How Andy Barrie made me leave Ontario

Your links are all broken.

Links to Ontario?
Speaking of broken links, will the PEI Gov site ever get the maps back? How can I get aerial photos now?

…but Peter the old Autodesk map links are all over the site….

I lived in Toronto for a few years, listening to Andy Barrie in the mornings. I am in full agreement with you, Peter. I don’t miss him at all.

I will admit that Andy Barrie is an acquired taste. I found him irritating when he first started on CBC because he brought his old CFRB talk-show kitsch with him ,and I must admit that it still hasn’t completely worn off. Most irritating are his mindless segues and his abbreviations like “Thanks, Jim, who will be updating the traffic in half an hour”.

BUT, he can be an excellent interviewer. He does his homework on his guests, he doesn’t take any guff and he’s intelligent enough to ask the right questions. That just doesn’t come through in the idle chit-chat which characterizes much of the show.

Amused that criticism of a CBC Toronto icon should come from a sector whose sole contribution to the CBC nationally is the brassy, crude and witless sports/weathercaster, Colleen Jones. Now that’s really a piece of work!

Andy barrie as a cardigan sweater. A description that almost defies the imagination but not the sense of humour. And by the way, I understand the people of Cardigan are up in arms over your comparision and may launch an appeal to the CBC Ombudsman.

Andy is the master of the 45-second question. I’m amazed the guests don’t say, “I’m sorry, Andy, I’ve completely forgotten where this question started.” I started listening to Metro Morning 7 years ago to avoid commercial radio; now I avoid Metro Morning unless there’s a relief host. And I do mean relief.

And the mention of Colleen Jones reminds me of a poem on the wall of my Grade 10 geography class. Substitute “curler” for “student”.

The gum-chewing student and the cud-chewing cow
Are somewhat alike, yet different somehow.
Oh yes, I remember now …
It’s the thoughtful look on the face of the cow.

Speaking of guest hosts … I’ve always said that CBC is missing a great opportunity. I know a significant number of people who’ve stopped listening to Metro Morning because they just can’t stand the patronizing intellectual midget (aka Andy Barrie). So I suggest that CBC creates an email list of all those who would like to be notified whenever he’s off (which thankfully is fairly often). I don’t care WHO the guest host is as long as it’s not Andy … in fact empty air would be preferable!

Couldn’t agree more about the rambling, egotistical Andy Barrie. Every time there’s a guest host on Metro Morning, it further reinforces what a twit Barrie really is. And what about that cough??

I guess you will not be happy to hear that Metro Morning is currently the top rated morning show in Toronto.

I find Andy Barrie to be an excellent host and top notch interviewer. I listen to the CBC every morning on my hour long drive in to work.

Andy sucks! I hate him and cough filled interjections as he tries to sound intelligent.

Will he ever get fired? I sure hope so.

Apart from the cough, the way he loves the sound of his own voice, his obsession with supporting anythng that is politically correct (e.g. the environment)and the ingratiating way he changes the timbre of his voice what I find the most objectionable about Andy Barrie is the way he interviews people.

For those people with whom he sympathises, he develops a patronizing attitude and often tells them what to say (“Do you think that…?”). It is painful to hear his sugar-sweet, caring tone of voice when he interviews anyone who is disadvantaged, poor or from a visible minority. Give him someone who runs a company or a politician who is mildly right-wing and his interviewing technique changes completely.

What is this whole fuss about? Andy is not perfect (and none of us is) and in my own opinion, he does an excellent good job every morning. He is an objective reporter and he cares for those of us who don’t belong to the majority group. Perhaps, this is why he is being criticized so much on this forum. I will be one of those to miss Andy were his show to be axed. I can’t see this happening though. Andy please keep up the good work. Some of us love you dearly and can’t wait to listen to you every morning.

What is this whole fuss about? Andy is not perfect (and none of us is) and in my own opinion, he does an excellent job every morning. He is an objective reporter and he cares for those of us who don’t belong to the majority group. Perhaps, this is why he is being criticized so much on this forum. I will be one of those to miss Andy were his show to be axed. I can’t see this happening though. Andy please keep up the good work. Some of us love you dearly and can’t wait to listen to you every morning.

