Toronto Mike'd: The Official Toronto Mike Podcast - Reshmi Nair: Toronto Mike'd Podcast Episode 1787

Episode Date: October 27, 2025

In this 1787th episode of Toronto Mike'd, Mike chats with Reshmi Nair about what happened at 1010 and Bell Media, why she's been laying low, and what she's up to now. Toronto Mike'd is proudly brought to you by Great Lakes Brewery, Palma Pasta, Ridley Funeral Home, Nick Ainis, Blue Sky Agency, Kindling and RecycleMyElectronics.ca. If you would like to support the show, we do have partner opportunities available. Please email Toronto Mike at [e-mail].

This is Rushmeen Eyre, and you're listening to Toronto Mike. Was there more? Did I start too early? Was it Toronto Mike? The greatest podcaster the world has ever seen. You'll never know. I didn't know what to do. I hit the theme. Welcome to episode 1,787 of Toronto Mike.

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Today, making her return to Toronto-Miked, it's resh-me-Nayer. How did I do on Nair, two syllables? Did I nail it? Please tell me. We make it so difficult, don't we? I need the truth. The children of immigrants. How do you say it back home compared to where you call home?

Yeah, I mean, I say Nair, so it's confusing. Back home, or even in my house, my parents would say Nyer. But my broadcasting name was never Rushme Nyer. My real-life name has never been Rushme Nyer. People from Carillo will tell me, you're not saying your name properly. And everyone else will tell me I'm not saying my name properly because I'm not saying it with one syllable like the hair removal cream. Well, I think your previous visit, which was back in July 22, in a moment I'm going to read the description, I believe I did do it one syllable. I said nair, but it's nayer.

I love that you care. Mike. I just feel like it's your name. I should get it right. Mike, Mike. Don't butcher the pronunciation of Mike, okay? That's what I want to make sure you don't do. Okay, do you remember your first visit to this basement studio, Reschmi?

I remember the lasagna. Oh. I remember the lasagna. I'm excited about it. I do remember it. You're lit up right now. Yeah, I had such a great time. Thank you for inviting me back.

I had a great time, too. Like, I left that episode in July 2002. thinking, oh my God, I love the chemistry, the rapport I have with Reschmi. She's definitely going to be coming back every year. Like, she's just going to come in for a catch-up. But here we are, let me do the math on this. It's 2020. Yeah, July 2020.

So I'll read the description. I have good news for you, though. You are getting another frozen lasagna from Palma pasta. Yes! It's in the freezer, Reschmi. That's why you're here, isn't it? To get the Palma pasta. It's delicious poma.

And I do have some fresh cream. beer that pairs nicely with the Poma Pasta, courtesy of Great Lakes Brewery. So you got the beer? Delicious. You have the lasagna. You have the measuring tape from Ridley Funeral Home. Did you get one of those last time? Yes, and we still have it measuring my time

with this. Who's we? Am I allowed to ask? Who's we? Yeah, me and my child, nine years old now. Really, really put this measuring tape to work. So how to do you have the second one? My child is nine years old now. Identifies as non-binary. Okay. And specifically

asked me not to say their name on this podcast. I said, I don't have to say the name. I will just tell you, I also have a nine-year-old. I just wanted to share that with you that we both have nine-year-olds. Yeah, I think we reminisced about this. When are we going to set up those play dates? Are they too old for a play day? Three years ago. Yeah, we should get them to play. Well, let's talk offline about getting the play date going here. So, you have another measuring tape. And I'm going to read the description from July 22. And then we have some catching up to do. And I just want to tell you off the top. I'm so glad you're back. Like, here's Reschmi Nair

back in the basement and I can't wait to get into it with you. That's a pause for applause, I think. I pause for applause. Okay, July 2022, that was episode 1076. So before I read the description, did you get a tattoo that reads

1076 to commemorate your Toronto mic debut? Oh, I have not. Hopefully this isn't my last visit. So when we get a series of them, we can get them put together. I have gotten more tattoos since... Well, I was going to ask you, because I remember that because it was warmer climate. It was July. So you were

wearing like a T-shirt. And you could see lots of ink. Have you had any ink since your visit in July 2022? Yeah, it's true. Yeah, I got two more tattoos here. You want me to show the camera. Both on my wrists. I guess celebrating that I'm not going to be showing my wrists on TV anymore, or if I do, then you'll see tattoos.

Which is fine now. Which is fine now. Mainstream broadcasting, you know, you just can't have tattoos. Do you think it's fine now? I feel like we've crossed the threshold there where you're right. It was like one of those things where you had to cover it with like a suit. But now I actually believe you can have a tattoo and be a news anchor in 2025. That's how I feel. Yeah, I appreciate that.

I remember back in the day when I worked in coffee shops, you couldn't even have a nose ring. Oh, my God. Yeah. And I do have that too. I noticed this. You're a pretty cool chick here. Let's get into it. The description was,

Mike chats with Reshmi Nair about her years at the CBC. That's when I discovered Reshmi on CBC. Her move to Bell Media to be a part of Quibi. Do you remember Quibi? That happened. It happened. What happened to Quibi? It fell apart before the one year that we were all promised.

You know, I think Jeffrey Katzenberg would say that it was the pandemic. He launched an app that had. immediate short form entertainment, whether it be news or TV shows and people weren't looking for short form immediate once the pandemic hit. People were looking for binging shows that they could watch for hours and hours on end.

But I do think that some parts of Quibi still exist in many ways and, I mean, TikTok took off. No, I think people do like short quibb. They like it, but they'll do it either TikTok or they'll do Instagram reels. Like, I feel like there's already a place for that to happen. Yeah. So, tough sledding, but that's how you got to Bell Media.

And then in the description, I wrote, and how she ended up on News Talk 1010, co-hosting The Rush with Scott MacArthur. Did we figure that out? How did I do that? I think that the guy who had the gig wanted to run for mayor, right? Is that what we decided?

Oh, yeah. What do you remember about all this? So many people have had, have been able to hold the name of that program, which, you know, exists because it exists and there's an audience for it. No, but we took over, he was the man. Oh, J-Mad, yeah. Well, okay, I don't remember this because I'm not a big 10-10 guy, but I do play one on podcasts, a big 10-10 guy. You're too nice to be a big 10-10 guy. Well, we're going to get into it.

I like that side of it. I like that vibe. We're going to get into that. I'm very curious, Kat, you know that. But Jay Mad Dog Michaels took a gig in Montreal. Am I, is that what happened? Yeah, the last two people to host the rush before Scott and I were Ryan and Jay. Yeah.

Ryan was dismissed. Yeah, I don't know anything about that. We won't say anything further about that, but I think he's working for the premiere now. I think he was before that too. Can I say that, Ryan? I don't know. So Ryan Doyle, who by the way, came over with Jay Mad Dog Michaels to talk about the rush when the rush launched.

So I had a good chat with Ryan and Jay. So Ryan is let go. Jay goes to Montreal. He's still there on Shome. And then you enter the fray. But can you remind us how are you paired with Scott MacArthur? Like if it's okay to maybe give us the Cole's notes on that? Yeah.

I was offered the opportunity. It was at CB 24. Right. After Quibi collapsed. And that was a time. And then I was offered to host the show. on The Rush, which was incredible, because Ryan and Jay had a really good run. We should say that.

That they had a really good run hosting the show. And I was able to fill in for either of them during the pandemic. So to be able to host the program was incredible. Scott and I were just put together. The manager at the time knew Scott from sports broadcasting. And so Scott and I were brand new to each other. Is this Jeff McDonald? Yes.

Okay, because he would know Scott MacArthur from Jay's stuff on TSN 1050. Yes. Before Scott MacArthur left for the Fan 590, for those who are listening for the first time because they want to know what's going on with Rushme. There are several pretty great chats with Scott MacArthur in the Toronto Mic feed in which he talks about how much he disliked that experience at the Fan 590,

but we'll get back to Scott in a moment. So they just pair you. I know that Scott was part of your top 50 episodes that you revisited too, which was great, the Scott MacArthur interview. I noticed that a few weeks ago. Way to go, Scott. Reschmi didn't make it into the top 50. Well, I see, I'm not sure there is a top 50.

I'm not actually, in real time I'm processing. I'm like, what is she talking about? I don't have a top 50. You were doing your quarterly visit into how great the podcast is. Okay, no, no, that's an F, yes, that's FOTM cast, but that's, that's all calendar-based. Like, you'll be discussed in the next FOTM cast because that's, so that's how it works. So you didn't come on last quarter, but you're on this quarter. So I think, like, the first week.

of January, the VP of sales in Cam Gordon will be back in the basement to discuss the previous quarter in the TMU, the Toronto Mike universe, and we will discuss episodes of interest from that past quarter. I would bet you anything, unless you just like say nothing and leave right now, I will bet you anything. Your episode will be discussed on the next FOTM cast. I don't know if I asked for that, but now I feel like I asked for that. Well, it depends what you say, Reshme. I'll be very honest with you here. You got to be aware of accountability. What are you asking for? You were paired of Scott MacArthur. Yeah.

