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Rant: Hey, Hey, Ho, Ho, Wei Chen Has Got to Go!!

3/10/2011

223 Comments

 
Picture

I've had it.  When my XM satellite radio subscription ran out in January, I thought I could handle listening to CBC radio during my 30 minute ride in every morning.  For 17 years of commuting (with the exception of 1 year of XM), I always left my car radio tuned to 98.7.  Puff pieces aside, I usually found the news and special reports well-done and interesting enough to make my commute from home to school  seem shorter.

In November of 2009 I started to have enough of Wei Chen.  It's not her voice (although some friends have commented that they find it particularly annoying too), it's her constant need to interject herself into every story.  I don't care about her personal life, and I certainly do not think she should be lecturing on things she has no clue about (usually followed with a raised voice indicating that she is not really "stating" something but rather just "questioning" it...).
Today was my last day with her as my morning ride companion  One story, on Zdeno Chara's body check on Max Pacioretty that caused the Montreal forward to slam into some ill-thought out piece of plexi-glass in the Bell Centre, she kept harping on "past history" between the two players.  She cannot respect the fact that hockey is a sport were injuries happen, and that Chara is not known for being a dirty player.  Instead of focusing on a poorly designed arena, she kept trying (in her questioning voice) to make it seem like Chara figured out how to settle a vendetta by orchestrating a one-in-a-million body check on Pacioretty. 

Her next story on scholarship winners from the "listening area", made me double think how accurate either the CBC producers are, or how well Chen can read.  It turns out one of the scholarship winners was from my old high school, and time after time throughout the interview Chen referred to the wrong town and the wrong county.  Pretty simple stuff...makes me wonder what else they get wrong on a daily basis.
So, today I will be making the call to XM and finding some way to economically bring some form of entertainment back into my car for the morning commute.

223 Comments
Beth
1/23/2012 11:52:28 pm

I agree wholeheartedly. I actually took the time to send an email to CBC, begging them to replace her. Her voice is annoying, but more so the ongoing personal commentary. I have always appreciated that CBC personalities tend to limit this.

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Mark S
1/23/2016 07:10:21 am

This blog is radio to my ears - I have tried to submit my comments to CBC through web mail after many frustrating mornings on both the Mary Ito and Way Chen shows. Replacement hosts bring Ontario alive and feature our diversity outside of Toronto and the GTA - far too much culture and music that appeals to an audience that is still in bed or listening to "all hits" radio....I need Bill and Si...

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Amelia Tierney
5/17/2017 03:44:45 am

You have always been a shadow in mind or memory but real in trust. Before I could remember global terrorism.
May is Emerald in gemstone. A month in the gemstone also represents a month Mother's Celebrate or mourn or hate.
I hear all on a radioactive material range and Vera Bradley Cooper for this on all things promoting life through the natural earth core to living alive.
This USED to be a great radio station visiting my parent and former step parent but now, it is GROSS!!!!!???

Jason
10/7/2016 12:27:00 pm

I agree, I think the whole show should be replaced, the weatherman is annoying too. Instant bad mood as soon as I hear these two, fumbling words , and spewing out pointless garble, they are so brutal. Rita celli has got to go as well

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Howard wideman
8/6/2017 08:30:04 am

Karen hauerluk reads well. Used the word fewer properly. Everyone else says less no matter the context

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William Scott Ferguson
5/1/2019 09:49:03 am

I think the public needs to address this issue again.
I have always listened to CBC but this morning was enough.
Miss Chen has been off for awhile and it was so refreshing to hear different commentators who didn't talk about their kids,spouse,extended family, cottage,convey their personal feelings about the plight of other's or ask the opinion of the listeners as to what they think about pantie hoes.

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ML
8/17/2019 01:04:50 pm

I refuse to listen to 98.7 in the morning for the sole reason that Way's "way" puts me in a bad mood, for all the reasons thus far mentioned. And yes the same goes for Mary Ito. There is something so cloyingly, condescendingly kindergartenishly "sweet" about how they speak to their guests. There are so many FAR better CBC hosts. Come on CBC, do something please.

Michael Furmaniak
8/17/2019 09:48:14 pm

I think that although Wei Chen is annoying (she used to host London show some time ago), there is generally a problem with CBC morning shows. We have had a few hosts on London for the last year or so and I could not listen to any of them most of the time. I now just stop listening after the new. It is simply how CBC is.

Anthony Peterson
8/26/2019 03:42:50 pm

Every day I wake up with Wei Chen on the radio, I want to put a bullet in my head. If it’s someone like Susan McReynolds, then it’s a good day. If it’s Wei Chen, there is a rush to hit the off button on my clock radio.
Looking at these accurate comments that go back many years, nothing has changed. Is it a ploy to dumb down the Ontario population with mindless radio hosts?
Wei Chen’s poor daughter must cringe every time she hears her mother talk about her. As a teenager, she will rebel one day.

ellie link
10/15/2020 02:06:00 pm

hey

Dawn
12/13/2020 07:12:26 pm

Way Chen is the worst radio personality I've ever encountered. Why is she on the air? Many friends have mentioned to me how they refuse to turn on their radio until 8:30, simply because of her. What bugs me most is how she persists in answering all of the questions she asks. It is clear that she assumes that her answers are better than those of the person being interviewed. Her arrogance and complacency and superciliousness are intolerable. Susan McReynolds is pure gold. I was so hoping she would take the role for this year of Way's absence.

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Janet
2/9/2012 12:51:34 am

I totally agree. Her voice is so annoying, I stop listening!

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ben degekov
5/6/2012 11:26:13 pm

I have stopped listening to either Way Chen or Mary Ito. Both drive me crazy! Lara di Baptista is great!!! Eleanor Wachtel is fantastic! Ideas and As It Happens - wonderful stuff. Weekend mornings are awesome: comedy and politics. Stuart Mclean makes me nauseous! Rex Murphy also should give up his cross-country check-up to others more often. He is too old and rigid and hypocritical to enjoy anymore. LOVE CBC hate some personalities. Could not live without it!!!!

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Bill Jay
8/27/2015 12:52:13 am

ABSOLUTELY AGREE 100%
Well said !!!

ernest dyck
7/17/2016 09:11:22 am

Yes, well put.

Rebekkah
7/19/2012 05:59:06 pm

YES! I found your blog in a google search, desperately hoping to find news that she would not be returning from her summer vacay. I'm also a high school teacher, so I'm not listening too much these days. However, I caught yesterday's show and the fella was hosting. He's sooo much better!

Ugh. I love CBC mornings, but she is the WORST. My husband and I both listen (really nothing else on at that time while getting ready for work), and frequently laugh about her horrible, horrible tendencies. We feel like we could start a drinking game, but we would be plastered by the time we got to work.

It is late, I'm not tired, and nobody else seems to be talking about this (!) so here is a list of things I hate about awful, awful Wei Chen:

1. Matronly voice. Sounds like she is trying hard to sound "lovely."
2. Thinks hockey violence is awful and a non-debatable truism. Expresses this opinion frequently during hockey season.
3. Simpering responses, particularly to "sad" stories. Feels the need to express an annoying murmur of sympathy with the guest, which is neither journalistic nor pleasing to the ear of the listener.
4. Makes an effort to express her emotions through her voice. The fact that the listener can *hear* the effort is offensive.
5. Forces the weather guy to listen to her banal observations. I feel so sorry for him that he has to act like what she said was interesting or worth hearing.
6. Talks about her daughter. Looooves to tell stupid stories about her daughter and "delightful" things she said or did, like nobody else on earth has ever had a child. Especially loves stories that demonstrate how her daughter is a non-conformist in the under-12 set.
7. (Less frequently) talks about her husband, who I believe is an architect (?) Why do I know these things!?! I don't know as much about Gary Ennett, and I taught his son for two semesters!!
8. Says things that make her seem like an upper-middle class a-hole. One time earlier this year she had a guest talking about theatre etiquette or something. Wei was horrified that someone would talk or text at a play/opera/symphony, but declared that a movie is just a movie, so it's okay /paraphrase/ (!). At least the guest was able to counter her argument, although a lot less vehemently than I would have liked. Hey, Wei, F U! We are the 99%!
9. She is capable of asking difficult questions and putting it to someone who is trying to evade answering. However, she only does it when she personally disagrees with the guest. If she agrees with them or is neutral, they get a free ride. My husband and I like to shout questions at the radio that we would like to hear her ask, but, alas, we know she will not ask them. She seems very open to people with dubious ideas for health and lifestyle improvements.

Anyway, thanks for letting me rant. I'm not usually an internet hater, but this has been bugging me for so long. I've talked about it with several people, and it even comes up in the lunchroom at work from time to time. I have never met a single person who actually likes her as a host. I mean, they must do focus groups on this, no?? I cannot believe anyone enjoys listening to her.

As an aside, did anybody else catch that guy they had reading the weather around the start of June? I think his name was Greg. Took like 10 minutes to read all the forecasts in a mind-numbing monotone, punctuated only by the occasional sound of a page turning. Once he had a loooong pause, followed by "Oh, dear, I've lost my place." Honestly. I figure he and Wei are related to a producer or something, LOL.

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Frank Kinsella link
9/19/2014 03:59:14 am

I like Wei Chan and enjoy listening to her in the morning. Seems to be a happy person - that may be a problem.for some people. Could all the critics take this type of feedback?

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Bev Olsen
4/11/2019 04:11:47 pm

I too like Wei Chen , I am surprised at the negativity.. I miss her in the morning, hope she returns soon

Marg
9/19/2014 04:04:57 pm

Rebekkah --- You nailed it. Agreed with everything you wrote!

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Liz
8/25/2015 01:18:11 am

You totally nailed this. I love CBC, but this show and this host drive me crazy. Karen Gordon, Mike Eweing - fantastic.

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Jane
2/22/2019 11:10:46 pm

I can’t stand Wei Chen! You have put into words what drives me crazy - the “simpering “ tone as she expresses faux sympathy with some guest. I want to throw my radio out the window! My office has come to expect me walking in every morning yelling about what asinine comments Wei has made since I got up. Why do I listen? Because the only thing worse than Wei is the banal chatter of the local FM morning hosts...

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Heather Libryk
9/25/2020 08:59:05 am

Agree with all of the negative comments regarding Wei Chen. Her voice and laughter are so annoying it grates on my nerves. Calm down Miss Chen. I really like Susan McReynolds who is often a replacement for Wei. CBC listen to your 'listeners' and put a professional like Miss McReynolds on CBC Moning show...please!!

Bob
9/1/2020 10:30:43 am

I enjoy Wei very much. You people need to get lives.

