Toronto Mike'd: The Official Toronto Mike Podcast - Jill Dempsey: Toronto Mike'd Podcast Episode 1517

Episode Date: July 8, 2024

In this 1518th episode of Toronto Mike'd, Mike chats with Metro Morning's Jill Dempsey about her career in media working for CityTV and CBC, her role on Metro Morning, and why we should all take note of her vacation days. Toronto Mike'd is proudly brought to you by Great Lakes Brewery, Palma Pasta, Ridley Funeral Home, The Advantaged Investor podcast from Raymond James Canada, The Toronto Maple Leafs Baseball Team and RecycleMyElectronics.ca. If you would like to support the show, we do have partner opportunities available. Please email Toronto Mike at [e-mail]

Welcome to episode 1518 of Toronto Mic'd. Proudly brought to you by Great Lakes Brewery. A fiercely independent craft brewery who believes in supporting communities, good times and brewing amazing beer. Order online for free local home delivery in the GTA. Palma Pasta, enjoy the taste of fresh, homemade Italian pasta and entrees from Palma Pasta in Mississauga and Oakville. The Toronto Maple Leafs baseball team,

the best baseball in the city outside the dome. Join me August 4th at Christie Pitts. I'm recording live at 2 p.m. Recycle My Electronics dot ca committing to our planet's future means properly recycling our electronics of the past and Ridley Funeral Home, pillars of the community since 1921. Today making her Toronto mic debut is a voice you know well from Metro Morning on CBC Radio 1. It's Jill Dempsey. Welcome Jill. Jill Dempsey Thank you.

Jared Hickman Listening to your voice in these headphones, I have the same feeling I felt when May Potts dropped by and I was hearing her voice in the headphones and I'm like, how many hours have I heard this voice on CF and Y when I was back listening to CF and Y? But your voice, I hear it when I was back listening to see why but your voice I hear It I'm listening to CBC radio one. What a voice Thank you. I mean it didn't start out that way in my Early days and in this career. I didn't think the voice had enough gravitas I thought I sounded too much like a girl and so in many ways when people say I love the voice

I'm like really you're surprised right yeah I'm surprised I don't think anybody loves their voice initially when they hear themselves well you haven't talked to enough old-time fm rock chocks who can't get enough of their voice and they love it and they love it yeah they won't shut up because they know they've got they've got that voice listen to some some of that great voice now i i happen to like your voice but part of it is the familiarity right like when you hear a voice it starts to become a calming calming influence like when i hear jill dempsey's voice it just sort of feels right like that's a that's a voice i'm used to hearing i've been hearing it for years

apparently decades i'm going to fact check all this. Shout out to Robert Lawson. We're going to find out your origin story and everything. But how many years have we Torontonians been hearing your voice on CBC radio? Well, I've been with the CBC. I just celebrated my 35th anniversary. Is that possible, Jill? Like that's 35. I'm going to say I started at 10. Well, yeah, even that math, I'm suspect. I have to do some crunching here. But Metro Morning, Metro Morning, it's been just over 20 years working on Metro Morning. Okay, so we're gonna get this entire story. Thanks for being here, nice to meet you.

Do you wanna crack open our Great Lakes beer here? So, but do it right in front of the mic. It's super hot. I bet you had to say that a hundred times this morning. Okay, right in front of the mic. Okay, Jill Dempsey is drinking a premium lager from Great Lakes Brewery, everybody. And I'm going to crack open a.

Thank you for that. I just heard the noise. We start in 10 minutes, Jill. I guess you're not allowed to start early on CBC. Everything's atomically timed. You know, you're right. Precise, but. I feel like my whole life is timed.

But here, you got here early. I said, let's go. This is. Let's do it. Not said, let's go. This is do it Not the CBC. Okay, even though we'll talk about my shirt in a moment, but let me crack open a sunny side session IPA Nice I've done it a few times Joe, but cheers to you cheers to you. Thank you on this hot summer day Is it hot enough for you Jill? Although I guess you said, you know, you'd be saying on CBC Metro Morning, drink plenty of water.

That would be the message. Drink lots of water. I brought my water too. Okay. But I think, you know, what's better than drinking a lot of water? Let's drink some fresh craft beer from Great Lakes breweries. So thanks for cracking one open with me. It's always more fun to drink with a guest.

What like what kind of heat are we talking about? I don't, I don't want to put you on the, like you're on the job or whatever, reporting the news to us Torontonians, but there's heat alerts and pools are open late. This is going to be a hot one. 30 degrees, the high today with the humidex 35, but you know, mother nature always shifts things around. So that's just a prediction, but it's, yeah. And with the Humidex, it's uncomfortable. So 35 with the Humidex you said? I need to know this from you, Jill Dempsey.

This is on the definitive record. What is the heat inside this polyester shirt I'm wearing? Okay, because I'm telling you now, I just put this on. I would say Humidex at 40. Yeah. Yesterday I was at Christie Pitts talking to people during the Toronto Maple Leafs baseball game. So while I say that, I'm at Christie Pitts talking to people during the Toronto Maple Leafs baseball game.

So while I say that, I'm going to tell you, you're taking home with you a lovely book on the history of Toronto Maple Leafs baseball. Fantastic. Thank you. So they play at Christie Pitts and it's free and it's awesome. And it was a great day yesterday, but at the very end I'm winding down and I see that there's a mascot. It's a bulldog runs around Christie Pitts talking to kids.

Actually, I noticed a lot of adults want selfies with the bulldog actually. So she's in this mascot thing yesterday and it was really sunny and warm. And she's dripping. She looks like she's young lady and she's dripping with sweat and she's kind of discreetly trying to bring down the like the dog costume around her ankles just to get a little air. And I said, I got to talk to this woman like I need to find out what it's like in that costume. I think I now know what it's like because I'm wearing this 1967 CBC shirt that I always put on for you CBC veterans. And it doesn't breathe like I am so hot in this thing. You almost need to wire it with a mister.

What we always miss at first, I'm like, Mr. Mr. Who? Okay, but that would be a good idea, Julie first. I'm like, Mr. Mr. Who? Okay. But that would be a good idea, Julie. That's why you're here. Okay. I want to learn about, you know, how you ended up at the CBC and your, your journey to Metro morning and we're going to cover all of this, but I want to thank Great Lakes for sending over beer.

You're going to take home some fresh craft beer of you. Thank you. You've got your Toronto Maple Leafs baseball book. Great game yesterday. I'll be back there. What day will they be back? August 4th. I'm back recording from Christie Pitts. So come by and say hi. I'm beyond the left, left field fence. You'll find me recording. We're going to get these out of the way right now. Jill Dempsey, there is a frozen lasagna in my freezer from Palma Pasta that you're taking home with you. Oh my gosh. Did you know you were getting this swag? No, I didn't. And you're allowed. I just want to make sure I don't get you're

allowed to accept this, right? This is all under a certain amount. I will say thank you. Okay. I'm just going to get you in trouble. Yeah. Okay. And what else do I have to give you measuring tape from Ridley funeral home? So was there a yeah, there you go. That's courtesy of Ridley funeral home pillars of this community since 1921. So you can measure whatever you wish. Yeah, and a little piece of advice before we get to your origin story. Recyclemyelectronics.ca if you Jill have any I don't know old electronics old devices drawer full of old cables. Don't throw it in the garbage. The chemicals end up in our landfill. Go to recyclemyelectronics.ca, put in your postal code. You'll find out where you can drop that off to be properly recycled.

Jill Dempsey, please tell me, when did you realize you wanted to be, I don't know, on the radio or work in media, be a journalist? What's your origin story? Let's talk about it. I didn't really know, you know, the idea, like a lot of young people, you reach a point where I don't know what I want to do with the rest of my life. What do I want to do? What's going to fulfill me and make me happy?

