On Friday, March 17, I was the last caller to “Backtalk.” Mr. Soucy gave no indication then that this was his last show. The following Monday I settled in to listen to the program. Imagine my surprise to hear that “Backtalk” had been abruptly cancelled. It was replaced by a fourth-rate hodgepodge program of recycled news and weather interspersed with recorded clips of previous open-line shows. It was obvious this had been cobbled together in great haste.
I started listening to VOCM open-line shows in 1969 when I arrived in this province, so I consider myself able to judge the ability of various moderators over this time. In my opinion, Mr. Soucy was an outstanding moderator and I will greatly miss him. He is a decent and well-respected man and was not even given the basic courtesy of saying goodbye to his audience.
This shabby and disgraceful treatment reflects very poorly on the management of VOCM — perhaps a refresher course in Basic Human Decency 101 is in order.
In closing, I wish to express my sincere thanks to Peter for his excellent work on “Backtalk,” and to wish him and his family all the best in life.
Earle Wright
St. John’s
