Warren Barker passes at 92

Radio News from British Columbia

Warren Barker passes at 92

Postby radiofan » Tue Jun 15, 2021 5:38 pm

Long time CKNW News Director Warren Barker passed away this morning at age 92. Barker started work at CKNW in 1952 and was News Director from 1959 until his retirement in 1991.

He had been in a care home for the last several years in generally good health until recent weeks.

With Barker at the helm, the CKNW newsroom was the most respected news source west of Toronto.

Condolences to Warren's family and friends.
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Re: Warren Barker passes at 92

Postby Peteradio » Tue Jun 15, 2021 7:37 pm

Illustrious. Oh when NW was so great! Miss those days.
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Re: Warren Barker passes at 92

Postby Just sayin' » Wed Jun 16, 2021 7:28 pm

Wonder what Mr. Barker would have said about the state of journalism today. I, like many others, go to various sites like this for true broadcast/print News and views. I tried that other site, PSR, but wow, talk about whack jobs and not worth going to anymore. I just hope that the editors behind this site, allow it to remain focused on the industry. I think that's what Mr. Barker would have opined.
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Re: Warren Barker passes at 92

Postby Peteradio » Fri Jun 18, 2021 5:01 pm

Just sayin...whoa, paint everyone with the same brush much? Idiotic.
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Re: Warren Barker passes at 92

Postby the-real-deal » Sat Jun 19, 2021 12:52 am

In Warren Barker's day, they took the news and sports far more seriously and so did advertisers. News Directors, back then, were given a proper budget to hire the best staff, for example. Much more reporters, stringers, and behind the scenes people were hired than today.

The bigger question, though, is since today's radio stations generate far less money than in Warren Barker's day, could you even afford to run a large news department like the old CKNW?

Some say radio news has also degenerated into cheapdom, as in the merging of various radio, television, and website/social media tasks, expected to be done by typically one person.

But, in the case of CKWX and News1130 being swallowed up by its television partner, it's clear that television is seen as "top dog" and hence, more valuable than radio. The reason is that video is perceived as more much compatible for internet consumption (and selling sponsors) than audio ?

There is a price for doing everything digitally, however ? It promotes laziness among young news reporters and in person networking,
and the development of sources, in person, is not happening. Unfortunately, zoom conference calls are false traps of deception, in which the person at the other end is supposed to be your newly won friend ? Zoom gives the false impression that you are somehow expanding your client base, but you could be deceived ? In person meetings are still the best way to do journalistic business (and all business).

Also, recorded telephone comments with actualities, once the cornerstone of newsrooms like CKNW, has been replaced by emailed and or twitter responses. People generally hide behind their voice messages or don't respond at all.

In some cases, the news story starts with what someone is quoted as saying on twitter, a tacit admission that twitter is more relevant that terrestrial radio. LOL

Nobody cares, anymore, about good radio journalism. Just cast your news arrows at as many targets, as possible, and hopefully, one will hit.

There is also a noted sameness and banality about today's generation of radio newspeople. You all sound the same, as in boring as f, not standing out, and or no personality when reading the news or sports. Also, many of you are afraid to ask questions about the newsmakers, when required.

"Press release journalism" is the new journalism.

Even on this site, there are huge elements of apathy and or mistrust of both radio news and sports programming.

This is mostly a deejay driven radio forum, for the enjoyment of either deejays currently in the industry or the retired ones. Newspeople don't even count on this site, anyone.

For example, I posted an article on this site about the retirement of news legend Bob Layton from Corus Edmonton, a few months ago.

Not ONE person responded.

So, what would Warren Barker say about the current state of broadcast journalism?

I have never heard anyone interview Barker in recent years.

However, I would surmise that whatever Mr. Barker would say, today about the news biz, would likely not be very flattering.

Regarding just saying's comments about the other forum, that is very well said.

The other site has become a right winged political propaganda forum of sorts and some who post there are, indeed, crazy in the head !
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