Finally. The Finale. It Was Fine.

CTV News wrapped up its series on Morning Radio Wars last Friday with a look at the heated battle for rock supremacy. The piece focused on the Doc and Woody Show and the morning show from The Bear, where Doc and I first became a team.

Seeing the daily installments that highlighted the other formats, including talk radio, I was wondering if we were going to get a fair shake on the week's airtime. As the days went by, I knew, that in the most competetive radio market in Canada, there was still plenty to cover. And that concerned me. It's not every day television bothers to cover radio.

The series was well produced and gave the viewers a fairly realistic impression of the product they hear every morning on their way to work. Because it went in-depth and sometimes personal, there was a sense of revelation with some of the personalities. Majic 100's Kevin Nelson spoke somewhat emotional about his late father and Toronto Radio icon, Jay Nelson. The cynic in me noted that "this sonofabitch can cry on cue. No wonder he does well with adult females!" In the end, though, I'm glad it came off the way it did. I'd really have a hate on for him if he showed coolness to the memory of the man I grew up a fan of in T.O. I'm still pissed that he never acknowledged the condolences Doc and Woody sent at Jay's passing several years ago. Maybe he's still bitter that we used to parody him as Kevin "Half" Nelson on our show. He actually ignored us once at a public function because of that. I also recall him inferring that we did "whoopie-cushion" radio. An absolute falsehood. All our farts were REAL.

Another segment that showed the true colours of the personalities was on talk radio. Steve Madely left a pro impression while it was no surprise that the uppity and pretentious CBC Morning host Anthony Germain fired a salvo toward CFRA, inferring its listeners were all "angry white males". Only back a week and the liberal spin machine is in high gear. Impressive.

The rock format segment illustrated the intensity of the competition for the audience but it was tempered by the comments of The Bear's Stuntman Stu and myself. The desire to win is strong but healthy. And, while we're passionate about achieving results, we're respectful of the others' successes. To reflect that on television, in my view, shows a touch of humility and a measure of class. It would be a lesson well learned by Mr. Germain. The camera always adds ten pounds to your ego.

As for how we were presented in the piece, I can't complain. There's always the doubt that, when the press pack up their gear and head off, much of what you wanted to say or do will have hit the floor before airtime. It's a lot like politics in that regard. The media could very well use your content within the context of their agenda: their script: their angle. Thank god I said nice things about people.... and I didn't fart.

Hat-tip to CTV's Chris Day for a fine series.

Other blog references to this topic found here, here, and here.