on Boxing Day, and at this point I’ll direct you to Romanuk’s website where he’s set up a Spengler Cup blog.
Please take the time to go over there and read some of the stuff he’s already written. It’s interesting to find out how he became involved with the tournament and the significant position he now holds.
I've been invited back out to CHCH TV this afternoon to talk about boobs. Hooters, cans, love pillows, tits.
A recent article in the Daily Mail of London about prosthetic breasts for woman gathered a lot of attention and the good people at Live at 5:30 thought I was just the guy to discuss it.
You see, these boobs aren't for women who have lost one of both, these prosthetic breasts are for women who just want bigger ones.
Catch Donna, Mark, me and my favourite Liberal Mary Ann Meed Ward this afternoon at 5:30 as we talk about instant boob jobs.
On Saturday morning I received an e-mail from my old colleague Neil Morrison aka Brother Bill bringing my attention to a posting on a popular radio website.
It talked about my stint with Bill Watters and mentioned another venture of mine way back in 1988 called the Sports Zone.
I remember it fondly because it was an extremely trying yet rewarding time in my career mainly because the show was so ahead of its time.
I got a call from a producer at the CBC named Doug Syrota who had the idea for a different kind of sports show and he wanted me to audition.
Two average guys would sit in big easy chairs, shoot the shit about sports and do off the wall interviews and features much like you see today.
But this was 1988 and after I got the gig with BJ Del Conte and we went to air, it wasn't received very well by the established Toronto media and I wrote about one incident in a posting last year.
Half didn't get it, and the other half were jealous, but to this day I'm proud of that show because it was cutting edge and ruffled the feathers of so many stale assholes in sports jackets reading scores.
In typical Canadian fashion it didn't last long but take nothing away from the concept and the gamble because it was a lot of goddamn fun.
Thanks to my sweet mother, who's collected virtually every piece of press during my career, here's an article from Starweek Magazine in November of 1988, the night before the show went to air.
Should the behaviour of a father affect the future of his son? Should a young man be prevented from joining the Armed Forces because his dad was once part of a biker gang with a criminal record?
Those are the questions we'll be dealing with when I join Mark and Donna on CHCH Live at 5:30 today.
Tune in and turn on.
CHCH Live at 5:30 with Mark Hebscher and Donna Skelly.
An old friend checked into Freddiep.ca this week. It's George Bryson who worked at Barries CKVR-TV before joining CFTO in the 90's before heading back to Barrie.
George works for Rogers now and checked in with this e-mail.
Hey Fred,
Just found your website recently and its great. I guess I must have been living on the moon or something.
Great to catch up on a lot of people I worked with and got to know during years in Barrie and Toronto. In this business people just seem to disappear.
Just an update on my situation, I got the escort out the front door at A-Channel in Barrie or what ever they are calling it this week (another re-branding is coming next spring or fall, you heard it here first). The stations move into Vaughan and York regions was a colossal failure, not surprisingly, and as a result, 22 of us got pink slipped.
After a great summer off I am now at Rogers Television reading news on our 6:00 cast. I'm having a great time moving from sports to news and am working about four or five hours a day. I love this semi retired life.
Just wanted to drop you a note and thank you for something you probably don't remember.
In the early 80's I applied for a sports job at CFNY. Didn't get it because you hired Mike Hanifin instead. Thank you. Things actually worked out for the better. It is not often we are happy about not getting a job.
Thank you for recognizing that I was completely under-qualified and un-talented for the job.
Again thanks for this site, it is great, and I will keep checking in.
On the subject of Jiri's Hog I'll be making my way out to CHCH Television today to discuss the issue on Live at 5:30 with Mark and Donna.
We'll talk about young people, the internet and the dangers it can attract and whether Jiri Tlusty has brought shame upon an historic and storied sports franchise.
I'll be appearing on CHCH Live at 5:30 again this afternoon. Today's it's a sports segment where Mark, Donna and me will toss around a few topics from the toy department.
Instant replays in baseball, badly managed hockey teams (guess who) Erick Lindros (see below) and the CFL playoffs are just a few things we'll banter about.
CHCH Live at 5:30 with Mark Hebscher and Donna Skelly.
I'm heading for Hamilton this afternoon where I'll appear on CHCH live at 5:30 with Mark Hebscher and Donna Skelly.
The issue is minor hockey and Halloween. There's are packs of parents around the GTA who are upset once again because their kids hockey league has scheduled games on Halloween night.
The parents know the deal when they sign their kids up, and the kids in question are pushing 13 years old, but year after year after year it becomes an issue and a news item.
I'll debate the issue with Marianne Meed Ward who ran for the Liberals in the last election but lost. Yea, she's one of my favourite things. A losing Liberal.
I've been invited to be on CHCH Live at 5:30 this afternoon with Mark Hebscher and Donna Skelly.
This time the subject is prostitution in Ottawa and how the police propose to handle it. If a car is spotted negotiating with a prostitute a picture will be taken and a note will be sent home to mom.
No charges, just a note sent to the owner of the license plate to embarrass the "john."
My opponent will be Susan Cole entertainment editor of Now Magazine and an ouspoken lesbian feminist.
"You might want to consider a career in politics after thoroughly thrashing NDP MPP Andrea Horwath in the Tim Hortons debate.
According to many of our viewers, Andrea's constant interrupting only proved that she has no respect for others, much like those students who are causing problems at Timmy's.
You, my friend, held your own against this wily provincial representative.
Thank goodness you weren't in the same studio with her, or there may have been a good old fashioned fistfight. Now THAT would have been something to see.
Last week I appeared on "Live at 5:30" on "E" Television and to tell you the truth, it was my most passionate appearance yet.
The subject was "Tim Horton's vs. The Students."
Last week in the northwest Toronto a Tim Horton's manager banned students from a local high school between one and four in the afternoon. They were allowed to buy product, they just couldn't stay and enjoy it.
Needless to say this started an onslaught of opinion and I was asked to come on television and give mine.
To tell you the truth, going in I wasn't that passionate, but the other guest on the show rubbed me the wrong way. It was Hamilton East NDP MPP Andrea Horwath.
As expected she took the side of the kids arguing typical NDP stuff about fairness and human rights without having any regard for the businessman, but that was OK.
I understood her position and to some point I respect it. What I didn't like was the way she wouldn't let me talk and used an old political ploy of interrupting me in the middle of rational point.
That's what got me pissed and that's what launched me into a loud defense of the Tim Horton's manager who was forced to actually turn away business because of the rude behaviour of some teenagers.