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Bill
8/18/2012 01:05:27 am

Yes, in one word "ANNOYING"! She starts almost every question with, "So,......". Her note of "earnest" and "concern" is over the top. She has her list of questions and obviously doesn't listen to previous answers by a guest, then asks about something already explained. "For" is pronounced "fir", and "record" is "recurd".
I look so forward to her summer and any other holidays when she is not on. Mike Ewing is much more entertaining.
The only reason I listen is for the news, sports, weather etc. Certainly not for the banal Chen.

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Jim Armstrong
7/25/2015 11:48:47 pm

constantly emailed Wei Chan and the CBC and Sandy Mowatt show
manager for mo this and complained about Wei's constant annoying
" umming, umming, umming ", using " um " as a connective word a
Bad, developed habit. She has greatly improved but still on occasion
slips back to her " umming "

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diane
10/26/2012 08:45:01 am

I quit listening to CBC in the morning because Wei Chen's stridency stressed me out. I found particularly annoying her making 2 and three syllables out of a one syllable word.

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James
11/4/2012 06:14:26 am

Thank you to all the people who completly nailed the topic of why Ontario Morning is brutal... One more question... why does the "regional news" come from London? It's a guarantee that the regional news will have some completly moronic tidbit from London city council et al... Its called Ontario Morning - NOT LONDON MORNING! Why can't we have news from across the province? Not once have I heard the regional news from Ottawa - Cochrane - Thunder Bay.....

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Mark Sauve
4/5/2013 02:40:18 am

I completely agree! Wei Chen is moronically annoying and why is it that I have to listen to the London news when I live in Kingston? I would much prefer to listen to the Ottawa's morning show as it is professionally done with announcers and hosts who do not chortle and giggle and insert banal comments about their family members into every interview or conversation. I know FAR too much about the city of London - a place I've never been to and have no interest in visiting.. and yet, I hear about it everyday! Time to get satellite radio!

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John
7/26/2019 03:31:36 pm

It gets worse. Listers in Pembroke, about an hour from the western edge of Ottawa also have to put up with news from London, Sarnia etc. I had to listen to this show for the better part of 30 years. It’s always been second or third rate on its better days and downright intolerable the rest of the time.

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bernard
11/13/2012 01:25:33 am

did no one hear the most appalling of all comments by Wei. She was interviewing a mother of a small boy who has a rare skin disease which causes him to lose clumps of hair, and people stare at him. Wei's comforting retort was: "Oh well, he'd be OK at Halloween because people would think he is in costume."
Where does this woman park the grey matter? Surely this would be grounds for dismissal..

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Marg
9/19/2014 04:02:12 pm

I have to agree that this was the most appalling example yet of her stupidity and insensitivity. This should have resulted in her writing an apology and leaving the programme and the CBC. Absolutely inexcusable.

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Dj
12/30/2020 06:21:43 pm

Have not listened to Ontario Morning since Wei was interviewing a mother who was forced to abandon her adult son in respite care in order to have him get the institutional care he needed as she was too ill to continue taking care of him at home. Wei asked the mother if she had wished that she had just given him up at birth because of the severe physical challenges that he has.
The woman went silent... What horrible question to ask a mother.
I also disliked how she would paraphrase a guests comments ... and got it wrong... and not give them a chance to respond to correct.
I wrote to CBC and got no response. It is has been at least 6 years since with some attempts to listen again but could not get through more than 15 minutes of Wei.
So glad to hear Wei is on sabbatical...and hoping that she does not get reassigned to Ontario Morning.

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John
11/21/2012 06:56:56 am

I began listening to CBC radio on graduating from UWO in 1976. For 35+ years, the dial on the car radio was never changed. Then, somewhere in the early 2000's, the CBC started a planned dumbing down of its programs. The morning and drive home shows, which once had intelligent hosts with interesting analyses and perspectives, became populated by an endless stream of vapid and witless drones. It was an inevitable process, but it was finally Wei Chen who drove me from the CBC. Wei is not only horrible, she is breathtakingly, outstandingly horrible. I completely agree with the poster above who commented on her inane observations and tedious my daughter this and my daughter that stories. Her voice has the hard edged quality of someone strangling a bagpipe.Sadly, Wei is just the worst of an increasingly bad lot. Wei, Anna Maria Tremonti, (until recently)Laura di Battista, Rita Celli, Kathleen Petty. . . the list goes on. Are there any men still working at the CBC? A least a token male host migh be some relief from the silly gabble this group delivers..

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Lynn
9/13/2013 02:12:56 pm

Sorry to say, Mr Matt G.just as annoying.

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Marg
9/19/2014 03:57:33 pm

I would much rather listen to Matt Galloway that "Go Away" Chen any day.

matt
4/27/2017 07:12:23 pm

I can't friggin' stand Matt Galloway. He's a condescending prick!

Marg
9/19/2014 03:56:27 pm

Do I detect a sexist, male-dominated bias here? Wei is definitley the most obnoxious. But have you heard Mary Ito on Fresh Air on Saturdays and Sundays? She takes the ribbon for runner-up on Radio One. And then there is always Julie Nesrallah on "Tempo" Monday to Friday, nine AM to one PM giggling, sighing, gushing like a air-headed teeny-bopper. But then I turn off Radio One most weekday mornings at ten o'clock because I find Jian Ghomeshi just as irritating as Go Away Chen. I miss Rick MacInnes-Rae on Dispatches. I for one quite like Anna-Maria Tremonti because she is a journalist who has actually reportedas an international correspondent, living abroad and working on the ground where the events of the news broadcasts are occurring. I even find Michael Enright rather stale so he, too, gets on my nerves ---- The Sunday Edition simply doesn't rise to the standards of the old Sunday Morning programme. Another man who has me shouting invective at the television screen while reaching for the off switch is Rex Murphy. As for television content, despite the ratings it supposedly garners, I can't stand Dragon's Den and, even worse, before Kevin decamped, Lang and O'Leary Exchange because I find O'Leary to be one of the most visible, egotistical and despicable examples of the ultra-privileged, self-satisfied one per cent. Another "personality" I have never been able to tolerate is blustering, violence loving, Rock'em, Sock'em Don Cherry. I miss the drama, dance, opera that used to be standard fare on the CBC. Too much of the newer programming is cheap-to-produce filler, the pop music that clutters up the "magazine" programmes is too often performed by "artists" who are not yet and likely never will be ready for prime time and the inevitable followup to the example of their work is obvious flogging of their upcoming performance dates as supplied as unpaid advertising by their publicists. This is just some of what gets my goat. Now it is someone else'a turn to contribute.

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Eric
1/15/2013 12:26:50 am

Good lord I'm listening to her now, I cannot stand her, everyone above me has mentioned everything I dislike about her. She has to go. Everyone should send these complaints to CBC . Can we make 2013 mornings a little better for Ontario? Yes we can, no more Wei in the morning!

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Mike
2/18/2013 11:36:00 pm

So nice to know that my wife and I have not been suffering alone! Poor Mike Ewing. The one thing we do look forward to every morning is that Mike no longer hides his disbelief at her inane comments...awkward silence for a few seconds after every high pitched attempt at humor.

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Jodi
3/10/2013 11:46:30 am

I had no idea I was not alone in the world. I constantly write CBC about Ontario Morning and its London-centric news but frankly I cannot stand Wei Chen and her giggling and odd pauses and inability to conduct a decent interview. We voted last night at a dinner party to have Mike the weather man take over. I don't however know what we do as CBC actually never listens to its listeners. Sad but try.

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Bill Armstrong
3/20/2013 11:51:02 am

Jodi,

I enjoy the days, weeks etc. when Chen if off! Mike does a great job..........and he doesn't start every question with..."So...." The London-centric deal doesn't bother me, but I was so looking forward to 89.1 from Kitchener. Unfortunately, can't get a signal here in the house, but can get if from the car. Almost worth going to the garage to avoid Ms. Annoying +. At least the news is good.

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AM
3/11/2013 12:56:52 pm

I think Wei is deserving of our pity - she is clearly not qualified for the position she holds - the flaws you describe indicate she is not up to the job - this indicates a much more pervasive problem - the CBC simply does not care about the quality of the programming or of the broadcasters - the "local" news from London and the much maligned abilities of Wei are merely symptoms of the bigger issue - which will become moot as even the most loyal CBC fans abandon the mother ship - then the banalities will take on the characteristics of that falling tree in the forest - does it make a sound if there is no one there to hear it?

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Jodi
3/12/2013 11:57:22 am

THIS IS THE RESPONSE FROM CBC TO MY LATEST (NOT MY LAST) COMPLAINT ABOUT THE LONDON NEWS:

Hi,

Our program covers southwestern, central and eastern Ontario. We try to tell stories and cover issues that resonate with all our listeners.

Now some communities generate more news because of the sheer size of their populations.

The London region is home to some 500,000 people. It's our biggest market. We will continue to reflect and inform our listeners there as well as those in other parts of the listening area.

If you have a story that you think deserves coverage let us know.


Ron

What crap.

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James
3/24/2013 06:53:23 am

The London region is the biggest region for listeners...man o man...

George
3/24/2013 12:44:19 pm

"My Daughter". Good to read many others are as sick of Wei Chen as I am, as well as listening to the Regional News from London. "Wellington Street is closed this morning because a family of geese are slowly crossing the interesection of Somerset"
Have you listened to the weekends with host Mary Ito having a sportschat with Greg Ross and discussing their tennis games?
It's about time they hired some geese and elephants!

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Jerome Chisholm
3/25/2013 01:46:12 am

How reassuring to read people's comments re. their frustrations with Wei Chen and her annoying manners as the host for CBC. I honestly felt I was the only one who grumbles each time I hear her voice. She may be a very 'nice and honest' person but she always comes across as being a hypocrite and a know-it-all. I wish her well in her future career as a mother of the greatest child in the world.... The poor kid!

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Elizabeth Connors
3/27/2013 01:03:44 am

I listened to part of Wei Chen's show this morning until the part where she talked about her daughter. When other announcers (infrequently) refer to their children it is relevant to the topic. Not so with Wei Chen! This morning we were treated to a play by play of her daughter's hockey game. I have complained to CBC to no avail. I know people who have stopped listening to her show because of her frequent references to her daughter. I would rather not join them but sadly may do so,

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Kingston Mark
4/5/2013 04:22:35 am

I am so happy to have found this website.. yes indeed, Wei Chen has GOT to go! I've been tempted to e-mail the CBC since I moved to Kingston years ago and found the quality of their morning show lacking to say the least - all because of an annoying and inept host. I have to switch the channel in the morning or I find myself mimicking her voice while getting more and more frustrated - not the best way to start the day! I tried deep breathing exercises.. I tried being more patient.. I even started thinking that it was my attitude that needed adjusting; after all, she's so positive! I mean, she laughs at everything - even her own stupid comments. No, now I know it's not just me. I like Mike Ewing's style a lot better. Her wild vocal fluctuations, the constant chortling, stupid interview questions.. anyone hear her interview this morning with the London woman who actually said something along the lines of "you used to know who the Muslims were - they were the brown people with beards".. complete silence from Wei Chan as she let this guest go on and on with such idiotic comments (on the heels of the tragedy in Algeria which involved several former London residents.. Londoners must be beside themselves to be mentioned in the news for something newsworthy for a change!) Wei Chan - pack your bags and free up the air space for someone far less annoying and far more qualified for the job!

