Ottawa Radio: CKQB Drops Live Show To Import

Jesse Reynolds experienced the thrilling highs and crushing lows of his Ottawa radio career in one turbulent 24-hour span last week, reports The Ottawa Citizen.

On Monday, the affable radio personality and morning show host was sharing a touching story from Pride Week. A young man had thanked Reynolds for giving him the courage to come out to his parents after the young man found out his mom was a fan of the popular CKQB Jump! 106.9 FM morning show Reynolds co-hosted with Jenna Mo.

After the following morning’s show, both hosts were marched separately into a corporate boardroom and told they were being let go. Reynolds and Mo said they were given little explanation from Corus Entertainment executives, except that the decision was made as part of “restructuring” efforts.

Their popular morning show will be replaced in the 5:30 – 9 a.m. slot with a U.S.-based syndicated program, Brooke & Jubal in the Morning, beginning Tuesday.

“This move will help maximize how we deliver content to listeners and further position radio brands for the future,” said Corus Entertainment spokesperson Rishma Govani in an email. “These decisions are never easy and we sincerely thank the hosts for their hard work and dedicated service.”

The change has not resonated well with fans of the homegrown talent, with social media posts, Reddit threads and petitions popping up online since the move was publicly announced by Corus Thursday.

“The comments are about the only thing getting me through right now, so it’s really nice to see the outpouring of support and love,” said Reynolds, 30, whose farewell messages on Facebook and Instagram exploded this week with stunned reactions from listeners.