I have just been taken off the air on Corus radio. Message: don't criticize management.
— Dave Rutherford (@RutherfordShow) June 25, 2013
I have no clue as to the context, but that isn’t a surprising observation for most of us.
I have just been taken off the air on Corus radio. Message: don't criticize management.
— Dave Rutherford (@RutherfordShow) June 25, 2013
I have no clue as to the context, but that isn’t a surprising observation for most of us.
I wasn’t listening too closely yesterday morning, but Rutherford was criticizing Corus management for focusing their resources on getting their FM music stations back on the air in Calgary rather than their flagship news station QR77. QR77 is the “go-to” station for breaking news and in times of crisis – just like 630 CHED in Edmonton it is the first station people turn to to get information.
Rutherford is leaving the show in a few weeks anyway so he probably feels free to say what’s on his mind. Their are rumours he is considering a run for mayor of Calgary.
Free speech? Don’t forget that’s an American concept.
Here is audio and a transcript of Dave’s rant
http://blogs.calgaryherald.com/2013/06/25/dave-rutherfords-show-ending-rant-the-transcript/
I actually heard Dave’s rant and thought nothing of it. It obviously ticked off his boss, Shorty.
I love it when Breakenridge fills in for Dave and wets his panties worrying about all that global warming, totally screwing up Dave’s demographic. Dave, go for Nenshi’s job.
Damn few reasons to ‘tune-in’ to CHED anymore and I assume QR77 as well. Other than Breakenridge and Michael Campbell on Saturdays I will be elsewhere, like maybe Sirius. CHED lost me long ago. They focus so much of their time on sports and selling residential security that I refuse to listen to them.
I guess Bread and Circuses have become the order of the day for CORUS.
Funny thing. They disappeared Dave everywhere except in commercials where he does personal endorsements.
With Dave’s firing the average IQ at CHED just dropped 10 points. Mind you, if they fired Primeau and Grose it would pop right back up.
Rutherford and Breakenridge both went bland a long time ago. I have been looking forward to Rutherford’s replacement in the hopes that (s)he will revive the old in your face talk show I used to love to listen to.
Don’t hold your breath Joe… Who ever replaces Dave will be a great “conversationalist”…and Redford and Nenshi will be regulars. Need I say more? QR made a distinct turn about a year ago… and it certainly wasn’t right.
Obviously there’s new management at Corus. The QR77 hourly news intro has recently changed markedly – for the worse I might add. Reminiscent of the quantum change at KGO (San Francisco)a while back when the new management under Cumulus cleaned house, turfing every talk show host virtually overnight.
I’d say that Rutherford made a mistake – Leave a lot of smoke, but don’t burn your bridges.
Of course everyone is smarter than their boss. Doesn’t matter if you work at Wendy’s or if you have a syndicated talk show. I quit listening to Rutherford years ago, coincidentally about the time I got my Sirius radio! Canadian politics (and talk radio) is bush league compared to what’s on Sirius!
While I don’t think I genuinely “hate” any person, but for Leslie Primeau, I’d make the exception. I can’t stand her and her pompous, uninformed windbaggery-moonbattery.
Could’t agree more, Eskimo. There are ways of entertaining whilst informing that our talk radio people here do not get. Listen to the morning people in particular, on many stations like KFYI in Phoenix. Terrific! Informing while getting their point across.
Unlike the masters of misinformation on TV like Colbert, who continually rail against Conservatives. I do hope CORUS replaces Rutherford with someone with a backbone but I am not optimistic.
On that free speech thing, let’s remember that free speech is freedom from going to jail for what you say, not freedom from any consequences including public derision and/or firing by your employer. Corus is under no obligation to host or broadcast anyone’s person’s opinion
Meanwhile on Saskatoon Ralco News Talk 650 and the Regina partner, Charles Adler is also off. A housecleaning of anyone right of center?
I guess that on our trips through Albert we will be listening to XM.
Ken, that was Adlers decision. He’s moving to a local show after the summer.
Thanks. I had not heard why he was no longer on.
My previous comment should have said Alberta. I will miss Rutherford when traveling through Alberta, and I did not know that Breckenridge believed in the AGW religion.
Rawlco is shitting the bed too… Gormley is the only thing I listen to with any frequency on 980. Drew Remenda’s show took a turn for the worse with the loss of Mitchell Blair, then when Remenda left it went even further down hill.
Sarah Mills show is decent but doesnt remotely compare to Adler, especially on Fridays when Menzoid was in.
I only listen to am radio in my truck because my personal vehicle has xm, and my truck will have sstellite after this weekend as well.
If Gormley ever leaves Rawlco that company will circle the drain.
I heard Rutherford’s comments and wondered if he would finish the shift. Don’t criticize management is the message here to the rest of the staff.
There are few reasons to listen to Canadian radio. They are a vacuous bunch puffed up by their own importance. I happened to hear a couple of talking heads on a Calgary sports show whining the other day about the ‘damage in the saddle dome’. People have lost their houses and the saddle dome took on a little water. What planet are you knobs living on?