Kids who crowd the store, use fowl language and leave a mess.
I started singing my "bad parenting" song and chastised Horwath for finding more excuses for some of today's more unruly youth.
When it was over I have to admit, I wondered if I had gone too far, but the people on the set readily agreed with my position when the cameras were turned off and I received several supportive e-mails on my website.
This is a funny country when it comes to this type of television. Canadians tend to be reserved and hold back their emotions on issues and although it may be polite, it doesn't make for very good television.
Anyway, yesterday I received this e-mail from the lovely and talented Donna Skelly, co-host of "Live at 5:30."
Hi Fred: "I wanted to let you know we had 17 voicemails regarding the Tim Horotons interview, all but one agreed with you. I haven't gone through the emails yet... but it looks like you really touched a nerve.
When it was announced earlier this year that CTV had won Sunday afternoon NFL rights off Global it was received as good news by most football fans.
Global did a horrible job with the American feeds, going to commercials too late, coming back too late and then aggravating us all with those phony blimp and scoreboard ads.
However, to Global's credit, they would offer different games in different time zones across the country which you could take advantage of if you had a package that offered Canadian channels from coast to coast.
Toronto of course would show the Buffalo Bills, but the Maritime channels might show New England while the western channels would pick up on games in their times zones.
Unfortunately, it seems CTV isn't going to be so generous and it all comes back to money. They don't want their audience fragmented anywhere, so they show the same game right across the country.
From coast to coast yesterday, for the second week in a row, CTV affiliates got the Buffalo game. Again, that might be alright with Southern Ontario viewers, but you've got to believe out west they'd have rather been watching a different game and there were several to choose from.
But this is Canada people. Forget about choice when it comes to broadcasting, CTV doesn't want people in Southern Ontario tuning into a western CTV affiliate to watch a different game. It might affect their ratings. Like wise in Vancouver or Calgary and Edmonton.
By offering just one game across the board they know they have a captive audience.
It sucks for the consumer, but given the bizarre broadcasting rules in Canada which give the networks perverse protection at the expence of choice, why would we be surprised?
A Timmy's in the west end of Toronto has decided that from now on high stool students can only have take out. Once they buy their stuff they have to scram.
They can't buy one coffee and nurse if for two hours while they sit in the corner and gab mindless shit that could be said on their cellphones.
I've been invited back to the CH Studios this afternoon for another segment of CH Live at 5:30 with Donna Skelly and Mark Hebscher.
This time we're talking sports and in particular, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
Here's what we're going to kick around. How long should a city financial support a professional sports team before it actually returns the favour by putting a decent team on the field.
The city of Hamilton has made several concessions to the team over the past several years, but the Cats have responded with nothing but a string of last place finishes.
Should a shitty team continue to get civic support?
Should humane society workers have the power of police? That's the question we'll be dealing with this afternoon on CH Live at 5:30 with Mark Hebscher and Donna Skelly.
By now, I'm sure you're aware of the Tre Smith story. He saved the life of a dog that was left in a hot car earlier this month, and handcuffed the dogs owner to the cars door handle.
I've got to be honest it surprised me that Human Society workers carry handcuffs and it got me to thinking whether they should have even that much power.
We'll bang it around on CH Live at 5:30 - Tonight.
When I used to work on the radio, I hated to talk about television so I'm reluctant to do postings about television shows on this blog unless they're insulting.
Talking about prime time television on the radio bothered me because television rarely reciprocated.
TV people would constantly contact us about promoting their show on our show, but when we asked if they'd promote our show on their show there was always this exasperation like "how can we do that?"
Back in the Edge days the only time we talked about TV usually, is when we were poking fun at a show or insulting someone on a show - much like I do in the television section of this blog.
We would also talk about TV if we were guesting on a show because we were into extreme self promotion and that's just good business.
But in the closing stages of the Humble and Fred Show we were in a situation where we felt obligated to talk about television shows in a different way.
Updates and all that gossip shit that dominates so many morning shows today became part of our show and it was tough to do. It didn't feel right.
Anyway, last night I watched another reality show at the urging of a good friend. It's called "Singing Bee."
It's self explanatory. A band starts the song and the contestant has to finish it with the correct lyrics. If they don't they're tossed, and if they do, they survive.
I gave it 30 minutes, and I will never watch it again.
The premise was interesting enough that I gave it a chance, but from the opening of the show till the excruciating end, it was all too much for me.
It's too loud, to busy, way over the top and not very interesting from my perspective.
It was so bad it's the type of show Humble and I would have mocked in the Edge days.
We probably would have come up with our own version and sang stupid songs with dirty words and then trashed host Joey Fatone - an aggravating jerk off who used to sing with N Sync.
This afternoon on CH Live at 5:30 with Mark Hebscher and Donna Skelly, I've been invited to come on and talk about the following story.
Memphis - A Tennessee mother fed up with her daughter's misbehavior took an unusual tack in for latest punishment.
She made her daughter stand on a busy street corner with an attention-getting sign.
Thirteen-year-old Tashara Wilkins held a sign saying that she didn't obey her parents, was a liar and a thief.
The sign also said that she had a bad attitude. Her mother said all other attempts failed.
The other panelist will be CFRB's Bill Carroll, and apparently we have differing views on the subject.
There seems to be great concern over City-TV leaving the old building on Queen Street.
Rogers has agreed to the buy the City-TV properties right across the country after the CRTC would not allow them to be part of the CHUM acquisition by CTV Globemedia.
As part of the deal, CTV insisted they keep the old building on Queen St. and many think this will be a jolt to the fabric of Toronto.
City-TV on Queen is something we've all grown accustomed to and to change it will be akin to destroying an historical site.
I beg to differ. If anything has given the building on Queen St. its image it's Much Music.
The crowds of kids waiting on Queen for visiting bands, the ability to see through the windows into the Much Music environment, and the Much Music Video Awards that are held annually in the parking lot, these are things that have made it a focal point.
Through this sale, none of that will change. Nothing but the sign above the door.
Thanks for the wonderful group out at CH TV in Hamilton I've become a recurring guest on their show CH Live at 5:30.
They seem to "get it" out there in Hamilton. I've offered myself free of charge to several broadcasters in Southern Ontariio as a "blogger/commentator and although I've been met with great enthusiasm by many, it seems most of them don't know exactly how to use this new resource.
It's huge in the States. Most radio talk shows use "bloggers" as guests and if the "blogger" actually has some broadcasting experience, well then it's even better.
I often chuckle at the talks shows that insist on using newspaper writers as guests.
