The famous “turkey drop” episode of WKRP in Cincinnati is part of the consciousness of broadcasters. “As God as my witness, I thought turkeys could fly!”  Those words have left the lips of most announcers, either to mock a situation or just to remember a classic TV moment that captured the humiliation that can result from an attempt at something great in radio. …
When someone wants to criticize our work at Blackburn News, they tend to either post a comment on the website or go directly to our News Director. …
A Selection from my Work Email Read More »
Last week, even though it was flashback week on the blog, a Brandt’s Randt occurred as usual. This one pretty much speaks for itself. St. Joseph’s Hospital in London is preparing its budget for the new year starting in April. And it galls me. …
Brandt’s Randt – Fat Cats and Kittens Read More »
My first celebrity interview was to be The Rovers. A Canadian music staple, they were going through a rebirth and thus were no longer Irish in name. It was an attempt to go mainstream country and leave their green-alligator-and-long-necked-geese persona of a novelty act behind them. I was very excited. Who hadn’t seen them on TV? They were real Canadian stars at that time. …
My First Celebrity Interview – Sept. 24, 2002 Read More »
You get to a point in your career where you think you’ve made all of the big boo-boos you’re going to make. Â I expect to continue to make mistakes, but not like the legendary error I made on Friday. …
Embrace Your Mistakes Read More »
From a colleague’s complaints about having to pack to an acquaintance’s whines about missing one afternoon of sunshine out of seven, I’ve had it with vacationers who have negative stories to tell about getting away from this horrible winter. Â Please tell me you had a great time, show me photos, give me highlights but don’t you dare bitch about it! …
Brandt’s Randt – Vacation Envy Read More »
It’s Sunday shopping all over again. Convenience store owners versus the government, over expanding sales of beer outside of the Beer Store. Â …
Brandt’s Randt – Beer Sales in Convenience StoresRead More »
Brandt’s Randt – Beer Sales in Convenience Stores Read More »
A squeak in the floor is more than just annoying. It ruins sleep. It interrupts a conversation. And it has the potential to wreck a really good practical joke. Just as you sneak up on your intended victim, the squeak gives you away. …
Silence Those Squeaky Floors – House Proud, Sun MediaRead More »
Silence Those Squeaky Floors – House Proud, Sun Media Read More »
Morgan Freeman was once asked, “When will racism end?” His answer, “When we all stop talking about it.” …
Brandt’s Randt – Live and Let Live Read More »
I took some heat from fellow BJs – Broadcast Journalists – last week for a tweet I put out after Kathleen Wynne held a news conference to announce the changes to minimum wage.  You’re likely aware that minimum wage has been frozen at $10.25 since 2010 and it will go up in June to$11/hr. The province will also table a bill to tie future increases to inflation. …
The Issue at Hand Read More »
They mean well, they really do, but celebrities aren’t always the best ad-libbers. This week a couple that offered some hyperbole with a capital HYPER caught my attention. And so I randt. …
Brandt’s Randt – Smart People Saying Dumb Things Read More »
There was a puzzling problem with a voice-over I did late last week. The client could hear faint music in the background. I could not. But as we know, my hearing isn’t top-notch so I checked with a couple of other people and they couldn’t hear it either. …
Studio Issues or How I Became an Amateur EngineerRead More »
Studio Issues or How I Became an Amateur Engineer Read More »
Before I left 680 News, legendary political reporter John Stall and I had a discussion about cynicism.  He made a very good point.  Being a cynic is a barrier to growth.  Even when it comes to the Mayor of this city where unemployment and closing companies are issues and he says what we need is a gondola ride over the Thames. At least I thought about it before I dismissed it as dumb!  So I randt. …
Brandt’s Randt – Cynics Need Not Apply Read More »
People often ask me what the secret is to writing a book. I always say, there’s no secret, you just do it. You have to actually put in the time and the fingers to the keyboard. That’s the big secret! Â …
Secrets to Success Read More »
This week’s randt has nothing to do with this website and everything to do with those that specialize in news coverage. Â As one of the administrators of our site at work I am privy to the unapproved comments and they make you give your head a shake. Â …
Brandt’s Randt – Hiding and Tossing Darts Read More »
I spent most of last weekend at Fanshawe College taking in a series of seminars and presentations designed to teach me how to teach.  There were a few dozen of us, some with teaching experience and some without, and it really astonished me in hindsight that a couple of other colleges unleashed me, and many others, on unsuspecting students with no training whatsoever! …
One of the things I love best about doing Brandt’s Randt every week is that it can give me a chance to talk about something that many people are aware of, but might not actually make the news. And that’s what had me randting this week. …
Brandt’s Randt – Foolish Fool Doing Foolish ThingsRead More »
Brandt’s Randt – Foolish Fool Doing Foolish Things Read More »
Of all the things I must do on the radio, weather is my least favourite. It’s rarely accurate and it’s full of guesses and subject to  interpretation. Environment Canada, our government’s weather service, supplies us with our forecast and to top it all off the writing is terrible. …
A Chill in the Air Read More »