And I actually took a year off of high school. And my brother, who's quite brilliant, came to me and said, this is what I think you should do. And he had researched a number of schools for journalism and broadcasting. And he said, watching you and knowing what you're interested in. And this is what I, and I, and I thought, really?

I can, someone's going to pay me to talk. Someone's going to pay me to sort of do what I love, which is consume the news and follow elections and what's going on in the world. And from that point on, I was smitten. And so I went to a Canada College in North Bay for two years. I worked in Sudbury, I worked in North Bay,

and then I worked as a writer and a producer at City TV for seven years. Okay, stop right there. Stop right there. Stop right there. Stop. I just had Joel Goldberg came out to Chris the Kids yesterday and I had him on the show yesterday. We were talking about, we were just reminiscing about, well, first 99 Queen Street East and

then 299 Queen Street West. So I need to find out what's on TV. First of all, just so I know, are you a Toronto gal? Like where are you born and raised? No, I was born in Sudbury. Okay, that explains all these northern locales I'm hearing, I was born in Sudbury. Okay, that explains all these northern locales I'm hearing. I was born in Sudbury.

We lived in Burlington for my grade school years. Shadow to the spoons. Exactly. And then in my grade seven year, we moved to Sault Ste. Marie. My mother was born and raised in

Sault Ste. Marie. My father thought it was a great idea that that's where we go to live. So he took a transfer. We went to Sault Ste. Marie. So my high school years were really spent there and I have relatives there as well.

Okay. Now when you were in Burlington, were you a spoons fan? At that stage, the spoons didn't exist. You know what? See, I've got you. But I know the spoons and I love them. You should be flattered by all this. Okay, Jill, you know, obviously I'm off a little bit here. Okay. So what were you doing at City TV? Give me a little bit of, like, who are you working with? Did you have anything to do with the great Peter Gross?

I need to know what was going on at City TV. I knew Peter Gross at the time. Let's slow this down, Jill, holy smoke. Tell me about what you were doing there, first of all. Well, I started as a writer, and it was quite intimidating but exciting at the same time. It was very fast-paced. As you know, it was a real cast of characters.

Gord Martino, Mark Daly, Deanie Petty was there when I arrived. So it was an... Okay, hold on. I know this is too much. Too much. But when you say the name Mark Daly, I'm contractually obligated to play this right here. The following program contains adult themes, nudity and coarse language, viewer and parental discretion is advised.

Tell me about Mark Daly. What a voice. He had such a great voice and he was really immersed in his beat, which was crime. And he was a great storyteller. And buddies with all cops, right? Like he was getting great storyteller. And buddies with all cops, right? Like he was getting scoops. Yeah, it was a very different sort of take on how to do the news. City TV sort of forged their own path and the way they wanted to tell

stories and how they wanted to do stories. And so it was really a great learning opportunity for me to sort of be in the front row and watch that unfold. Now you said Deanie Petty too, who's also an FOTM. So sadly I never got an opportunity to have Mark Daly on the program. He left this far too soon. But Deanie Petty's been on the show, fascinating woman.

Like, so what was it like working with Deanie? Well, we had a lot of fun. Deanie is quite a character. And I actually saw Deanie a couple of years ago and it was great to sort of reconnect with Deanie. And again, like another trailblazer, you know, think of Deanie Petty, she flew around in a pink helicopter. You know, she was forging a path for women in this industry when there weren't that many

role models, you know, so she was really a trailblazer and it wasn't easy for women in those days. It was tough. It was tough. You know they only this year ended City Line. Yeah. Like so Deenie Petty is the original host of City Line and then Marilyn Dennis takes over and my goodness I should know who took over after that. Maybe you do but lost track of my City Line but bottom line is they only canceled that show or ended that show's run in 2024. Yeah. That was quite a run. Deenie Petty. Okay. Any, any other names you can drop?

I encourage the city TV name drops. Like with Lauren Honigman there. Yes. Lauren was there before he pursued his career as a, in the legal profession. Yep. Lauren was there. Love me some Lauren Honigman. I can't get enough. Honestly. He's the kind of guy who I'll get a text out of the blue. Lauren just heard whatever love. Oh, I used to tease Lauren a lot. What the mustache? What's going on? Yeah, we'd have some funding. You know, you know who he adores with all his heart and soul is Bob Dylan. Yes, he does. That I remember about Lauren. Remember, remember

everything about Lauren. Okay. Who else? Who else? Like, uh, I'm just, this won't be the whole, I know you did, apparently you worked at CBC at some point, but I got to get to see city TV. Phil here. Uh, JD Roberts was there at the time. Okay. Did you see that coming? Like, were you like, oh yeah, you know, I could see this guy as a big American news

anchor. Well, he was very driven. Yeah. You know, he was very, um, intent on being on rising through the ranks. So I don't think that was a huge surprise. Did you know he's tied with Christopher Ward for being the first VJ on much music? You knew this, right? You're nodding. Okay, this is radio. Jill, you know, can you not on Metro Morning? I nothing nothing shakes in the head. Sorry about that. You have to verbalize. Okay, then last couple of names I'll throw at you

because I'm trying to think of what area you're in, but what about Harold Hossain? Was he there yet? Where are we in the year? No, after I left. Okay, so where are we, early 80s? Where are we here? No, I joined the CBC in 1989.

Okay, so you were at City TV though in the mid 80s. Mid 80s, yeah. Okay, anyone else we can name check real quick here. What about how we doing sports? Oh well I oh my gosh of course who doesn't love Jimmy. Yeah lovely. Him and Peter Gross are still tight. They go to Saratoga once a year. I can see that. Bed on the ponies. I can see that too. Okay so what did you learn? I mean I I now I got to ask you like, uh, your interactions with Moses. So yesterday, Joel Goldberg was on the

program because he came out to Christie Pitts to watch the Toronto Maple Leaf baseball. And I asked him, because now Joel works at zoomer, which Moses runs, like is Moses, did he, is he still hands on? He was always very involved. And according to, you know, Jay gold, Joe Goldberg, he's still very engaged with the Zoomer, the stuff going on at Zoomer. What was it like with this visionary, uh, overlord Moses? I didn't have a lot of interaction with Moses

when I was there. I mean, most of my interaction was in the newsroom itself. And really I was sort of intent on developing my skills, getting to know the city, becoming the best journalist that I could. And so from that vantage point, there were a lot of opportunities that were presented to me

in order to make my audition tapes for the CBC. My boss at the time, Stephen Hurlbut, set time aside in the studio so I could do my audition tape. Was he good to you? Uh, to me he was, yes. Cause, uh, yeah, to you good. I'm glad. Uh, cause I just had John Gallagher on the show and, uh, man, he doesn't look, doesn't

like that guy. Well, I know different people had their own experiences, but I, he was good to you. Well, I have to be grateful for him carving out that time so that I create, could create an audition tape that was professional and caught the eye of people. I had interviews at the CTV station in Calgary and CBC. So, okay. So you helped there. Now, how did you get the gig at City TV?

I went in and I was interviewed. I had friends who worked there and they said that they were looking for a writer. I was actually working as a reporter and a host in Northern Ontario at the time, but I felt it was a good opportunity to get into a larger market. And so I was interviewed and I got the job. Okay. Amazing. Was there any opportunity to get in front of the camera or maybe even on the air at like I'm thinking like

One of the chum stations which no in the same family no opportunity to get on that. No, there wasn't All right, so all behind the scenes, but you come to CBC. You said in 1989. Is that right? That's right. And I was hired as an anchor for CBC Calgary. So I left Toronto and Stay actually my parents lived in Calgary at the time. And so I stayed with my parents. How convenient. How convenient. Yes.