Okay. Yeah. And Scott's talked about his epiphany. He needs to leave radio and he went out to the Maritimes and he's like a social worker now. Like he completely like changed vocations. But what was it like from your vantage point co-hosting the rush on 10-10 in the afternoon when your co-host Scott sort of kind of up and leaves? It was wild.

Yeah. I still have not heard from Scott. I wish Scott all the best. But it was wild. And if I can speak from my perspective. That's all you can speak from. It was a really hard time for both of us. Let's see.

A couple of big headlines that happened right when we launched was Roe v. Wade was overturned. Right. And we have a four-hour talk radio show. and we were told in our story meeting and maybe a couple hours before we went on air, don't talk about Roe v. Wade. But why is that? Why? Why is that?

We took it personally. We definitely took it personally. Scott looked at me, a woman. I looked at him, a progressive man, and we looked at each other and thought, is it because you're you and I'm me that we can't talk about Roe v. Wade being overturned? I don't know.

When the queen died, we were also notified in our editorial meeting. there won't be anything negative said about the queen or colonialism right and again we looked at each other's is it because of you is it because of me is it because you're who you are and i and i and i don't know what the final answer is on that but when you go to work and you wonder if decisions are made really bad decisions are made because of you you kind of walk around wearing that going well must be because of me. Is that one specific workplace that is run by a great company, toxic, discriminatory, completely against the grain of where all of humanity is going,

which is just tolerant and understanding and welcoming? It's a tough place. So, yeah, Scott just didn't come into work one day. Okay, well, hold on. Back to those edicts. Is that I say that word? I can spell it. Okay. These memos you're getting, like, don't talk about this, don't talk about that. Are other shows at 1010 getting the same memos, or is it just the rush? Great question.

I ask great questions on this podcast, Rush Me. It's a great question. You know, I can't speak for Scott again, but I'd say that when we were hosting together, we couldn't handle listening to the other programs on the show. we just couldn't handle it because of what was being said during the midday programming that we would then have to piggyback off of

so it's in the news but is it something that Rashmi and Scott can talk about that was off the list which is ridiculous it's ridiculous when we look back on it and when I look back on it I think it's ridiculous to have a you know it's called News Talk 1010

and if you have an afternoon Drive show and Roe versus Wade being overturned by the Supreme Court in the United States is the big, you know, topic of the day. And to get a memo to say, don't talk about that. I'm shocked. I'll be honest. I didn't see that one coming. That's just a few things. You know, then you give me some more. Well, then you think about Gaza. Right. Okay, yeah. Did you get a memo on Gaza? Is there, is there a memo? It was, it was overwhelming. You know, Mike, I'll tell you one story. in my 20-plus years of broadcasting, of course, we are very aware of the Holocaust. And my record, my journalism record will show that I cover it as much as possible.

I will talk to survivors. It is a very important issue. And in between eruptions of Gaza, created by the Israeli government, there will be issues that we still talk about with Holocaust survivors. and I will be the one to push those stories. So there is no way that there is anything anti-Semitic about me. Even before Ghazi erupted again, I had the special rapporteur,

the UN Special Rapporteur for Palestine, a really smart man who is a professor at Western University, a very intelligent man who was brought on by the United Nations to go into the region and report back, special rapporteur. I had him on to talk about Netanyahu and how the government was essentially, from his perspective, creating an apartheid in the country. And this is even before brown children were being blown up. That got me on email lists with people who believe that anyone who talks about the Israeli government is an anti-Semite.

And my email box was flooded with the same script. Everybody sendreshmi.nayor at bellmedia.c, this email. Right. Well, so did my boss. So I get a call the next day. Rashmi, we got to talk about this. What do I say to these leaders who are now demanding, Mike, they want the same nine minutes on air that this professor had to rebuff? Like, I don't even know.

Are you speaking on behalf of the Israeli government? This man worked for the United Nations. I understand that you are Jewish. You didn't like what was being discussed because it refers. reflects your country. That's the government, not the people. Maybe people are understanding what I'm trying to create as a division here for clarification, but two years ago, people couldn't. And my boss, not sure how to respond. And I'm sitting there thinking, um, you just say, thanks for your email, but we're not giving you nine minutes of this equal time argument.

So anyway, uh, that already created some sort of an atmosphere with me and my colleagues at News Talk 1010, where I'm speaking up for who? Human beings. Human beings. But now, you know, the government of Canada acknowledges Palestine. That didn't happen in the 20 plus years that I was a broadcaster. Right. And that was also an issue. That's what your mainstream newsroom will say, well, we follow the Canadian government. Do you? Should you? And are you now? Because Mark Carney is calling it something else, and I'm pretty sure mainstream newsrooms haven't changed. So that happens. And then I'm a target for these emails, which doesn't bother me at all.

But it seems to be bothering everyone else who just wants an easy workplace, easy flow, talk about things that don't disrupt the audience. And meanwhile, you know, you can have a midday anchor, dead-naming Elliott Page. Right. That was an issue. I took it up with HR. And the conclusion was, Rashmi, not everyone has to like you at work.

Wow. That was the conclusion. So when I talk about discrimination, when I talk about there's racism, there's sexism, there are all of those issues. And we shouldn't be surprised about it because if we have to talk about them, they still exist. But people were telling me to stop talking about it.

And it's not something that I think we can. Do you think the same comments would be? made about you in the same criticism if you were a straight white man well this is where i go back to those editorial meetings where scott and i are looking at each other and going is it because of you is it because of me is it because of me you me you who it's tough it's tough but uh i found that that's maybe how i ended up at news talk 10 10 is i am up for those tough moments i was the internal ombudsperson for CTV for a couple of years. And that was created to address these kinds of issues. We have really intelligent journalists in our newsrooms. And they're being led by people

who are not really keeping up with the times or even responsive to what these generations are bringing into the newsroom. So we try to make the workplace a better place to work in. And that can be for a temporary writer. It could be for a fill-in producer or it could be for a full-time employee. If they have an issue, we take it up, we fix it. And I was really proud of my work as internal lombidsperson. We did a lot of work within CTV News to make the workplace a healthier place for anybody and everybody. But then I found myself being absolutely alone at News Talk 1010 with my beliefs, with my progressive attitude. Because dead naming somebody is wrong and nobody else at work agrees with me. That's wild. That is wild. I do have a question

about these email. Are they sort of just, we think Reschmi is anti-Semitic because of her comments about Israel? Is it just kept on that level? Or does it ever veer into threats or anything far more obscene? I know many people in the industry. Most of the women who have taken on a lot of hate and a lot of threats. I am lucky enough to say I haven't really experienced anything that brutal. That's good. Because I'm now thinking of a recent

visit I had from Supriya DeVetti, who was doing mornings with Mike Stafford and others at 640, the competition. Okay, morning show, of course. But she eventually did quit because of the threats she would get from listenership who would get all riled up from

the show they heard the night before. And then she was a target for that vitriol and like literally like threats against her child and stuff, just the most horrible stuff. And then she's basically, I'm not going to do this anymore. Did you by any chance ever talk to Supriah about her experience or did you maybe even listen to that episode of Toronto Mike? I did not. I will. I have mad love for Supriya. But I mean, as you're describing what she was describing, I was getting excited in my seat and not because it was exciting to hear. Not a happy excitement. But yeah, so at 1010, there's,

a text message board, listeners can text in. I was the only person on air who was told not to look at the text board. And it wasn't made available to me. So I'm on air for four hours and I'm not reading the text board. But then some co-hosts would read the text board while I'm on air. They're not on air right now. And they would send me some of the texts from the text board. And it was like, well, you know, my boss told me not to do it.

I am the only one told not to do it. I guess it's for my mental health. But then it also kept me in the dark as to who the audience was. And when you see who the audience is, it's disgusting. What do you think of the 10-10 audience? The 10-10 listenership? The people who text in are terrible. I can only imagine how hard their lives must be.

People in the industry will demote them in their minds and call them keyboard warriors, et cetera, but there is hate and really uncomfortable feelings coming from the other side. And those are just the text messengers. I mean, the callers, I had really great interactions with people who were brave enough to call in and have a discussion. I wish that there was enough space for a larger audience, but it's impossible. But, Rashmi, the powers that be at 10-10,

I don't know, be that Jeff McDonald, whoever was making programming decisions. Like, they did decide that the afternoon drive on 10-10 would feature a woman of color and a gay man. Yeah. Yeah. So they decided, hey, you know, no straight white guy for you. on this AM talk radio station.

