Michael Coren Fired from CFRB

[Homo Erectus]

I'm glad they finally got rid of that self-righteous buffoon.
Now if they would only do the same to the Motts.

 

[Clear History]

While we're at it, let's also nuke Ask Ellie and Lisi Sunday nights 8:00 to 9:00. Probably the worst radio in the GTA.

 

[HaywoodJabloemy]

Do you know for sure that he was "fired", as opposed to quit or just not having his contract renewed? I think they had already cut his air time down to only one hour, and I thought he had gone to that religious TV station on cable 9.

 

[Clear History]

Do you know for sure that he was "fired", as opposed to quit or just not having his contract renewed?

Looks like he got canned. Here's the Globe and Mail's account

MICHAEL COREN FIRED

By GUY DIXON

Tuesday, November 29, 2005 Page R1

Last Monday evening, talk-radio host Michael Coren on Toronto's CFRB apparently crossed one too many lines, even by the standards of evening AM-radio call-in shows, and it cost him his job.

During a segment that station general manager Pat Holiday said lasted about five minutes or so, Coren -- a veteran talk-radio host, TV personality and newspaper columnist known to court controversy -- interviewed a man from New Jersey who was said to have lost 100 pounds after previously weighing more than 500.

Coren mocked him on the air for not losing more and even joked about whether he could find his wife in bed, Holiday said. He later pretended to quote the Bible by saying that the gates of heaven weren't wide enough for obese people.

Holiday wasn't listening at the time, but received a slew of angry e-mails from listeners that night. Reviewing a recorded portion of the interview the next morning, he was astonished by Coren's offensive remarks.

Yet as it turns out, the interview was staged. The caller was fictitious, although there was no mention on air before or after the segment that it was made up, Holiday said.

Despite the questionable practice of staging the interview, Coren's remarks were still unusually heated and offensive. "What was so strange was this never had to happen because the whole thing was staged [by Coren]," Holiday said.

Talk-show hosts commonly have to be cautioned not to get too personal during the heat of talk-radio arguments, Holiday said. Coren had been previously warned about being too offensive and about staging at least one interview.

There is a grey area in radio, Holiday said, about staging interviews. "It's not uncommon to have morning shows doing it a lot. They'll have fake callers, and it would be a [comedy] bit or something. But CFRB is a talk station. It's a different animal. We don't want people doing that here."

Coren, responding by e-mail when asked to comment, said only that, "It has been gratifying to receive more than a thousand e-mails of support since last Wednesday." A week ago Monday evening was his last show, CFRB said, but a memo circulated at the station last Wednesday about his departure.

Holiday noted that the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council simply draws the line at overly offensive remarks, even if it's a case "where someone says it's just a joke, we were just fooling around -- which Michael thought he was doing, or at least he said he thought he was doing."

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/serv...20051129/COREN29/TPEntertainment/?query=coren

 

[Gord's Bro]

I've never really liked Coren and his anti-abortion, pro-Christian stance. Yet I'd still listen, often I suspect, to feel riled, upset and and may be even superior!!!

Problem is as I've gotten older I seem to agree with some of what he says -- senility???

G's B.

 

[calloway]

I didn't mind listening to him every now and then. He was quite intelligent on a number of issues... but when his massive ego and pompous attitude kicked in... it ruined everything and I just simply turned the radio off. I remember one specific show where he was asking callers why men throught Angelina Jolie was attractive. He called her one of the ugliest women on the planet and made fun of a number of her body parts and certain aspects of her personal life. The whole time I thinking to myself... (if you've ever seen a picture of him)... how farkin' ugly this guy is. Maybe ratings were bad that month.

 

[Clear History]

how farkin' ugly this guy is.

Give him a monocle and he's a ringer for Col. Klink! (I read somewhere that was a running joke among staffers at CFRB)

Also, didn't he get himself into hot water a few years ago for calling American radio host Art Bell a child molestor? (or something like that)

 

[MarkII]

Radio has finished ratings not too long ago. Coren's numbers while good, were not great.

He's also as pompous in person as on the air persona. Couple that with multiple listener complaints...he did cross a line with his pseudo FAT GUY bit. Pat Holiday was correct, if someone complained its almost a certainty they'd be in front of the CRTC explaining their license renewal, which I believe is next year.

Doesn't matter how good you are there is a limit to what management will take. And what they'll allow to go on in the hallways of the building.

With Leafs hockey back..his numbers will continue to drop untill late spring. In that amount of time they can find a better replacement with less headaches.

 

[KBear]

I'm glad they finally got rid of that self-righteous buffoon.
Now if they would only do the same to the Motts.

Coren was a waist of airtime.

Dont mind the Motts though.

 

[Weekly]

CFRB sucks!

 

[Dawgger]

Coren YUK

Coren reminded me of puke at a dinner party!
He won't be missed.

 

[booboobear]

I didn't mind listening to him every now and then. He was quite intelligent on a number of issues... but when his massive ego and pompous attitude kicked in... it ruined everything and I just simply turned the radio off. I remember one specific show where he was asking callers why men throught Angelina Jolie was attractive. He called her one of the ugliest women on the planet and made fun of a number of her body parts and certain aspects of her personal life. The whole time I thinking to myself... (if you've ever seen a picture of him)... how farkin' ugly this guy is. Maybe ratings were bad that month.

