CALGARY – Talk radio host Dave Rutherford of Corus-owned AM770 CHQR in Calgary had his show pulled from the airwaves Tuesday after criticizing the station’s coverage of the city’s flooding crisis during a broadcast the day before.
Rutherford, who had earlier made known his intentions to retire on July 26, announced Tuesday via Twitter: “I have just been taken off the air on Corus radio. Message: don’t criticize management.”
On Monday, Rutherford told listeners he was “profoundly disappointed” that Corus decided to broadcast flood coverage from its 630 CHED station in Edmonton after CHQR, located in Calgary’s downtown, had to be evacuated due to the flooding. Corus’s music stations Country 105 and Q107, however, stayed on air uninterrupted.
“Corus management decided to channel their resources that they had to the music stations to get the music stations continuing to play the music. And the resources were not directed at doing everything it seems to me possible to get information on an information radio station… It’s unfortunate the decisions ended up the way they are,” Rutherford said in his broadcast Monday. (You can read the whole transcript here).
Corus would not confirm that Rutherford had been fired. In an email, Magda Krpan, director of communications for radio and special events, told Cartt.ca that the company does not comment on personnel changes, but did confirm that Corus would not be renewing The Rutherford Show.
The Calgary Sun reported Wednesday that Rutherford, who has hosted his show for 20 years, still had not been officially informed by the company why he had been fired.