Ched in Edmonton is completely mindless. They have a morning show host who is the most feminized guy I have ever heard. A pissant devoid of opinion except the PC one. As for the afternoon hosts, I will only say this. Ched has always had buffoons on in the afternoon. Remember Bill/Bill?
Satellite radio has a few choices. I don’t listen to the right or left. Both sides are equally stupid. I’m pretty far on the right but won’t suffer fools, including ones on the right.
The Province of AB has changed and radio is trying to stay ahead of the curve. Were as left wing today as the East coast, Quebec, Ontario, the rest of the west and BC.
You have a point that I agree with, the rat. Though not germane to this case, Free Speech (and whether it should exist or not) has to do with the acceptable limits to communication by government. There are only so many slots on the AM dial, and use of them (an important application of ownership) is dependent upon governmental approval. This, to me, is where free speech exists.
If a soccer coach of a juvenile team exercises free speech to support NAMBLA, I fully expect firing and a criminal review of their activities (possibly pre-empted by a parental lynching, which would and should result in criminal activity against the parents – however warranted). This is different from the IRS overview of Tea Party related activities – the most gross abuse of free speech in the last couple of decades IMHO.
It has become quite evident that QR has taken a decided shift to the left. Recently, when Rutherford was on holidays, he was replaced by a boring, bland, banal “conversationalist”. With their recent rebranding aimed at a different demographic, they have, IMHO, lost all relevance. And they’ve lost me a, fan for 20 years.
Like Rutherford, I’m done.
I hate to say it. One trip to Eastern Canada 10 years ago, killed Rutherford’s heart. He was never the real Conservative after that. He became Ottawashed. Though at times he could still shine.Particularly with Conservative guests. The people who now have replaced him so many times, are Redford UN loving shrills. Liberals leftists with a mission. Global warming moon bats. Corus Radio have become just another lefty variant of the CBC.
I am glad I got to enjoy the Rutherford show for over 10 years. I will miss him. He wasn’t always great but what I didn’t like I could shut off and what I did like made many of my days on the road. Like Canuck66, I am also done with Corus. I have noticed for quite a while now that the news portion just echoed the rest of the garbage stations and networks. It never seemed to fit with what Dave was about. At least won’t have to listen to that annoying Kenyon, doing his lefty opinion schtick anymore.
Radio stations have to reflect the community back on itself or they would cease to exist. Fox news talks to it’s base as does CNN. The landscape has changed in AB and the change in radio format reflects that. Ched in Edmonton has always been more left wing than QR in Calgary. Edmonton is a government union town not unlike Regina, Thunder Bay or Ottawa. You don’t sell right wing media to those types.
Calgary lasted a bit longer on the right until the cowboys and oilmen ceased to matter….the lefties took over, by osmosis.
I never really considered Rutherford a conservative. He’s an entertainer who sometimes appears to be on the right but loved government programs. Hell the entire radio industry is constantly attempting to curry favour with big government. He was part of that.
Radio in AB will now become less entertaining and completely indistinguishable. Too bad really.
Rob’s job for now I hear…
The death knell for me was a few days after the ridiculous accusations of Mayor Ford smoking crack. Cheds new sports guy, Dan Tensor spoke with a TSN (don’t remember his name)talking head. They were discussing the story as if it proven in court. The conversation had nothing to do with sports, but everything to do with fanning the Flames of left wing hatred of Ford.
Now that Rutherford is done, so am I.
As for Primeau, never have I heard such an uninformed dimbulb. I saw Grosse once at a comedy show and laughed out loud, but listening to him on the radio his take on topics are generally leaning left.
Nothing left for me there.
too bad;
Sorry to see Dave Rutherford go, I spend most of my time on the road doing rural building inspections. I have spent many long hours from 4:30 am to 6 pm listening to CHED, Dave’s show 9 am to noon was the best part of the day. the rest of the day, I could take or leave, all though, putting Andrew with Lesley was much better than Lesley on her own, it wasn’t much more than background noise while I travelled, for the most of the time, but sometimes it could hold my attention and slightly amuse me. I guess the whole thing changes on Aug. 19/13, I will listen till end of Aug. just to give them a chance, but I fear I will be finding a new station to listen to all day long. I prefer talk radio to moronic music stations. That’s why I really liked an intelligent show like Dave’s. Too Bad He’s gone, and if they don’t intend to replace with something similar, I fear that I will also be gone as a former loyal listener. Wonder if anybody at chorus is smart enough to read these comments?
The CHED listener formerly known as Loyal.
Love him or hate him Dave Rutherford was always entertaining. As far as Andrew Grose In my opinion he is vastly over rated. I found him borring, and lacking in knowledge on many issues that would be brought up by Primeau and himself. In fact I always thought that Primeau was the more intelligent one. Tensor will do fine and in 40 years he will probably be another Bryan Hall. Looks like we are in for some very borring CHED radio. Goodbye CHED hellow 1260 and Sirius
Amen to that…I’m so glad that PMSing windbag is gone…man she went off the rails so many times when she was on her own- could not stand her even when I agreed with what she was saying. Best luck in your future endeavours, Leslie!