So I had a house here and I went to Calgary and, uh, and started anchoring the late news. And I did that for 18 months until the big cuts came from the Moroni government in, uh, late 1990. Okay. Maybe before I dismiss you, we might revisit potential cuts and etc. etc. Nothing will get you in trouble, Jill. Don't worry, you're in safe audience here. But you're in Calgary in 1989. Is the goal at this point to put in your reps,

learn as much as you can and then get back to the big smoke here? I mean, eventually I wanted to get back to Toronto, but I also knew that there were a lot of opportunities for me in Calgary. And I'm certainly grateful for that because when I arrived, so I was hired in June, uh, that summer they were starting what was called, um, news net, which became.

What was news world first, right? It was news world. Yep. And, um, I started backfilling a news world Newsnet, which became... Well, it was Newsworld first, right? It was Newsworld, yep. And I started backfilling on Newsworld in September. So it was pretty meteoric for me to go from a local late night post to national television.

So you get to Calgary in June 89, and by September 89 you're backing up... I'm backfilling on a national program. Amazing. That is amazing because that's you were behind the scenes at City TV. You were writing, you were producing and now your first opportunity to get to you know to be anchoring late-night news in Calgary and then two months later it's happening for you. It's happening but

also there was a lot of great people there who gave incredible feedback and and support and mentoring so it was a really great time for me. Now, pardon my ignorance, Jill, you know, I do wear the CBC shirt circa 1967, but I never worked at the CBC, but news world happens in Toronto, doesn't it? Now it does. Oh, now it does.

But in order to get the license, uh, when they went on the air in 1990, they actually did programming out of Vancouver, Calgary and Halifax and a small amount of programming from Toronto. Okay. You're full of the fun facts here. Okay. So you're in Calgary, you're anchoring the late night news. You're doing this backup hosting for news world. What's that like? I mean, you don't really have an opportunity to cut your,

I said, you know, cut your teeth and then, you know, two months later you're on national, you're on a national network. That like, like, how was it baptism by fire? Like how was a little scary? I'm not going to lie. I would watch, I would watch my tapes 24 hours after and critique them. How do I get better? What do I do? What mistake? I never would sort of watch my tape saying, wow, you're fantastic. I'd always sort of critique them and dissect them and say, okay, that question wasn't quite right. That could be framed differently.

You can do that differently. So, um, and they gave me room to sort of sometimes you have to make mistakes in order to learn, which is something I teach as well. And I sort of tell my students that all the time, you have to be prepared to make a mistake, own it and learn from it. And the worst kinds of mistakes are you don't own it, you don't learn from it. And you keep making the same mistakes. Okay, in this vein, because I knew you had done quite a bit of training and teaching, I was going to ask you about that at some point, actually, in this conversation. But I hear from some podcasters and broadcasters

that they can't listen back to their own show, okay? Like so personally- It's painful. But so I, for a long time I hated my, you know you talked about not liking your voice, no one likes their voice. You're talking, you're preaching to the choir on that one. Like I hated my voice for a very long time

and then I just got used to it. But I always made myself listen back because I would cringe and it was painful like you said. But I, oh Mike, why do you interrupt so much? Your guest is telling a story and then what back off silence, let them fit in. Like I would hear things and I would critique, I'd be very critical of myself, but I would work on improving. And I can't imagine I could ever have got better, not that I'm any good now Jill, but know, the CBC has never called me. Wait a minute. Is that CBC calling right now?

Okay. Holy smokes. I'm going to be on Metro Morning Monday morning, but I can't imagine improving without listening back to myself critically. So what do you say to somebody if you have a student or somebody who can't listen back to themselves? Like, how do you get better if you don't listen back? Yeah, it's difficult and I I tell them no one likes to hear themselves No one likes to watch them. So unless you're a Yeah, unless you're a narcissist you don't really enjoy sitting there watching and listening to yourself

but The person the only person who can make the change is you. Yeah. And you can only make the change if you understand what needs to be changed. If you can hear it, if you can see it. So when I used to do interviews in the early days, I thought I was being very supportive of the people I was interviewing. So I was, uh-huh, uh-huh.

Mm hmm. Oh yeah. Mm hmm. And a few times of listening to that, I stopped that habit, the verbal listening, which was like so annoying. See, I think I do that, Jill. I'm learning things now, talking to you. I think I do that. I'm like, I feel like I need to like, yeah, let them know I'm listening. It's like a verbal, yeah, I do that, Jill. Should I stop?

It's all right. I'm doing just fine. But should I stop doing that whole verbal listening? Sometimes it's just too much. And also, you know, when we do interviews on the show, they're pulling those interviews for clips or whatever. So if you have a really good response from the mayor or whatever, the last thing the person cutting it wants is to hear me or anyone else going, uh-huh, uh-huh. Uh-huh. See, I don't have that problem, but I now wonder if less is more when it comes to the

verbal listening cues. I'm a big advocate of less is more on a lot of things. You didn't know you were really here to train me. I'm not even recording this, Jill. You'll get my bill. And then I'm taking back that lasagna. It's quid pro quo over here. Okay, let's get you to Metro Morning because Metro Morning is really the only morning radio I ever hear and I quite enjoy Metro Morning and we're going to kind of dive into that. But how does the opportunity at Metro Morning arise for you? They came to me and said, we want you to do Metro

Morning. And there was a lot of hand wringing on my part because I'm a night owl. I'm not an early morning person. And so I was really concerned about being able to be up and present and coherent and all of the things that you need to be to do early morning radio. I almost looked at it like maybe I'm being punished for all those times I missed the bus and I couldn't get up in time for school.

My family found it quite ironic that that's sort of how my life sort of unfolded and I was now getting up. What year is it that they call you? What year is this? So it's 20 years ago. So it would have been. Oh, four. Yeah.

Yeah. So, so, so from the time they launch news world, what is that 1990 you said, but you're okay because you're, you're tapped in late 89. I guess you're tapped on the shoulder in the good way because people get tapped in a different way now, but you were tapping the shoulder in a good way. Hey, would you back up host for news world? And you did that for several years. So is that's why you moved back to Toronto for Metro Morning is that why you moved back to Toronto for

Metro Morning? No, I moved back to Toronto when the cuts came. Okay. I moved back to Toronto because and then I got a call saying there is an opening, there is a job available in radio. Would you consider doing radio? And up till that point I just on television and I thought about it. I said well I've never done it before but I'm happy to give it a try. And you know, it's like a lot of things. It's not in your life plan.