Yeah, yeah. And I have only great things to say about Jeff McDonald. I don't think he's responsible for 10-10 anymore. I'm not sure if he is still running it. But yeah, that was the whole idea. And there's something to that, right, Mike? When they hire someone for a certain reason and then they don't want that reason to exist in their work

in their everyday life. I think I played into that for most of my career, too, though, is be Canadian, don't be anything else. I mean, I am Canadian, 100%. What does that really mean when you become a broadcaster? Are we all doing our best Peter Mansbridge impression? Or are we really being ourselves? 95% of what we try to bring to our work

usually gets on the cunning room floor because you can't bring all of that. I mean, unless it's Diwali, then everybody wants me to bring up my Devali ideas. And I'm like, I have no idea about this celebration. So stereotypical brown things. Yeah, maybe even if Scott was around for pride, which I don't think he was for our show,

maybe it would have been like, Scott, what are your ideas for pride? But no, don't ask either of us about Roe v. Wade. But I need to know about John Moore for a moment here because you must know, did John Moore get to talk about Roe versus Wade? Roeby Wade was overturned, I think, after his morning show, the day of, to be fair.

But no, no. I don't think anybody took calls on it or addressed it in a way that it should have been addressed. Okay, so can we speculate that maybe all hosts got that memo? Yeah. That's fascinating. And I wonder, is that because the listenership is so conservative? Like, I don't listen to AM talk radio, but probably because I'm not slanted that way.

Like, it's probably because they're speaking to a different demographic, and it's pretty obvious if you tune in for a few minutes. But it is worth noting that neither the morning show, which is the typically, historically anyways, the most, the highest paid most listened to spotlight show on a radio station is the morning show and the afternoon drive, if you combine the three hosts, there's not a straight white guy to be found. Yeah. Like that's, that says something at that.

So, so they're not making moves to reflect the listenership. Like, there must be an attempt to broaden that listenership. You think John Moore is an attempt to broaden the listenership? I'm just saying he's not a straight white guy. That's all I'm saying. Yeah. Does that, does that broaden the listenership in any way? Or does?

Well, it presents some sort of progression, progression. progressive nature. Like, it feels like, I mean, I, maybe I'm wrong. I, I've only had wonderful chats of John Moore, but he was famously told he was not allowed to come on Toronto Mike. Like literally the day of, he was leaving the studio, and his program director asked him where he's going, and he said, I'm going to go on Toronto Mike.

And he was told, you're not allowed to do that. Like, this is, this happened. So, but- I accidentally agreed to do your show in 2022, to and the company accommodated. But yeah, I was on the brink of no, Rashmi, you can't do it either. Interesting, Reshmi, you're bearing the lead here. Okay, so, because I'm trying to remember the dates here.

Okay, so July, let's walk through this again. So July 2022, you did not ask Bell Media PR if you're allowed to do Toronto Mike. You just said, I'd like to do it and you were on your way over here. And they found out because I probably promoted it. Like that's how they, that's why sometimes actually, if I have, a guest on, I don't think I ask permission, I actually will kind of like let it be a surprise episode because if I promote it, then they're all the PR are watching the promotional feeds, etc. But what were you about to say? Yeah, I did. So we have, well, a fan of your show, I'm sure,

Lydia, an incredible producer. Oh, I like her already. Is the one who connected me with you. So Lydia said, hey, Toronto Mike launch on your show, you should get on this. And I was like, oh, great, yeah, great. And just working independently off of that thinking it wasn't a problem. And then confirmed with you and then let my management know. But they let you do it. You're like, yeah, rush me. Yeah. I was never, it was never discussed right in front of my vase.

But I assumed that maybe there was just the hope that I wouldn't screw this up. Well, it's interesting because we talked, I look at the timestamp. We almost talked two hours in July 2020, and I mentioned how much I liked it. I liked it very much. I liked you. I liked the way you think. I like the way you talk. I could have done that every month,

to be quite honest with you. But there was nothing, I don't even know what people, like people, cable conglomerates like Bill Media are afraid of. Like, what did we, I reviewed the tape, July 2022,

there's nothing in there that would embarrass a cable conglomerate. You know what I mean? Like, I never know what people are afraid of. Why PR companies, and it's typically Bell, but it's also been Rogers in the past.

It's been chorus in the past. Like, why would you deny a personality from having a chat with somebody in their basement for 90 minutes. We're not going, you know, don't you trust your employees not to say something

that would embarrass the mothership? Yeah, so fear, excuse me. That's okay. You got water there if you need it. Fear and trust, we think they have something to do with it. But really what it boils down to is most contracts just have the company owning you,

owning your image, owning your voice. I couldn't show up. in a video that showed up on YouTube. I couldn't just appear in a YouTube video if somebody was shooting something for a promotional event. I had to be aware of those things because the company, whether it's CBC, Bell Media,

whoever they are, usually the contract says all of what you are is owned by this company during this period of time. I don't really think it's fear of what is going to be said, but there might also be some research, in allowing the person to exist versus, you know, they say CTVs, Rushme Nayer, CBC's, Rushme Nairer. Right. Is there a Rashmi Nair?

Well, right now you're CTVs or your CBCs. Okay, fair enough. Now, okay, so now we've kind of set the table what things are like at 10-10. You're working with Scott MacArthur. And then now I think you're about to go here and I kind of said, slow your role, Rushme. We've got to cover more ground here. but what is it like from your perspective when your co-host Scott MacArthur seemingly disappears

and again for the listenership Scott's told this story in incredible detail he's been over here to do it so if you know hit me up Mike at Toronto Mike.com I'll send you the link to the exact episode where he talks about this epiphany of source he has that he doesn't want to be on the radio anymore but what's it like for you, Rush Me, when Scott MacArthur disappears

so Scott's not coming into work today we're going to find you a fill-in host and we're not sure if he's coming back tomorrow so I grab my phone and I text Scott hey man hope everything's okay and I don't hear back and so they find a fill-in co-host and the next day and the next day and so on nobody hears back from Scott I'm hosting a four-hour show with new co-host every day, every other day. And so that's hosting within hosting, right? It's like throwing a big party for a certain reason and everybody comes to the party for a certain reason. And then you've got the new person who's never been to your house before, who doesn't know where the bathroom is, who needs you to hold their hand while you go and get food. And so that's what

co-hosting with a new co-host every day is like, because now I'm co-hosting you. I'm welcoming you. into our studio. I'm welcoming you into our program. I'm prepping you between every commercial break as to what we're going to talk about next. It's a lot of work. It's a lot of unpaid labor that I picked up. That wasn't fun at all. I loved all of the co-I loved most of the co-hosts. Can I get a list of those co-hosts that you did not love, Rush Me Neyer? I think some of them are hosting the show now. Oh man, no. We had some of some really great rotating hosts, which then lasted for almost a year. Okay, so hold on here.

So now I realize. So I want to kind of take us to December 2020, 3 here. Sorry for interrupting, by the way. I feel like you had something to say there. Okay. Well, I want to give you some room to go here. But do you remember debating me on a show on CTV news channel called The Debate? Okay.

So do you remember? Because I don't know if we, I don't think I ever told you the story. But I had a producer reach out and say if I would do this, this show, which was live. Mike, what's the name of the host? Mike, Mike, Mike, something. Alcamo, what's his last name? You're putting me right on this spot. Okay, Mike.

So what's it called Mike? Mike, he seemed like a really nice guy. He is a really nice guy. I had a good good. Thank you. I would never remember that. That's a great surname. I probably would butcher that one as well.

But so I was invited by producer, Bill Media producer, say, would you, do this debater show and I said can I do it from 299 Queen Street West and they said yes you can do it from 299 Queen Street West or you can do it remotely and I said I've always wanted to do something at 299 because I was a big city TV fan growing up and well anyone who listens to this show knows I love talking about the the city TV 299 and much music and electric circus and all that that's the stuff I love talking about so I said okay I will do this even though it's not really what I do but I don't know what I do but I apparently I was going to do this but at 299 queen and then literally like i think it was the day before that

morning i got an email from the producer saying i'm sorry we can't accommodate you at 299 queen there's nobody there to help you you'll have to do this remotely like so it was like i felt like it was a bait and switch so i've already committed to this thing now i got to do it on this computer i'm like oh that sucks but i'm going to do it because i promise i do it and i'm but then i realized this hookup and i can't remember what technology it was you'd know better than i do what was it webex face time maybe face time okay But then what I found out doing the FaceTime right here is that I can hear, like it's almost like I'm on the phone. I can hear what's going on the other side, but I don't get any visuals.

