paulcrosstoronto’s Podcast

Coming soon from Trevor Campbell and Paul Cross: No Embargo A news guy and a public relations strategist decode what makes news and why.   Media literacy, narrative strategy, and behind‑the‑scenes truth‑telling from two insiders who unpack how stories develop - honest talk, nothing held back: No Embargo.   Today:  What’s next after the death of six radio stations From July 10, 2026: Trevor and Pau...

On 25 years of indifference.  On the 25th anniversary of a targeted murder of a young Black man by a racist white gang, during a public celebration in a municipal park, a look back, and links to related resources. I have found no recognition of the story at all today, in a search across news media sites and social media.  It was what I perceived as local news media failings that got me started in...

On the Passing of a Panther.  From January 14, 2026.  Exactly 32 years before this date, I sat with a former member of the Black Panthers Party for Self-Defence in an interview at CHUMFM in Toronto.  We knew him from the 60s as H. Rap Brown.  In 1994, he was known as Jamil al-Amin. On his death in November of 2025, I instantly thought of this interview.  In season five I have been mining my archiv...

On remembering the Quebec referendum of 1995: I was there. From October 30th, 2025. Thirty years ago, voters in Quebec voted narrowly -- narrowly -- to remain in Canada, and against pursuing separation.  It was a tumultuous time 15 years after the previous referendum.  It's one of the rare occasions when I spent an entire week broadcasting the CHUM Radio Network National News on the road; this tim...

On the radio call-in heard around the world: WWL New Orleans and local radio in times of local crisis. On September 2nd 2005 the mayor of New Orleans phones radio station WWL870 after the fifth day of the crisis brought on by Hurricane Katrina. Mayor Ray Nagin's call -- his words on the radio -- are so striking, so significant...the call gets picked up and broadcast around the world.  It's widely...

Forty years ago: Remembering Air India Flight 182. When an Air India jet was bombed over the Atlantic Ocean on June 23rd 1985 hours after taking off from Toronto, it was recognized as the single deadliest incident of terrorism involving a passenger flight in world history.  I remember that day vividly, as I explained in Episode One this season. Today, I'll tell you why it stands out in my memory....

On Air India - in 2025 and 40 years ago. The tragic crash of an Air India jet on June 12, 2025 comes just days before the 40th anniversary of the bombing of an Air India jet on its way from Toronto to India.  I was already planning an episode in time for that stark anniversary, digging into my archives of coverage from the time.  There will be still more to come on that.  But I was getting the imp...

From February 13, 2025: In time for World Radio Day.  But I'm not focused on the annual tribute to radio today.  I'm thinking about the need for better radio in Canada as the very sovereignty of this country is threatened.  Canada needs tougher, bolder, more thoughtful and life-experienced radio.  And mature analysis. Season 9 is coming soon.

On World Radio Day 2024: A century of radio history - entertaining, informing and educating.  From February 13, 2024.  Each year I produce an episode of the pod focused on the themes of World Radio Day - designated by UNESCO. Yes, well into its second century, radio continues to entertain, educate and inform. For educational purposes.  Makes fair dealing use of archive audio from WWL New Orleans,...

How corporate ownership imperils local radio – and the few voices raised to save it. From February 9, 2024.  No company owning radio stations in Canada has ever made a move to shed so many radio stations on the basis of wanting to get out. Forty-five radio stations are being sold off by Bell.  But other companies want them! And they're companies that are about radio! Also, I follow up on my promis...

On getting past a terrible, horrible, really bad year for AM radio in Canada. From January 18, 2024. Canadian listeners lost several AM radio stations in 2023.  Many were heritage stations that had been on the air almost as long as radio itself has been around.  Tuning around on the dial to the places where those radio stations used to be...brings in nothing but static now.  For educational purpos...

On the 85th anniversary of the War of the Worlds radio broadcast. From October 30th, 2023.  This is the sixth in my series of episodes in defence of the Mercury Theatre on the Air broadcast as brilliant radio drama that has been the subject of flawed research and what I perceive as a bias against radio content by both academia and legacy print-oriented media.  For educational purposes.  Makes fair...

On radio and the great power failure of 2003. From August 14, 2023. On the 20th anniversary of a power failure that left 50 million people in Canada and the United States without electricity.  Radio knew exactly what to do. But 20 years later, there are consumers unaware of local radio, failures in broadcasting, and distracted corporate ownership. Commentary. For educational purposes. Makes fair d...