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Dave
4/30/2013 08:03:13 am

Wei Chen has a constant compulsion to express her approval or disapproval on a subject by changing the inflection of her voice in a very obvious manner. I wish she would just ask some thoughtful and insightful questions. We can arrive at our own conclusions without her help.

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Stuart
5/1/2013 02:22:21 pm

Does anyone know when her (you know who I mean) summer vacation starts for 2013?

I would be most interested in tuning back in for a few weeks this summer.

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Bill
5/1/2013 02:36:36 pm

Unfortunately, she does not get 2 months off like Anna Maria....who does a GREAT job. Usually it is July and I am counting the days. Wrote CBC last week when Mike hosted, saying, "Ontario Morning is WAY better without Wei."

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James
5/2/2013 10:36:32 am

Mike said that...? Too funny...I bet CBC won't respond to your email...They only respond to sunshine comments....

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Elizabeth Le Ber
5/31/2013 11:46:44 am

I sent an email too and don't see it printed here. That woman (Wei Chen) has got to go. I hate her voice, her inflections, her twice-asked questions of an interviewee. She is a pain. Really. Mike Ewing does a much better job. So now my question is: Where was Mike Ewing this week? I truly miss him. I want him back and I want hm to take Wei Chen's place permanently. Please, please do it.

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Kathryn
6/4/2013 10:39:37 am

Well, this is a breath of fresh air. I listen (every morning) and am annoyed (every morning) by the CBC morning program, BUT I still tune in, and listen. Mind you, I stop at a fellow co-worker's desk often and complain about how BAD it was listening to John the weatherman fill in and do his very mundane, repetetive report....wow. I have since found CBC2 mind you, but there's no news on that channel when I'm looking for it. Music's great in the am and it's at least not really really annoying. I've felt bad being so agitated by Wei Chen's inflections, sighs, stutters, interruptions...I too notice that dependent on the issue, an abrupt halt has come to many an interview when it's an issue that seems to be something that she has a strong opinion about (quite noticeable during the teacher/union/government issues this year). I would listen to the current, Rex Murphy, Eleonar, and Larita Batista and Robert Fisher but holy moly. A change is needed folks. Sorry Wei, but you need to stick to the questions, keep your voice real, allow people to finish their thoughts and be the voice that does NOT end up in road rage.

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aeron
6/23/2013 03:30:20 am

I was trying to describe to a former CBC colleague (who lives in Toronto and can listen to the fabulous Matt Galloway in the morning) what we're dealing with out here in the boonies, and all of the above comments nailed it. Some made me laugh out loud. I have a 90-minute commute to work, and local private radio sucks, so I signed up for satellite radio 18 months ago, solely to avoid listening to Wei Chen in the morning. Too bad, as I like most of the rest of CBC Radio One programming. And what I don't particularly like, I can tolerate. But Wei Chen is over the top...and not in a good wei.

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Rebecca
6/27/2013 02:04:54 am

I was listening on Tuesday morning when Mike Ewing's voice started to break up...and then Wei Chen was there, clear as crystal saying "I think we're having trouble in our London studio."

Um, she isn't even IN LONDON. She's "phoning it in" from Toronto. Why must she still be the host?

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Dan
7/21/2013 06:46:09 am

I just found this page and I couldn't agree more with the above comments. You folks have really nailed Wei Chen bang on. My wife and I quit listening to Ontario Morning ages ago because of her annoying affected voice. That "GOOD MOOORNINGGGG!", with her fake happy voice and the exaggerated rise in tone on the first syllable of "morning"' drives me up the wall!!! :-)

We switched to streaming CBC's Metro Morning on the laptop or iPad while having coffee. It's hard to believe that Matt Galloway and Wei Chen actually broadcast out of the same building. Matt is such a pro and Wei so very much isn't. Good lord, what would they talk about at the CBC staff Christmas party? Thinking back on past Ontario Morning hosts like Joe Cote or Martina Fitzgerald and how great they were… what's wrong with CBC? Are they clueless?

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Bill
7/22/2013 01:59:23 am

July 22nd. Never was Ontario Morning better. The reason is obvious........the annoying one is on holidays. Wish it was the whole summer and more! Mike is "way" better.

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Elizabeth
7/22/2013 02:12:46 am

How refreshing to hear Mike Ewing this morning and to learn he'll be there when we awaken to Ontario Morning for a few weeks. Wish he'd be there permanently. Please CBC, see the light.

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Elizabeth link
7/22/2013 02:14:28 am

How refreshing to hear Mike Ewing this morning and to learn he'll be there when we awaken to Ontario Morning for a few weeks. Wish he'd be there permanently. Please CBC, see the light.

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Elizabeth link
7/22/2013 02:15:09 am

How refreshing to hear Mike Ewing this morning and to learn he'll be there when we awaken to Ontario Morning for a few weeks. Wish he'd be there permanently. Please CBC, see the light.

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Elizabeth link
7/22/2013 02:15:16 am

How refreshing to hear Mike Ewing this morning and to learn he'll be there when we awaken to Ontario Morning for a few weeks. Wish he'd be there permanently. Please CBC, see the light.

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Kingston Mark
7/24/2013 05:47:39 am

My next car will have satellit radio - just so I can listen to a professionally done morning radio show like the one they do in Ottawa. One morning I was able to pick up the Ottawa feed while driving to work and the differences were quickly apparent: Wei was talking about ducks crossing the road or some other stupid nonsense while the good people in Ottawa were actually discussing the latest political news, like adults. Hey Hey Wei - time to go! At least the next few weeks will be less irritating on the nerves!

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Paul
8/1/2013 02:09:53 am

Relieved by the fact that "her perfectness" would not be on this morning, I was pleased to listen to Mike Ewing. Curious to see what he looked like, I tried to do a google search. What was the first image that I found? Wei Chen. Honestly, how much must we endure? Her self centred, over-opinionated, mis-informed, biased, pollyanna,.......@&*%$ she's got to go!!!!! People are tuning out and turning off because of her.

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dawson
10/22/2013 02:18:24 am

I AGREE!

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Mike B
11/27/2013 11:47:45 am

Glad to see read that I'm not only one who finds Wei Chen's 'Bad William Shatner' affectation annoying belief. I've endured five years of her after moving from Toronto to Kingston. Even her adverts are grating, like rubbing styrofoam or nails on a chalk board.
I agree with other posters here that Wei's vacations are a vacation for all listeners. Mike Ewing is a much more subtle, and intelligent host. I loved Matt Galloway, due to his insightfulness. Mike Ewing is very much like Matt in that way.

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Elizabeth A. Hughes link
12/11/2013 02:36:36 pm

I am very pleased to have found this website. I completely agree with the observations of others that Wei Chen is way below the calibre of other CBC announcers/hosts. I am so happy when she is on vacation or not on the show for some reason. Mike Ewing is improvement.

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Bill
12/13/2013 02:00:22 pm

CBC obviously caters to ethnics. The light weight Wei is pathetic. A five minute interview stretches her so called capabilities. "Oh my goodness!" WTF? Only listen to the news on the half hours......set the timer and finally listen to Anna Maria at 8:30.

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Gerry
1/31/2014 12:34:19 am

What a delight to have found your website and like-minded people. I love CBC Radio. Saddens me that the budget cuts have meant so many repeats during the afternoon and evening, but at least if I miss The Current and Q in the morning I can catch part of them in the evening.
But Ontario Morning with Wei Chan -- how did she ever get the job? Those inane inflections, those dim-witted questions. Why does she still have the job?
This morning, Susan McReynolds was sitting in the OM chair. Sheer luck, or to interview Kathleen Wynne on the minimum wage increase and legislation? Perhaps CBC does get it, after all.

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A. Hughes
2/1/2014 05:05:56 am

Please send emails. This is a great website!

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Gabe
2/1/2014 04:12:06 pm

Wei Chen seriously is worst. I can't stand her. I must say it's refreshing to hear other CBC listeners are just as annoyed with her, although I don't even bother with her at all. You are all much more patient than I am.
Same goes for Rex Murphy. He's so arrogant and dismissive and lets his personal opinions show in his interviews. At least he is capable of asking smart questions though.

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Laurie
2/13/2014 06:47:59 am

This is the best. Finally people who see that Wei Chen has to go. My husband and I are so enjoying Susan McReynolds for the last almost 2 weeks. I wish no ill of Wei, just that she would leave the show. Stop talking. I'm so tired of the valley girl sounds that come out of her and all her MYYY Dauuuughtter stories. OMG Make it stop!!!! Permanently bring in the easy to listen to, calm, soothing, caring, pleasant Susan McReynolds so we can listen to CBC before 8:30 am again. I am going to email ( I've been saying that forever now) CBC about Wei. They already have the perfect replacement. Please send more! Wei has to go!

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Laurie
2/13/2014 07:07:23 am

Well, I finally did it! I emailed CBC. That feels good. :) Now if only they'd take our comments to heart and replace her. No more Wei... No more Wei...

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Elizabeth
2/13/2014 07:18:19 am

I emailed the producer of Ontario Morning, Ron McKeen. He seems to think Wei Chen is just fine where she is. I guess he puts in ear plugs for
the two and one half hours we have to listen to her. It HAS been bliss for the past two weeks. Susan McReynolds is a fine replacement, as is Mike Ewing when he is on instead. Get accustomed to Chen, folks, it seems they won't do a darned thing about our opinions.

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Elizabeth
2/13/2014 07:18:28 am

I emailed the producer of Ontario Morning, Ron McKeen. He seems to think Wei Chen is just fine where she is. I guess he puts in ear plugs for
the two and one half hours we have to listen to her. It HAS been bliss for the past two weeks. Susan McReynolds is a fine replacement, as is Mike Ewing when he is on instead. Get accustomed to Chen, folks, it seems they won't do a darned thing about our opinions.

