Radio talk show host Rick Gibbons no longer graces the airwaves at 1310 News.
Gibbons, host of The Rick Gibbons Show, a weekday afternoon current affairs program, announced his departure over Twitter on Thursday, noting “Some personal news: Today was my last day at @1310NEWS. Was an honor to be part of a small, mighty news team. Will miss the daily challenge of putting a show together. Thanks to Mark Campbell & show regulars. Special thanks to much talented producer & pal @AdamHaga.”
The show’s cancellation also left producer Adam Haga on the outside. “Today was unexpectedly the last day of The Rick Gibbons Show on 1310 NEWS and my time with Rogers,” he tweeted Thursday. “I have nothing but respect and admiration for a station and company that took a chance on me as a 19 year old coming out of college.”
The station’s communications manager, Charmaine Khan, confirmed the pair’s departure on Friday. “Rick is one of Ottawa’s most engaging and highly respected broadcasters, and Adam a strong and emerging broadcaster,” she said. “We thank them both for their contributions to 1310 NEWS.
“We are making changes to our programming schedule and will be extending our news wheel format in the afternoon on 1310 NEWS this fall.”
Until then, Ottawa Today with Mark Sutcliffe will broadcast from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., followed by Baseball Central Replay from 1 to 2 p.m., and Afternoon News with Mark Day and Sara Buchan from 2 to 7 p.m.
Gibbons, 66, said on Friday that his show’s cancellation caught him somewhat by surprise, “but I’ve been around the industry a long time, and we all know the challenges that mainstream media faces, whether it’s TV, radio or newspapers.
“But the reality is I was at the latter stages of my career, and wasn’t anticipating being there for the next 10 years. It was a good run and I really enjoyed it.”
He expressed his thanks to Rogers for pulling him out of a brief retirement that “didn’t take,” two years ago. “It gave me an opportunity to reconnect with the community, something I really missed.”
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