In many cases most people have no idea who the writers are, and more often than that, the writers don't communicate very well verbally. But because these people can be presented as someone from a "name" newspaper it's considered good radio.
I beg to differ.
Good radio should entertain while informing and entertainment often springs from opinion and that's the spin they use in the States.
Opinionated bloggers with a brain, who are able to convey a constructive thought, are being used more and more to stimulate talk radio.
But not so much here in Canada - instead we seem to lean on the old guard of scribes who play it safe while putting us to sleep.
It will change in time I'm sure. As usual we're just a little behind up here.
I'm heading out to Hamilton this afternoon to talk about Paris Hilton.
She goes to jail today and we'll discuss this hard hitting piece of pop culture on CH Live at 5:30.
I'm not sure sending Paris Hilton to prison is the best thing to do at this point. It will only feed her cheap celebrity and we actually need less of that, not more.
If you really want to punish this dolt, ignore her.
Anyway, I'll be talking it up with Mark and Donna on CH live at 5:30
Meanwhile, in case you missed it last night - Sarah Silverman hosted the MTV Movie Awards and took aim at Paris, who was sitting in the crowd.
Yesterday I had a posting about Tony Soprano and all the scenes that feature him stuffing something into his mouth.
I mentioned that I planned on making some of the cream cheese hot dogs that he appeared to be eating in the last episode.
As AJ was about to commit suicide, Tony came in the front door and noticed cheese filled dogs on the counter. Of course he grabbed one and stuffed it into his mouth.
It was very interesting to notice that he held onto the cheese dog even after he heard AJ's cries from outside, and didn' t throw the dog away until he realized he had to jump into the swimming pool.
Yesterday, during a break while opening my swimming pool, I made myself a Tony Soprano cheese dog - and it was worth it.
I have a question for the producers of American Idol.
How the hell could the show go overtime when you had two hours to announce the name of one winner?
I know you like to turn the final night into an extravagant gala, but that's what two hours is for. Even at that, it was a stretch.
And while we're on the subject I really think there should be a law against other people singing Beatles songs.
You should have to take a test and then get a license before you attempt to re-create anything by the Fab Four.
Last nights butchering of Sgt. Peppers was excruciating and put me in a foul mood until Jordin Sparks was justifiably named the winner. Anything else would have been corrupt.
The show ended with an emotional song and shots of Jordin's parents and grandparents while my sweet wife Delyse dropped tears onto our leather couch.
It's a regular occurrence at our house. We watch television and it doesn't take much for waterworks to start.
It can be American Idol, a drama or the freakin' news and just about anything with any degree of emotion attached will cause Dol (nickname) to shed a tear.
And this is not to criticize. On the contrary, it's what makes my wife the sweet, lovable and compassionate person she is.
Like most people I really enjoy the Sopranos, but the way its worked out over the past few weeks I've only seen one episode of the final season, and that was this past Sunday.
I think I'm going to pass on the rest and wait till I do catch-up when the Movie Channel re-runs them this summer.
If there's an angle to the Soprano's that I especially enjoy it's Tony's eating. Never in the history of television has one man eaten so much while on camera.
I'd love someone to do a running count of how many scenes he's performed in over the life of the show, and how many of those scenes have him stuffing something into his mouth.
I bet it would be more than half.
Anyway Sunday's episode really caught my attention during AJ's attempted suicide scene.
As Tony came into the house, just before hearing AJ's cry for help, he noticed some hot dogs on the counter and they appeared to be filled with cream cheese.
Well smack my ass and call me Corrado. Why didn't I think of that? A hot dog filled with cream cheese must be outstanding.
Slice the son of bitch right down the middle and put globs of cream cheese in the crack.
Wow.
I'm going to try one today and I'll let you know how it tastes, but I can honestly predict right now it will be marvelous. An all beef Juicy Jumbo with Philadelphia Cream Cheese, that's what I'm gonna have.
Meanwhile, I might as well use this opportunity to tip you off on something else. If you used to listen to the Humble and Fred Show you're probably aware of this but I'll mention it any way.
Peanut butter on hot dogs is fabulous. The two tastes compliment each other perfectly. It's like a poor mans satay with cheap peanut sauce. Figure it out.
I've been eating peanut butter on hot dogs since my Uncle Gord turned me onto it about 40 years ago.
When I mention it to people they often turn their nose up at it, but once they try it, they're hooked.
Ok this is it. If Jordin Sparks doesn't win American Idol tonight I will never watch the show again.
I'm man enough to admit I actually watch the show and I really enjoy watching it with my wife because its' fun to judge the contestants and then aggravate her with my comments.
But after last nights finale, if Blake Lewis emerges as the winner, then there really is no reason to continue watching this show.
Last night was no contest. She was brilliant, and he was extremely average - there's no other way of looking at it.
But it's amazing what millions of "goofy little girls" can do when given the power to decide through a vote.
The fact that Blake made it to the final proves it.
While watching Idol I was reminded once again of the one flaw in the Tim Horton's dynasty - their commercials. They stink.
Last night during American Idol they were pushing their "new" egg salad sandwich and it was another one of those cheesy, pointless aggravating commercials.
A guy stands on a car or something and starts screaming about how good the sandwich is with onion and celery mixed in with the egg.
I found it to be stupid.
Much like the commercial featuring the "prickish" old Asian man, or the stunned mother who doesn't know what the word "steeped" means or the idiotic one about the kid who buys a coffee for his neighbour
You'd think with all their money and success they'd be able to come up with something better.
NFL fans in the GTA received great news yesterday when it was revealed that CTV had secured Canadian television rights for the next three years.
Until we actually see how CTV handles the feed we won't know the extent of the improvement, but there's no way it could be any worse.
It was brutal to watch an NFL game on Global.
More than anything else they used the NFL as a platform to promote their prime time programming, but what made it even worse was their technical screw-ups.
Coming back from commercials too late was common practice and it just added to the frustration of channel substitution.
You pay your satellite or cable bill expecting to get certain channels from the United States, but we're forced to watch the Canadian feed during corresponding programming.
You'd think Global would have realized some responsibility to the viewer, but instead they took the feed and absolutely murdered it.
Hopefully CTV will keep this in mind as they plan for the fall.
Tie Domi has given Global TV a "tell-all" interview that will air on the network tonight and tomorrow night.
I don't know about you, but I find it a little on the slimy side. Apparently he'll talk about his career, his marriage and Belinda Stronach.