Has anyone tried contacting Metro Morning about this problem? I am so sick of Andy Barrie that I want to write them an e-mail, because at least it’s more constructive than beating up my alarm clock every morning. But I don’t want to sound like just another nutcase with acess to e-mail. Maybe if a whole group of people expressed their opinions, the station would at least take the problem seriously. Not that I’m expecting any action, given that the program is rated #1 in its market.

By the way, I read recently in a Toronto newspaper that the CBC is aware that Andy Barrie is consistently alienating younger viewers.

I’ve listened to Andy BArrie many times and never found him annoying or bad. I think you’re wrong here Peter. However there is a guy who is a dee-jay and does commercials for 980 CRUZ and The WOLF who drives me insane. He’s not very good at all. I believe his name is Gord Gibb. With all due respect of course.

Actually Gord is good, on second thought, with his dee-jaying. The wife and I have enjoyed his rare plums from the 60’s and 70’s on Saturday morning radio. But the commercials on The WOLF! Oy! He also does the p.a. announcing at Petes games which he should really not be doing.

Slow off the mark, perhaps, but that’s not unusual. Andy can get rather annoying, not least of which when denying that he has a cough. However, it’s a bit like democracy in the eyes of Churchill - the worst, apart from all the rest. Within CBC we can compare him to Sheilagh (shudders instinctively with her similarity to campus radio), or Avril (who just can’t seem to stay on focus, or find one). IMO, the best thing that’s happened to CBC lately is The Current (aside from Joe Cote’s brief foray back to Metro Morning…was it last year with the anniversary shows?).

Ah, well. Even Andy compares favourably to NPR’s Morning Edition, but I can see so much room for improvement and actual substance…

This is pretty bizarre, Let me get it straight: The guy who’s behind this site, on the first day he hears Andy Barrie, concludes, retroactively, that this must be why he left Ontario ten years ago, a year before Barrie even joined the CBC. Furthermore, he hears Barrie guest-hosting Shelagh’s show - a disaster of a program that nobody could host and had to be rebuilt from the ground up.

You may not have this news back east, but for a year now Metro Morning has been the number one rated morning show in Toronto. It was number seven when Andy arrived nine years ago. This is the first time the CBC has EVER led the Toronto morning ratings.

I googled Andy and couldn’t believe that this came up so near the top. God knows how or why, but anybody who goes looking deserves to a little perspective on the very strange comments that led off this discussion.

As a faithful listener to CBC Radio since 1987 when I moved to Toronto, I would like to add my 2 cents worth.

1 — Joe Cote is superior, no doubt about that. His move to Malta was a sad day for me. His return to Ontario Morning infuriated me because we couldn’t get him in Toronto.

2 — maybe the initial poster of this “rant” was confusing Andy Barri with the forgetable Matt Maychack [sp?]. Now THAT was one awful show to bear.

3 — as for the 45 second lead-in to questions and ramblings, noone could or can even come close to Gzowski. I’m surprised SCTV never did a spoof on his style.

4 — give the poor dude some cough syrup, man. His voice usually lasts for one or two days after a vacation then back to goobers-ville. Reminds me of John Chancelor during his last years as anchor for NBC new. Distracting, unattractive, unproffessional, and any other radio host with this affliction on any other station would have been canned several shows into the first season.

5 — Love the Current. The first show I listened to I couldn’t beleive my ears … Kim Campbell brow beating The Voice as a guest host. Been hooked ever since.

6 — ratings don’t impress me or bother me at all. I know I’m not mainstream and am quite happy about it. If I were mainstream, I would spend time listening to Derringer or Humble & Fred. These people are the reason why I bought my first new car with NO RADIO [honest, that the truth]. The rumble of the tires on pavement was music to my ears compared to these guys. That was also about the time Matt was doing his self-immolation on the Morning Show.

“My moral conscience tells me” that I should listen to Andy Barrie these are the words of my 9 year old grandson in a different context. which I have applied to Andy Barrie. The mythos of the society he evinces and spreads around through his views and interviews, are so needed in today’s society that I wince what we would do with out him.