It's not how you laid out your path, but it's probably one of the best things that ever happened to me because you're looking at things again, through a very different lens and where television is very visual and that's not to take away from anything that anybody does on television, it's tough. Television is tough, you need an ego, you need a real gravitas to sort of sit there

in front of a camera. You need to be a Ralph Ben-Murgy, right? Yeah, yeah, and I know Ralph very well and Ralph was, you know, he was a real force when it came to television. But radio, there's nothing to distract. It's the voice, it's what the way you are able to present yourself, articulate your thoughts, and connect with them in a very different emotional way. I found when I would meet people when I was in television, they would be very not into your

space because they were quite cognizant of the screen being the dividing. I people when I was in television, they would be very not into your space because they were quite cognizant of the screen being the dividing. I find when I meet people from radio, you're in their kitchen, you're in your car, your gear, just kind of working out with their space. You're on their walks, their bike, they're walking the dog and you're in their, their, their headphones. So they grab your hand. It's, they feel a much more personal connection. A hundred percent. They're like, oh yeah, I was listening to you on my road trip to whatever, we were driving the cottage. Yeah, absolutely. I will tell you because unlike Metro Morning where you're typically, typically listening live over the airwaves, like all people say, hey, you are the voice of my, we drove to Sudbury and we listened to your voice the entire way and I'm like Oh my condolences, you know, shut out to really funeral home But it's kind of an intimate one-way street that you really are with them in all these moments. Maybe they're making dinner

For you would be breakfast. I suppose so there is a so you moved to Toronto you talked about is it the Mulroney cuts? Yeah, I'm already cut These conservative governments and their CBC cuts. What's going on there? Okay, so you moved to Toronto before you get the call for Metro Morning saying, we want you, Jill Dempsey. What are you-

I did the afternoon show first, so it wasn't for Metro Morning. I did the afternoon show for probably 10 years. Well, we got to get all this right because in 45 years, when you pass away, this audio archive will be the definitive Jill Dempsey record. Oh my gosh. Yeah. So I worked on the afternoon show and then I was working on the world at six and that's when they came to me and said, we want you to do Metro Morning. And I really

had to think about it. And I also had to say to myself, if you do take it, you can't complain. You cannot complain about the hours. You cannot complain about it. You have to do it and love it and make it work for your life. And so that's the pledge I made for myself. Okay, question. So when you were on Here and Now, who was hosting? I worked with Catherine O'Hara.

I worked with Joan Molonson. I worked with Avril Benoit. I did a little bit of work with Matt when he arrived. OK, so at this point is Metro Morning's co-host Andy Berry? Yes. Have you talked to Andy any time recently? Is there any Andy Berry update? A lot of people are curious how he's doing. You know, there's a group of us that sort of share information about Andy. So Andy, you know, Andy is doing well.

I saw Andy pre-pandemic, which was lovely. We had a lunch and another friend came up and we had a great visit. I, you know, I love Andy and I love to tell this story about Andy when I decided to take the job and I went into the studio for the first time and he was so generous. He said to me, you know, he goes, this is your show as much as it's mine. And I was just sort of taken aback because you think, well, yeah, but the show is really in your name. And he goes, no, anything you have to say, even if you have to interrupt me or correct me or whatever, you just put your hand up. But I want you to know this is you are just as much a part of this as I am.

And I thought, wow, what a generous thing to say that it was really I was entering a partnership and and I loved it. Now, you know Andy's hilarious because sometimes you do things I'm like Andy. No, no, no But you know, I really enjoyed that time At the round table and I really enjoyed his generosity Andy Berry was fantastic on Metro Morning and He's very much missed, you know, not hearing

his, what a great voice. And then I felt, I felt like the trend, I thought it was a fantastic transition though from Andy Berry to Matt Galloway. Oh, well, I, I was all for that. Well, tell us more. Matt, Andy sadly never, I suppose it's not too late, but Andy's never been on Toronto Mike. Matt Galloway was a very early guest on Toronto Mike. It was wild. Tell him when you see him next or here when you get the next CBC party, when you bump into Matt,

tell him to come back and kick out the jams with me. I'll tell him. He needs to come back and kick out the jam. But share with us a little bit, like maybe share with us a little bit about that transition. So saying goodbye to Andy as a beloved host. You know, it was very difficult because there were a lot of things that went on in Andy's life that were that were

difficult. And, you know, for him, the diagnosis of Parkinson's made it increasingly difficult to do that shift to get up that early in the morning. It affects the boy. I mean, my father was diagnosed with Parkinson's during COVID. So I was quite aware of some of the things that you're up against when you're dealing with that. And it would have been lovely to have him stay,

but he understood that given the disease, he couldn't do that. Um, that had been filling in, uh, and he was taking sort of Fridays off and Matt was filling in and saw I was getting to him and I felt it was, we're very different, Matt and I are very different people, but we really came together and gelled, uh, in terms of a partnership. came together and gelled in terms of a partnership. And so I really felt that he was the right person and so did a lot of other people. So that transition was incredibly smooth because I knew him

and I really, really wanted him, wanted it to work. But I also knew Matt would succeed in anything he did because Matt is such a hard worker. Matt is one of those guys that, you know, you'll get in your publications and we read the same things, journalists do read the same thing. And he'll say, did you read the article? And I go, I just got it last night. So his capacity for inhaling, literally inhaling information and books, I don't know anybody else who does it the way he does it. Well half the battle there is

giving a shit right? Like he cares and he's passionate about it. Oh yes, but you have to care. Right, but then, yes it's your job, you're being paid. No, but it's more than that. When you care, I feel I get the sense from Matt anyways and other broadcasters and yourself as well, Like when you care about what you're doing and you have passion for it, it doesn't come across like a job. It's not even particularly difficult to prep. I mean like what I'm doing right now actually is like I was super excited to put on the very hot 100% polyester 1967 CBC shirt, which people can see in the photo we're going to take afterwards by the Toronto tree. Because I'm like, I'm going to, I'm going to sit down

and talk to Jill Dempsey. I'm going to take at least an hour of her life and we're going to, who knows where this is going to go. But I gave a shit. Yeah. That gives a shit. Well he does. And, and I do too. You can't say shit on the CBC, can you? Well, you know, sometimes we let it fly. Sometimes, it's in the inside voice, right? It's the inside voice. I love what I do. And everything that I do for my job,

I would do if I was doing something else. The documentaries, the reading, the consuming, all of that, the engagement would be, that would be my life regardless of what I did. So the fact that this is part of my job and my profession, and I'm in it every day, like, I mean, for me, it's like winning the lottery. So Matt Galloway, long time host of Metro Morning, following Andy Berry, you're there again, you're that constant, you're that voice, that familiar, comforting voice. Yeah, that familiar comforting voice. The constant.

Yeah, but I think it's important. Listen, I'm going to suggest something to you in a moment here. So Matt decides, I suppose Matt decides he wants to do something else and he's going to do... Well, it was time. Matt had done the show for 10 years and he wanted to do longer form interviews. He's inspired by Toronto Mike. He's like, I need to do longer form interviews. Um, and inspired by Toronto Mike. He's like, I need to do longer form interviews.

Okay. Our convert our conversation when he took the job yet to tell me before it was formally announced and, and I said, Oh my God, I feel like you're breaking up with me, but I am thrilled for him. And it's such a good fit for Matt and it's a good fit for the CBC. So when Matt Galloway moves on to do The Current, now you need a new host. So you had a, you went from Andy Berry to Matt Galloway. Yes.

Why not Jill Dempsey? This is my thought at the time. Now I know you're gonna be careful, you are Jill Dempsey, but were you given, you're there already, you're already great at what you do, you're already a familiar voice, fantastic voice. You're just fantastic at what you do, I hope you know that. And that's why they keep you around.

That's why they don't want to get rid of you. But why not Jill Dempsey, host of Metro Morning? I didn't apply for it. And I also thought, you know, a very pragmatic person in terms of the evolution of the show, they needed to develop new voices. They had to do that. And they needed Rod's and Mocha have been doing the show at 92.5 for what is it now? 30 years?

Yeah, I know. I know. But I also, you know, you have to think about what's, what's best for the show. What's best in terms of the dynamic in the city. And I, I didn't apply. Okay, Jill, you didn't apply that. That answers that question. But now I'm also just going to remind you that we started off this program talking about Deenie Petty and City Line. And the successor was a woman named Marilyn Dennis, who is still doing mornings at CHUM 104.5. She's been there since the mid 80s. Sure. So what is this not like what there's no clock on this thing? Well, I mean, I still love what I do and what I've been to the program. It doesn't mean that I can't back up host. I still do that. It doesn't. But you ever wonder if you any regrets

that you didn't apply for post Matt Galloway and we can talk about, you know, before David Common gets the gig, but any regrets that you didn't go for it that you could be the host of Metro Morning, the most popular morning show in the biggest city in this country. Well, I am part of the biggest, right? And I've been a part of it for a big time, a long time. And I also think that I've contributed to the success of the program. So I don't have any regrets, no regrets, pretty comfortable in what I do. Okay.