And I was so thoroughly disappointed. This experience was basically me sitting here like I can hear an audio feed. And then I got to kind of figure out when Mike has finished the question. When do I talk? And then there's Rush Me, who I was quite like, but I didn't get to see you. Anyways, this whole thing I did it. They invited me back and I politely declined because I'm like, I only said yes because I was going to do $299 Queen. And I thought I did a fine job, actually.

You did a great job. We had tons of fun. Well, they did invite me back, which I think is a good sign, you know. But I did politely decline because I was in it for the $2.99 Queen Street West experience, and they took that away from me. So I just thought it's interesting. We did have that interaction on the CTV news channel where I got to debate you. And it was a great time, and I'm glad we did it. And did you go back and watch it?

Yeah. Oh, yeah. And we looked great, right? I think we looked really hot, if I may say that. And I think we did look great. And I think I was kind of funny. And I thought you were your charming self. And I thought Mike did a good job.

And it was great. And then that show got canceled. And maybe because I didn't return. Has it been canceled? It's long gone, actually. So I just want to throw that in because I'm building towards December 20, 23. And I realized that happened obviously before that. So Mike Lick-Kittor, I hope I'm getting your last, I have to Google his last name.

No, it sounds right to me. He is a really great journalist and reached out to me. say, hey, would you be one of these panelists? But guess what, Mike? There was, there was no one at 299 to accommodate me either. Right. That's funny. What is going on? So there's, so I have to, after hosting a live radio program that I love for four hours, immediately after, because I'm off air at 559 and we're on air at 602. You see Rush Me, running out of the radio studio, hooking up a ring light, setting up my own chair, my own lighting, getting into my, putting on my own AirPods getting into my face up. Welcome to my world rush me. I'm doing it all by myself. There's no one to

help me either at 299. So I'm sorry, Mike, but it's true. There is, there are no employees left. Right. Well, and you know they moved CP 24, right? Yes, to aging court. I love that building too. Mike. One of the highlights of my career, I hated working at CP 24, but I loved walking into that building. Can I tell you what I've got in each Toronto Mike schedule? I did my best Monica Diole impressions. I love Monica Diole. You want to dance in those windows? We got to get it done. I, Tomorrow I'm talking to Ed Conroy, who's also known as Retro Ontario, and we will be talking about kids TV. But Ed's on all the time, and we talk about these, you know,

I was at the 30th anniversary party with Monica Duel, the Electric Circus 30th. It's actually the one and only time I had a conversation with Moses Nymer. That was that one time. Wow. Okay, that's a big deal. But 299, quick, fun fact, is I produce a show for, which show was it?

Goodness gracious, I want to get the right show. It was Nick Aeney's. Okay, so I'm going to shout out Nick I, he's got a great podcast called Building Toronto Skyline and we had this great architect on and we had this chat and he reveals in this conversation that when City TV was moving from 99 Queen East to 29 Queen Street West they hired him and his firm to do all the work inside 299 Queen Street Rest to accommodate Moses's vision and he talks about how it was like a lengthy process because a new show would come up and they'd have to redo a different room and it was an I

going to talk to this architect on this program in this basement about the vision of Moses for that building and how the architecture firm would satisfy it like that is coming up so i've always been pretty damn fascinated by 299 queen street west what happens inside of it what everything about it and it's a heritage building right of course and yes bell media i guess is vacating and that's why cp 24 is at aging court but i uh where i'm going with this is that i really wanted to have at least in my life one experience because I've never worked in radio or television I've never, you know, why would I be at

299 Queen Street West? I would like to do something there and I was excited that I'm going to do this debater show. It was live. Of course, it's live at 6 and I realize now what are your thoughts on this? It must be because they want people to tune in the CTV proper to watch the 6 o'clock news, right? Like, why does this show even exist?

The debate show. It's long gone now. But, like, is it there because people aren't supposed to be watching CTV news channel at that time? Oh, no. Oh, no. Tell me, that's what my thought was. Oh, man. Okay, time slots, we can talk about those. They're very tough.

I was responsible for 7 to 9 p.m. on CBC News Network for many years, and you learn real hard how nobody is watching what you're trying to put out between 7 to 9 p.m. And then I was on a show on CBC four rooms that was on Sundays, no, Friday nights. Like, no one's watching at that time either. So that show was great. I mean, the team that worked on it and the amount of effort that was put into it didn't reflect in the ratings, I guess, is why it was canceled. But it would have been an all-news channel, CTV News Channel,

that needed to get off the wheel of repetitive news and give their extremely talented journalists and opportunity. to shine. So, hey, here's a show. Let's put it together. It uses minimal resources, right? We get all of our guests to zoom in. That's for sure. That is a low budget show. Everything is a budget. Because you don't even get extra compensation for doing it, right? Like, are you doing it because for love of Bell Media and your existing contract? Yeah, you're just doing it for the love of, well, I did it for Mike. Yeah, Mike had a show coming on and it sounded like a great time. To have debates and discussions, I think that's where news people are going and trying to get more people to tune in. And

I don't know if that's effective, but yeah, the debate, the discussion, panel discussions. Very timely. How do you translate that onto television, right? But Rush me, if you're like Bell Media News decision maker and it's 6 p.m. Eastern,

you don't you want eyeball? Don't you want all your eyeb... Sandy Rinaldi, who's doing 6 o'clock news? I should know this. But whoever the CTV 6 o'clock news person is, that's where you want the eyeballs, right? Like, it's like, get off the news channel and get your ass to the mother,

the real CTV. Yeah. So CTV news, their dinner newscast, their supper hour newscast, airs on CB 24. So maybe they don't want to air it on CTV news channel as well.

Well, right. So they throw something really cheap on CTV news channel in the hope that the news heads aren't going to be watching that. They're going to be watching the news proper. I'm just telling you why I thought it was sort of like a,

just like a loss leader. thing to fill up time. Maybe I'm out to lunch. You're the expert. Are we just time fillers, Mike? Are we just time fillers? Sometimes. Well, here's a hot take.

Okay. All broadcasting is going down that way. We're all time fillers. Are we not? I mean, when you watch the news right now, are you being informed or are you having your time filled? When are you capturing information? The whole idea of watch the news at 6 o'clock is where you lose me.

Like, I am a Gen Xer. So I grew up with the 6 o'clock news and all that stuff. And even I've adapted and evolved where it's on demand for me now. Yeah, absolutely. And so that's why an all-news channel is finding it to be a struggle, right? To get eyeballs on the screen, what are you going to watch? It's assumed now that you probably have all the information you need throughout the day. So when you do turn on an all-news channel, do you want to hear them discuss what you already know, debate what you already know?

I can see it as being a great idea, but probably bad timing. You know, it's just like, remember when taxi cabs wouldn't get an app 20 years ago? Sure. And then Uber shows up. Right. I mean, do you have a taxi cab app on your phone right now? No. No, but you have Uber.

So it's just the digitization of news and how we consume it has changed in the last 10, 15 years, and the newsrooms have not. They're back taxi. You don't need Uber when you have a bicycle. Okay, Rushme, have I taught you nothing? Were you going to bike all the way to $2.99? Oh, my God. You have no idea.

You have no idea. Okay. I went for a beer. I wanted to say goodbye to the Imperial Pub because it's closing in mid-November. And I wanted one last pint with a couple of buddies, a few buddies, one of whom is a newsperson at CBC. I'll tell you later who that is. But is his name David? No.

They're all named David. It's not even a guy. Okay, so I'm at this Imperial Pub, but of course I bike to the Imperial Pub, but of course I bike to the Imperial pub before the Jay's game. I think my bike thing is if you said to me, Mike, can you meet me at Ashbridge's Bay? We're going to do some beach volleyball. I'm still biking to Aschbridge's

bay. I will bike. I bike to Burlington for, uh, to do a humble and Fred thing at a Kelsey's because I produced that show. Yes, I would have biked to 299 Queen Street. That would have been part of, that would have been all part of the experience. Like, I'm going to bike to 299. I'm going to record a live hour with Rush

Rush Meenair and Mike, uh, Della Coacher. You look it up. I think it's delicate, something like that. But anyway, I need to get you back to December 2023. Okay, I think your brain's fine. I've been listening to you for almost an hour now. December 20203, and again, remember, I'm a guy with a podcast and a blog that does cover Toronto GTA radio and television.

