Jim Richards (Canadian broadcaster)
Encyclopedia
Jim Richards is a Canadian
radio
personality.
Richards studied radio broadcasting at Loyalist College
in Belleville
, Ontario
. In 1988 he launched his radio career at CJTN
in Trenton, Ontario
, close to Belleville; he also worked at CIHI
in Fredericton
, New Brunswick
, CJCH in Halifax
, Nova Scotia
. He hosted a popular morning show at CFJB Rock 95
in Barrie, Ontario
, north of Toronto, and was nominated for medium-market morning show of the year in 1990.
From the early 1990s to 1996, he worked periodic shifts including a Saturday morning show on Toronto
sports talk station The Fan
.
At the Fan, he gave George Stroumboulopoulos
his first exposure as an on-air personality; the young board operator
contributed regularly to Richards' shows. In 1994, a difficult year for sports media with both a Major League Baseball
strike and National Hockey League
lockout, the station gave Richards a midday shift with sports broadcaster Barb DiGiulio.
In the summer of 1996, he left the Fan to work at Toronto rock station Q107
and the Rock Radio Network, hosting overnight rock music programming syndicated across Canada
for the latter.
He joined news-talk station CFRB
in 1997. At CFRB, he hosted late evening talk show
The Nightside. In 2004, Mark Elliot took over The Nightside and Richards moved to an earlier shift, weekday evenings from 8 to 11. Known officially as The Jim Richards Show, Richards also bills it as the "Showgram", "The Nighttime Friendly", "The Feel-Good Edition" and "The Three Hours of Love." In late 2005, with the departure of Michael Coren
, Richards' shift briefly moved from 7 to 10 for several weeks until Kelly Cutrara was appointed Coren's replacement and Richards returned to the 8 to 11 slot. Richards was on the 10am-noon and 1pm-3pm time slot, to replace Leslie Roberts
and Paul and Carol Motts respectively but now he hosts the 1pm to 4pm time slot weekdays.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
personality.
Richards studied radio broadcasting at Loyalist College
Loyalist College
Loyalist College is an English-language community college in Belleville, Ontario, Canada.- History :...
in Belleville
Belleville, Ontario
Belleville is a city located at the mouth of the Moira River on the Bay of Quinte in Southern Ontario, Canada, in the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor. It is the seat of Hastings County, but is politically independent of it. and the centre of the Bay of Quinte Region...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. In 1988 he launched his radio career at CJTN
CJTN-FM
CJTN-FM is a radio station at FM 107.1 MHz, serving the Belleville/Quinte West region in Ontario. Owned by Quinte Broadcasting, the station is a classic rock format branded as Rock 107.-History:...
in Trenton, Ontario
Trenton, Ontario
Trenton is a community in Southern Ontario in the municipality of Quinte West, Ontario, Canada. Located on the Bay of Quinte, it is the main population centre in Quinte West....
, close to Belleville; he also worked at CIHI
CFXY-FM
CFXY-FM is a Canadian radio station in Fredericton, New Brunswick, branded as 105.3 The Fox. The station, which broadcasts an active rock format, can be found at 105.3 on the FM dial. CFXY is owned by Astral Media....
in Fredericton
Fredericton, New Brunswick
Fredericton is the capital of the Canadian province of New Brunswick, by virtue of the provincial parliament which sits there. An important cultural, artistic, and educational centre for the province, Fredericton is home to two universities and cultural institutions such as the Beaverbrook Art...
, New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
, CJCH in Halifax
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
. He hosted a popular morning show at CFJB Rock 95
CFJB-FM
CFJB-FM is a Canadian radio station, broadcasting at 95.7 FM in Barrie, Ontario. The station broadcasts an active rock format branded as Rock 95.Owned by Rock 95 Broadcasting Ltd., the station launched on October 7, 1988...
in Barrie, Ontario
Barrie, Ontario
Barrie is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada, located on the western shore of Lake Simcoe, approximately 90 km north of Toronto. Although located in Simcoe County, the city is politically independent...
, north of Toronto, and was nominated for medium-market morning show of the year in 1990.
From the early 1990s to 1996, he worked periodic shifts including a Saturday morning show on Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
sports talk station The Fan
CJCL (AM)
CJCL is a Canadian sports radio station in Toronto, Ontario. Owned and operated by Rogers Communications, the station broadcasts at 590 kHz on the AM radio dial with a 50,000 watts transmitter and directional antenna concentrating its signal over the Toronto/Hamilton region...
.
At the Fan, he gave George Stroumboulopoulos
George Stroumboulopoulos
George Mark Paul Stroumboulopoulos is a Canadian television and radio personality, best known as the host of CBC Television's George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight and being a VJ for Canadian music television channel MuchMusic...
his first exposure as an on-air personality; the young board operator
Board operator
A board operator or board op is a particular type of operator at a radio station, television studio, or at a live production such as a theater or concert venue and provides live event support...
contributed regularly to Richards' shows. In 1994, a difficult year for sports media with both a Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
strike and National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
lockout, the station gave Richards a midday shift with sports broadcaster Barb DiGiulio.
In the summer of 1996, he left the Fan to work at Toronto rock station Q107
CILQ-FM
CILQ-FM is a radio station, broadcasting at 107.1 FM in Toronto, Ontario. The station broadcasts a classic rock format branded as Q107 and is also available through streaming audio....
and the Rock Radio Network, hosting overnight rock music programming syndicated across Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
for the latter.
He joined news-talk station CFRB
CFRB (AM)
CFRB, Newstalk 1010, is an AM radio clear-channel station in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, broadcasting on 1010 kHz, with a shortwave radio simulcast by CFRX-SW on 6.070 MHz. The station broadcasts a mix of talk and news throughout the day from its transmitter located in the community of...
in 1997. At CFRB, he hosted late evening talk show
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
The Nightside. In 2004, Mark Elliot took over The Nightside and Richards moved to an earlier shift, weekday evenings from 8 to 11. Known officially as The Jim Richards Show, Richards also bills it as the "Showgram", "The Nighttime Friendly", "The Feel-Good Edition" and "The Three Hours of Love." In late 2005, with the departure of Michael Coren
Michael Coren
Michael Coren is an English-Canadian columnist, author, public speaker, radio host and television talk show host. He hosted the television talk show The Michael Coren Show on the Crossroads Television System from 1999 to 2011 when he moved to the Sun News Network to host an evening talk show, The...
, Richards' shift briefly moved from 7 to 10 for several weeks until Kelly Cutrara was appointed Coren's replacement and Richards returned to the 8 to 11 slot. Richards was on the 10am-noon and 1pm-3pm time slot, to replace Leslie Roberts
Leslie Roberts
Leslie Roberts is a Canadian journalist and TV personality, primarily from his position as the executive editor and anchor for Global Ontario's News Hour from 5:30-6:30 p.m. He also anchors the GTA's only one hour local news at 11pm. He was also the host and successor to Bill Carroll's 10 a.m. -...
and Paul and Carol Motts respectively but now he hosts the 1pm to 4pm time slot weekdays.