To my mind it's a little early for something like this, and leaves the impression that he's anxious to rehabilitate to his reputation no matter what it takes.
I don't know if I'll even bother to watch.
However, if Global could cut the same deal with Leanne Domi, I'd be glued to the television set.
I'll be on CH Live at 5:30 again Monday. After the first long weekend of the season we'll talk about bad drivers.
I like this topic because like everyone else I have big time problems with a lot of drivers today, especially when it comes to cell phones and the improper use of the fast lane.
Of course my wife will find this rather ironic because as far as she's concerned I constantly break rules of the road without even knowing it.
CH Live at 5:30 - Monday night with Mark Hescher and Donna Skelly and me.
I'll be making another appearance on CH Live at 5:30 this afternoon, and I'm sorry to report there has been a lineup change. Erica Ehm will not be on the show to talk pop culture
Instead, Mark Hebscher, Donna Skelly and I will talk about the phenomenon that is the Toronto Maple Leafs and how the Leafs missing the playoffs has affected the Canadian economy and ruined the spring for a lot of people.
I can honestly say I've never watched "The View", but for some reason I'm thrilled that Rosie O'Donnell will no longer be on it.
How weird is that?
Since Rosie started her apparent melt down and unraveling on the show several weeks ago I've meant to watch it, but I can't even tell you what time it comes on.
I saw several clips of her bizarre ranting about the American government blowing up part of the World Trade Centre, and her sympathizing with terrorists and her battle with Donald Trump, but I've never seen the show that provided her platform.
But here I sit all happy that she won't be returning to "The View" past June.
What does it say about a person when you can build up a dislike for them through a few sound bites on newscasts?
Then again maybe it goes beyond that.
Maybe it's got something to do with the fact I never enjoyed her stand-up or any of the parts she played in movies or the fact that she always looks like she needs a good scrubbin'.
Yesterday I had the opportunity to catch Sunday's 60 Minutes segment called "Stop Snitchin."
How it's become unwritten law in a segment of black culture not to co-operate with police under any circumstances.
While watching it I felt so many emotions. I felt rage, disgust, disappointment, anger and sympathy. You've got to feel sorry for a group of people that could be so stupid.
I've got to be honest; I have a tough time swallowing the "police attitude" argument.
Sometimes you get the impression some members of the black community don't think they should be stopped for anything.
When I was a teenager I got stopped by the cops for many things, many reasons, sometimes I deserved to be, sometimes I didn't. None of it was very serious and I've got to admit that sometimes I got pissed off for being stopped, but I really had no line of defense.
One night I was selling hockey tickets in front of Maple Leaf Gardens and ended up spread eagle against the wall, handcuffed, thrown in a paddy wagon and taken to 52 division - and all I was doing was selling hockey tickets at face value.
I know, I know. Black people will argue that's no comparison and I have no idea what they go through and to appreciate the black experience you have to be black.
Well I counter with this. I don't for a moment believe the problem is as bad as they claim it is, and then I have to ask "where is not co-operating going to lead?".
Today it seems like the race card is being used way too often but it's got to such a point that you're even afraid to have an opinion on it in case somebody accuses you of something.
But then you give yourself a shake and realize you have every right to an opinion.
The 60 Minutes segment was American based but we're just fooling ourselves if we think it's any different in Toronto.
Toronto Police are having a huge problem right now with unreported crime and witnesses, who won't come forward, and it's not unfair to state the obvious - it's mostly within the black community.
If you didn't catch the segment on 60 Minutes here it is. In two parts. But be prepared to come away with a feeling of hopelessness.
I've gotta be honest with you, by the end of his run on American Idol I felt sorry for Sanjaya.
There's no question he was horrible, but it wasn't his fault he hung on so long. His survival actually made him a victim.
By having every 12 year old in the United States falls in love with him, regardless of his talent, and having votefortheworst.com jump on the bandwagon wasn't his fault.
I'm sure he knew he wasn't worthy, he knew he was an example of a flawed system, but what was the kid supposed to do. Quit?
As fun as it was to keep coming back every week, and as lucrative as this attention may turn out to be, it must have been difficult to stand on that stage every week when most of America considered you a laughing stock.
It's a good thing Sanjaya is gone. It's fair to all the other contestants who obviously have more talent, it's a fair assessment of Sanjaya's talent, but more than anything else, it releases the kid from an embarrassing situation.
Indian Shores, FLA - Yesterday while passing time while it rained, I got to appreciate the shit storm that's developed around the Don Imus situation.
I really don't know who to blame. Al Sharpton for making a mountain out of a molehill while making excuses for the double standard in America, or the networks perpetuating this thing to create programming.
I'm very reluctant to blame Imus because he's not responsible for what this has become.
He said something that he probably shouldn't have, but when called on it, he readily apologized and took the appropriate measures to make things better.
But when it comes to racism and those who like to use it as a platform, that isn't enough.
Sharpton and his ilk are like a dog on a steak bone when it comes to this stuff; to the point where you wonder who really is the racist. Al Sharpton seems to be the intolerant one here.
Not only that, but the double standard is fascinating. When asked why black people continuously use the "N" word, and why the words "hoe" and "nappy" are so popular in rap and hip hop music, Sharpton stammers and stutters and claims he's "workin' on it."
This morning when I woke up I laid in bed and spun the radio dial and I hit upon a station called 98.7 Wild. I was listening a something called the "Orlando and the Freak Show" and they were doing a bit called "Characters"
They would give the contestant the name of a TV character and they'd have to identify the show they were from.
At one point a woman got stumped by "Mrs, Roper", and Orlando became so mystified that the contestant could be so stupid, he stopped down and said. "This is crazy everybody, we got to stop down right now for a hoe break."
It really didn't make a lot of sense because Orlando isn't very good at what he does, but I know what he was getting at. This was a shot at what he perceived as the woman's stupidity.
I'll be on CH Live at 5:30 with Mark and Donna this afternoon. The subject is women umpires in professional baseball.
Today in Mesa, Arizona, Ria Cortesio will work the pre-season game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Chicago Cubs. She will be the first woman to umpire a major league exhibition game since 1989.
Pam Postema kicked around the minors for a couple of seasons back then before getting released.
This afternoon we'll discuss whether having woman umpires in the Major Leagues is a good idea, and I'll tell you right now I'm inclined to say no.
But before you go ape-shit ladies, tune in and hear me out. CH Live at 5:30
All television shows eventually lose their steam and hit the wall and it's happened to American Idol, but in a different way.
