Remember Dick Gordon? Back in the post-Gzowski days when CBC tried to mix the oil of Avril Benoit and the water of Michael Enright with a rebranded morning show called This Morning, Dick Gordon was one of the few bright lights: when he guest-hosted, the show had a grace that it never reached otherwise.
He moved to Boston shortly thereafter to host the NPR-affiliate WBUR’s morning show The Connection. I listen to it every time I’m in Boston, and find Gordon as compelling a host there as he was on the CBC.
Alas WBUR has cancelled The Connection (official announcement here).
Perhaps this means Dick Gordon can return to the CBC, where he belongs?
Comments
Pls give us Dick’s Edress, or contact him, if you would. We wish to invite him to join our cureently all-volunteer org.
Many thanks. I protested Dick’s dismal, as he is a superb journalist and interviewer. I hope you can help to find him a good spot in Canada.
Yours most cordially,
Ron Krate
Prof & Head
International Professors Project
Off. of Pres.
Hanoi University of Foreign Studies
Hanoi & Vermont (North American HQ)
I have to say I was very disappointed by this decision. “The Connection” was an outstanding show and Gordon a superb host. For two good articles on this, read:
http://www.boston.com/news/glo…
and
http://www.bostonphoenix.com/b…
Jeez, the Connection was one of the programs that drew me in as a listener to NPR, back when I just started college. This is really disappointing. I wish all the best to Dick Gordon.
When a local NPR station went to an “all talk” format, The Connection was the first program we heard with Dick Gordon interviewing Salmon Rushdee. I was bowled over at this wonderful upswing in stimulating radio programming and over the years,The connection has never disappointed in that regard.
When The Connection was abruptly removed from our morning programming, no explanation was given except that the program no longer existed. Only now have I learned that it was cancelled by WBUR. There are not sufficient programs of this quality that we can afford this loss. Now there is very little to distinguish one public radio station from another and very little to look forward to other than Fresh Air and ATC.
If there had been genuine desire to correct any problems with the the show and its finances, there would have been in depth discussions with the principals rather than a Friday morning massacre resulting in loss of all that was was fine about the show.
My husband and I are deeply disappointed in the loss of The Conection and would consider any oppportunity to
access its broadcast …..e.g. satellite broadcast of Canadian programming.
Shame on WBUR for this action. You have made our public radio listening a poorer experience and have embarassed all of us by the way in which you effected the termination of Dick Gordon’s excellent program.
Jo Ann Smith
WUNC/WFDD/WVTF
I am extremely disappointed by the decision that WBUR made to let Dick and The Connection go. This was by far the best show at the station and it rivaled any NPR program.
Dick is very knowledgeable, and he down to earth. He had a very compassionate style about him, and you learned a lot by listening to the connection.
Tom Ashbrook’s On Point is also an excellent show, but The Connection had become a signature program, and I am deeply saddened to see the show get pulled.
Am I a little crazy or do people feel the same way I do? I am still recovering from not being able to hear the soothing voice of Dick Gordon. He was so calm, informative, polite, and an intelligent reporter. The Connection was the reason I listened to NPR. I didn’t know his show was cancelled because there were no announcement prior to that fatal day in August. I came back from a trip and couldn’t find Dick Gordon on the show. I love Tom Ashbrook, who replaced the time slot of 7 am to 9 am, but it’s not the same… Tom is someone I like to listen in the afternoon, not 7 in the morning. I feel depressed and upset especially after reading how Dick was fired. On the bright side I just found out on the internet that he is working for North Carolina Public Radio and he and his team is working on producing a show early in 2006. I hope my local station will carrry him. If not, I just have to listen to him through the Internet.
You can have Dick Gordon. His contrived patronizing drone not only turned WBURs news reporting into an egocentric charade, but drove an educated public radio community right out of WBUR’s audience.
He’s best suited to appear next on enterainment tonight. But not here in Boston.