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Elizabeth link
2/13/2014 07:18:49 am

I emailed the producer of Ontario Morning, Ron McKeen. He seems to think Wei Chen is just fine where she is. I guess he puts in ear plugs for
the two and one half hours we have to listen to her. It HAS been bliss for the past two weeks. Susan McReynolds is a fine replacement, as is Mike Ewing when he is on instead. Get accustomed to Chen, folks, it seems they won't do a darned thing about our opinions.

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Elizabeth link
2/13/2014 07:19:05 am

I emailed the producer of Ontario Morning, Ron McKeen. He seems to think Wei Chen is just fine where she is. I guess he puts in ear plugs for
the two and one half hours we have to listen to her. It HAS been bliss for the past two weeks. Susan McReynolds is a fine replacement, as is Mike Ewing when he is on instead. Get accustomed to Chen, folks, it seems they won't do a darned thing about our opinions.

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Henri
2/18/2014 01:50:38 am

Rude awakening this morning.....no Susan with her pleasant voice and personality.....Why Wei again, so now I am back to switch stations to avoid her vocal punishment ! It's cold enough these days........

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Peter
2/20/2014 11:17:19 pm

Yes, I stopped listening yesterday and turned the channel.

If Mike Ewing replaces her or someone else does, I MAY switch back.

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Kingston Mark
3/7/2014 07:54:14 am

I seriously feel sorry for the people who have to work with her. It must be torture to put with her cheery cheerfulness and vocal acrobatics! I've posted here before.. glad to see others are joining in the discussion. Now Susan McReynolds on the other hand, I could listen to her all day!

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Deb
3/12/2014 02:25:51 am

I am astonished by the unanimity of hostile response to the horribly ill-suited Wei! I agree with all the above comments--again, it's striking how visceral the negative response is. If one listens to radio, it's all about the sound of a voice, the psychological characteristics that reveal themselves over time, the basic level of intelligence. Wei Chen fails on every front

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Michael
3/24/2014 12:38:15 am

When will CBC make a change? Wei presentation on the radio continues to " turn most people off"

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Bill in Midland
3/25/2014 03:16:18 am

Good to know I'm not alone in the early morning. I've moved my clock radio so I HAVE to get up to shut her off!
Metro morning is more relevant than London to this part of Ontario and I enjoy it when the transmitters Ontario morning are down and Metro morning replaces it.

Mike Ewing deserves the host chair ~ he is at least well read and can intelligently deviate from scripted questions during an interview.

The CBC used to set the bar for radio excellence. Now you hear bad grammar, mediocre interviews, coughs and shuffling papers...

I'm done with Ms. Chen's so-called Ontario Morning "show". Too bad Erica Ritter (anyone rember her gig in the host chair?) doesn't need the work... The producer needs to bring GINORMOUS improvements to the professionalism of Ontario Morning, or all will be looking for work as CBC continues to downsize and find cost efficiencies.

Someone Tweet me when Ms. Chen in is on holidays.

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judy jeffries
7/5/2016 07:18:52 am

I completely agree with you Bill on all accounts.

Also we in

Muskoka would be better off hearing Toronto news and traffic . Makes sense doesn't it? London and Peterborough are so much further away and we would most likely be taking our financial and cultural interests to the closest city.
I stream Toronto CBC until wei is off air.
She is a turn off

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Terri Achmann
4/1/2014 04:10:08 am

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
I have been whining about this (ALL of this) for at least 3 years now, and I really wondered if I was the only one.
In addition to the annoying voice, the sound of the "rrrr" constantly gives me chills. I always wonder if she was raised by Preston Manning.
Then there are the many occurrences of dead air... so incredibly awkward on a radio... I cringe every time. Why do I keep listening?
This morning, I actually felt sorry for her daughter! Wei decided we needed to hear that her daughter wanted to go back to school last night after supper... so she and her classmates and their teacher could work on a prank upon the principal for April Fool's Day.... then she proceeded to TELL us that they were filling the principal's office with balloons! She totally blew the surprise of the kids' prank!!! I can tell you, I was yelling several nasty names at the radio. Not a nice way to wake up each morning.
I'm done with CBC radio in the morning.

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jos in Tiny Township
4/1/2014 03:45:23 pm

Several years ago i took time to write Miss Chan at CBC. I suggested her approach was not becoming of CBC radio tradition of excellence. In particular i commented on her habit of trite laughter, her shallow empathy for guest and -most irritating to me- her constant e-n-u-n-c-i-a-t-i-o-n.
I'm still waiting for a reply or a change.

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tom
4/2/2014 01:35:40 am

Yes - I've had enough of Chan and Galloway. I so look forward to them being off. When the Olympics were on and Matt was away - was fabulous. I've been listening to CBC for 30 year and current line up is no cutting it for me. I'm sure they are both "Nice" people and wish them so harm, but they are driving me nuts with their over done approach. Perhaps Andy Berry could be called out of retirement?

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Terri Hope
6/12/2014 12:21:07 am

I've been (privately) ranting about Wei Chen since we moved from Toronto. Imagine having to wake up to Ms. Chen after years of fabulous Andy Barrie? I agree with most of the above rants but wish to add what is most annoying to me: Her tone makes it sound as if she's speaking to a cute puppy or a pre-schooler with pink bows in her hair. Is it possible that CBC WANTS her to speak to us in this denigrating manner?

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Bill in Midland
6/12/2014 01:36:22 am

What a relief Wei has been away for part of this week, "RIGHT?"

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tom
6/12/2014 02:05:18 am

Yes - Susan has been something to look forward to. She can stay - as far as I'm concerned.

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Brian in Woodstock
6/22/2014 12:50:35 am

Thank you for providing this focus. I have switched to listening on-line much of the time, so am able to enjoy the Toronto or Ottawa morning programs, and more recently CBC KW 89.1, which is infinitely better than "The Wei Chen Show."

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Fraser
6/28/2014 01:07:01 am

I'm listening to Fresh Air right now and it has the lovely, refreshing, Gaelic voice of Susan McReynolds. There is your replacement!

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Mortsy
6/30/2014 03:32:23 am

Like others I have been an ardent and loyal CBC listener for many years, and even today every radio in my house is tuned to the local CBC station. Like others also I have been feeling increasingly annoyed with the production team’s bizarre choices for radio hosts, and I find myself rushing to switch off the radio when the babbling starts. Wei Chen is awful for all the reasons stated above, but she is only the latest in a long succession. Are you old enough to remember the vanity of host Joe Cote, who entertained us endlessly talking about his brollies and crumpets and his other peculiar personal interests? How about the princess of shoes and hairdos Marsha Liederman or the prattling Martina Fitzgerald? My theory is that some capable newsreaders like Chen and Fitzgerald received "promotions" to talk radio, proving that reading news headlines and other prepared scripts does not guarantee the level of interest and comprehension that is required to discuss those topics intelligently with callers, many of whom know more about the topics than the hosts. Like many others I have posted comments on the Ontario Mornings website, complimenting the substitute hosts (Mike Ewing, Susan McReynolds and a few others) for their knowledge, wit and genuineness. I received only one reply – from Martina Fitzgerald when she replaced Erika Ritter, agreeing with me that she was unequal to Ritter.

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Terri
7/1/2014 09:23:27 am

I'm just reading Late Nights on Air (very good). Hay talks about radio 'personalities' imagining a listener, and just speaking to them. Now I'm assuming that Wei Chen is manifesting her own personality, and imagines her listeners as welcoming it.. If that is true, then the people who use this site clearly have a very different 'personality' and cannot 'connect'. So I ask: what audience is CBC trying to attract???

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Shannon
2/24/2015 12:08:43 am

I hated Joe Cote! He drove me crazy! So does Wei Chen. I enjoyed Matt Galloway. At least he didn't sound like he was talking to a 5-year-old. Give me anybody but Wei Chen! I'm not sexist. I find most of the female journalists on CBC to be excellent. They ask the right questions, they speak as though talking to an educated adult, they don't do the cutesy fluff comments...they act like reporters and journalists. Please, CBC, change the Ontario Morning host!

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Bill A.
7/1/2014 12:20:43 pm

Isn't it time for her vacation? Unfortunately, not a long enough one. Will have to keep setting the timer after the news when radio is shut off.

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Eliza
7/1/2014 12:27:56 pm

Wish she'd read all these comments herself for goodness sake. The producer doesn't seem to give a damn.

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Henri
7/1/2014 12:29:54 pm

Now with the CBC cuts she might be gone soon hopefully !

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ChuckFoley
7/4/2014 04:33:44 pm

I can't believe the comments on this site. Ya, Wei ain't the greatest, but, sheesh, get a life! What a bunch of lumpy white-trash posers you are! We're talking marginal programming for the unwashed hinterlands. What do you want? Shit, Gary Ennett and whats-er-name... Kerry Mckee is it? have been doing this schtick in their sleep for friggin' years. There is no there there. Maybe there was at one time, but not no more! Whenever I depart the GTHA for a few days rest in the uneasy quietude of white-trash eastern Ontario i have to be careful to not tune in, so that i won't slash my wrists! Gary, Kerry, Wei, Mike, you're all still there! Like I never left! Like it never changes! Like it can't change!

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Terri
7/5/2014 01:30:22 am

Lumpy white-trash posers? Ohhh, so sorry Mr. Foley! How dare we pretend to have the standards as real city people?

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Peter G
7/8/2014 02:15:41 am

I'm in the GTA on a regular basis every 2 weeks, sometimes over a weekend and I can't stand neither wch nor meto - take them off the air, please!! I change channels immediately - mostly to 96.3 ! Love Karen Gordon's and Susan McReynold's voices.

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Mortsy
7/14/2014 12:28:36 pm

Alison Smith, Linden McIntyre, Nancy Wilson and now Rick McGinnis Ray – all announcing early retirements from CBC. Possibly they have been offered financial incentives to break their long-term contracts, as a corporate cost saving strategy? In that case, can we not chip in a few dollars together to woo WC from her Ontario Morning chair?

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Mortsy
7/14/2014 12:34:55 pm

Alison Smith, Linden McIntyre, Nancy Wilson and now Rick McGinnis Ray – all announcing early retirements from CBC. Possibly offered financial incentives to break their long-term contracts as a corporate cost saving strategy? In that case, can we chip in a few dollars together to woo WC from her Ontario Morning chair?

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James
7/15/2014 08:29:17 am

Crowd funding as a way to rid the air waves of W.C.? Im in like Flynn, best donation i can think of...

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Ken in Woodstock
7/18/2014 12:42:57 pm

CBC found a real GEM in Gill Deacon for H&N
A simililar refreshing replacement for the annoying Wei Chen would be Susan McReynolds!