Idol still gets unbelievable ratings, but the nonsense surrounding the results has now become a bigger story than the show itself, and it all surrounds one contestant named Sanjaya.
His survival after Tuesday night's performance has rendered American Idol pointless.
It's not a singing contest and it's not a talent contest. It's a popularity contest. And it could be even worse than that.
If "votefortheworst.com" has taken a grip on the show to that extent, then this should definitely be the last season.
How does the saying go, imitation is the greatest form of flattery. Well if that's the case then I'm flattered.
Over the years I developed a couple of catch phrases that have hung on till this day. They are "baby come on!" and "let's be doing it."
You may have noticed that I call this page of my blog "let's be doing it." I didn't want to be like everyone else and have the word blog on my page so I decided to come up with something else and I thought "let's be doing it" would do the trick because when you get right down to it, that's what we're doing.
Anyway, this prompted an e-mail from my good friend Jim Lang.
Hi Fred.
I can't get your "let's be doing it" line out of my head.
With your permission, would you mind if I drop that line into my highlights tonight?
Baby c'mon
Clubber
Rogers Sportsnet
Of course I gave my permission, then last night I sat down to watch Sportsnet Connected and Jimmy did his thing. Listen closely when Pavel Datsyuk scores for Detroit. Lang's a beaut.
Forget the weather; the most shocking thing I've seen in the past twenty four hours is the transformation of sweet Kellie Pickler who finished sixth on American Idol last year.
Despite finishing sixth sweet Kellie still got herself a recording contract and her latest album just went gold.
That can make you a lot of money and it can get you a lot of attention, and it seems Kelly has decided to increase her attention buy using her money to buy a pair of major league bazoomba's.
And she showed them off during a return visit to Idol last night.
Compare the pictures. The first one is of Kellie as she appeared while an American Idol contestant. The second one is the way she appeared on American Idol last night. As you can see, even though she's gained a little weight there's no way her boobs would grow that much naturally.
I'm actually disappointed. The sweet down to earth country girl from North Carolina has turned into a cheap copy of a 1970's Dolly Parton. In the past year, she looks like she's aged by 25.
However, if you to concentrate only on her cleavage and you're a tit man, then you've got to be impressed. Whoever did the boob job seems to know what they're doing.
Then again they were being pushed up and together by her dress last night. Who knows maybe in reality they're those kind of fake boobs that when naked just stand there with a big valley down the middle.
Tim Hortons has launched a double-double of a lawsuit, seeking $105 million in damages from two of Canada's largest media companies and a popular Toronto radio talk-show host. The coffee chain giant filed a defamation suit against Standard Radio and CFRB talk-show host Bill Carroll, along with CanWest, which owns Global TV, alleging they falsely stated that Ottawa footed the bill for a franchise serving Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan.
Standard and CanWest should launch a counter suit on behalf of all Canadians charging Tim Horton's commercials cause emotional distress.
Especially this one featuring the old prick who refused to let his son see him at his hockey games. And the one featuring the aerobics class and the big plump berries isn't much better.
And don't get me going about that "steeped" campaign. As if the old lady wouldn't know what "steeped" meant. Even Mrs. Chan looked like she couldn't believe it.
I don't watch a lot of TV outside of news and sports, but I do like to watch American Idol with my wife Delyse after they've whittled the field down to a digestible number.
It's a bonding thing for us. We watch the contestants and give our own opinions before Simon Cowell talks some sense into Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson.
It's weird but I feel a connection with Simon. Almost every time he says what I'm thinking- although right now, I bet he's probably thinking what I'm saying.
I used to work with a woman at CFNY back in the late 90's named Caroline Barghout. I believe she had a boring office job at the time but she was determined to get "on air"
Outside of a few brief moments it didn't happen at NY - she left the station took an office job and did weekend news out in Oshawa. Eventually she moved to Sudbury and took a TV job.
And then yesterday I got a fantastic e-mail from Caroline with this announcement.
"I have accepted a job with CTV Winnipeg, I will anchor the CTV weekend news at 6 and 11:30, and I'm a reporter three days a week."
And when I told her I'd mention it on FreddieP.ca she said.
"Thankyou so much. I just love you Fred! You've always been so good to me, and one of my favourites."
Maybe I should move to Winnipeg and make her my darlin'.
Tomorrow should be a tough day for TSN and Sportsnet. Both sports networks have blown another load over the NHL trading deadline but this time it's backfired.
Before the NHL lockout trade deadlines were interesting in the NHL because teams could spend as much money as they wanted. I think one year there was something like 40 transactions on trade deadline day.
Now it's different story. With the salary cap there's only so much money you can spend and a lot of things have to fall into place before you can pull the trigger. Not only that, but there's been several trades in the past week or so that have taken a lot of the suspense out of tomorrow.
However both networks plan to start their trade deadline coverage at 10am and Sportsnet promises eight hours of coverage till six pm. Talk about freakin' over-kill.
I sat down and watched my first segment of American Idol last night and judging from what I saw, I have a suggestion for the show's producers. Throw out all the white chicks.
It's going to be excruciating waiting for all the white girls to be eliminated, and if there's any justice that's what's going to happen. Unfortunately there are seven of them.
The early favourite of all 12 women has to be LaKisha Jones. She can bring it.
In case you didn't know, the Patterson household is a "Ben Free" household. We refuse to watch any show that has Ben Mulroney in it. It's unfortunate because we'd like to watch Canadian Idol but we can't. Ben wrecks it.
It's tough to watch a show that includes an untalented kid who in typical Canadian backwards ass-wipe fashion was catapulted into CTV stardom simply because somebody thought it would be cool to have the former prime minister's son on their network.
It's unbelievable how much work they give this guy, and no matter what he does it's awkward, uncomfortable and unfair to hundreds of other out of work kids who could do a better job. But I digress.
While watching American Idol last night there was a cool CTV promo that involved all the major stars who appear on the network, both Canadian and American. Jon Stewart is in it, the cast of CSI, Mathew Perry and even Brent Butt from Corner Gas.
But you know who's in it for the longest and sticks his big Mulroney head right in the camera? You guessed it.
And on the subject of commercials, what's the deal with Leafs TV. Last nights clunker was on Leafs TV last night and they have such a limited inventory of commercials it's enough to drive you nuts.
Reebok with Sidney Crosby, Coors Lite and yes, too many Tim Horton's commercials are repeated and repeated and repeated to the point where you think somebody has made a mistake. But they haven't. I guess the audience for Leafs TV is still so small they can only attract a narrow clientele.