Now, before we get to David Common, who recently made his Toronto mic debut, he actually doesn't live too far from here. I, uh, I'm, I'm, I'm just wondering what you can say about is Maylet alpha, who I believe came from Winnipeg for the job. If I'm correct there. During the pandemic. Was that during the pandemic? Yeah.

Okay. I listened to Metro Mornings as I disclosed off the top. So I can tell you I rooted for the guy, but it never sounded right to me. And I'm not saying he did a bad job. I just think his personality type in the show never seemed to jive in a way I was hoping it would start to jive. And I guess I'm not alone. And I don't know if he just decided to do something on weekends or whatnot.

But before you know it, there was an opening again. Well, he made a decision that he wanted to do something else. And that's his right to do that. I think the hard thing about radio and the hard thing about a three hour current affairs program is you're juggling a lot of balls. And it's just, you know, Matt makes it sound easy. Andy made it sound easy. David makes it sound easy. And, but it's not, it's all consuming.

It requires an enormous amount of time and it's tough. It's tough going. And if there are other things in your life that require your attention, it's, it's tough to do both. So he, I believe he took the weekend gig, right? Is that fresh air? I guess everything all mixed up. And you had some fresh air experience.

Like you filled in for fresh air. I think I filled in on almost everything to be frank. That's true. That's true. I like to dabble. You like the dabble. Well, you know, you're good at everything. So you're like the glue.

We can stick anywhere. You're like, like Phil Hartman was on Saturday Night Live. Just, just give it to Jill here. Okay. So how do you think David Common is doing as host of Metro Morning? I think he's waking people up. I think he keeps people on the edge of their seats.

I love David's humor. I love that he has an ability to play, which is fun for me because you never know sometimes what's coming. And he leaves a lot of room for other people at the table to kind of join in and make them part of the conversation. But he's also a very strong journalist. So he brings a lot of positives to the table.

I just popped over to the live stream. So you're live at live.torontomike.com and there's a number of people to shout table. I just popped over to the live stream. So you're live at live.torontomike.com and there's a number of people to shout out. Hello to Jeremy Hopkins, but I want to shout out Canada Kev, who says hi to Jill, who I worked with many years ago. You may remember Kevin from learning and development at CBC.

Hello. Okay, so you do. And you look sincere too, cause I feel how would you play that if you didn't? I might fake it. Like, I don't want to hurt Kevin's feelings. I got to fake it now. But you're you're I can tell by your eyes that you remember Kevin. So hello to Canada, Canada, Kev.

And yeah, Jeremy's drawing the lines between me wearing this shirt and the bulldog mascot costume at the the game yesterday which yeah I know how she felt how I'm telling you you got to get a mister I got a mister mr. mr. you remember this mr. mr. what was that song called again something about birth wings broken way broken wings chill what is your jams like I know I help I said Matt gallery is gonna come by and kick out the jams one day and one day you should too, but what kind of jams do you listen to? Oh my gosh.

You know, I have a very, I have a very eclectic taste, but I was just the other night I went to see Elvis Costello and Darryl Hall. How was it? I heard sparsely attended, but it sounds like a good time. But it was a good time though. The grass wasn't full, you know, and some people, maybe it was past their bedtime or whatever. I stayed till the end.

For sure. No, it was great. There were a few sound issues I thought, but I've seen Elvis before at Massey Hall, loved him first time seeing Darryl Hall. So, you know, you get to check that off your list. And you don't care if Oats is there cause you're there for Darryl Hall.

He was Oatless. I was very clear it was going to be an Oatless Darryl Hall. Do you think they would have sold more tickets of even just having the name Hall and Oats is there because you're there for Daryl Hall. He was Oatless. I was very clear it was going to be an Oatless Daryl Hall. Do you think they would have sold more tickets of even just having the name Hall and Oats? Maybe. It's funny how that works, right? Because we're not too sure what Oats does and you don't need the Oats, but for some reason the branding, like if you're calling it Daryl Hall,

it doesn't sell as well as Hall and Oats. Well, it's tough to shift at this stage in your life, right? But he did very well and played all of the hits that people remember. But I went to Charlotte Cardin last in February at Massey Hall, Florence and the Machine. I just love a lot of... Same hair color as Florence. Yeah, she's a redhead. Right, okay.

So you're all over the place. But it sounds like... I'm thinking of Canada Kev was at that concert you're referring to with place. But it sounds like I'm thinking of Canada. Kev was at that concert you're referring to with Darryl Hall and Elvis Costello. He was there because I saw a photo of him and the VP of sales at that show. So look at that. You could have been passing the Dutchie with Canada Kev all these years, all these years later.

So OK, so back to back to you, back to Metro Morning. Again, I mentioned David Common made his Toronto mic debut fairly recently. I can't remember when that was, but it was in the last six months, I think. And I wore this shirt for him. I wear it for you. I wore it for Tom Harrington.

Oh, wow. Did you know Tom Harrington had a hell of a voice? Of course, absolutely. Did you know he used to sing on the Tommy Hunter show? That I didn't know. Fun facts, you got to listen to Tom Harrington on Charter Mike. Okay Jill, now I want the day in the life of a typical Metro morning. So what time is, because you said you're a night owl. Yeah. What time is that alarm going off? So I have four alarm clocks. Oh, I don't mess around. And the symphony starts at 420.

Shout out to Canada Kevin is a dutchie. He's passing 420. Okay. So 420 and alarm goes off. Yes. And that gets you up, but you don't get it. I put it on snooze. So there's a bit of psychology involved.

I feel like taking notes on this. Well, the thing is, I have to have the No I put it on snooze. So there's a bit of psychology involved. I feel like taking notes on this. Well the thing is I have to have the ability to put it on snooze for eight minutes because I need to feel that I have some degree of control over this madness. Some degree of control. Okay. And so I put it on snooze then another alarm rings and I have to physically get up to turn it off. Does that other alarm ring at 428? No, 425. Okay, so five minutes, okay. So you get an alarm at 420, so now you're waking from your slumber, but you're not getting out of bed. No.

That second alarm at 425, no fooling around you. I have to get out. You've got to go to bed. Yeah, and then I usually go down and just like I have three more minutes, three more minutes, and then the snooze alarm goes off, and then I get up and I start getting ready, and then I have another two alarms, just in case those fail, because I have slept in twice.

In your long career on Metro Morning, two times you slept in. So what's that day like when you wake up and you see the clock and you're like, oh, I don't know what it is. It's not a clock. Oh crap, it's 7.45, I don't know. Well, it's like anybody who slept in, but for me, it just feels like I can't breathe. I can't breathe because my first newscast is at five 30. So I have to scramble and

throw my literally throw myself together and grab everything and run down. And the one time I did it. Oh my God, God bless him. My cab driver was waiting for me. And I come running down, I was like 15 minutes behind and he goes, I was so worried. I was so worried. I said, just go, go, go. So you have like a regular, regular drive, a sort of a rotation of cab drivers. That's interesting. Because I was going to say, isn't there at some point someone's phoning you Jill and saying, Jill, you're late. I did have that during the pandemic where I was like out cold and the alarms

actually malfunctioned and two of them malfunctioned at the same time. So they died. What are the literally? Yeah. What are the odds? So apparently everybody in the control room was quite jealous that I got the extra sleep, but you don't want to get that call because the person on the end of our end is quite grim about it.