So I start getting notes from people. They come to Toronto Mike with this stuff. Okay, I'm like the canary and the coal mine. Like, I'll tell you something's up. This is how I knew Humble Howard was fired from Mix 99. I can tell you in December 2023 I was getting so many notes from people who say

where's reshmi your buds with reshmi right what happened to reshmi Rashmi Neer has seemingly disappeared from the 1010 afternoon drive show please tell us we need to know what happened in December

2023 what did you find out I found out you were off the air and we never heard from you again until right now and what else have you heard I want to hear what happened I don't it doesn't matter what I heard

what matters is what you say right now because I trust you're going to tell us what happened what happened that you were removed from the afternoon drive show on 1010 in December 2023 and then you seemingly disappeared well I took a page out of Scott MacArthur's book didn't I

wow did you take a walk in the snow I'm sure a lot of people wish I had um yeah you know I bowed out. I bowed out. It was a painful time. It was a brutally painful time. One of the major issues or biggest concerns, and one of my proudest moments, is choosing to be a mother overall. Broadcasting, live broadcasting, a full-time job in live broadcasting will keep you away from your children. in the industry have told me this my whole life. And they were women who were older than me when I was

just starting out who didn't have children. And there were women who had children who had to stop chasing their career or climb the ladder. You know, they just settled for that mid-level job and now they're home with the kids. And I found myself a few years ago pulled away. Like that's one of the biggest reasons, Mike. I know that's not very spicy. But daycare's, in this country, if you are past six o'clock, they will take your house. Yep. I've lived this life. You're describing a life I've been living for 20 years.

So my dream job of hosting a radio program is from two to six. Right. And my child care options fell through. My mom was a great help until 2023. She fell ill. And I was finding babysitters to pick up my kid from an after. school program who then got my kid home and yeah we have the same age children a few years ago it was all about reading and writing and i was missing it i was missing all of it so was there a job

that i could do within this company or any other company that would get me to pick up my kid before 6 p.m i mean ideally after school and spend quality time with them or am i on my phone non-stop because the news is constantly changing. And I am now a one-person show for four hours without any support. We have one producer who gets just over minimum wage and respectfully has to say at some point in the day, this is above my pay grade. And I was told that by him multiple times and I respected it every time. Right. I wish I could have said the same thing. well it often probably was oh a lot of the things I did

show me that T4 I need to know what you were being paid over there oh a fraction of what anyone else is being paid oh absolutely I mean that's what you get when you get a brown girl and a gay guy isn't it we're just happy to be here because you to me again I would watch you on CBC

and then I know you did CP 24 but you were a veteran who is very good at her craft I would think you would be compensated well I mean it's all relative but yeah yeah it is all relative i i i hosted a four-hour program and i probably got paid what other people got paid for an hour so put it like that if you're hosting that's a quarter i just did the math okay that's a quarter of what you should have been paid by bell media i mean should have is

is relative to you right it's it's a sliding scale we don't know what each other makes and companies want to keep it that way. They love that. Yeah. And then when you do find out, then you do the math. So was I getting paid enough to, okay, put it this way, Mike. I was given a salary to co-host a four-hour show. And then I lost my co-host. Right. And I was still paid as a co-host. And you're still doing that damn debate show with me. That was all for free. Yeah. I mean, there's no increase to my pay. There's an increase to my workload. And I'm sure anyone in any industry could say this at this point. So it's not like I'm taking that personally. But can I, should I go back into the office and say, now I'm doing this, I should make this much? Absolutely.

I had friends in the industry saying, okay, well, if you're going to spearhead this, if you are going to be the only person hosting the rush, you should get what Scott MacArthur's salary was too. Right. Right. Just add that on. Right. Oh, that's a great negotiating. Yeah. It didn't happen. But, you know, some of my co-hosts probably got paid more hourly to fill in than I was getting to host the show permanently. Long term, let's say, not permanently. So basically, because of the fact that this probably plays a role, too, if you're being compensated as such. And it sounds like, I mean, you were very honest and frank with us earlier about, you know, memos you were getting and treatment from this and that. So you're not having a fun time.

So it's not fun anymore. It's absolutely turned into a job. Scott MacArthur disappears. He's talked about that on Toronto, Mike. Do you listen to that? He disappears. He ends up going, you know, selling his Toronto place and move into the Maritimes where he is today.

So he had that epiphany. I don't want to be on the radio anymore. So he leaves. Now you're carrying the whole thing. You mentioned, you know, how difficult. I know what it's like when someone shows up at your side door and you have no rapport of them because you've never met them before. And it's like, okay, let's do a live to air 90 minutes right now with zero edits.

Like, I know what that feels like. happens every week. So that's a lot more work. It happens every day. But you have been here before, as I didn't have to do with you right now. But I have done it with you in the past. Rush me. Okay. So you basically went to your boss and said, like, I'm just curious about the logistics here. Like, do you say, can you package me out? Because you don't want to quit. Because you don't want to quit. Because you know what happens when you quit? They don't give you a penny. They just say, peace out. And you're not compensated for the time you spent at Bell Media. Mike, I quit. So you didn't get any severance, of course, because.

because you quit. Severance. Yeah. I mean, yeah. You know, by that point, anything that they gave me

would have been just as toxic as the experience. To be honest, I wouldn't have taken. I will take your lasagna. I won't take anything from anyone in that building on my way out.

It's brutal. It's brutal. This sounds brutal. Yeah. It's brutal. I will tell you personally, and because I don't, it really is a resh me-neyer decision.

I'm sitting there, struggling for four hours, and eventually by December, my whole body is telling me that I have somewhere else to be, and that is with my child. I would rather be at home with my child. So that's the first thing. But why am I being pushed that way? Why don't I love my job anymore, as you describe it? My dream job. And I'm not talking about just starting in the industry. Hey, where do you think I could fit in?

Like, little kid Rush Me would have loved a radio show. So, which I didn't believe at first. I remember challenging you on this because you're a TV star when I, I think you're a TV star and then you told me you wanted to be in radio. I love radio. I love radio. The money came because I have big white teeth. That's fine.

I'll go on TV for a bit. But I love radio. And actually, when I worked at CBC, they wouldn't put me on the radio. I loved radio so much. Oh, yeah. That's where I learned about you, TV star Rushbyn Air. But you know what? I'm 44, Mike.

So when I'm 50, will I still be a beautiful? TV star. Do you see many women in their 50s broadcasting? I know, well, it's funny, I was going to ask you about a certain woman who was over 50, who was let go from CTV, Bell Media. But the only example I can obviously think of is Sandy Rinaldi. Sandy Rinaldo. Is it Rinaldo? You know, that tells you I've never seen her newscast, but I see her on, she's plastered on billboards and stuff. Like, you can't live in this city without knowing her.

Because she's the only one. So she's the only one. I mean, there's Adrian Arsenault, too. I mean, arguably, Adrian Arsenault and Lisa LaFlam were incredible correspondence. They were incredible international correspondence. These women are remarkable for the work they've done. And then we put them behind the desk and then we try to do something else with them. Lisa LaFlam and Adrian Arsano have been shining behind the desk.

Don't get me wrong. But did they get the flowers that they deserve? I mean, Adrian Arsano is still working? Oh, man, you want to talk about the Lisa LaFlamanone? Flam thing? I mean, I only... Well, only because I'll be... I'm just telling them, people are... Maybe I'm biased because I legit

like you as a human being here, but I honestly think you could have been Lisa LaFlam's replacement. If you had just played the cards a little differently. None of this radio bullshit. Like, I tried to tell you this during your first visit. Like, you, what are you doing?

And you talked to me into the fact, oh, you love radio, want to be on radio. But I was trying to tell you, you belong on television. And I feel like you could have been the CTV anchor. Not Omar. It should have been Rashmi. Love Omar, too. You know what? I appreciate that, Mike, because when I think back to being in my 20s and radio,

I saw Lisa LaFlam as a correspondent. I saw Adrian Arsenao. I saw Sarah Galashan. And I remember looking at them and saying, I want to do that. I want to be there. We had troops in Afghanistan for a good chunk of time. And so we were sending reporters out there and they were reporting from Kandahar base and things like that. Maybe not in violent war zones, but still there. Being a correspondent. And I remember talking to reporters then, and they said, have a bag ready at the door, make sure your passport's valid, never have children. Well, nine years ago, I went in a different route.

And I'm so glad I did. And if anyone is listening, thinking about whether they should have kids or chase their career, I would say have kids a million percent. Absolutely. Don't regret it. The career is not worth it. The career is not worth it. You're just a number. Okay.

Well, I work for myself since 2018. So it's a whole different vibe when you're your own boss. But we'll talk about that with you in a moment. But, yeah, you're just a number, and you're not family. They like to brainwash you into thinking we're a family, and they might pay for these little social gatherings and this and that and Christmas parties or whatever. But at the end of the day, you're sort of a line on a spreadsheet.