Andy’s cough is bad on days when the pollution is bad in Toronto. How many smog days did we have last year? I don’t think we can fault him for that. I enjoy listening to Andy Barrie - mostly because he comes across as a person. He is passionate about his interviews and I enjoy his stories/anecdotes.

Andy Barrie is officious, patronizing and often entirely embarrassing. His vocal modulations are unctuous, and no matter how worthy his guests are, or how much the programme gives a voice to vital (and underexposed) aspects of Toronto’s community, he undercuts this value with his unprofessional sighs, groans and phony-sounding sympathy. In addition, whether it’s purely a management decision or Barrie’s influence, the continuous attempt to grab the younger demographic is futile, and misguided to say the least. Young people are either raised on the CBC, or they come to it naturally when the reliable news & analysis if offers become necessary to their lives.

I agree with Kathleen and others. His efforts to empathize with people fully deserving of empathy are so effortful that they’re totally suspect. He tries so very hard. Better that, i guess, than someone who has no clue and makes no effort. But his effort overshoots the mark and, as been observed, is patronizing and flimsy.

In addition, I think his cough is fake, an indulgence he allows to generate an idea of himself as slightly disabled. But, to be fair, I think it’s an unconscious indulgence and, as such, he is a little disabled.

On the other hand, Matt Galloway from Here and Now - the drive home show - is the shit.

I agree with every statement above that argues the case for NOT listening to Metro Morning. I too can only listen when there is a relief host, and I also do mean RELIEF. Andy Barrie reminds me of a tele-evangalist who knows how to blubber at the pulpit for optimum effect.

Here, here! He bugs the life out of me. How I wish we could have Kevin Sylvester take over. Or anyone. Why does Andy Barrie make such a big deal over the porgress of technology, never ever, letting a change go by when he can point out that “no one under 30 can even recognize a vinyl LP” or whatever other example is at hand. This morning he made quite fuss out of the turn of phrase “eyes glued to the tube” and insisted how this made no sense, since, doncha know, we’re all glued to LCD flat screens - really he makes me want to scream. Yes Metro Morning is superior to other drive-in shows, but it could be so much better! It’s not really a compliment to say Andy Barrie is better than Roger, Rick & Marilyn. Don’t even get me started on the cough. For some reason his coughing in perfectly timed to show apparent derision to whomever he is talking to or whatever he happens to be reporting at that very moment.

Andy Barrie only coughs on bad pollution days? Honestly - what is that supposed to be about??? Really though, it’s unfortunate that Barrie is plagued with a coughing problem, but the bottom line is that he works in radio. And on radio your voice is your job. His voice doesn’t work. So get another job Andy.

Andy Barrie is a great interviewer and asset to Metro Morning. My wife and I love listening to him. It’s too bad about the cough, but he’s smart and knows lots of things about lots of things. We really appreciate his presence on the CBC. After Joe Cote left (who we also liked, even though he frequently got the time wrong, spreading panic among his commuting audience) they got this Matt Majak guy who was nice, but a print journalist. He couldn’t enunciate words at all (we called him “Matt Marblemouth”). CBC canned him, and we got Andie who we like a lot.

Long live Andie Barrie. And you are more than welcome to stay in PEI if you don’t like him (but you can still get him on the internet and podcasts).

Hi -

I quite agree with you. I was a regular panelist on Metro Morning with Joe Cote in the ’80s when I was in the Ontario Legislature. Joe is a wonderful guy, a true gentleman and a terrific broadcaster. We still keep in touch.

Metro Morning went steadily downhill after Joe left. They had another terrible host (so nondescript that I’ve forgotten his name) before Andy Barrie who, like you, I simply cannot listen to. Another factor was when M.M. was moved from it’s old home in a former cinema on Parliament Street over to the new CBC megalopolis on Front Street. The show lost it’s old homey, human feel in part because of this move.

So I couldn’t agree with your comment more. I probably appeared on 50 Metro Morning shows between 1981 and 1993. Now I don’t listen to it at all.