Good morning. You do know you slept in. It's like, like Jill, this is the CBC. because the person on the end of our head is quite grim about it. Good morning. You know, you slept in. It's like, like, Jill, this is the CBC. This isn't some silly podcast in a Southern Etobicoke basement. Okay, Jill, this is the CBC.

I know. Wow. Okay. So, but I'm human. You're only human. I'm human. Oh, that's Billy Joel. No, only human.

Yeah, that's a, that's a Billy Joel song. I think. Okay. So, Jill, this question you've been asked more than any other question in your career. What time are you going to bed? So that you can be up at, I wanna say 420, but let's face it, it's 425, okay, Jill? What time are you going to bed? Nine-ish.

So what do you do, like, okay, are you a sports fan? Yep. Okay, what do you do tomorrow night? Tomorrow night? Well do tomorrow night? Tomorrow night. Well, tomorrow night, I'm gonna be watching Argentina and Canada at eight o'clock. Are you off this week? No.

Yeah. So eight o'clock start, cause that's what I'm gonna be doing too. I'm all in on this team, Canada soccer team. Of course. I know, I know. I'm also in on Wimbledon too. Okay.

But that works better for my schedule. Right, cause you're in England, right? So the euros you're good on the euros because there's a big euro match tomorrow, too Yeah, so euros fine, but the Copa, you know and that last game was a nine o'clock start when Canada beat Venezuela So and I can't miss a Friday though. Okay, that's true. That's Friday. Okay, so tomorrow, which is a Tuesday night This is important. I understand this so you will like what if it goes to penalty kicks and this game you just gonna be tired Is this just the price? I'm going to be horizontal, but I'm still gonna have it on I'm gonna try to get through because I feel that is my duty

Well, it's gonna be amazing and I kind of love this underdog role Like we're kind of playing with house money like no one expects Canada we the way I was telling my my my oldest who doesn't care about soccer like And I kind of love this underdog role. Like we're kind of playing with house money. Like no one expects Canada. We, the way I was telling my, my, uh, my oldest, who doesn't care about soccer. I'm like, forever. We can talk about how we went further than Brazil in the Copa, like our first Copa. We went further than Brazil. We're in the semifinals, but don't you think there's something about not having that kind of pressure?

I think that playing with house money. Well, look at what happened at Wimbledon yesterday. See, I don't tell me I'm out of the Wimbledon. Well, Emirata County was out and she was beaten, beaten by somebody who came into the tournament unseated. Uh, Coco golf was defeated by another American Emma Navarro, who just came out of college tennis and was sort of on the radar, but not entirely on the radar. So I sometimes think when you don't have any pressure it's better. When the expectations are

low you actually succeed. I think you're on to something there and I think that Canada playing with house money with no one expecting them to beat Argentina. Let's surprise the world. What's your prediction? I Got you didn't I okay a one nil final this doesn't even get the penalty kicks Canada beats, Argentina one No, see how I say no when I talk soccer, but I would never say no if I was talking about the leaves That's true. What's that about? Okay. All right. What is your favorite sport to watch on television? Right now it's tennis You know, I like what rooting for Canadians and Grand Slams, but Canada, Canadians haven't done particularly well in since Leila made that final, which was now a few years ago.

Like I know one that you guys open that was 2019 maybe. Yeah, that was like five years ago. It was amazing. But and I'm not saying what have you done for me lately? But you're saying what have you done for me lately, but, uh, but you're saying what have you done for me? Because there was a, there was a crop of, there was a crop still is I guess of young Canadian talent.

There's still a kind of, I, yeah, of course, the, the, the, the ship, Valov and Felix and that we were kind of promised, you know, competitive competitive tennis in grand slams. And I'm not too sure we got that as a, but look at the field. I mean, look at the field that they're up against. You've got, you know, the wonder kid, Carlos Alcaraz and you've got Novak Djokovic, who is hanging on. He won't go away. He refuses to go away.

Right. And then you have other, I think Medvedev is a really good player competitive, you know, there's Sinner, Janannick center, world number one. I hope a Brian Gerstein property in the six is listening now that guy's a tennis head and he loves it when the tennis doc comes on Toronto Mike. So amazing there. Okay. So you will watch this match tomorrow night.

You'll just be a little tired when that alarm goes off at four 20. That's okay. Yeah, we can make it up. But that's, that's an eight o'clock start. I'm just wondering, like, I guess you don't watch like the Oscars or something like that. I tape the Oscars. Okay. I tape the Oscars.

Some things I tape. So I have a rule. I have lots of rules about working shift. I'm full of them. But one of my rules is I can go out on a Thursday night. Okay. Right. So I went to the concert Thursday night to see Elvis Costello in Darrell Hall.

Right. I can get home till 1130. I can do that because I only have one more day. I can't do that on a Sunday night. I get this. Or a Tuesday, right? So I have to sort of manage my energy. And then in the fall I teach, right, in the afternoon. So I've got to sort of really be careful about how I manage my energy and my stamina. Okay so I'm gonna ask you about teaching in just a second here. So we talked about you got a 530 newscast and

that 425 is when you're hopping out of bed. That's right. So what time do you arrive at the studio? Five o'clock. So five o'clock you're at the studio and what's what's the first thing you do there? Like you just start writing? No I sit down and I go well I'm going through all of the BBC and all of the sort of news feeds that I have on my phone in the cab on the way in. I also I can't go to bed at night until I've actually gone through all of my usual Guardian, New York Times, all of that before I go to bed just to have a sense of I know where the world is when I went to bed.

It may have changed by the time I wake up, but at least I know where I'm at before I went to bed. Okay. And so when you take a vacation, do you stay as abreast of what's happening in your world as you would when you were working? Or is it that you just follow what you need to know and then you cram kind of before you get back to? No, I keep on, I try to keep on top of it.

I was in Turkey in April for two and a half weeks. You know they don't call it Turkey anymore? I know, Turkey. Turkey-ay, I wanna say your turkey-ay. Yeah. Okay, do you get a memo at the CBC? Do you news readers get a memo and like, hey, from now on it's turkey-ay?

We do about certain things, right? Just so that it's consistent. I mean, pronunciation is important. But what do you call in Czech Republic at the CBC these days? Because in hockey land, we're calling it Czechia. Like did you get a memo? Hey, henceforth, when you refer to Czech Republic, let's call it Czechia. That's like the CBC standard.

You know what? I haven't come across that. So I don't, I have like, if you can imagine it's our language guide is massive. Right. Right. So when Czechia makes its way, let me know. I'll let you know. Hey, can I shout out, we talked about news readers and I did shout out, uh, Tom Harrington and there's been a number of CBC people who have dropped by, but I do

want to shout out a recent guest who kind of gave us some insight into how the news stuff was working on CBC radio across the country, but I want to shout out Neil Herland. Ah, Neil! Neil was fantastic in his Toronto Make debut, and I see it was the last day of May. No, it was in May. It was in May, so not too long ago. So shout out to Neil Herland. So the guys doing that work, do do you get like you you listen to their

Most recent I got well I can actually go in and see what it is that they're actually doing and so we have access You know Neil is fantastic because Neil sort of tracks what's going on Internationally overnight and nationally if there's any developments. So there's content there. And then our reporters leave us pieces, usually original pieces we have in the morning for the morning run. And then I also check to make sure that nothing has happened overnight in the city itself. Right. Okay. Pretty cool. Now we're going to talk about how you train hosts and news readers and you teach future journalists and we're going to talk about that. But what time?

So Metro Morning is done at like 830. Yes, but I still have newscasts at 9, 10 and 11. Were you working on September 11th, 2001? No. Okay. I have this terrible, I don't know, reputation for being away when there are massive stories. And this it's, it's a funny thing about it is we usually are, are not allowed to take vacation during ratings, which is September, October. They prefer that we not.