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Laurie
7/21/2014 06:34:26 am

YIPPY!!!!! It's holiday time for WC!!! Replaced by Susan McR. 2 weeks of listening again. ahhhhhhh : )

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Sara
7/21/2014 02:31:59 am

So funny! I just found this website and agree that Wei needs to go on a very long vacation. I then looked at Wikipedia about her. She has worked for a long list of cancelled shows......maybe CBC should check references on Wikipedia!!

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michael lynch
7/21/2014 02:45:34 pm

hey....I only hear her promos and agree she's got to go!!!! Wish she'd take that idiot on as it happens with her. I can tolerate "annoying" ...but bias...naw.

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ChuckFoley
7/23/2014 03:03:55 pm

I continue to love you people, such a creative constructive convivial lot, so easy to please! Ooooo, Susan McReynolds! There's your Temporary Foreign Worker program. Send 'er home, she grates, and who the hell let her in anyway. Or, wait-a-sec, maybe I'm missing something...?

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Jj
7/24/2014 01:29:06 am

I did not realize how complacent I have become listening to Wei's self absorbed whim's. Listening to Susan is like a breath of fresh air.. no pun intended referring to the program of the same name! But I have to disagree about the rants against Mary Ito. She is actually quite articulate and I find she has a light good sense of humour. Although I don't listen to her often, I find her quite satisfying as a radio personality, whereas this feeling is totally lacking when it comes to Wei. IMO...

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Mike
7/28/2014 01:07:46 am

It's Wei vacation time again. :) It has been so nice to hear Susan MacReynolds on the radio this past week. I will turn off CBC radio except for the top of the hour news now as Wei is so consistently not who should be on the radio. Or listen to the Toronto or other regional AM radio online if there is something going on. I am glad I am not the only one who think so and that this post has legs. Three years of comments...

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Melvin link
7/31/2014 06:57:46 pm

Got an Internet connection? If so, stream CBC Victoria Radio 1 for its morning show (5:30 AM to 8:37 Pacific) and/or its afternoon show (3 PM to 6 PM Pacific). Much better than CBC Vancouver Radio 1, with its constant worst-commute-in-Canada traffic reports.

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Lynda
8/12/2014 02:46:11 am

Well, like they say, misery loves company!!!! For the past 4 years I thought it was only the odd-scattered- person who felt like me about Wei Chen! It is so good to read all of your comments as it sure validates my ill thoughts and feelings about W.C. Her voice is sooooo irritating and her speed of speech is like she's talking to small children. I love her vacation dates also, just not long enough! I truly love listening to Susan McReynolds with her lovely accent and also Mike Ewing. What will it take for the CBC to get the message....WHY IS IT ALWAYS ABOUT WEI AND HER WHIMS??????? I have been watching Canada AM now where I can.........more tolerable and still informative. I've been listening to CBC radio for over 15 years......so its hard to not want to turn on the morning news before getting to work. But like a lot of you good people, when Chen is on, I turn her off.......if only CBC would do the same!

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Mortsy
8/12/2014 01:23:11 pm

In 1969 Laurence Peter co-authored a book called “The Peter Principle: Why Things Always Go Wrong” suggesting that people in large corporations inevitably get promoted to higher and higher positions until they reach their "position of incompetence" where they get stuck and perform incompetently indefinitely, or until their companies go broke. Then in 1996 Scott Adams (creator of the Dilbert cartoon series) wondered whether the least smart people tend to get promoted because they are already incompetent in their current role and they’re the ones you don't want doing actual work. This has been called the “Dilbert Principle” or the "Peter Principle in reverse".

Before landing on Ontario Morning, Wei Chen had already demonstrated her limitations in a number of prior broadcasting jobs. Between 2003 and 2005, she hosted Toronto Today and Toronto Tonight on Toronto-1 (now called SunTV) and both shows were quickly cancelled. Then she worked for CBC television in Calgary, Ottawa and Toronto. Along the way she had stints with W-Five, Newsnet, Canada AM and Canada AM Weekend on CTV, and a community cable program in Hamilton, Ontario. None of those jobs lasted very long.

For 7 long years she has been demonstrating her incompetence as host of Ontario Morning. Does this mean she has reached her position of ultimate incompetence and there is no further up for her to go? Why not Peter Mansbridge’s chair – he has been fossilizing in the CBC Newsdesk since 1988. Why not the supreme chair at the CBC that is currently occupied by Hubert Lacroix? Watch out, Messrs. Manbridge & Lacroix – Wei Chen is overdue for another promotion!

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Terri
8/13/2014 01:35:50 am

I had a few new thoughts about all of this.

Clearly there are many faithful CBC listeners who find Wei Chen's manner annoying at best, and insulting and infantilizing at worst. Does that mean that there are many listeners who really LIKE her approach? If so, who are they?

Also, if a broadcaster learns that a particular approach really irks some listeners, wouldn't he or she take steps to address those problems- learning how to speak to adults, and how to actively listen to on-the-air guests? Wouldn't the producers insist the broadcaster learns to do this?

And finally, is it possible that leaving Ms. Chen on Ontario Morning is part of the federal government's plan to kill the CBC? If loyal listeners simply go away, and ratings drop, would this be one more excuse to let the CBC die a 'death of 1,000 cuts'?

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Father Christy Cape
8/18/2014 04:29:06 am

CBC in the early morning is my wakeup call and the arrival of Susan McReynolds is a real breath of fresh air -her friendly and
well informed interviewing is so far ahead of Wey Chen that CBC
must give her the AM program !!
If CBC is intent on improving their image and programming ,this
change in program hosts must take place
Father Christy

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Marg Trethewey
9/3/2014 12:53:48 am

Perry, I am so glad to have found this list of negative comments about Wei Chen that so completely agree with my opinion of her. Again this morning I have sent a comment to the production office for Ontario Morning about Wei's misuse of the English language and other shortcomings and added a link to your blog. Thank you, thank you, thank you for providing this opportunity for commiseration.

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Lloyd Dunham
9/3/2014 05:12:33 am

I wake up every morning at 6:30 to Wei Chen. I find her cheerful, pleasant and interesting. For those of you who rant against her please try changing channels. It is very easy to do and leave your biased, unwanted opinions on the shelf.

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Marg
9/3/2014 06:00:59 am

Did you notice that you are very definitely in the minority here? Wei isn't so much cheerful as hyper, not pleasant but quite thoroughly self-satisfied and not at at all interesting but actually very shallow.

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Terri
9/3/2014 07:30:35 am

Mr. Dunham, In fact this IS the place for our opinions. Our opinions might be 'biased and unwanted' on a blog that you led, but not on this one. I would like my radio announcer to sound as though she's speaking to adults, not cute puppies. I would like her to listen carefully to what an interviewee is saying, and respond in kind. Sometimes she does this, but not often enough.

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Tom
9/3/2014 09:08:32 am

Agreed!

Marg
9/20/2014 07:28:42 am

Lloyd Dunham, If you are so enamored of Wei Chen and her on air performance and are so dismissive of any our opinions to the contrary, why don't you just set up a competing fan page? I doubt that you will find you have many who agree with you. But, have a good fun!

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Mike
3/5/2015 11:24:04 am

Jaysus! Are we listening to the same broadcast? Cheerful? In a used car salesman way. Pleasant? If you have been sedated, I'm sure listening to nails on a chalkboard could be a pleasant experience as well.

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Elizabeth
9/3/2014 11:53:07 am

Hey Lloyd Dunham. There is no bias involved. All comments you see in this website are found while listening. The woman should get another job.
We don't need someone who doesn't listen to the people she interviews,
who tells us tooooooo much about her daughter, and is not involved in the
subjects she is 'supposed' to have learned about before interviewing.

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John Morland
11/14/2014 01:43:09 am

I’ve written to CBC several times about Wei Chen and have received no replies from CBC beyond a thank you for contacting them. It is so good to find this Website and discover I am not alone.

I’ve been listening to CBC radio for 45 years: up until about 10 years ago, our radio was tuned 24/7 to CBC—now, not so much—perhaps 5 hours per weekday and less on weekends. CBC has really been “dumbed” down in the last few years. The exceptions are shows like The Current.

The worst decline has been Wei Chen with Ontario morning. I can’t believe that she’s been allowed to share her mediocrity with us for seven years. Her interview skills are non-existent and she has no idea of how to use her voice on radio. Her unprofessionalism results in our knowing much more than we need to about her family and other details of her life. It is such a relief when Susan McReynolds or Gary Ewing replace her and show her how it should be done. Unfortunately, she seems incapable of learning anything from their example.

This morning was a good example. Eli Glasner’s movie review with Wei Chen on Ontario morning was a study in contrast with Eli’s review on The Morning Edition from Kitchener-Waterloo, which I listen to when the reception is good. Wei’s interjections of unnecessary comments, emotional outbursts, and general annoyances spoiled Eli’s review to the point where it was unlistenable. That’s why I switched to Kitchener-Waterloo although the reception was poor.

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Marg Trethewey
11/15/2014 09:17:05 am

Your comments are spot on!

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Fergal O'Hagan
2/27/2015 12:47:17 pm

My wife is getting tired of my rants about Wei Chen in the morning. She is peacefully taking her shower when she hears me scream "No f%*&^ing way!" at another of Wei Chen's absurdities (well enough elaborated through the comments above). There used to be a time when hosts turned over, I assumed to keep the waves fresh and the listeners listening. I can only assume that the CBC's contract provisions preclude transferring her somewhere else....anywhere else...just not here.

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Jubie Jeffries
3/9/2015 12:14:18 pm

I have discovered that i can stream Metro Morning, instead of Wei on my radio. We are elated to not have to listen to the dreadful
Ontario show.....wei chen has to go.

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Ross Kelly
3/17/2015 03:05:33 am

Wei Chen...obviously nobody likes her, why is she still on the air after all this time?
Bob Steele drive show is unlistenable as well.
Mary Ito's time has come as well.
I tune into Matt Galoway on my IPad in the morning .

Hope all these comments (over several years !) are being forwarded to the CBC

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Rebekkah
3/17/2015 04:19:51 am

Good point - HOW is she still there?!? She is obviously a terrible interviewer with an annoying, cloying, mewling voice. I cannot believe that she tests well in listener focus groups. Maybe they just don't do those any more?

Bottom line for me: I started listening to podcasts as a way to get away from Chen in the morning. Then, as I discovered many podcasts that were appealing and interesting to me, I really started to enjoy the podcasts more than *anything* on CBC. As a result, I now listen entirely to podcasts, and have dropped all other CBC listening habits - including Canada @ 5, The World @ 6, As it Happens, and the drive-home shows. CBC's continued support of the annoyingly awful Wey Chen drove me away from their whole line-up of programming, and I had been a loyal listener since childhood.