Well , it’s finally happened. I’ve moved away from Toronto. Been there since ‘87. And now, no Andie B. Whew!
But what do I have instead? I moved to Ottawa where Germain left [a decent chap whos latest dispatches from China included an unforgetable spot on a “Strong in the Pan” restaurant] and Ms. Petty has taken over. The transfer is rocky still. Not her fault, I think it has more to do with the fact that Ottawa is a single factory town [parliament] with very little going on and the show has relatively poor production values. It’s getting to the point where I miss Andie’s cough. Yikes!

You are so wrong…Andy Barrie is the most intelligent interviewer I have heard on any of the morning programs on CBC. It is actually an interesting show, unlike all the others I have heard while travelling across Canada.

Andy Barrie is a know all. I find him particularly annoying when he discovers something that has been around for years and in his patronizing manner, proceeds to explain it to the listeners.
Even when he was diagnosed with Parkinsons he had to send that email, assuming nobody else new anything about it and it was up to him to educate his half-witted co-workers and listeners.
The fact that Metro Morning has top ratings, just confirms how dreadful radio is in Canada.

Andy Barrie lost my respect when he decidided to go to the Mothership (CBC) Where all was comfy and safe $$$. It was easy for Andy Barrie to move over to the DARK SIDE LUKE/ Thats why he never served his Contry in the U S A ,IT was easier to immigrate to Canada. Sorry to hear Andy is not well and i wish him the best. Andy Barrie had a great thing going for him on C F R B and it is sad he decided to leave real Radio where he was loved and had a lot of Fans. Back in the days on C F R B everyone could tell you who he was and the radio show he hosted, but if you ask anyone today i bet less then 15% of people polled would even reconize his name. I wish you WEll andy , I was a listener when your Daughter was 13-14 yrs old, you talked fondly of her and how as a Father it was hard for you to let go of her.
You are the Master of Commentary and a great talk show host and i hope your health gets better.

I hate to disappoint, but I can tell you that staying in private radio in the Toronto market would have been far more lucrative for Andy Barrie, and as far as CBC being safer, that’s debatable, too.
And, I hardly think anyone other than Andy is qualified to discuss his motivations for coming to Canada during that era.

These discussions about CBC, it’s programs and hosts are encouraging because clearly people feel they have a stake in the public broadcaster, but at the same time, it’s time for a reality check — no station or program for that matter, is programmed only for your sole listening pleasure — they are made up of a range of voices, ideas and formats — because there’s a whole world of listeners out there who all have different interests, likes and dislikes. The bottom line is, if you don’t like it, change the station, come back later, and maybe you’ll hear something you do like.

Sorry, Dee.
Been there.
Done that.
Stayin’ away.

Well, all I can say is Andy is despicable. He is a racist of the highest order. If you were born in Canada and are white he hates you with his every living fibre. He goes out of his way to cast loathing onto anyone who is second generation Canadian. According to him we don’t appreciate Canada and we are the problem of all immigrants. I can’t wait until this idiot leaves the air.

There is something the Andy Barrie despises more than white Canucks. He REALLY hates the business world. Bring on any business person and he goes for the jugular. Whenever Michael Hlinka (who is quite irritating in his own way), does a story that puts even the slghtest positive spin on a large corporation, Barrie attacks. Balanced broadcasting at it’s best.

I can’t wait for Andy Barrie to be replaced. I only listen to Metro Morning when it’s a guest host.
To the people who say he’s a great interviewer- I disagree 100%. He spends half of his interviews trying to tell the other person his point of view and showing off any knowledge that he has on the topic (probably from previous guests on the show). And, often the points he tries to make are obvious and/or incorrect! He drives me crazy!
And he’s patronizing and smug, preaching to us about diversity and being non-judgmental- meanwhile he’s the most judgmental host on television. I can’t stand him as the host of the show.
don’t even get me started on the music they play or Jill Dempsey’s squeaky, cringe-inducing voice…
That being said, I wish him the best in terms of his health and family. I just think he’s a terrible host and it’s time for new blood.
Thanks for the space to vent.