And I had already booked this trip with my mom and dad to the East coast. And the, the words I said to my boss was, I think you're being, I said, what could possibly go wrong? So of course, when I returned after 9 11, when we were lucky to get home and, you know, watch the skies go quiet over the little house that we were staying in, uh, near Chester, Nova

Scotia, my boss said to me, yes, what could possibly go wrong? That's wild. I've been away for walkerton. OK, I was watched the coverage of walkerton of my colleagues when I was in Dubai. I've I've missed some big. Well, you know what this tells me? You need to tell me when you're taking vacation days. That's what my colleagues say,

because that's what I'm going to go into into like the bomb shelter with my canned food and my bottled water. Yeah. Okay. Could you, does any part of you know, it was a horrific day. I'm not trying to suggest anything other than the fact that it was a worst day. I remember it very well. Worst day. But from a journalist perspective, do you wish you were working that day? Yes and no. I think it was one of those moments in time when I was grateful to be with my parents.

And we consumed a lot of information that day, a lot of information. We had the radio on and then I remember going to a laundrom mat in Bridgewater and I hadn't, we hadn't seen the planes going into the towers. So that was the first time that we saw that. And part of me is grateful that I didn't see all of it in real time, that there was some kind of built-in protection with that. I actually had to say to my sisters at one point is they were quite distraught.

And I actually said, you need to stop watching this. You need to actually pull away and you need to regroup. So yes, part of me, yes. But the other part of me is I almost felt like I was protected in a way from the difficulties. No very interesting now you know from a Toronto perspective though a familiar comforting voice to deliver news when everyone is starving for whatever updates you have. What's going on? What's next? Because that was what I remember from that day was as things unfolded you don't know what's

next because it wasn't you know we, we talk about it like it wasn't just two planes hitting the World Trade Center. There was a flight went down in Pennsylvania. There was a Pentagon was hit all the planes around the world. Right. But grounded. We don't. So that's like one, two, three, four. So if we now know four planes, but we don't know if there's a fifth because we don't know what we don't know. And that's that feeling of like, what's next. I never will forget that feeling of yes. And you know, really shout out to my colleagues because I watched their coverage and you know, they did it with a level of professionalism. I think that was incredibly important.

You know, the thing about doing those kinds of stories is you have to be, you're cognizant of the gravity of the story. And, but you also at the same time, I like to be conscious of somebody's taking this in for the very first time. Right. And so tonally you have to be careful, um, because the, it's just exchanging very difficult or imparting very difficult information to the audience.

And I'm always cognizant of the tone has to be reflective of that. You should never be doing those kinds of stories with a sense of, oh, boy, you know, or joy or wow, guess what I know that you don't know. You have to really think about the human elements that are involved in these particular stories. Yeah, just let me know next time you're taking a vacation. Okay, Jill, that's the deal we have here. I need to know, because if you're taking a vacation, shit's going down somewhere, okay? I need to be on high alerts, okay?

Oh my goodness. Okay, so, because as I teased, I want to do, I want to close with some chats about you training hosts and newsreaders and about your teaching future journals, everything. I had a question I was going to ask you cause I'm like, Oh, I need to ask her about somebody. And then it's, uh, I caught myself if you will. And uh, cause I, I firmly believe like a public figure does not, if you're a public figure and you're a public figure and you're a public figure because you're on a terrestrial airwaves every morning.

But if you're a public figure, we don't have the right to know personal things like health information and stuff. So what I'm gonna do right now is put into the world because another FOTM who I wore this shirt for is Jill Deacon, host of Here and Now. And she has been public of a couple of things. We know about her battles with cancer. And then she went public with long COVID battles. But the fact is we still

here on Here and Now filling in for Jill Deacon. And we still have Jill's jukebox. But I've lost track, but it feels like it's been at least 18 months since I've heard Jill Deacon on Here and Now. So I'm just going to throw in the universe. I don't know what you can say because it's Jill Deacon's story to share, but that she was is great at that. And I loved her voice, love her voice, I could put them current tense and she's missed. So I just want Jill, like I hope Jill's doing okay. And the longer we're without her voice on the airwaves, I think, oh, I just, it just concerns me. So, uh, want to put some love in the universe for Jill Deacon.

We all want to put some love in the universe for Jill Deacon. And Jill is very good at updating her own story. So I certainly don't want to step in our toes in that response. And I know it's, it's her private health, uh, information that we shouldn't be sharing that, but she is missed on the airwaves.

That is for sure. All right. So tell us what you do. information that we shouldn't be sharing that, but she is missed on the airwaves. That is for sure. All right. So tell us what you do. I was reading that you train hosts and news readers. Is that within the CBC you do that? I did do a lot of that within the CBC. I do because I'm sort of busy or with teaching right now. It's mostly with younger people.

And and then I do have people who come to me and ask me, you know, can you listen to this? Can you help me with this or help me with that? Oh, but enough about me sending you episodes of Toronto Mike. Well, you know, I mean, the thing is, when I started a very long time ago, there was a certain style in terms of presentation and an expectation that the voice and that's why I struggled with my voice. Oh, the gravitas. of presentation and an expectation that the voice and that's why I struggled with my voice. The gravitas, it was usually a man with a very deep voice and you know there are questions about well how can a woman be credible you know her voice doesn't have that sort of deep baritone that a man does. And I'm a big believer in people sort of first of all finding what is your voice right and getting comfortable with that and learning to like it I think that's really important

and if we're talking about a world where brands are really important what is your brand it is your voice that is only unique to you and the more I learned to get comfortable with what I brought to the table and who I was because you know as you in the early days of your career everybody has an idea of who should should be don't laugh if that's funny you know don't have a sense of humor and it's like I but I do have a sense of humor if I don't laugh then the joke is on me because I've missed it sounds like I've missed it right so it's about really finding your essence who am I And then get comfortable with it.

And then the rest is going to fall into place. But when I work with people, I'm not telling them you need to sound like this. I'm trying to give them permission to sound like themselves. Authenticity. Yeah. Is that what I'm hearing? This is my thing. It's like, this is, you know, this might not be polished. And Iicity. Yeah. Is that what I'm hearing? This is my thing. It's like, this is, you know, this might not be polished and I always joke it.

This is not the CDC, but it sounds like you're saying the same thing. Well, just find your voice. And as they say to people, you know, someone says, oh, you tripped over that word. I go, well, I'm not a robot. Right. I'm a human being. Can you say brewery? Brewery.

Any other tricky words? Brewery trips me up constantly and it's only in my intro and outro of every episode of 1500 of these things. Well I feel for you. How is your beer by the way? It's very good and very cold and I appreciate that. Fresh from the fridge and fresh from, you know, that's brewed in southern Etobicoke. So you know, they make that champagne in France or whatever, so the France, and I'm telling you that delicious craft beer, South Etobicoke, shout out to Great Lakes Brewery. Okay.

So you, you encourage authenticity because I can tell you as a listener, I, I find myself craving authenticity. Like I'm so we joked earlier, but the FM DJs from back in the day, so sick of that BS, like that whole phony baloney delivery stuff, sht day. I'm so sick of that BS, like of that whole phony baloney delivery stuff, shtick. I'm so sick of shtick. Like I just want an authentic voice and I can adapt. You know who's great? Marcia Young.