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Mike W
3/17/2015 05:27:38 am

So nice to hear Susan McReynolds on this week. That was a pleasant surprise after the 6am news. I actually listened for the whole show. As someone mentioned above, I have started to listen to podcasts as well. Both in the morning and also in the afternoon drive time hour. In SW Ontario we no longer get Here and Now. It is out of Windsor and I can't stand to listen to it at all. Podcasts are so much better. On pretty much any topic. A lot of Nerdist ones, and science ones from NPR amongst many others.

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John Morland link
3/17/2015 06:07:15 am

I agree 100% with this post. Why do we have to put up with Wei Chen when there is a Susan McReynolds? Wei's return next week will seem even worse after the great hosting this week! And please return us to Here and Now!

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Marg Trethewey
3/17/2015 06:45:04 am

Please, keep Susan McReynolds and Mike Ewing along with our local London newscasts. But, most of all, just make Wei GO AWAY!

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Duewy
3/22/2015 11:26:51 pm

Wei is back ;-《
Thank you Susan for your great week of inspiring comments interviews and cheery outlook.
I'll be happy to hear you back on my radio when I wake up.
Your family of fans
D

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tom
3/25/2015 01:35:46 am

Yes - that was a nice break.

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Ella
3/25/2015 01:27:37 am

Yes. Time for CBC to do some listening themselves
1. Patronizing responses
2. Irritating voice
3. Up-speak
Dreading cbc morning and I'm a die-hard. I even lived through the early Andy Barrie years, he eventually improved but had the baseline radio expectation of a morning voice.

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tom
3/25/2015 01:53:06 am

Yes Please - Can we start a petition to hire Susan McReynolds?

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Laurie
3/25/2015 03:03:53 am

Where do we sign!! ? Great idea!

Marg
3/25/2015 04:55:55 am

Susan is listed as a producer on the programme staff. (For some reason, probably because it triggers a higher contract salary, Wei Chen also gives herself a "producer" credit when she reads the production team list on Fridays.) Susan is so far superior to Wei, there is no justification for keeping Chen on the programme unless she counts as part of a minority hiring policy. As far as I am concerned she could be Mary Smith because her on air ability and presence are so bad and so irritating that she has been a major factor in this programme's losing audience numbers. Keep Mike Ewing and put Susan in the host's chair permanently, please. Where is the petition? I am more than ready to sign!

Eliza
3/25/2015 07:12:08 am

Stagnation exists with this program, let's face it. They don't seem to care about listeners lost. I hate the damned show. Listen only to Mike Ewing for the weather, and to Susan, when Chen is away.

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George Mather
3/29/2015 12:26:51 pm

Agree with the comments about Wei Chen and "MY DAUGHTER"
and Mary Ito on Fresh Air having a "chat" with the sportsperson.
However, can't understand those who delight in listening to Susan McReynolds who replaces Wei Chen and was even doing Regional News on Fresh Air this morning. Susan McReynolds is the Elmer Fudd of CBC Radio. Elmer Fudd couldn't pronounce the letter "R" so
he stalked the Wascally Wabbit while carrying his wifle. Susan can't pronounce "H". This morning we heard what the temperature was in Tunder Bay and she signs off with people she interviews by saying Tanks or even Tank Ewe, which probably surprises the female sheep which are listening in their barns. I suggest Susan head to CFB Borden and be put in charge of the Tanks.

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Bill
3/29/2015 02:49:50 pm

@ Georgel

I too cannot understand the fascination with Ms. M. Albeit she asks much more intelligent questions than Ms. Annoying, her "tink" and "tank" put me off. Mercifully, I no longer listen to CBC in the morning. I prefer to get my news online without all the b.s. of listening to air heads.

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Marg
3/30/2015 06:06:41 am

Susan very gently betrays her Irish roots when she speaks but I don't find this irritating, especially compared to anything that Wei says because so much of what she says is all about Wei herself. And, incidentally, if you object to the small idiosyncracies of Susan M's speech patterns, I wonder where you stand on Rex Murphy's examples not only of Newfoundland idioms but also the ultra-pedantic run-on sentences he strings together, managing thereby to virtually monopolize the 110 or so minutes of air time assigned to Cross Country Check-up. As soon as the blathering begins, I turn the programme off --- I cannot tolerate Rex!

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Bill
3/30/2015 11:01:18 am

@Marg

I love Rex! I have been to the "Rock" several times. Love the province and the people. Their "dialect" is truly Canadian. Perhaps you disagree with Rex's political philosophy? :) Tanks.

Terry Murray
7/18/2016 12:32:57 pm

Re Susan McReynolds's "mispronunciation" of 'th': English-speakers (with the exception of the Irish) are about the only people on earth who have a 'th' sound. I've noticed that Susan McReynolds often takes pains to pronounce 'th.' But it's worth noting that the 'th' sound seems to be an English-language anomaly.

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John Morland link
4/7/2015 03:48:55 am

Sometimes, when I see a really good movie that catches me up, I'm surprised when a reviewer points out some minor errors in it. I didn't see them and they didn't affect my enjoyment of that movie.

However, if I see a really bad movie, the errors magnify and the movie becomes unwatchable. I did not notice the errors that have been attributed to Susan, but those of Wei Chen are so irritating that I can no longer listen to her.

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D. Michaels
4/15/2015 12:45:06 am

Is there a way to petition for Susan?
Who do we send emails to or call up?
I'm having to change the station today, just only so much dumb dumb I can handle. Maybe I will tune in talk radio from south of the boarder
Please find another job for Chen ... Please

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Mortsy
4/15/2015 02:53:30 am

Don't waste your time writing letters. You will get a polite boilerplate reply thanking you for your interest but obviously they don't take our concerns seriously -- because she's still there! You could call the telephone message line but nobody there will hear your message. Maybe send a link to this website? THEY JUST DON'T CARE!

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Marg
4/15/2015 04:12:14 am

To Bill: It is not so much Rex's "philosophy" that rankles as his general manner. I would cite his political leanings that often colour his interactions with callers with whom he disagrees. But no, actually it his bad manners as on-air host that really make me angry. He has a number of very rude habits that simply should not be considered acceptable on Cross Sountry Checkup on the CBC. the programme is almost two hours long but for Monday's rebroadcast it has obviously been quite possible to edit the content to fit in less than on hour by eliminating most of the annoying and unnecessary repetitions and re-phrasings of the topic of the day for which Rex seems to have free reign to trot out as many silly "puff" words as he can stuff into his script that I would suppose make him sound super intelligent to the many gullible listeners who fawn all over him having been chosen to speak on air. Then, especially if the caller is from Newfoundland or the Maritimes, Rex absolutely has to ask about the weather in their part of the country, Eventually he gets around to the call-in topic and then, whether he is speaking to a caller or a special guest the programme has recruited to speak as as expert on the topic, he interrupts every few seconds with "okay" "okay" "okay" and jumps in to talk over the other person as they are finishing their thoughts to contradict them and impose his own opinions. As for your complaint that Susan McReynolds drops the 'h' from words such as this, that, think, I listened carefully last week when, blessedly she was replacing an ailing Wei, and found her not guilty of this cardinal sin you of which you accused her. However, have you not noticed that in Rex's vocabulary, no word where t and h are intended to be combined as 'th' in the, this, that escapes unscathed? And, finally, wouldn't it also be a good idea and good manners as a sign of respect for a colleague for Rex to learn (after how many years and episodes of this programme) to pronounce correctly the name of longtime member of the production team, Jelena Glisic?

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Kelli
4/21/2015 07:30:21 am

I disagree and I enjoy listening to Wei Chan. I think her voice is very clear and she speaks well. I find her entertaining but when she is off and a susan McReynolds fills in for her I have to say that I find her very annoying. Sometimes her accent is so strong that you can't understand what she says. I also like Mary Ito and Rex Murphy.....

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Marg
4/21/2015 08:58:44 am

Kelli, Your comment is so completely contrary to most posted here that I suspect that you are a troll. Therefore I won't dignify your comment with a rebuttal.

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dale tonner
6/27/2015 07:12:43 am

Thank you so much for this, I moved from Kelowna back to Ontario @ years ago to help my elder father. After loving Day break for 15 years an amazing intelligent Morning program . I learned much ,won tickets and a trivia contest to win the coveted Daybreak Mug. It was fun
Now I find myself more angered in the morning by this womans air headed, stupidity than the poor drivers around me. I have never heard a more stinking pile of fake sincerity in my life. I believe it is all part of the cons takeover. Please elect a new government and appoint a new head of cbc

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Marg
6/27/2015 09:44:22 am

Dale, Welcome back to Ontario. Not only does the CBC need a new president and CEO instead of Hubert Lacroix, it needs a new board of governors as well as NINE of the current eleven are Harper political appointees who have all been CPC donors. Wei Chen and Mary Ito are two of the weakest hosts and both need to be replaced. Even other members of the Ont Am team are better --- Susan McReynolds and Mike Ewing are so far superior. Whoever is the senior programme director responsible for the renewal of both Wei and Mary's contracts also needs to be put out to pasture. Why the heck were they hired in the first place?

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Dale
6/28/2015 07:51:41 am

Its insane that the ruling government can appoint anyone with strong affiliations to their political party to lead a public broadcaster, It would seem that all these appointees are merely saboteurs to whatever is contrary to the conservatives, Its either that or conservatives have really poor taste. On days i need to engage in primal scream therapy I shall hold the dial at radio one but unless you wish to risk having a bad day I would flip to 2 right after the news. Thanks again all you fellow Wei haters , you have validated my rage.

Marg
6/28/2015 09:43:27 am

well, Dale, that is the way the HarperCons undermine any department, bureau, agency or crown corporation they want to disable. The serial cutbacks have done so much damage, gutting the CBC. What appears to have happened is there were an number of senior production and on air staff who were not unloaded due to their high profiles and seniority. The next tier of up and coming staffers who had great role models and mentors were let go and the programming they had worked on was cancelled, to be replaced under Sturzbergs reign with supposedly more saleable, modern, hip nonsense produced either by the likes of Ghomeshi and Solomon, Wei Chen, Mary Ito, Julie Nesrallah who (because of social contacts and relationships?) were hired on to headline weak programmes that now drive many of us round the bend. This morning Mary Ito conducted interviews that I classify as "Scab Picking" as in "how does it make you feel?" what motivated you to take up this cause" and the like. The poor interviewees, whether it is Mary or Wei subjecting them to an overdose of this sort of questioning instead of eliciting information about the goals, results, plans for the future, etc, end up sounding exasperated and about ready to crawl back into whatever closet of despair they managed to escape to set up their movement, support group or programme. A couple of years ago, Mary had Linda Cash on live as a guest and absolutely botched the interview. Linda used to be the Kraft Philadelphia Cream Cheese angel and has been an active member of Canada's theatre community for decades. She just happens to be the daughter of Eugene Cash and Maureen Forrrester. Mary hinted at the identity of Linda's mother but never remembered to actually refer to her by name. As Gen Y says, "epic fail." My lungs get a good workout pretty well every morning as I get steamed up with indignation while hoping to catch the news and weather forecasts. Unfortunately, I cannot tolerate the programming on Radio Two in the same time slot. Talia Schlenger is effervescent to the degree that someone needs to as her to switch off the bubble machine. With the same style of programming on weekdays until Julie signs on, I can't switch. As a musician and a woman, I find Julie's purple prose, gushing and adolescent giggling embarrassing and her exaggerated, pedantic pronunciation highlighted by her inability to grasp the differences between sung and spoken French. I enjoy Ann Maria Tremonti, always detested Ghomeshi, prefer Shad to Radio Two before 1:00. I wish Tom Allen had a bigger and better time slot. That is my rant for the day. 'Bye for now.

