Popular east coast CBC Radio host set to retire
CBC Radio’s Radio Noon program in Newfoundland and Labrador is losing its well-liked host. Ann Budgell will retire on Friday. She’s been with the CBC for 34 years and has held pretty much every job in the book: Reporter, first female host on ‘The Fisheries Broadcast’ (if you’re “from away,” it really can’t be explained how big and important this show is), host of several CBC TV shows, and eventually was tapped as executive producer of radio news and current affairs.
As the popular local blog Meeker on Media notes:
As the host of the call-in program Crosstalk, Budgell figures that “by now she’s probably spoken to you on the air and if not you, then someone in your family.”
Although she is well known for her aggressive interview style (when it is called for), Budgell also has a soft side which is apparent whenever she deals with sensitive or light-hearted subjects. The recent Crosstalk about ‘What Makes You Happy’ (March 26) was pretty off-the-wall and had the potential to fall on its face, but Anne pulled it off in style, delivering one of her most entertaining programs ever.
In other CBC Newsfoundland news, the radio and TV units are finally merging. CBC will close the radio building on Duckworth street in downtown St. John’s on Friday; those people will move in with the TV folks who have a building out in the boonies.
Kinda sad. I really think we should have more CBC locations in front of people and on the “main drag” like CBC Edmonton (in a mall) and CBC Ottawa (right downtown).
Thanks to Peter Cowan for sending me news from his region! If you have any news from your region you’d like to get out, please drop me (Tod Maffin) a line in Groupwise!
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Anne will indeed be missed, as will the Duckworth Street location, but the TV building is not “out in the boonies” – contrary to the thinking of some of my radio colleagues. It’s across one street from the Memorial University campus, across another (albeit a high-speed parkway) from the largest hospital in the province, and in walking distance from the legislature.
Hardly isolated.
I moved up from the radio building two weeks ago, and while I would have preferred to stay downtown, the new location has excellent facilities – and is close to plenty of things.
990, 540, 1400 and 640 was the combination to hear Ann as you drive across the province from Corner Brook to St. John’s.
Great job on crosstalk. I can’t say it any other way.
I still fondly remember Ann and Art Rockwood on Friday’s. I have listened to you many times as I drove across the province.
Good luck and all the best.