Yesterday I attended a wealth management seminar at the King Edward Hotel. It was arranged by my financial advisor who thinks it's a good idea for anyone within ten years of retirement age to stop down and think about a few things.
The seminar was conducted by a guy named Barry LaValley and he didn't talk so much about money as he did mind set. Not only do you have to be prepared for retirement financially, but you also have to be ready emotionally.
Over-all it was a positive experience and it also allowed me to meet two fantastic women who have recently lost their husbands - men I admired very much.
Sitting at the table with me were Teri Ann Marsden and Bernie Wadsworth. Teri Ann was married to legendary Toronto sportscaster Pat Marsden, and Bernie was married to Mike Wadsworth who accomplished so much in his 60 short years it's almost too hard to comprehend.
Pat Marsden is a man I only met a couple of times and never really got to know, but like most people my age Pat Marsden was in my living room every night while I was growing up. He was sports director at CFTO for many years before getting fired, going to CFRB, retiring, then coming out of retirement and working at the Fan.
He died last year of lung cancer and he's sorely missed by Teri Ann and his children, but they can hold on to the image of a man who was larger than life and loved by everyone who knew him.
Bernie Wadsworth lost her husband Mike to bone cancer in the spring of 2004. In his short life Wadsworth attended the University of Notre Dame where he got his law degree, he played pro football with the Argonauts and then became one the best radio and television football analysts in Canada. If that wasn't enough, he became Canada's ambassador to Ireland before heading back to Notre Dame to become athletic director. And shortly before he died the way was cleared for him to become a judge. How's that for a resume?
Nobody was looking for sympathy yesterday but I have to be honest, I felt sorry for both women.
There they were at the seminar planning the rest of their lives alone because the men they loved had been scooped up by a cruel disease long before their time.
But I'll tell you, if it's possible for the deceased to look down upon their families both Pat Marsden and Mike Wadsworth feel pretty good today because both their wives are immensely proud of their legacies and that was beautifully conveyed yesterday.
It's no secret that I'm a big fan of the John Oakley Show on 640 Toronto. I listen most every morning and enjoy most every moment. All but Tuesday mornings after eight o'clock when he has somebody named Maggie Cassella on the show.
She's billed as a left wing lawyer, lesbian, comic, writer, anti- American actress. Which is fine, there's nothing wrong with multi-tasking, I just wish she'd tone it down a bit.
Having said that, I learned something from Maggie today. I learned that Anderson Cooper is gay. I'm sure that's what she said.
AC gay? I had no idea. It doesn't change anything and I'll still watch his show because you don't judge anyone by their sexual preference because that would be ignorant and intolerant, but I'm still surprised. Anderson Cooper is gay. I would never have guessed.
Well not quite live, but the images of Saddam Hussien's execution that have been made available to news agencies are still somewhat disturbing.
It's on a day like this that I'm proud of our way of life in North America. Granted, there are still pockets in the States that allow executions but having seen Saddam walk to the gallows really makes you wonder about the whole process.
It's barbaric and cruel and tough to watch and raises the question of what really constitutes justice. To be honest, I'm not totally "against" capital punishment because like a lot of people I get sucked up in the "eye for an eye" mentality.
Yet at the same time I think making somebody like Paul Bernardo sit in a jail cell for the rest of his life is a lot worse punishment than killing him. Death would be too easy for that bastard.
So I come away from watching the Saddam execution video with an uneasy feeling - he was a monster who killed far too many people - yet I wonder if killing him sends the wrong message.
It I really enjoyed my 36 inch SONY yesterday. I watched the Leafs beat Minnesota 4-3 last night, and yesterday afternoon I watched Team Canada beat Sweden at the World Juniors.
Like million of other Canadians, the World Juniors have become a Holiday Season staple for me. It's the perfect time to have a tournament that means so much.
If the World Juniors lack anything, they lack Paul Romanuk. It's been several years now since Romanuk made a Humble and Fred style decision and left TSN, but I still miss the guy.
There was something about those games and Paul's voice. I'd like to say "take nothing away from Gord Miller" who's replaced Romanuk, but I can't.
Compared to Romanuk, Miller is a play-by-play weakling. Sorry, but those are the facts.
Yesterday was almost bitter sweet. While I was watching the Junior game, I was thinking about Romanuk - and immediately after the game was over, I flipped over to Sportsnet and guess who was there.
Paul Romanuk was doing freelance duty at the Spengler Cup in Switzerland. It was nice to hear Paul, but let's be honest, nobody cares about the Spengler Cup.
It got my mind to thinking - wouldn't it be nice if just once a year TSN could forgive Romy for leaving and assign him to the World Juniors. Let Miller do the Spengler.
I saw the story announcing that Global has eliminated its entire sports department. Starting in late January they plan to plug into Rogers Sportsnet for their sports coverage during the supper time and late evening newscasts.
It means veteran Toronto sportscaster Don Martin gets the boot.
Too bad Donny, it happens to the best of us. Martin was there for 17 years delivering sports in that old style, old fashioned, this shit actually means something kind of way. Pretty boring I'd say.
If I sound a little bitter, I am. There are several little things that happen over ones career that you never forget, and one of mine dealt with Don Martin.
It was 1988 at the CBC studios on Jarvis St. I had just agreed to co-host The Sports Zone with BJ Del Conte. At the time the show as panned because it just a couple of guys sitting in easy chairs poking fun at pro sports, you know, like a million shows you see on cable networks today.
The Sports Zone was actually ahead of its time, but the old guard in Toronto wasn't ready for it and neither was Don Martin.
Turns out the half hour on Sunday nights at 11:30 was up for grabs and the sports department at CBC put a bid in for it and the entertainment department did the same.
Turns out the entertainment department got it, so what did they do, they came up with the idea for an off the wall sports show.
Needless to say the CBC sports guys hated the idea but the only contact I had with the CBC sports department was Don Martin, and this was the contact.
The night of the very first show I was in the studios and realized I had to drain the main vein so I headed for the washroom. Just as I was entering, Don Martin was exiting.
Feeling pretty good about being in the environment I was actually quite excited to see Don Martin so I said "Hi Don!"
Don replied "the intruder!", and he blew right past me like it was my fuckin' fault CBC created a show and hired me.
That was the only contact I ever had with Don Martin but believe me; over my career it did me no harm, although today I officially forgive him because I feel bad he got punted.
Nice piece about Michael Landsberg in the Sunday Star. Chris Zelkovich did one of those "Unplugged" features on Michael.
Hey man, don't get me wrong, Michael's a nice guy and you can't argue with the "success" of "Off The Record", but I've always been amused by the attention television gets over radio.