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John Ross Weber
8/31/2015 12:58:56 am

At last someone has noticed what I have been whining and snivelling about for the last couple of years. Wei Chen !
Clearly she graduated from some nkind of broadcasting/acting academy where one is taught to fake enthusiasm about topics about which he/she knows nothing. I , as a resident of Germany, rely on Ontario today to keep me up to date on happenings outside Metro Toronto.. Susan McReynolds has been on for about two weeks but I fear that Ms. Chen may return from (administrative) leave.
Because of the six hour time difference I am forced to use the podcast feature. (Those nasty blurbs at the beginning of most CBC podcasts make CBC sound like a semi-pro broadcaster (university radio etc.)
I recall that CBC , some years ago, decided to increase its appeal to a younger demographic. Where are the new Lorne Greenes and Byng Whittakers and Bruce Smiths and Earl Camerons going to come from?? NPR ? Certainly not the squeeky voiced kiddies that CBC has chosen to load up with..

Ontario today, however, has two of the best women in Canadian broadcasting, Rita Celli and Amanda Pfeffer. Dynamite hosts !!
Thanks for listening
Ross

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Bruce woodman
9/16/2015 01:10:02 pm

I agree, she's very hard to listen too, I love it when Susan McReynolds fills in

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Lisi
9/26/2015 11:13:16 am

I find myself switching off CBC in the morning . While, Wei Chen is barely tolerable, I find Susan McReynold's faux, ever changing accent grates on me worse than nails on a chalk board. Both of them need to go.

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Jim Phillips
9/19/2015 08:57:07 pm

Yes, Wei Chen includes anecdotes about her family life and personal experience, but no more so than other CBC show hosts (Matt Galloway, Rita Celli, Mary Ito). Without humanizing their broadcast, they would come across as VOIP sound bites. And, obviously, they are encouraged to do this by their producers.
I get a little uncomfortable when some commentators here tend to centre out only Chen and Mary Ito as the two announcers that bother them on CBC. This smacks of a kind of good-old-boy zenophobia. No, these two do not look like most people in rural Ontario, but they are bright, articulate and engaging.
On the other hand, one thing Chen has to correct is her voice modulation. The Chinese language is built on the four-tones system where some words can have different meanings depending upon what tone and volume is expressed. Chen's insistence on alternating tone and volume in what should be a normal cadence can be really irritating -- and ultimately, over and hour or so, fatiguing. This is just a wild guess at what might prompt her to do this.
McReynolds is okay, but can someone please tell her to quit dropping her "g" in gerunds. It is gettin' really annoyin'

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Dale Tonner
10/20/2015 08:16:46 pm

The thing that annoys me most is the way she ends an interview by throwing in her twisted anal off topic point of view and attempts to stew the whole thing in her bizarre perverted direction with out giving them time to respond. She reminds me of the kid with the overbearing mom who told on you all the time. That and the the way she says Im Wei Chen all the time. Hopefully with a new government that will support the CBC and perhaps appoint a better boss . We can then all pray that indeed the day that Wei Chen will be gone. Hallelujah.

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Sandra Olney
10/21/2015 08:09:09 am

Delightful to listen to Susan McReynolds, and Mike Ewing.

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Murray
12/28/2015 11:12:46 am

I don't listen to Wei Chen anymore. I stopped over a year ago because I could not stand the her stupid brain dead let's check for a pulse comments. I feel for her husband who she throws under the bus for ever one to hear. What an idiot!

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Ross
1/23/2016 07:19:38 am

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Martin Joldersma
1/29/2016 05:22:02 pm

I have to echo the appreciation of those who thought they were lonely voices in the wilderness in their criticism of this show. I stumbled upon this site. I vote for Mike Ewing for host as well - far superior to the present host, Wei Chen.

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Dave Winfield
2/15/2016 12:41:08 pm

This should be a FB group.......No WEI CHEN

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Dave Winfield
2/15/2016 12:39:26 pm

thanks for this - I thought I was the only one. I phoned in about her raving about her daughter, and noticed that it worked for a few weeks.
What about the stupid laugh that comes from nowhere about items that are not funny. Adding her stupid irrelevant comments after every interview........it is just too much, and so typical of the CBC to put up with such shoddy journalism. The other day, she announced that the McDonalds Kale salad had 1400 grams of salt in it.......that's 1.4 kilos Wei to stupid Chen.......I sincerely hope that McDonalds sues her and the CBC.....enough,,,,please give the job to Mike Ewing, the weather guy, who would take us back to the days of Joe Cote, real journalists, who can relate to the people that are their audience.......

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Eliza
2/15/2016 01:51:01 pm

Wasn't it wonderful to have Mike Ewing the other day. What a natural he is on radio. What a treat. How we'll miss him even more when they allow that awful woman back from wherever she goes. Her silliness is just too much to bear.

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John link
2/15/2016 03:10:09 pm

I agree! I felt so cheated when Wei was off at Christmas time and we got stuck with the Windsor station. Mike is so much better that that. CBC must really hate us. They stuck us with Windsor for the holidays and all our weekday evenings with that awful Afternoon Drive. It's so unprofessional—doesn't even sound like CBC, especially that Bob Steel. Please put us with Kitchener or Toronto for the mornings and evenings!

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Chuck Foley
4/3/2016 05:22:44 pm

Could you please finally take down your "rant" regarding CBC's Wei Chen? I stumbled on it a few years ago, and see it's still here. I agree with you that WC isn't the best radio personality, can get hard to listen to, but in scanning through the childish, self-absorbed, self-congratulatory comments that follow your rant, I'm no longer sure i want to identify myself as a long-time CBC listener.

Your little rant turned into nothing but a sounding board for bunch of selfish and complacent complainers who not infrequently make allusions or outright references to "ethnics", and who help to reveal the self-serving self-righteousness of so many so-called CBC supporters.These people are quite frankly a loathsome lot. And if anyone so much as hints that they don't mind Wei Chen, then they're shut out and called a troll.

Time to remove this stupid insulting page.

Thank you for considering.

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Don
3/15/2019 04:10:43 pm

Screw you! She still sucks!

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Elizabeth
4/3/2016 06:01:41 pm

"Ethnics" has nothing to do with the complaints, Chuck Foley.
There are plenty of other people in that category who are perfectly
wonderful in their jobs on CBC. Perhaps we should have a blog to complain about your assumption. However, you are correct about one thing: Nothing has been accomplished by having us all rant about that extremely annoying program host. Somebody likes her.

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Chris
4/5/2016 12:14:11 pm

Another one here. I find Wei's down home, hokey style and language/communication skills fall far below what I have come to expect from CBC radio.
I listen to Ottawa Morning now.

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Dave
4/20/2016 09:54:58 am

My wife and I have a good use for the Wei Chen broadcast: we have our bedside clock-radio tuned to CBC so if we wake up too early, we can listen to Wei, which almost instantly puts us back to sleep again. Doesn't seem to work if other people are hosting Ontario Morning. Maybe not so good if you are driving to work............

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bruce
4/25/2016 08:56:28 am

I like Wei and her hosting.
I did not know there was any issue with her until I was surfing the net and saw this rant
I am one of many who like her so she will be there for years to come as far as I am concerned. I listen every day!

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Eliza
4/25/2016 09:05:18 am

Bruce, you must enjoy childish ramblings then, poor man. But I fear you are correct, the way the CBC is going, the childish babbling will be there for years to come (as you say). Sad to think of that. CBC is definitely rolling downhill at quite a clip.

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Dillon Vossen
5/3/2016 08:37:00 pm

either Wei or Mary would be SO much better than listening to Matt every morning spewing on and on - like having acid poured in my ears... and again... all about hog town even though the "listening area" includes the golden horseshoe and Niagara areas

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Brenda Skinner
6/22/2016 07:33:55 am

I've emailed CBC more than once about my thoughts on Wei Chen. Isn't it interesting that people who have posted here have been sending their comments to the show for three or more years, and yet she is still the host? Here's the response I received to my last email, about a year ago:
"Got it.
And hate to hear that you're forced to tune out.
But...hard to swap out hosts without a very good reason.
And---as mentioned---it's such a personal thing.
We have all kinds of listeners who love Wei.
What can I say..."

I agree with the many who would like to have Mike Ewing as host and enjoy Susan McReynolds as guest host, and have voiced that to CBC. Almost every time one of them fills in for Wei Chen during her vacations or sick days, I've sent a complimentary email to say how much I enjoyed the show. Perhaps continuing comments of that nature will influence their decision making in the future.

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aaron wright
7/4/2016 11:24:35 pm

Brenda,
Brenda, Brenda, Brenda
Please read your message, then re-read it. Then read it again.
Then imagine somebody reading it.
Then imagine somebody at CBC who has to somehow respond to your messages. And all the others like yours.
Imagine how they might respond to the repetitive child-like blandness of i-like-mike-but-i-dont-like-wei. What is any reasonable, critically-minded person supposed to do with this? Oh, we need to re-assign Wei. Why? Uh, well, these people keep sending me messages about how they don't like her. Why? Uh, well, something about her voice or something. Huh? Can't they explain? not really, they just don't like her.... Maybe we should invite them to a focus group....

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Brenda Skinner
7/7/2016 10:56:25 am

Aaron, your assumptions about the comments I've sent CBC were interesting. Did you have a crystal ball plugged in to determine that there was a childlike blandness to them? Golly, your perception is impressive.

Angela Shogembe
7/10/2016 02:15:39 am

This is a very interesting web page about Wei Chen of CBC Radio.