And it's easy, especially the bigger the company, the easier it is to delete that line. Lisa LaFlam leaving is the end of an era. Why did Lisa leave again? Oh, dear. Because she wasn't fired. I think I've made this mistake. I've been corrected in the past.

a shout out to FOTM Hall of Famer Mark Wiseblot. Lisa LaFlam, I've said this, I've said she was fired from CTV. She absolutely was not fired. They offered her something different, a different contract or something, and she turned it down. Like, it's different than being fired.

Okay. But it's just a semantics thing that she wasn't fired. But so why did Lisa LaFlam leave? And what did you think about it at the time? You know more than I do about why. I mean, I consumed maybe a little bit closer to the story because I knew people on the team, but I consumed the information at the same time as everyone else. There was talk about her growing her hair out naturally that seemed to be an issue with new management,

which was extremely insulting. Do you remember that? Yeah, but that felt very speculative. Like, from my vantage point, it seemed like, that just didn't seem to be any there there. Like, I never really bought into the whole hair color gate. but you know here we are two people we need Lisa on the show but of course that's I mean the comments were made whether that played a role

sure because that's a sexy sexy topic for like you know talk radio and you know water cooler discussions and all that jazz but I feel there is another reason at play there but okay so leave Lisa and LaFlema because she's not here but you well one thing that I did here that I will contribute to the conversation because I think it's necessary for the industry and Lisa can correct me. I never spoke to her about this,

but I have heard from people. And it matches what we know of someone like Lisa LaFlam, which was she was pushing for live coverage internationally. So sending teams out to places where the news was happening. And I heard she was being turned down.

No, we don't have the money. We don't have the money to go on location and report on something. And when you're an international correspondent. I know you're the anchor of this flagship show. You want to go to where the story is. So to be told that there's no budget, there's no money, that could lead to big issues. And I think those issues still exist. And I think they are still employing extremely intelligent foreign correspondents who understand what the audience needs to know from a journalistic

perspective. And they are assuming that they will just read the prompter and follow budgetary restrictions. Okay, but you never at one point thought, oh, that's the job I would like. Like, this never, you're like, I'll go on radio instead. Yeah, anchoring is different. Yeah. But you were very good at it. Well, thanks, Mike.

I'm sure you'd be really great at it too. Oh, please. The F bombs, I'd be dropping on that. They wouldn't appreciate it one bit. The way you read those sponsors out at the beginning of every episode, that is exactly what somebody wants to do behind the desk. Oh, God. plaque that Peter Mansbridge got because as a podcaster, he was taking money from his sponsor.

My goodness, let's do this. Let's pause with that, you know, perfect segue there because I do want to shout out a couple of partners. And then I need to get back to December 2023, Rashmi. I've waited years for your return. I'm so glad you're here. But I do want to ask you a very personal question. And you can, you can't plead the fifth. This is Canada.

We don't have that, okay? But do you consume cannabis and cannabis products? Yes. Okay, so this is, this is your marching orders, okay, Reschmi? There is a website. It is shopkindling.ca. I'm aware of them. Okay, so you're aware that, you know, you can 24-7, you can place an order online at shopkindling.

And between, this is when they will do the delivery, between 9 a.m. and 11 p.m. So most of your waking hours, unless you're a shift worker, that's a whole difference right. But you'll get that cannabis delivery. to you in under one hour. So within one hour of the order between 9 a.m. and 11 p.m., that cannabis delivery is in your possession. You can track it. You mentioned Uber earlier.

You can track, where is my cannabis? Where is my weed, man? And then it'll arrive and it'll be discreet. Every time I say it's discreet, someone says, why do you have to be discreet? I'm just saying, believe it or not, there are still some segments, some places where there's a little stigma attached to cannabis consumption, believe it or not, even though it's 100% legal. So I would just urge you to try shop kindling.ca if you haven't already, Rashmi. I have and they're great.

Non-discreet means it's, or indiscreet, it's just in a white paper. Right. Like it's just, you know, if you don't want your neighbors to know, hey, you know, Reschmi's weed is here. It's better than when you get food delivered and your name is written on this massive paper bag with the company on it. And it's like, I don't want everyone to know that Rushme just ate three pizzas from this restaurant. Invite me over next time.

Okay, we'll invite me over when you make up this lasagna. That's what I want. I want. I want to have this lasagna with you from Palma Pasta. Hey, shout out to Recycle MyElectronics.C.A. because Rush me, if you have old electronics, old devices, old phones, maybe Bell Media gave you a blackberry and it's sitting in a drawer somewhere. You got some old cables.

Do not throw them in the garbage because those chemicals end up in our landfill. Go to recycle myelectronics.ca. Put in your postal code and find out where you can drop that off. You got it? Awesome. and I this is for anybody looking for creative and dynamic work environment so if you're responsible in any regard for your your office and you know there's a return to office we could talk about that I know my wife has been called back four days a week believe it or

not I said you know I'm old enough to remember when we were in the office five days a week that's what I say but okay what you do if you're looking for dynamic and creative work environments is you email Doug Mills from blue sky agency it's Doug at Blue Sky agency.ca. Let him know you're a listener because Doug is a, well, he's been a listener forever, but he's stepped up as a sponsor and we want to make Doug's life better. So Doug at blue skyagency.ca.cage.com, dynamic and creative work environments, including silence pods.

I think Alan's Wig was here Friday. He made a, no, Thursday, Friday. Yeah, I can't remember now. But he was the last episode and he made an interesting remark about the silence pods. So that gives you some privacy at a busy work environment. Okay, Rushmi. Mike. Miked.

No, it's Mike. Okay, the show is Miked. I am Mike. You like that? You know what? You can call me Miked. You're the only one you can call me Miked. That's how much I like you.

I would get notes every week. They're still saying, sitting in for Roshmi Nair. They're still saying, filling in for Rishmi Nair. And it would be like for months, I'd be getting notes like this. And then one day they're like, you know, Rishmi's not on the website. They removed her name from the show. they stopped saying, filling in for Rashmi Nair. Like, what?

So when you disappeared from the airwaves in December 20, 23, was there some deal where you had to shut the fuck up? Because we didn't hear a peep out of you. Nobody said, Rashmi's gone. You just disappeared. So do you want to speak to that? I personally, no, I can tell you, you know, you talked about how Scott ignored your text when he disappeared.

I know I sent a text or two just to make sure you were okay. because from where I'm sitting, my friend Reschmi has left the airwaves and is off the grid. There's no social posts. There's just silence. Radio silence. I ran out of things to say, man. That's impossible, Reschmi, Neer. I ran out of things.

I remember my last day. I remember turning the mic off and it was with such vitriol. I was just so peeved about the whole thing. And I threw my pen down and I walked out of there. And I went home that night. and I thought, I don't, I don't think I'm ever going back on that station. I don't think I'm ever turning that microphone back on. What happened?

I mean, anything and everything, I guess, I've given you an idea of my personal life. So single mom. Yeah, that's tough. Dealing with the scheduling, that's one thing. But how did my dream job become the worst part of my life? Well, I guess it started with the launch and then losing my co-revelling. host, absolutely. Pulling the rug out from under you, you know, you feel winded. Now you have to create a new identity for the show, and it's just you, but you've got these fill-in hosts. And

I'd say there was zero support. There was just do it on your own, Rush Me, figure it out. And that's fine, because anyone who knows me in my 44 years knows I will figure it out. But then in my efforts to figure it out, there were issues, problems. It's unnecessary how much effort people in the industry put into doing things that go against someone else's work. You know, like there's just so much push and pull. What happened? What happened, Mike? Well, you know, I took up an issue with Jerry Agar. about dead naming Elliot Page and then repeating how being gay used to... Remember when being gay used to be a crime?

Remember when being gay was a crime? You remember that? And the way that it was said was almost like there was hope in there. You know, it sounded like the reverse Barack Obama. You know, like, yes, we can. We can go back to those days. And I was walking my dog with my kid and my phone blew up with many messages from friends going, Jerry Agar is just off the rails.

I can't listen to the station anymore. And of course, I am trying to get more people to listen to the station. Wow. Well, I can't be proud of the brand I work for. So I've stopped telling people what I do for a living or to listen in. And then I'm getting people on the show who I'd like to hear from, trans people, political people, you know, possibly even the mayor of Toronto, who then the next day, those interviews and clips are being used and mocked on the other show.

So now my friends and guests who I'm asking to come back on are saying, well, you know, Rush Me, I'd rather not. Right. I'd rather not talk to you. It's not you. It's the station you work for. It's not you. Oh, okay.

And then I realized, wow, I am the only person like me in this workplace. And my friends and family are saying, yeah, but, you know, you're a fighter. You're like, this is what you do. And I just lost the fight, Mike. I'm all by myself here. There isn't a single other person who's saying, no, you can't say that. But guess what I couldn't say? This is another tipping point for me, Mike.