Especially when you look at the numbers. The average daily audience that "Off The Record" attracts across the country would get a Toronto radio morning man fired.
Spinning the radio dial on Tuesday, it seems the topic of the day was Cassie Campbell.
In case you didn't see or hear the hockey game on Saturday night, Cassie was a last minute replacement for Harry Neale on Hockey Night in Canada.
Cassie has had some casual work as a colour person on TSN women's hockey telecasts, but her experience is well short of what you'd think HNIC would demand.
But Harry was snowed-in in Buffalo and somebody within the CBC brain trust came up with the idea of using Cassie. After all, she was going to be in the building anyway doing some rink side reporting.
Cassie filled in and did a credible job under the circumstances - but the issue on a few talk shows yesterday was the post game reaction. Right off the bat she got some rave reviews, but once the dust settled it became the opinion of many that the positive reaction was more because she was a woman, and not because she did a good job.
In fact she was actually weak, and this led to another issue. Why would CBC put her in that position? Why would they take someone with her experience and throw her onto the ultimate Canadian stage.
I didn't see the game on Saturday night because I was at the game. But I look at it this way. First of all, who cares about her experience, it was only a hockey game for cryin' out loud and it was an experiment. Big deal.
However, I will say this. In a twisted example of gender inequity, I can confidently say a man with Cassie's experience would never have even been considered as a fill-in. Not for a second. Cassie got the break simply because she's a she. End of story.
It's interesting what's happened at Sportsnet. In case you didn't know or didn't hear, the sports network has had a change of direction (I love that term) and drastically reduced their hockey coverage.
Instead of Hockey Central being a nightly feature, it's been reduced to a weekly feature.
Among the casualties was Sportsnet news director Scott Morrison who just signed on with Hockey Night in Canada.
But here's the point. Sportsnet in my opinion, and in the opinion of many guys I know, had surpassed TSN in its hockey analysis. It was flat-out more entertaining.
Bill Watters, Nick Kypreos and Gord Stellick had their finger on the button people. It was a lot easier to watch, and a lot more informative than anything TSN had to offer.
Kypreos, who actually cut his teeth on the Humble and Fred Show was exceptional. He and Watters are so well connected the show simply had something to offer every night.
But ratings are ratings, and bean counters are bean counters and for those reasons it couldn't continue. And because of that, we all lose.
I arrived back in Brampton last night just in time to watch the Argo game. Talk about disaster. They stink. But I've said it all along; I don't think they're coached very well.
Like everybody else in Canada, I love Pinball Clemons and you can't measure the contribution he's made to the Argos, the CFL and the city of Toronto. I just don't think he's a very good coach.
But I'll tell you who is good. Elliotte Friedman. He's the new host of the CBC's CFL telecasts, and talk about an improvement.
He is so much better than Brian Williams in that capacity it's scary. When Williams made the move to TSN a couple of months ago, I wrote on this very site that I thought "the dean" of Canadian sportscasters was a little over-rated.
Friedman has proved that. Elliotte is smooth, and interesting and down to earth - three attributes that had escaped Brian Williams.
I don't know what was involved in William's departure from the CBC, although I do know at the time it was presented as a tragedy. The network was taking a big hit. I don't think so.
However, if the general consensus is that William's abrupt ending at the CBC was a mistake - then the old "Mother Corp" fell upwards.
Typical. Typical that so many have taken the opportunity to attack George Stroumboulopoulos, one of the nicest guys in broadcasting.
And I'm not talking about anything that's been said or written in the states - who gives a shit what they say.
I'm talking about the Canadian crap that's been written since Strombo's new show "The One" debuted on Tuesday night.
It's a funny country this Canada. Reading some of the stuff you'd swear most of the jerk offs who wrote it were hoping the show would bomb. Hoping that a young Canadian guy, who got the chance of a lifetime, would fall flat on his face.
It's a security thing I think. Most of the arsholes who are in a position to pass judgment, deep down, are jealous. They can only dream of picking up the phone one day and having their agent tell them to get on a plane to Los Angeles as soon as you can.
It's a call that 99.999 percent of us will never get, and unfortunately that drives some people nuts. Especially some of the weasels in the print media.
One guy who really blew me away was Steve Tilley of the Sun. Here's a guy that didn't give Strombo a break going in, or out. His entire column on Wednesday was some piece of crap about a nose ring, with a couple cheesy lines thrown in about the name Stroumboulopoulos.
And on the subject of the nose ring. Some think George sold out. Are you kidding me?
If any of the critics who claim George sold out had the same opportunity, they'd run over your back dashing to the airport. Every single one of them.
George Stroumboulopoulos did what any responsible, talented ambitious young man would do. He pursued an opportunity. An opportunity that could have, and still might, lead to a show business career in the States that could make him millions and millions of dollars.
George Stroumboulopoulos has nothing to be ashamed of. And if the show "The One" does not survive he should have no regrets.
George Stroumboulopoulos has already lived an experience the vast majority of us can only dream of. But for some reason in Canada, that doesn't impress people, it pisses them off.
In a posting from yesterday I mentioned the Torch Catastrophe orchestrated by CTV Globemedia.
It's a funny little country in which we live, and that's been highlighted by the decision by CBC Television to replace the unfunny Royal Canadian Air Farce with the unfunny Ron James.
This weekend in the west -end of Toronto my son Danny will be working with Humble Howard on Man-Up, a TV series that Humble helped develop and hosts.
Hey Freddie, I was checkin' out your site and came across your 
Perusing the papers this morning it was brought to my attention that tomorrow night marks the final episode of Corner Gas.
If you've been a follower of this blog for any length of time you know that before wrestling control of the Corus Radio Empire in Peterborough, I was a frequent guest on "CH Live @ 5:30" with Donna Skelly and Mark Hebscher.
Let me preface this entry by saying that I realize taste is subjective and one man's love is another man's misery. 
The news that CTV will not produce Canadian Idol this year comes as bad news for potential singing stars across the country, but its welcome relief for thousands of viewers.
It was with great sadness that I read the news about Dan McLean this week. He's the long time CHCH news anchorman who was let go by Canwest/Global.
Good guy Dave Kines is done with CTVglobemedia. 
Over the past few days I've been meaning to write a piece about Ron MacLean and the fabulous job he's doing in Beijing. 
Earlier in the week I wrote about how insular radio is, and used Rick Hodge as an example.
"This was the issue: A small but dedicated group of Canadian football activists plans to march on Rogers Centre as a demonstration against the National Football League and the Buffalo Bills."
