"The Bear" is Dead

[George Wallace]

One of the Nations Capital's best radio stations has been purchased by Corus Entertainment, and it looks like all the DJs have been laid off and the morning 'rush hour' will be devoid of any chatter, news, weather and traffic updates.

Reproduced under the Fair Dealings provisions of the Copyright Act.

LINK

New owners to take radio station 106.9 The Bear in ‘fresh direction’
By Louis Turcotte, OTTAWA CITIZEN
March 6, 2014



OTTAWA — Radio station 106.9 The Bear is reformatting from its current “Ottawa’s Best Rock” lineup to what its new owners promised will be “a fresh new direction.”

Corus Entertainment bought the station, CKQB-FM, with major changes in mind earlier in the year.

“Operating in Ottawa has been a long-stated goal for Corus and the acquisition of CKQB-FM and CJOT-FM strengthens our position in Canada’s major markets,” said Corus CEO John Cassaday in a news release at the time.

A Corus spokesman said Thursday that the station will stay on the air until the end of the month playing only music and ads, without on-air hosts.

The station posted a statement online Thursday signed by general manager Mark Dickie that read:

“Corus Radio Ottawa is committed to providing the best possible listening experience, therefore, we have decided to take FM 106.9 in a fresh new direction. We thank our listeners, advertisers and community partners for supporting us the past 20 years.

“We are confident the new format will be a welcome addition to the Ottawa radio landscape.”

You can find the post at www.thebear.fm

More to come

lturcotte@ottawacitizen.com

© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen

Got to love those large companies who 'can' their programming on long playing loops and have no local personalities and information to broadcast.  I just love listening to the same programming played in the same sequence day after day......NOT!

 

[Gunner98]

The Bear went to Virgin back to the Bear and now a new direction.  They need to clean up their on-air programming especially the sad comedy schtick. The fact that Corus wants to give it a whirl may be a last ditch effort to find a niche market.

 

[The Bread Guy]

Got to love those large companies who 'can' their programming on long playing loops and have no local personalities and information to broadcast.  I just love listening to the same programming played in the same sequence day after day......NOT!

Such is the way of the world with private sector radio - easier pumping signal out of "big box" hubs, delivering what consultants say is the most ad-drawing combo of music and information and (maybe) including a pinch of local content where applicable and in the cheapest way possible (via 1-2 staff pumping mp3 files into "the mother ship").

While the CBC is far from perfect, remember what's happened here when you consider whether commercial media is the ONLY way to go.

 

[Bruce Monkhouse]

Driving from Richmond Hill to Guelph the other day I heard " Don't You Forget About Me" 3 times in one scan button push.........

 

[Strike]

Driving from Richmond Hill to Guelph the other day I heard " Don't You Forget About Me" 3 times in one scan button push.........

And all the commercial breaks are at the same time.

 

[Tibbson]

Its the same as small town, or even regional, newspapers.  My home town paper was in operation for over 100 years until it got bought out by the Sun media group.  In 8 years it's gone from being a local paper with local content to just another newspaper spewing out the generic news someone in Toronto says is relevant.  Its also now so full of ads that circulation is way down.  My parents cancelled their subscription and a few days later a guy called and asked them why they cancelled and if there was anything they could do to get them back as a customer.  When my mother told them "no, the paper is just nothing but day old news and advertisements now" all the guy from the paper could say is "yes, we hear that a lot.  Thank you for your time."

 

[Occam]

The canned music being piped in is only until the end of the month.  Then, their "fresh new direction" has been revealed as the domain name 1069freshfm.com was registered by Corus Entertainment on the 24th of January.  For those who aren't familiar with the "Fresh FM" family, have a gander - http://www.953freshfm.com/

Goodbye classic rock, hello Katy Perry and Justin Timberlake.

I'll be listening to Sirius, thanks.  ;D

 

[devil39]

In its early days, The Bear was quite good.  Lately however, the Bear was sounding lately like it was in a terminal death spiral fighting for space between CHEZ and Live 88.5.  Live 88.5 has seriously gone downhill in the last few years as it filled the vacuum of a retreating Bear...I was glad to leave Ottawa last year as Live 88.5 was really getting pathetic.  Sirius does help fill the space, however here in Edmonton, Sonic 102.9 isn't too bad. 

 

[PuckChaser]

There was a radio station last summer in Toronto that was doing its broadcast test, and played Never Gonna Give You Up on loop for at least a week (I was only there for a week). Please tell me the Bear is doing something similarly awesome?

 

[Occam]

Nope, they're playing much the same music as they were playing before (perhaps even a little better on average), but they're tossing in the odd curveball that you would never have heard on The Bear.  No deejays - just music, the occasional commercial, and the stupid recording of Mark Dickie, the station manager, announcing that The Bear is no more and that they're heading in a fresh new direction and that he's certain we'll like it.  <gag>

 

[daftandbarmy]

Darn... I saw the thread title and thought that it might be some good news about 'Bear' Grylls  ;D

 

[Journeyman]

....... the morning 'rush hour' will be devoid of any chatter.....

That would be awesome.

I while ago I was talking with some people after a local music event, and was asked "what station do you listen to?"  I replied "Classic Rock....." and they visibly brightened, until I finished the sentence. "until the DJs start yammering, then I switch stations -- the morning is the worst." I was then introduced to Ange Stever, the morning show's lead DJ. 

Oops 

 

[Old Sweat]

That would be awesome.

I while ago I was talking with some people after a local music event, and was asked "what station do you listen to?"  I replied "Classic Rock....." and they visibly brightened, until I finished the sentence. "until the DJs start yammering, then I switch stations -- the morning is the worst." I was then introduced to Ange Stever, the morning show's lead DJ. 

Oops

Why does this not surprise me?  :facepalm:

 

[Journeyman]

Why does this not surprise me?  :facepalm:

That she would initially keep her identity a secret to get closer to me?  I know; women!  :


....you couldn't mean me putting my foot in my mouth, right? 

 

[Jarnhamar]

That she would initially keep her identity a secret to get closer to me?  I know; women!  :


....you couldn't mean me putting my foot in my mouth, right? 

I would have figured you'd counter with "Gotchya! I'd know that angelic voice anywhere!" then waggle your eyebrows independently of each other all charming like.

 

[Bucky]

There was a radio station last summer in Toronto that was doing its broadcast test, and played Never Gonna Give You Up on loop for at least a week (I was only there for a week). Please tell me the Bear is doing something similarly awesome?

That was Indie 88, they're a great new station. They've got an iphone app, if you're not in Central Ontario.

Check them out at http://indie88.com/

 

[brihard]

Damn, that's a shame. Theyw ere good back in the day, and I liked when they got broadcast into theatre.

I switched over to 88.5 a few years back, and sometimes still listen to them online from where I am now. I have terrible selection in stations up here.

 

[Robert0288]

That's what happens when you live north of 60

 

[brihard]

That's what happens when you live north of 60

And yet my winter weather has been better than yours. Imagine that.

I can only imagine it's karma for something, except I can't think of anything bad you've ever done to me... Trap?

 

[Robert0288]

I don't know, and I don't think Karma take plotting into account.

Though I have to be honest, 106.9's automated jukebox is playing better music then they're DJ's have for the last couple years.