Kirk LaPointe to host morning show on Roundhouse Radio

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      More than 73,000 people voted for Kirk LaPointe in last year's Vancouver mayoral election, which he lost to incumbent Gregor Robertson.

      The city's newest radio station is hoping those voters will tune in when it goes live at 98.3 FM this fall.

      Roundhouse Radio announced today (July 21) that LaPointe, who's a former Vancouver Sun managing editor, CBC ombudsperson, and Newsworld host, will host its key 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. slot.

      The station's other inaugural hosts are Minelle Mahtani (10 a.m. to 12 p.m.), Terry David Mulligan (12 p.m. to 1 p.m.), Janice Ungaro (1 p.m. to 2 p.m.), Jana Lynne White (1 p.m. to 2 p.m.), and Martin Strong (6 p.m. to 9 p.m.).

      Some of these names will likely be familiar to Vancouverites who are older than millennials.

      Mahtani is a University of Toronto associate professor and former CBC TV journalist.

      Mulligan hosted Much West on MuchMusic.

      Ungaro was a morning show co-host on Z95.3.

      White worked for CFOX, CKVU, MuchMusic, and MuchMoreMusic.

      Strong served as co-host of the Bro Jake Morning Show on Rock 101.

      “We are honoured to have the opportunity to work with such an intelligent and passionate team that are committed to improving life within the City of Vancouver,” Don Shafer, CEO of Roundhouse Radio, said in a news release. “With the addition of these engaging story tellers, we are poised to redefine radio as a positive agent of change.”

      According to the station's website, Roundhouse will broadcast "mostly 'urban' talk and spoken word with a little bit of music".

      Veteran broadcasters Kerry Marshall and Marcella Bernardo have also joined Roundhouse as its news and content director, and assistant news and content director, respectively.

      Comments

      5 Comments

      Mandy the dog

      Jul 21, 2015 at 4:21pm

      Sweet, it's about time and old, wealthy, white Conservative got a job as a talk show host.

      Why not

      Jul 21, 2015 at 9:18pm

      @Mandy the dog

      Whether you like it or not, it's healthy to have a world where multiple viewpoints can be expressed. I would never tune into this station myself but I see no harm in it.

      ursa minor

      Jul 22, 2015 at 9:05am

      @Why not Lapointe on the air is extremely dangerous to appropriate public discourse in Vancouver. Let's not forget his claims of 'corruption' against Vision Vancouver and CUPE Locals 15 and 1004 based on the Vision's opposition to contracting out municipal services. After Sam Sullivan and the NPA tried to crush those Locals in 2007, it became obvious that the Unions would support the party most likely to keep out the NPA.

      Lapointe tried to cast legitimate political action based on self-defence and collective enlightened self-interest as a seedy quid pro quo between Gregor Robertson, Geoff Meggs, and the leadership of CUPE municipal locals. He failed at the ballot box to validate his accusation, and his supporters failed in their sham of a lawsuit which was thrown out.

      Expressing other viewpoints is fine, but that episode proved that Lapointe has nothing but contempt for viewpoints that are not his own or the NPA's. He could have cited CUPE's financial contribution to Vision as illustrative of the need for campaign finance reform. He could have approached pro-business groups like the Chamber of Commerce to help raise the issue of the cost of municipal services vis-a-vis Collective Agreements. Instead, Lapointe took an underhanded, vicious, cynical and disgusting potshot in an attempt to smear CUPE members in order to gain leverage against the Union at the bargaining table had the NPA managed to win the last election.

      Anyone who actually respects the democratic process and understands that supporting one's political opponents doe not constitute a criminal offense would be loathe to tune into to his vindictive twaddle.

      Xander Davis

      Jul 22, 2015 at 12:09pm

      Very low power (electrically) radio. 1700 watts from top of 49°17'06.0"N 123°07'09.0"W.

      The CRTC approved
      moving the transmitter site;
      decreasing the maximum effective radiated power (ERP) from 6,000 to 1,700 watts (average ERP from 2,080 to 770 watts); and
      increasing the antenna’s effective height above average terrain from -11 to 87.5 metres.

      Ho hum?

      Mandy the dog

      Jul 22, 2015 at 3:59pm

      @whynot

      My point whynot is that radio in Vancouver has been dominated by guys like Lapointe for far too long and they seem to be the only demographic represented on talk radio aside from Simi Sara.