I'll visit the highly professional studios of CH Live at 5:30 this afternoon and join the sweet smelling Donna Skelly and the rugged Mark Hebscher to discuss this subject.
The issue was this - A British Columbia resident has filed a complaint with the province's Human Rights Tribunal after watching an episode of the Kenny vs. Spenny show online.
In passing yesterday, I heard someone mention Canadian idol, and then when I became part of the conversation it unfolded like so many others.
I read with mixed emotions the story of Ed the Sock yesterday.
I have to admit, I don't think I've ever watched an entire episode of Corner Gas, but that's doesn't matter.
Listen, as an unemployed man who am I to question the abilities of others, but I have to say the Cassie Campbell experiment should come to an end.
I don't even know where to begin with the Roger Clemens story. 
One of the great things about going to Florida tomorrow is escaping Canadian channel substitution of the Super Bowl.
Hi Freddie,
I was invited to be part of the panel on Michael Landsberg's Off the Record today but then the story broke of John Ferguson's Jr's imminent firing, so I was bumped in favour of some other people who they feel can address the situation better than I can.
It should be fun on CHCH Live at 5:30 this afternoon. We’re going to talk about the Toronto Maple Leafs and their horrendous situation.
Holy Cow, was the Oprah Show ever good last night. It was about lesbians. 
It was just by chance that I happened to be on my Ottawa Starchoice feed last night and saw Jeff Marek on Hockey Night in Canada.
I made this point last year; one of the highlights of the Christmas break is the World Junior Hockey Championship that gets underway on Boxing Day.
On Saturday morning I received an e-mail from my old colleague Neil Morrison aka Brother Bill bringing my attention to a posting on a popular radio website.
An old friend checked into Freddiep.ca this week. It's George Bryson who worked at Barries CKVR-TV before joining CFTO in the 90's before heading back to Barrie.
Yesterday when I paid my visit to CHCH television to appear on Live at 5:30, Mark Hebscher was excited to tell me he had tried grilled Caesar salad.
When it was announced earlier this year that CTV had won Sunday afternoon NFL rights off Global it was received as good news by most football fans.
Every so often people from the radio and television industry check-in with FreddieP.ca and one of those occassions was yesterday.
Should humane society workers have the power of police? That's the question we'll be dealing with this afternoon on CH Live at 5:30 with Mark Hebscher and Donna Skelly.
When I used to work on the radio, I hated to talk about television so I'm reluctant to do postings about television shows on this blog unless they're insulting.
This afternoon on CH Live at 5:30 with Mark Hebscher and Donna Skelly, I've been invited to come on and talk about the following story.
Live at 5:30.
There seems to be great concern over City-TV leaving the old building on Queen Street.
Thanks for the wonderful group out at CH TV in Hamilton I've become a recurring guest on their show CH Live at 5:30.
I'm heading out to Hamilton this afternoon to talk about Paris Hilton. 
Yesterday I had a 
I have a question for the producers of American Idol. 
The show ended with an emotional song and shots of Jordin's parents and grandparents while my sweet wife Delyse dropped tears onto our leather couch.
Like most people I really enjoy the Sopranos, but the way its worked out over the past few weeks I've only seen one episode of the final season, and that was this past Sunday.
Ok this is it. If Jordin Sparks doesn't win American Idol tonight I will never watch the show again.
While watching Idol I was reminded once again of the one flaw in the Tim Horton's dynasty - their commercials. They stink.
Tie Domi has given Global TV a "tell-all" interview that will air on the network tonight and tomorrow night.
I can honestly say I've never watched "The View", but for some reason I'm thrilled that Rosie O'Donnell will no longer be on it.
Yesterday I had the opportunity to catch Sunday's 60 Minutes segment called "Stop Snitchin."
I've gotta be honest with you, by the end of his run on American Idol I felt sorry for Sanjaya. 
Indian Shores, FLA - Yesterday while passing time while it rained, I got to appreciate the shit storm that's developed around the Don Imus situation.
How does the saying go, imitation is the greatest form of flattery. Well if that's the case then I'm flattered.
Forget the weather; the most shocking thing I've seen in the past twenty four hours is the transformation of sweet Kellie Pickler who finished sixth on American Idol last year.
Compare the pictures. The first one is of Kellie as she appeared while an American Idol contestant. The second one is the way she appeared on American Idol last night. As you can see, even though she's gained a little weight there's no way her boobs would grow that much naturally.
News Item
I don't watch a lot of TV outside of news and sports, but I do like to watch American Idol with my wife Delyse after they've whittled the field down to a digestible number. 
Tomorrow should be a tough day for TSN and Sportsnet. Both sports networks have blown another load over the NHL trading deadline but this time it's backfired.
I sat down and watched my first segment of American Idol last night and judging from what I saw, I have a suggestion for the show's producers. Throw out all the white chicks.
In case you didn't know, the Patterson household is a "Ben Free" household. We refuse to watch any show that has Ben Mulroney in it. It's unfortunate because we'd like to watch Canadian Idol but we can't. Ben wrecks it.
And on the subject of commercials, what's the deal with Leafs TV. Last nights clunker was on Leafs TV last night and they have such a limited inventory of commercials it's enough to drive you nuts.
Yesterday I attended a wealth management seminar at the King Edward Hotel. It was arranged by my financial advisor who thinks it's a good idea for anyone within ten years of retirement age to stop down and think about a few things.
It's no secret that I'm a big fan of the John Oakley Show on 640 Toronto. I listen most every morning and enjoy most every moment. All but Tuesday mornings after eight o'clock when he has somebody named Maggie Cassella on the show.
Well not quite live, but the images of Saddam Hussien's execution that have been made available to news agencies are still somewhat disturbing.
It I really enjoyed my 36 inch SONY yesterday. I watched the Leafs beat Minnesota 4-3 last night, and yesterday afternoon I watched Team Canada beat Sweden at the World Juniors.
I saw the story announcing that Global has eliminated its entire sports department. Starting in late January they plan to plug into Rogers Sportsnet for their sports coverage during the supper time and late evening newscasts. 
Nice piece about Michael Landsberg in the Sunday Star. Chris Zelkovich did one of those "Unplugged" features on Michael.
I arrived back in Brampton last night just in time to watch the Argo game. Talk about disaster. They stink. But I've said it all along; I don't think they're coached very well.
Typical. Typical that so many have taken the opportunity to attack George Stroumboulopoulos, one of the nicest guys in broadcasting.
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