Sure he was intelligent on some topics but massive ego describes him well.
I can't believe he criticized Angelina Jolie no need to publicly mock people .
I won't miss him . These talk show hosts should realise that people who call in provide jobs for them.

 

[RedgeDunlop]

CFRB is still around?

 

[Corey]

Why are born again Christians among the most unforgiving, mean-spirited, materialistic people around?

Here are some quotes and stories:

"You know, I don't know about this doctrine of assassination, but if he thinks we're trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it. It's a whole lot cheaper than starting a war ... We have the ability to take him out, and I think the time has come that we exercise that ability. We don't need another $200 billion war to get rid of one, you know, strong-arm dictator. It's a whole lot easier to have some of the covert operatives do the job and then get it over with."
-Pat Robertson
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2005-08-22-robertson-_x.htm

I'd like to say to the good citizens of Dover: if there is a disaster in your area, don't turn to God, you just rejected Him from your city," Robertson said on his daily television show broadcast from Virginia, "The 700 Club."

"And don't wonder why He hasn't helped you when problems begin, if they begin. I'm not saying they will, but if they do, just remember, you just voted God out of your city. And if that's the case, don't ask for His help because he might not be there," he said.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051110...7PgPFCs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA3ODdxdHBhBHNlYwM5NjQ-

John Brown believes he'll find oil in central Israel, although he has no scientific data or particular experience in the drilling business on which to base that.
The Dallas native is a relative novice in the energy industry. He says he'll find oil because his reading of the Bible tells him it's right here — under Maanit, an inland plain northeast of Tel Aviv, where he began drilling last month.

"God sent me for one purpose: to help Israel with oil," says Brown, a born-again Christian, as he leafs through his Bible.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2005-05-18-israel-oil_x.htm

"We need an energy bill that encourages consumption."
George W. Bush
http://www.capecodtoday.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=0126

"Congratulations on joining God's financial plan!"
http://www.teachingpages.co.uk/minilesson/prospering.html

 

[Gord's Bro]

Coren on another Toronto station . . .

. . . some time back had a sweet young thing call in, somehow thinking she'd reached ANOTHER station that was awarding trips to somewhere.

Coren led hear on. Asked her to call her husband into the room and told her to say to her husband . . .

. . . "honey, I'm an idiot who called the wrong station!"

The woman was devastated (didn't get the trip, either) but, fromwhat I've read about his "fake" phone calls, maybe this was one of them!!

Back at CFRB he and his wife attacked fellow station broadcaster Mark Elliot at a recent station-sponsored forum on gays. They had every right to air their views, of course, it's just the venom, ridicule and outright scorn they heaped on Elliot that bothered me!!

G's B.

 

[drrogers]

Glad to see him gone

I am a regular listener to RB. But when Coren gets on - i go back to XM. His pompous attitude and overly zealous Christianity just had not place on air. I recall hearing several other "staged" callers over the years. Sadly they were his best hours.

Now the Motts - that's another story - if they ever stop pitching their water system and stop the inane back and forth phony rhetoric they might get some where.

RB has a number of good radio personalities. They need to give Spider more than 2 hour airtime - he has something to say and is a positive influence in the Black community. Jim Richards one of the best, John Donabee - too nice, but enjoy listening to him and Ted Woloshyn great morning guy. But the best talk show host has to be Bill Carroll - now if he could just stop hawking suits, renovatons and jewellery I could really enjoy him

DrR

 

[scouser1]

this is the man who listed a couple of his sports heros as Paul Gascogine (a drunk wife beater who ruined his career) and Glen Hoddle ( a man who was once quoted as saying that people who are mentally or physically handicapped deserved it because they must have done something bad in a previous lifetime)

 

[Bud Plug]

These talk show hosts should realise that people who call in provide jobs for them.

Wrong. It's not the callers, it's the listeners, and there's a huge difference between who calls and who listens.

Talk radio, at its essence, is about public mockery. After all, anyone with enough going on their lives doesn't take the time to call, hold on the line, and talk to a radio personality. Most of the people who call these shows fall into one or more categories: 1) moron, 2) shut-in, 3) social activist, 4) talk show host wannabe, or 5) prank caller. These shows simply allow you to listen to all the dumb, inarticulate points of view that some people have and be entertained by them!

It's absurd that a broadcaster would cancel a show because the host mocked a caller. That's what all these shows are about! I think it's more likely that the station simply wanted to make a change to try to move their ratings. Have you heard the half-wit ultra-sensitive woman who's been filling in his time slot? I listen to her because she's so fragile it's funny. However, I won't be calling in! One night her topic was "aren't Canadian's being unfair to Conrad Black by refusing to grant him citizenship?" Yeesh! If you didn't laugh at that, you'd have to yank your car into oncoming traffic!

 

[HaywoodJabloemy]

...anyone with enough going on their lives doesn't take the time to call, hold on the line, and talk to a radio personality...
These shows simply allow you to listen to all the dumb, inarticulate points of view that some people have and be entertained by them!

Yeah... not at all like the fine, smart people who post on internet message boards, of course.

 

[Bud Plug]

Yeah... not at all like the fine, smart people who post on internet message boards, of course.

Actually, I agree with you as far the the "opinion" threads go - only for entertainment value. However, the review threads communicate useful, practical information (unlike talk radio).