I said Santa wasn't real on the radio. Do you think that's terrible? I have a nine-year-old. Have I mentioned that? Yeah, so do I. Who is still a believer. And I don't, I just, if I had on some AM talk radio station during the day and she heard somebody with such integrity as Rush Me Nair, disclosing that fact, I think I'd be a bit like,

like I'd be doing some damage control in real time. Yeah. Okay. So Rush Me in 2025. I just tell you the truth. No, and I appreciate that. Rushme in 2025 can totally appreciate it. Rush me, December, 2023, when Gaza is erupting, and every single night I'm going to bed with a child in my arms, laying in the same position as a dead brown mother and her child, I'm seeing the footage, right?

I lay in bed with my child, and I remember all of these brown mothers and children in these positions dead that I'm seeing on my phone in the middle of the night happening right now. And then I'm getting up and I'm going to work. And I'm not allowed to talk about Gaza. I'm not allowed to talk about Palestinians. I am being forced to talk to family members of hostages and I will have empathy and love for anybody. But when I'm not able to talk about certain things and then I am being forced to talk about specific things and then in this one random rant, Mike, because we're not supposed to be scripted, in one random rant, I just, this is a surprise to you and this is a surprise to you. What happened when you found out? Santa wasn't real.

Did that surprise you too? And people got upset. So unscripted in real time, because I'm just ranting. Yeah, I've done this too, but not for like a, you know, a terrestrial radio station. So maybe that's the difference. But you'll say something and then later you might be like, okay, well, that was what I said. I stand by it. But maybe I could have done it a little more delicately.

But, okay, so there is, is this almost, there's a lot of shit going on in the world. and you felt like the fact that we're, you know, up in arms over this Santa declaration. Like, I'm actually at a point where I'm actually like, I'm thinking, okay, this is where I'm thinking. And maybe I'm totally out to lunch, but there's some dad or mom who's listening to Toronto Mike with Resch Mnare in the car and dropping the kids off at school right now. And then you drop that bomb or whatever. This was right at the time when parents were picking up their kids from school. I was on air from two to six. You know what I'll say.

And this was probably four o'clock. Yeah, this was prime. Because I do think it's a weird. It's weird we do it. Like, people do it with religion, right? And then I'm critical of the whole thing. But we do this thing. And I have four kids.

I did it with all four kids. And I'm not saying this is what we should be doing to our kids. But we tell this big lie to our kids. And then we, every year for, I don't know, about nine or 10 years, it's like magical wonder for the whole family that, oh, my God, like this is happening. And we got to get these cookies out. And then, oh, I think I heard them last night, Daddy. And it's like so, like, fun. So I didn't have that growing up in this country.

Right. Born and raised in Toronto. I didn't have Santa in my childhood. And I think I represent a population that deserves to exist. Of course. So this is an example of, hey, Rashmi, we hired you to do this. Right. But don't be yourself.

I mean. Like adopt these like Christian values. for uh but santa's not even christian man no i know he's Coca-Cola property i believe this is where i'm at i'm a proud atheist and uh there's still there's still going to be cookies put out for the big guys so at that point mike at that point yeah Santa mattered right more than the dead Palestinian children but don't you think it's about we can do something about this but the other is so big and it's so it's almost difficult to process like where we fit into that whole thing like Santa

is too big for me to process. I know, I get it. I get it. So is that like a last straw of sorts when it's like you got, so who, did you get shit from management or just, uh, my favorite, my favorite. Okay, so I can't, I can't say Palestine, Palestinians. I can't talk about brown babies dying, but I'm miserable about it. But now I got to go to work and it's November, hey, let's get into the Christmas spirit,

you know, all this Christmas stuff. And I came into work. Excuse me. After my, after that Santa thing. And it would probably be a week after that. And my producer, with his coffee mug in between him and myself, as though it was like, you know, a buffer just so I don't punch him in the face or something. Hey, uh, so, uh, just making sure you're not going to talk about Santa again today, right?

Just making sure, because the bosses want to make sure that I told you not to talk about Santa today. And it's like, oh, man. Yeah, dude. I'm not going to talk about Santa. Santa. But you want me to talk about happy, spirited conversations about putting out, I don't know what you put out. You put out this little elf on a shelf. Ridiculous. Elf on a shelf. No, we don't know. We don't know. But that's a new thing. That wasn't around when I was a kid. I know. And I can't speak for all brown people. I can't speak for all Rushmes. I have no idea what

it's like in other people's houses, but I'm not doing the elf on the shelf. And I'm a mom. And I'm not doing elf on the shelf. I don't know it. I'm not doing it. But I shouldn't be judged for it. Right. There is a population of people. So can I ask, does your nine-year-old have any secular Christmas stuff going on? Like, is there a tree? Is there anything? Yeah, absolutely. So I'm going to throw everything off now by saying, we talk about Jesus in the house. So my kid knows that Christmas is Jesus's birthday. Right. Sure. And it's celebrated by Christians. Right. And Santa was created for people who don't believe in Jesus who still want to celebrate the holiday. Right. That's what I tell the kid. That's what you should tell your nine-year-old. Because it's facts. What do you expect a journalist to do when they become a parent? No, I mean, of course. I'm not going to pretend that some old man just came into the house and put all these gifts down when I worked my ass off for those gifts. And I wrapped everything up. Like, what are you talking about? Right. You want, yeah, you need that credit. Now, let me ask you this though, Rashby, when your child was, let's say, six or seven, would your, was your child, like, did you tell your child maybe, um,

hold that water around your friends at school. Like, I guess there's, I'm just curious, like, whether your, your child knew enough to, to maybe not spoil it for the other six and seven-year-olds. Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. Okay. But also, at six and seven, my child was going to school with kids who wear hijabs,

with kids who just don't celebrate Christmas. Sure. For whatever reason. Public school, right? Yeah. Yeah. Mine, too. But those kids also aren't ruining it for the rest of them.

I mean, what are we ruining? Believe in Santa if you want, but just see it as a story that you believe in. Right. I worked at CP-24. This is a real story. Yeah. And I went in there and they're like, you're doing the Santa tracker today. Norad does it, right?

No, no, no, no. Oh, it's a CP-24 Santa tracker. No, no, it's a NORAD tracker. No, exactly what you're saying. Right, right. That was my story assignment for the day. Yeah, yeah. no i i refused stephanie smyth was the assignment editor and she's like you're doing norad and i laughed

i was like absolutely i am not and they and they they all looked and i thought it was a joke i thought they were pranking me i was like this isn't a real story and then all of a sudden i don't know in that moment maybe i made a reputation for myself of not a team player or too hard of a journalist i just want to talk about real things i don't even believe in santa this isn't real we're doing this every half an hour when everything else in our community, not even the world, in our neighborhood is falling apart. Our roads are falling apart. I mean, you want to talk about taxes? Anything else. Anything. And anyway, Stephanie said, we'll find three other stories that you want to do. And I found three other real stories to do. And I was assigned something else. Yeah, I had a reputation

for refusing to do these Santa things. And I respect that. I respect that. But at the same time, there's something to be said for the odd piece of escape. Because the world's on fire. And you go to the news for escapism? Now you do. Now you do. Maybe on December 24 you get you, you're okay of like a small percentage of like ridiculousness, tis the season nonsense.

But but I get it. And I think being principled is, is part of your integrity. And I get it all. I get it. I get it. But can I go back to something else? Forget Santa for a moment. Fuck Santa for a moment.

Well, that's what happened. What happened in December 2023, Rashmi? She said Santa. it wasn't real. Right. The sky came falling down and I walked away from my job. So do you send an email? Like, I'm curious in like the details here.

Like, because you just, you make a decision, you know, you meditate on it and you make a decision that I'm done with the radio on the rush at 1010. Do you try to negotiate for a different role at Bell Media? I hear they have other media properties over there. Oh, they do. I think I did. I think in three years I went through Quibi, CB24, and News Talk 1010. So I did.

I did go through the world of what we could do? For parental reasons, and I completely relate to that, it's tough if you aren't a single parent. Like, for parental reasons, did you just say, hey, this time slot isn't going to work for me? Is there any other role for Rashmi Nair at Bell Media? Oh, I did bring that up at CP24, and the manager at the time said, why are you so special? what makes you so special, and it was a very discouraging conversation. So then I went over her head, and Bell Media does have a form that you could fill out for special people, and I was able to get my hours adjusted to accommodate my parental schedule

above her, which really irritated her and led to an uncomfortable work environment after that. But no, at 10-10, it was just, it wasn't a safe enough space to talk to anyone there about anything that I had an issue with. I couldn't even get help putting this show together. Never mind trying to get help outside of what was demanded of me from a work performance perspective. But I will also share, Mike, that I have endometriosis, which is a painful condition, which is why I rely on cannabis sometimes. So that was also an issue. So my manager at the time knew that I had physical pain, but I think the physical pain, oh man, I think the mental pain took over from the physical. So what happened? I went on a medical leave because I was having

issues. Well, that explains the filling in for Reschmi that you get for a while, right? Because you're still on the payroll. You're just not on the air. If I'm wrong, you tell me. Sure. I don't know how long they kept that going. A while. I wasn't listening. Right. But in December, I went on medical leave, and before the end of that year, I resigned. I went on medical leave, and within a few less than two weeks of talking to my doctor and everyone else in my life, you know, most people outside of the industry were saying, you're going to blow up your whole life. And then the people in the industry said, everything's blowing up around you. So it depends on how you see it. But yeah, sure. I take full responsibility. I walked away from my job.

