Canton OH Radio: Sam Bourguin Leaves WHBC

Sam Bourquin

N/T WHBC 1480 AM sports director Sam Bourquin has left the station. Bourquin has not been heard on air since his afternoon-drive show Oct. 24, according to indeonline.com.

Bourquin, who had the 3-to-7 p.m. weekday slot on WHBC, was supposed to join Pam Cook and Gary Rivers on the station’s morning show starting Oct. 27. Instead, Bourquin called off sick every day last week.

Kenny Roda, a sports-talk radio personality from Cleveland, replaced Bourquin in the afternoon-drive slot starting Oct. 27.

In a conversation Tuesday, WHBC Market Manager Larry Gawthrop said moving Bourquin to mornings and adding Roda to afternoons was “a decision to strengthen both drive-time spots.”

In a statement Wednesday, WHBC said, “After much consideration, Sam Bourquin has decided not to accept his position with Canton’s Morning News, and has chosen to explore other opportunities. This is a mutually agreed upon separation between Digity Canton dba WHBC and Sam Bourquin. We thank Sam for his years of broadcast service and wish him the best.”                                            

A longtime WHBC employee, Bourquin became sports director in 2007 following the retirement of Jim Johnson. In addition to his afternoon show, he was the primary play-by-play announcer for high-school football and basketball.