Actually I have been listening to Wei Chen off and on for many years now, and like many of the commenters here, I find her difficult to warm up to, and at times yes she can be quite annoying. Being a host on a morning radio show is actually no easy task, and whether or not you like the host is highly subjective. And sometimes it takes a while. For example, in my case I didn't much like Mary Ito when she started doing the weekend morning programs Fresh Air, but now after listening for a while I much like her. Opposite is true for dear old Gill Deacon, and to some extent the indefatigable Galloway. Can't stand Susan MacReynolds. But that's just me. The point is, it is very subjective, so i don't think the CBC can be criticized too much if the number complaining is but a small portion of the audience.

But the thing about Wei Chen is that in many ways I think she is typically Canadian; at least, Canadian of a certain age category. She tends to be rather self-absorbed, and is really not a terribly good listener, and often does from my experience in Canada so far, and while travelling abroad, this is very much characteristic of what might be called middle-age Canadians. They seem to have a kind of diffidence that arises from a sort of nervous self-consciousness and self-absorption, very child-like in a way. Wei seems to capture this in a presumably accidental way. She is very much like a lot of men and women one meets day by day throughout Canada. The cultural trope seems to be that Canadians are nice and polite, and Wei certainly pulls this off, but it is generally so obviously forced and superficial, which from my experience is very very Canadian. Not really so nice compared to other nationalities [sorry], and one always wants to beware of the person that insists that they are so nice and polite. Anyway, I think Wei Chen is actually a very representative Canadian, and therefore actually makes a good morning host, as it is always good to look in the mirror in the morning.

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Michael Furmaniak
8/9/2016 08:00:42 am

Great observations about Canadian superficial (and artificial) politeness. I completely agree,

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Terry Murray
8/6/2017 09:09:40 am

Arguable whether this is typical behaviour for her demographic, but it is not good for the host of a radio programme.

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Tom
7/10/2016 08:46:10 am

Ito announces she is leaving Fresh Air! (July 9, 2016) One down, one to go. It's a beautiful morning.

I truly hope she is not stepping aside for unfortunate reasons e.g. personal health challenges, etc. (I would wish that on no one) but now here's hoping Ms. Chen follows the lead. Pleeeease.

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Bill
7/17/2016 09:40:07 am

Why drag Mary Ito into this? Mary's show is completely different (Cultural etc.) and while I don't listen to some segments, I find her genuine interest and questioning of guests to be tops! I will miss her enthusiasm. W.C. on the other hand would NOT be missed. Interesting initials. :)

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Terry Murray
8/6/2017 09:06:56 am

I'm coming to this late. Mary Ito is gone (but will she return?). I couldn't stand her - precious, ill-informed, constant mispronunciations. I complained about her to a much older (97) friend who said the problem is, fundamentally, the weekend morning show. She said CBC has never known what to do with that slot. Obviously has to be softer focus than weekday morning show, but it's actually unfocussed, fuzzy, mushy and just annoying.

sammy springer
7/17/2016 10:00:19 am

i like karen jordan ,i love her voice i would like to invite her for dinner and just listen to her voice,i have no idea how she looks,but her voice is so sexy a dinner for 200dollar and jut listen to her it will be fun:)

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Elizabeth
7/17/2016 12:08:16 pm

Sammy, if you mean Karen Gordon, I agree that I too enjoy listening to her. She is humorous, intelligent, warm, likeable, and a wonderfully down-to-earth person--so knowledgeable about modern music and what is going on in the music field. We cannot get enough of her. She seems to be hired only for part time work on CBC; well, perhaps that's all she wants. However, Karen Gordon would be a MARVELOUS replacement for Wei Chen. She has my vote.

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john magda
7/19/2016 07:05:38 pm

I agree that Wei Chen needs to go, and i am glad to see that so many feel this way. But take heart, i have good news.... I have it from a reliable source at the cbc that as of mid-September, Wei Chen will be moving over to occasional tv news hosting at cbc toronto, and Karen Hawryluk will be host of Ontario Morning. She is currently a news reporter for cbc.

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Bill
7/19/2016 09:58:46 pm

Fingers crossed. Hope you are right John.

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Michael Furmaniak
8/9/2016 07:58:18 am

It would be great to see Wei Chen go. What I find most annoying are her constant family and personal references. For the same reason, I did not like Mary Ito. I actually cannot stand Susan MacReynolds as well (for completely different reasons)

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Rob
9/21/2016 10:47:13 am

John, any updates on this?

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Joan
3/2/2017 08:57:10 am

Note: John did not say September of what year.

Mark Jamison
11/15/2016 12:20:11 pm

With changes coming to London Ont CBC perhaps it is time to end Ontario or rather London Morning . In the eastern end of the province we listen to CBC Ottawa for the drive show
Why not plug us into Ottawa Morning and encourage the producers to ramp up some regional capacity?

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Ross Kelly
6/9/2017 08:04:22 am

Goodbye Wei
Won't be sorry to see you go !

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Michael Furmaniak
6/9/2017 08:07:19 am

Yes, this is indeed great that I will not have to listen to Wei anymore. What a relief!

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Jeremy
6/9/2017 08:12:42 am

What's happening? Did she announce that she is leaving?

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Michael Furmaniak
6/9/2017 08:15:14 am

Jeremy, we in London are getting our new London radio station and will stop listening to Ontario Morning (and Wei) on Monday

Marc
11/20/2017 06:43:22 am

Next up, Kingston plz! (Just cut us over to CBC Ottawa)

jeremy
6/9/2017 08:22:26 am

You lucky devils in London! Congrats!

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Michael Furmaniak
6/9/2017 08:51:40 am

Thank you, Jeremy :-)

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Michael Furmaniak
6/18/2017 06:56:20 am

We have had more than a week without Wei in London, Ontario. Unfortunately, I realized that the main problem may not have been Wei. The new CBC London Morning is different (and the host is different) but I am now certain that the main issue is that CBC wants to have shows the way its agenda is and will always choose hosts that are going to tow the line and "produce" the content CBC wants. I say: CBC has to go (in its current form and "mission").

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joyce
10/17/2017 10:59:31 am

I love listening to wei, could not believe monday morning not to hear her voice, love to hear her bantering back and force with her mates, what is the matter with these judge mental people, wow they should get a life, how could they be so insensitife, I shall not feel comfortable listening to the c.b.c in the morning with out the crew I love to listen too

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jeremy
10/17/2017 12:59:31 pm

ya, well, that's just kinda like your opinion man..

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Bill
3/9/2018 07:58:43 pm

Received one of those google gadgets you talk to, for Christmas. Wonderful! Can ask google to play CBC Kitchener, or London, or Toronto........anywhere but where she is. By the way, it is so nice not having to listen to Wei asking people to weigh in.

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Margaret Eve
8/30/2018 11:34:04 pm

Moved from Brampton to Kincardine and wake up to Ontario morning. Cannot stand the nasal voice of Wei Chen. She sounds like she's just finished chewing. I find myself imitating her. I wanted to see when she might retire. Looks like never. The pretentious tone is unbearable. I see I'm not alone. There are others who feel this way. At first , I thought it was fresh and crisp. The more I listen now, the more I can't stand her.


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DAVE WINFIELD
12/26/2018 07:14:58 pm

I called to complain about her constant updates on her daughter a few years back and was simply amazed that she didnt mention her for a month or so. Wey has to go, she is unprofessional, irritating, annoying and condescending. Mike Ewing should be the host......far more representative of the audience.....

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ML
8/17/2019 01:08:48 pm

I want to do the same. Who did you complain to exactly?

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Charlie milne
2/18/2019 09:05:02 am

Glad to know that I'm not alone in my dislike of Wei Chen and he ongoing tales of he daughter.
Mike Ewing has far more personality and is markedly more learned!

It has been a joy the last few weeks without Wei Chen on the radio ... hopefully she is in transition to an off air position.

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ML
8/17/2019 01:07:59 pm

100% agree. The amount of times I have screamed at the radio "WE DON'T CARE ABOUT YOUR DAUGHTER!!". LOL.

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Judy
3/15/2019 04:21:16 pm

She hasn't been on radio for 3 weeks now? What a relief?

Do you think they let her go?? One can wish

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John
3/29/2019 08:33:01 am

March 30, 2019.
Sirojah just announced today at the end of the show, that she "will be sitting in for Wei Chen for a few more weeks yet".

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Jason
4/16/2019 06:24:19 am

Ugh she’s back, it was nice while it lasted. Back to npr I guess

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Wilma Kenny
5/22/2019 08:26:58 pm

Way Chen has abysmal interviewing skills. never listens to the person she is talking to, tries to take over the conversation, asks them something they have just told her.
And her drilling-down for the tabloid-level details:"Tell me: how did you feeel when you saw your kitten squashed by a beer truck? Ooooooh!"
Mike Ewing, on the other hand, has a delightful sense of humour: can brighten the whole morning with just one well-place comment. More of him, please! Way Chen seems to try to cut him off as fast as she can...
I don't wish Way Chen ill, but I so wish the CBC could find another assignment for her. We've been punished far too long. I've pretty well stopped listening to Ontario Morning.

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Pete
8/31/2020 06:24:29 am

Oi - What amazes me is how Wei (and others) can talk and giggle at the same time, Pete

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Bill
5/28/2019 03:34:32 pm

Maybe Wei till take Anna Maria's place as the new host of "The Current". The Peter Principle has not stopped her yet!! :)

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Michael Furmaniak
5/28/2019 04:55:35 pm

Great idea, Bill (LOL)

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ML
8/17/2019 01:06:41 pm

Not funny!

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don adams
7/20/2019 10:35:35 am

I’ve had Alexa for2 years and in that time have never listened to the Peterborough station.; Radio 1 Toronto starts my day now.

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ML
8/17/2019 01:06:10 pm

Yup, though I live in Peterborough, I tune into Metro morning now. I can't deal with Way.

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Bill
7/26/2019 05:14:34 pm

Stream on google, alexa or whatever from Toronto, London etc.. No need to listen to her annoying diatribe.

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wilma kenny
7/29/2019 09:51:20 am

I hit the wrong button & unsubscribed by accident! Please put me back on the list!!
Thanks
W Kenny

Reply
Wei Chen link
8/20/2020 07:23:35 pm

So, you are a school teacher. Who could have guessed? Perhaps you have retired by now. God knows your poor disadvantages student could only hope that you are gone. Your self-righteous, preening, gratuitous opinions make you fit into the stereotype very well. We were all glad to leave grade school behind us. You the reason.

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Jeremy Davidson
8/24/2020 03:59:54 pm

Apparantly you left school without learning English it seems. Nice job!

Reply



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    Shaun Perry

    secondary school teacher, amateur photographer, movie buff, computer nerd .

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