On sports betting ads during play-by-play broadcasts. From May 4, 2023. The preponderance of advertising for sports betting apps -- including apps that let a gambler bet on a game in progress -- is changing the experience of watching live sports such as NHL Hockey.  And it may be having an impact on how young viewers perceive the game and their favourite players.  Commentary.  For educational purp...

On getting caught in the act of staging fake news.  From April 27, 2023 - examining a broadcast of March 19th. If you're going to brand your show as documentary, and title an episode "Fake News?" extra care may be required.  In the age of "fake news" a legitimate show needs to be sure its content is watertight.  So when The Circus on HBO gets called out by a source of "fake news" for staging somet...

In advance of World Radio Day 2023 - February 13th.  The UNESCO theme for World Radio Day this year is Radio and Peace. That seems to have some resonance with students in my RAMP 5504 Program Making - Radio Lab class in the graduate certificate Radio and Media Production program at Humber College in Toronto.  Listen in on our roundtable discussion as the students bring their stories and perspectiv...

In advance of World Radio Day 2023 - February 13th.  The UNESCO theme for World Radio Day this year is Radio and Peace. That seems to have some resonance with students in my RAMP 5504 Program Making - Radio Lab class in the graduate certificate Radio and Media Production program at Humber College in Toronto.  Listen in on our roundtable discussion as the students bring their stories and perspectiv...

On Radio and Roswell: 75 years later.  On July 8, 1947 the U-S military announced it had recovered a flying saucer near Roswell, New Mexico.  A day later, it rescinded the story; but not before the individual who had "discovered" the wreckage had told their story in an interview for broadcast on the radio.  That interview...never aired.   But does a recording still exist? On the 75th anniversary o...

On trust in radio on World Radio Day.  From February 11, 2022.  UNESCO -- the United Nations Educational Scientific Cultural Organization -- designates February 13th as World Radio Day.  Each year's recognition has a new theme; this year's is trust. Let's consider that, in light of the three sub-themes of the day.  Commentary.  This show also airs on 96-9 CKHC-FM Radio Humber from Humber College i...

On how to frame the events on Parliament Hill. From February 4, 2022.  As a protest by a group calling itself Freedom Convoy continues in Ottawa, perhaps some more attention should be given in the news to the people who seem to be looked up to by the protestors.  What started out being billed as a truckers' protest against a federal mandate about being vaccinated against covid-19 in order to cross...

On radio station branding – and what’s in a name.  From January 27, 2022.  Another information radio station in Toronto has rebranded - changed its name and its on-air imaging that signifies how it wants to be perceived.  It's probably not wise to have "News" in the name of your radio station if your on-air product is mainly "talk". For educational purposes.  Makes fair dealing use of aircheck aud...

On media manipulation: the premier’s snow job. From January 20, 2022.  The Premier of Ontario takes a drive after the worst snowstorm Toronto has experienced in years and the news media falls for his good guy tactics.  Commentary and analysis.  For educational purposes.  Makes fair dealing use of bits of audio from CP24, the 12:36, City TV Toronto, CFRA Radio Ottawa, @Radio_Brent from Indie 88 Tor...

On covering the insurrection.  From January 12, 2022.  On January 7th -- one day after the anniversary of the assault on the U-S capital -- I check in with a radio and tv reporter who was there, reporting the events as they were happening.  Reggie Cecchini is a Washington correspondent for Global News, and is heard on Global News and Corus-branded radio stations across Canada as well as on tv news...

On transmedia and multiplatform storytelling in the age of the pandemics. From December 17, 2021. In the time of the pandemic, users are using more of our creative content to meet their wants and needs.  As I was producing this episode, we were on the verge of a new round of restrictions on activity because of a wave of another variant of the virus.  There will be more engagement in the content we...

How local radio reacts – the murder of John Lennon. From December 8, 2021. FM rock radio in New York City breaks the news to listeners...on December 8th, 1980.  For educational purposes.  Makes fair dealing use of bits of audio from The Ed Sullivan Show on CBS, 1964 and radio aircheck and archive audio from WPLJ -FM New York, ABC Radio News New York and WNEW-FM New York.  The WPLJ aircheck recordi...