She's a hoot. She's a hoot. Okay, I'm just thinking of all the people who saw me in this shirt. She's authentic. Yeah, I bumped literally the day after she was here, I bumped into her at the art gallery. it's like so and they never bumped into her since it was like the right the next day. Oh, she's out there. She's out there. I gotta find

Marcia Young. Okay, so I'm off track here. But so you encourage, you know, for future journalists to find your voice and don't try to be like, don't try to mimic this traditional news reader like this Ken Brockman. Sure, but I mean I think everybody does that when you start. You have a particular person that you idolize or you like what they do and you think, well if I can sound like this person then it's all going to be great. I mean I remember in the early days trying to drop my voice really low and trying to sound like I knew what I was talking about. And it was exhausting and it was not sustainable.

If you smoke cigarettes and drink whiskey. Yeah. No, I don't do that. I don't do that. No, no, don't do that. This was, you know, naturally developed. So when you, when you have, now I'm going to try to keep you out of trouble. But you know, you're a smart woman who's not going to say anything that'll get in trouble. But

what do you say to the future journalists out there when the pie seems to be shrinking in terms of like job opportunities in this country? And then now you're at the CBC where you've been forever. And we're on the verge possibly if you believe polls it looks like we might be on the verge of a conservative government taking power in this country and the leader Pierre Poliev has said he will defund the CBC like what is that like I can't imagine that's good for morale like are people concerned about what will happen you know next year I think if you look at any profession in the economy that we're in right now,

people are concerned. And, you know, rightfully so, but at the same time, and what I say to people all the time is you just have to keep doing good work, right? The integrity of the work is really what should come to the forefront. And if you have the audience and you have the support of the audience, then the audience will be vocal about what they want and what they don't want. Keep your chin up and do the work Dawn.

That's from Mad Men, right? That's when Freddie says, do the work Dawn. Just yet continue to do the good work. I sort of, but I've always sort of felt like that. I mean, I can't, but I've always sort of felt like that. I mean, I can't, you can't make people like you, you can't make people do something they don't want to do. So you have to be true to yourself and follow your own path in terms of integrity and storytelling and good journalism. And it's something I try to do. And I know many of my colleagues try to do exactly the same thing. That's all you can do. All right. So aside from that there seems to be a

movement afoot particularly from those The right side of the political spectrum to discredit the media like I know I've talked privately to people not at the CBC necessarily but people who Would drive cars with their news logo on it who have changed to cars without the news logo on it so they are not targets because people seem to be attacking and blaming media for things that are completely unfair. Any any concerns that this? Well what I would I would like to see is a realm where we can have conversations and ask questions and it's not taken

personally. So you have a right to ask somebody why you have a right to ask somebody, how did we get there? And I would really like to see the heat in terms of the conversation dialed down a bit so we can actually sit at the table and have a reasonable conversation. And it's difficult because I don't think that this is just an issue in this country.

It's sort of a global situation in terms of information and the waves of information that are coming out at people and where they get it and whether or not it has ethical integrity. And that's an issue. Um, no, I well said, absolutely. Now what's next for you, Jill? So we have, uh, you happily rock and enrolling on Metro Morning, which I'm

told by David Common and others is the most listened to radio show in morning radio show in the city of Toronto. And I would guess just like anecdotally that if you're the number one morning show in the city of Toronto, you're the number one show in Toronto. Cause morning would morning is where it's at. Yeah. That's where they keep telling us that that's where it's at here.

So you're on the number one radio show in the country. Yes. We can say that. Yeah, I think so. I think so too. I think so too. So is this like you you're there You're part of this number one radio show in the country or do you actually have aspirations like one day?

Hey when Adrian Arsenault steps down, I'm taking that gig. Well, that's not happening Listen, I can't fill Adrian shoes. Adrian is amazing. I am in awe of Adrian Arsenault and what she does I want to get her on Toronto mic'd that's. I want to get her on Toronto Mic'd. That's my goal and to get her on Toronto Mic'd. I think you'd love her. She's a fantastic person, but she's just an amazing, she is an amazing journalist. I'm happy what I'm doing right now. I've never been one that says the next thing.

I just sort of, I love to see what's behind the. And I love sometimes not knowing what's behind that door. I think, you know, sometimes the best opportunities of our lives are not ones that we've created, but land on our lap. When you were on TV, did anyone ever mistake you for Valerie Pringle? No, never happened. No, it didn't happen. And it's not happening now, Jill. I just asked a random question out of nowhere. How was this? A good experience for you?

Is it everything you hoped it would be? Did you know you were going to get such swag? Well, I'm just overwhelmed by the swag. How was it for you, more importantly? It was great. I had the great Jill Dempsey's voice in my headphones for over an hour. You know, former CBCer, Bruce Dobigan, said, I'm going to be a good friend of yours. I'm going to be your friend.

I'm going to be your friend. I'm going to be your friend. I'm going to be your friend. I'm going to be your friend. I'm going to be your friend. I'm going to be your friend. I'm going to be your friend. I had the great Jill Dempsey's voice in my headphones for over an hour. You know, former CBC-er, Bruce Dobigan, self-published a book with his son Evan about the biggest trades in NHL history. And he self-published it, which means it's a tough go when you self-publish something. So I give out copies to sports fans like you, just so it's an excuse for me to tell the listenership that this book exists. It's called Deal With It by Bruce

and Evan Dobigan. That copy is yours. You're taking that home with you. All right. The late night reading. You can read more about the Gilmore trade, the Gretzky trade, the Patrick Waugh trade, the trades that stunned the NHL. And thanks for doing this. Thanks. I know you're a busy woman. You're up at five. Sorry, I said five. You're up at 420. Your alarm goes off and you still carved out time to hang with me. So I really appreciate this. Thank you, Mike. It was great to meet you. And soon I can take off this shirt, which makes me very, very happy.

Then we'll get you under the mister. Mister. Broken wings. Did they have a second song? I can't think of a second Mister Mr song. I can't. But Broken Wings, I can sing it to you right now. It's like it was released yesterday. You don't. Well, you don't know. I could be the Tom Harrington of podcasters with that voice of mine, okay? And that brings us to the end of our 1518th show. You can follow me, Twitter, Blue Sky, I'm all over the place, Instagram at Toronto Mike, but you can go to torontomike.com. Hey Jill, is there a social media channel that you maintain if people want to like, I don't know, follow what you're up to?

Oh, I don't, but I do check in at... You don't have to. I do check in at CBC Jill Dempsey from time to time. Okay well that's where I'll tag at CBC Jill Dempsey. I'll tag you when I post this in about 10 minutes. Much love to all who made this possible. Again that's Great Lakes Brewery who are sending Jill home with some fresh craft beer. Palma Pasta, who sent over a delicious frozen lasagna for Jill. RecycleMyElectronics.ca, who should have sent something over for Jill.

What are we doing there, guys? The Toronto Maple Leafs baseball team. You've got that book on the history of Toronto Maple Leafs baseball. I can't wait to return. And everybody should listen to yesterday's episode. Rich Butler, former Blue Jay, was on. Mike Richards was my co-host, Joel Goldberg I mentioned,

Blair Packham from the Jitters, it was awesome, you gotta check that out. And Ridley Funeral Home, Pillars of the Community since 1921, quickly gonna find out. See at CBC you'd be prepared, but I don't know who my next guest is, so I am going into my calendar to tell everybody the next episode of Toronto Mic'd. Okay it's the second episode we do this every quarter it's FOTM cast with Cam Gordon and the VP of sales Tyler Campbell and we're gonna recap everything in the Toronto Mic'd universe from the previous quarter which means this episode is ineligible because this is actually next quarter so we can't talk about Jill Dempsey's debut but but we're going to have a lot to talk about. Everything from Ben Johnson to Bob I've kissed you in Spain.

And I've kissed you in places I better not name. And I've seen the sun go down on Chacla Court. But I like it much better going down on you, yeah, you know that's true because everything is coming up.