What’s Next
My journalist friend Dan, who teaches part-time at Western University, tells his students something very wise. He says, I can’t teach you how to use what’s next in journalism, because it hasn’t been invented yet. …
Working
Throwback Thursday – My First Blackburn Job
Although it was (gulp) almost three decades ago that I worked at CKNX in Wingham, I’m happy to say that many of the people I knew best in those days are still my friends or, at least, we’re still in touch. And I’m married to one of them. …
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Throwback Thursday: Lou Diamond Almonds
Lou Diamond Phillips had a few years in the glaring spotlight of fame before settling back into being a respected, working actor. He was propelled into our consciousness after he played Richie Valens in the movie La Bamba. His name rhymed with Blue Diamond Almonds, the brand of roasted nuts sold in impossibly tiny bags back then, so this is how we referred to him. …
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Can We Talk?
Today is Bell Let’s Talk Day. It’s the thing I like best about the company I work for. Yes, it potentially makes them more money when you make a call or send a text today, but they’ll share that income with mental health facilities and programs. They don’t have to do it at all, but they do, and that’s worth something. …
Boot Corral
My online store, Lisa’s Pieces. is live and slowly building a following. I’m sharing items on Facebook and Twitter and not getting too serious about marketing – yet. For one thing, it’s been too cold to get into the workshop and build up inventory of a couple of things I’m holding back, for now. …
Lisa’s Pieces
As you likely know, I’m a bit of a decor nut and a crafty person. Derek has a creative mind and he’s good with a saw and hammer. We have collaborated on countless projects and enjoy the process. So it only makes sense to us that we take it to the next level. …
Top Media Releases of 2015
Sometimes media get it wrong. But sometimes we’re working from information that gets it even wronger! (I know!) …
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Alpaca Pals
When it’s gotten stressful at work, I’ve often jokingly said, “I’m going to start an alpaca farm”. …
Throwback Thursday: Managerial Memories
Thanks to my former colleague Mike Eppel for digging this up from his “Welcome to CKNX” kit in 1989. …
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RIP (almost) CH
Growing up in the shadow of Hamilton, CHCH TV was our big-city television station. It was like SCTV before there was an SCTV. In the Hamilton era of my broadcasting career, I was fortunate enough to appear on CH and do voice-overs for promos and commercials. …
Downsizing
Last week was a crummy week to be in London media. Downsizing hit our city’s arm of the company and many people were shown the door. There’s no whoosh of relief that it’s not you. Even if you’re not the target, you’re still negatively affected by it and you feel for that person. There’s no joy in being one of the “survivors”.Â
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Throwback Thursday – Days of Free
We had some good times on the Free-FM morning show, The Big Show with Botten, Blair and Brandt. It only lasted a couple of years, but we worked our tails off and had big fun. …
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Hello Yeti Blue
Today, another little peek behind the scenes of a voice-over business. Mine, of course. E-learning continues to be my top genre, followed by corporate videos, characters and then good old-fashioned commercial reads. …
Power Imbalance
The medical specialist I’ve known for more than two decades, who performed three surgeries on me over the years, is under review by the College of Physicians and Surgeons. His right to practise is at stake. A journalist friend who has worked for some of the biggest publications in the country is routinely forced to defend his judgment in front of a review panel. What do they have in common? They both teach at universities.  …
Throwback Thursday
I’ve never been a big sports nut. I’ll jump on a bandwagon or absorb the important aspects of a sport my spouse is into but given my druthers, I’d watch a movie instead. …
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Power’s War
It turns out that one of my fortes in voice-work is e-learning. Virtually every day for the past six weeks or so, I’ve been working on online or video-learning projects for a few different clients. My voice is teaching everything from how not to sexually harass your colleagues, to how to navigate a complicated sales system for an international automotive company, to tips and tricks for conducting searches in the Internet. …
The Value of Work
When you run your own small business, you’re sometimes asked to work for free. Musicians say it happens to them all the time. I’m not sure if it’s as much of a problem if you’re in the trades. I don’t see how someone can possibly think you’ll replace a toilet or wiring or put up drywall for free. But maybe they try. …
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Listener Engagement
It’s a buzz-phrase in broadcasting. “Listener engagement” is where it’s at! Everyone wants listeners to respond and become involved in what’s going on, on air and in the community. Well, in news/talk radio we have it like crazy. They call, text, tweet and email. And it’s not always sweetness and light! But I think it’s hilarious. Â …
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