How do I apply for a job like Andy has? He only works 4 days a week when he is there.It seems like he must have at least 26 weeks vacation every year.I guess once you get on the CBC payroll you are good for life.Time for Andy to go and take his cough with him. Kevin Sylvester would be a great new host.

Thank God! A site on the web that features Andy Barrie haters. Count us in. Interesting to read comments from his supporters. Yes sir. These are the folks that love the sound of one hand clapping, the reassurance of all Andy’s left wing, politically correct rants. Toronto never stops gazing at its own navel and congratulating itself on how intellectually superior it is. This guy Andy, ex Yankee, never stops dumping on his native land. The bum failed to deport to Vietnam as a medic and do his duty and now as a well heeled Canadian ex Draft Dodger, proceeds to show us dumb Canadians the light. By the way, has anyone else noticed that this guy can’t speak English? Amongst other things, he pronounces the word “vulnerable” as “vunnerable” Ugh, we hate him. Enjoy your politically correct “Holiday” show this year Andy. Heaven forbid that the “C” word show up on the CBC. Pretending it isn’t Christmas while raking in all that dough for “Holiday” gifts just makes me dislike you all the more. Or will you even bother to show up for the C….. broadcast?? In the real world, we have to cope with family illness on our own time. I lost count of Andy’s paid downtime and lengthy holidays years ago.

I think you people beating up on Andy Barrie should all get a life. Going as far as saying you “hate” someone who hosts a talk show is a little over the top. It’s sad. Save your energy for something a little more positive. Maybe developing a personality or a conscience or maybe even both…

Although you have to feel for the Andy Barrie, with his wife recently dying, and his own medical problems, that doesn’t change the fact that, for me, he ruins the only intelligent talk radio show on in Toronto in the mornings. His rambling 2 minute questions; his inability to tell the time; his self-indulgent anecdotes; his lefty bias (which I mostly share, but don`t need rammed down my throat by my local morning news show); his irritating way of proclaiming the date/day (‘it’s a March 9th Monday’ - who says that?); his self-righteous passion for all things culturally non-white; his all-round bumbling incompetence; these things leave me reaching for the off button as soon as the news has been read. His stand-ins over the last few months have been far superior in terms of professionalism. They have really shown what could be made of Metro Morning if the CBC only had the balls to get rid of Andy Barrie. He is coming back on the air tomorrow. I’m sure there must be many people who will welcome him back (how else can you explain him being on the air at all?), but I won`t be one of them.

Welcome back, Andy! The above letters are obviously from the vocal minority. We, the silent majority, grieve your loss and are thrilled to have you starting our mornings again.

Andy Andy Go Away
Don’t come back any day.

As many have expressed before me in a more eloquent fashion Andy Barrie is a terrible radio host. One aspect that people haven’t critiqued thus far, however, is that he is a cowardly interviewer.

He asks questions that sound tough, but really aren’t; he takes easy targets to task with a pompous, self-righteous air as if he doesn’t know that he’s beating up on an wilting violet; he lobs opinions and questions directly into the hands of his listeners; he gets offended when someone pushes his world-view either a little left or a little right; when he has a more difficult guest and doesn’t get an answer he doesn’t like (but is wary of getting push back from the guest) he won’t take them on, he’ll just let out a grunt, or a grumble, or an odious sigh to register his disapproval because he doesn’t have the guts to take on someone he can’t bully in his fuzzy, priviledged, old-man way.

When Matt Galloway fills-in, Metro Morning is the best show on the radio.

I can’t stand this pompous asshole. MetroMorning is now a useless program. I will preface this by assuring you I am NOT racist but the show is now All Immigrant News All The Time. OF COURSE Toronto is a multicultural society. OF COURSE it has large numbers of immigrants who would like to be represented and more connected in the media. This is fine. This is good.

Not every !#%#$ing story has to be about immigrant issues. This is TORONTO. There are issues that affect EVERYONE and these should be reported as well. CBC largely ignores this.

Andy Barrie of course HATES anyone who was born in this country. Doesn’t matter your race, if you were born here he thinks you are garbage and the source of all the problems immigrants experience.

I can’t wait until this @#$%#hole is torn from the airwaves.