Right. And they decided to go with whatever they wanted to after. I had nothing to do with what their messaging was. And I didn't want to. I didn't have anything to say, Mike. I'm sorry, if you reached out to my Bell Media email, I didn't get it. I had already deleted my Twitter. I knew that much.

Like, I'm not new to this game, Rushme. I did actually, I believe I posted on Toronto Mike.com what you get when you email the Rushmeet, Neyer, Bell Media Address. Like, it was like, you know, this person is no longer employed here, whatever, whatever. Yeah. Yeah, but I did reach out to the personal phone number, but that's okay because you were probably dealing with a lot more important shit than to tell Toronto Mike that you're okay.

So I totally get that. Thank you for asking. So in December 20203, when you disappear from the 10-10 airwaves, until now are, yeah, I'm going to say until now, because it's my show. I want to make it sound really big. October 2025. Like, that's almost two years.

So for somebody like me or somebody who enjoyed listening to you on The Rush, it seems like you kind of, you know, went off the grid for almost two years. I did. So you just decided I'm not going to make any public statements. I'm not going to post in public. I'm just going to be a mom. Like, what have you been doing the last couple years? Yeah.

Unpaid labor. Parenting. Oh, yeah. Just momming, momming through life. Yeah, my kid gets the Resch Me Neier show every day. Wow. What a lucky kid. No, everyone else in my life.

To be honest, the last two years have been glorious. I noticed that most of my social life had revolved around the people I met through work as well. So I needed to sever all of that. I just didn't want to hear about anything in the industry anymore. And my circle of friends are all people who are not part of this industry who don't listen to any of this or consume mainstream media. You were literally embarrassed to tell your friends to listen to 1010. Yeah. That was your first sign.

I got to get the fuck out of here. That's really unfortunate, hey? If the work environment was different, then that wouldn't have been the case. Right. Yeah. It just turned into a really crappy experience. I mean, to the boy, some women who work at CTV, they would email me from these different outlets and say, oh, my God, I can't believe you just handle that caller.

And I remember emailing back a friend of mine, a female colleague, all capitals, this is probably November or December. OMG, I talk to the same white guy all day, every day, send. But that's what I was surrounded with, like the same mentality, the same. I'm not straight. Did you know that? I don't think I knew your sexual preference. No. You're not straight.

And I don't have to broadcast it. But when I'm in a room full of these people and they're talking like it's a safe space to be homophobic. Right. It's almost like pressure to say something. So imagine all of the things I heard after Scott left. And they don't know that they're insulting and offending me. Out, as they say. I don't, how far out do I need to go for someone like Jerry Agar to shut up?

Right. How far out do I have to be? Like, do I have to have a bleeding heart, be extremely? And I think maybe Scott was asking that to you. In order for the employers to say, oh, there's a, there's a, there's a little bit of a shift here in who gets to say what and who gets to treat someone how. And even when I took up the LGBTQ issues with HR, it can't. came down to, well, you don't have to be liked at work, Rushme. I was like, I don't, I don't want a guy like him to like me,

but he needs to respect the Elliott pages of the world. And that still doesn't exist. So you're maiming it up. So we're talking since December, 23. Yeah. So you're momming it up. You've still got your own, you've got your friends and family, but they're not necessarily, you know, radio people or media people.

people. Yeah, I am appearing in a couple of programs on Crave. I'm on a show called Crime Scene Investigators, and there's another program coming out called Spring Break Murders 2. The true crime programs are becoming pretty popular. So I hear, so I hear. Do you know who owns Crave? Yeah, Bell Media. Yeah, and some Bell Media execs reached out to the Cineflux production team to say, hey, we're happy to see Rushme here. Okay. It's all good. It's all love.

Except for the people that are on the ground. Okay. Now, I did go to rushmeneer.com. It's been revamped. It exists. It's my new website. Okay. I wasn't sure.

So it revamped in that it's been, it's been launched. It's been created. It looks fresh, is what I'm saying. It's launched. So it's 2025. Okay. I did read about coaching services. It says,

Arashmi helps. individuals overcome stage fright, refined delivery, and develop an authentic voice for any setting. So can you tell us about your coaching services? Yeah. So public speaking and media coaching is something that I've been doing

the entire time I've been in broadcasting. I'm off air. I'm a pretty nice person who likes to mentor and help other people in the industry. I'm not one to hold back on coaching, encouraging, and cheerleading. And most of the time, that kind of positivity was pooh-poohed on by certain people.

They'd see it as an idiot vulnerability. You know what? You're really happy and cheerful? Get out of here. So I do want to tap into that a little bit more. And, you know, when you interview someone, when you book an interview, sometimes they want to pre-interview. And just like we sat down today, you were like, don't say anything.

Oh, yeah. I'm the opposite. I do not want a pre-interview. I am the same as you, Mike, because we know that the gold is when you hit record. Well, we should say before I pressed, I counted you in for that cold open, although I wasn't sure when it was over, but I hit the theme anyways, but you, even the small talk, and I actually don't want to do any of that. Like, I'm happy to see you. Let's get a level check and let's start. Yeah, absolutely. And that's how I ran my shows as well. And then afterwards, sometimes people would say, oh, well, you know, it would have been great if we chatted before. I wasn't sure what kind of questions you were going to ask. Well, that's what you get. But there are those guests who need that. And so that's what I'm offering now, are those media services where someone who's about to go on and do an interview or be a panelist, maybe even a politician. Some of the interviews I did with some politicians, I'm just sitting there going, oh, man, I wish I could help you. So I'm out there now. So you're available, like people can, do you want to tell people, I guess they go to the website and there's a contact form?

Yep. Yeah, you get a free 30 minute consultation with me. It's all over Zoom. It's not going to happen in some heritage building in Toronto. I'm sorry. But yeah, it's all online and we'll do a 30 minute free consult and we'll talk about what you need. This could be for someone in a leadership position who's going to be delivering speeches. I did work with a couple of people who are looking into getting into politics.

But yeah, reach out. 30 minute free consultation doesn't hurt and then we can go from there. Look, I need your services, okay? You do not. I need Rushminare's coaching services. Not that I have stage fright, but refining delivery, I can't say brewery properly. I think that's a two-week course for me to figure that out. I think I've nailed the authentic voice because I simply have become indifferent to criticism,

which is, I think, become a valuable asset for me. But can I just read something you put on your website? You said, this is where you're describing yourself. Did you write your website? Yeah. Okay. So you wrote, she hosted the Rush with Rush Meenair on News Talk 1010. Then you make sure we know. That's also known as CFRB in Toronto and is noted for engaging. A little typo we should talk about this. What? Yeah. It says, oh no, it is noted for engaging. No, I think there's no typo here. I think I just can't read. I need your services badly. And is noted for engaging in thought-provoking conversations and addressing controversial topics such as challenging a call. homophobic remarks on air in June 2023. Can you just tell me what happened there?

Oh my gosh. I don't have the audio for it, but it was written up by a couple of outlets in Canada. It was Pride. Our producer at the time asked me June 1st or June 2nd beginning of the month. Rushme, do you mind talking about your sexual preferences, your sexual identity?

Oh, you want me to come out on the radio? All right, let's do it. So I opened the show talking about my life, also the timing of my child, announcing at least, that they're also weird or not normal. And we have to find better words for that, right? Atypical. You know. I don't like the word normal, but I feel like typical is what people mean when they say normal.

Yeah, mainstream. I don't know. Average. Boring. Okay. So I did. I talked about it on the opening of the show. And then we kept going from there.

And we got some callers in between where I asked my producer, what's going on? Why aren't we taking these calls? And he said, well, they're haters. They're homophobic. Okay. Well, then let's do that. Right. And so right before a commercial break, I said,

anyone want to talk about what I talked about with my life and my child? Feel free to call in. So this guy calls in. And my producer warns me right before we go to air. He's going to tell you that you're committing child abuse. by talking to your child about being non-binary or trans or anything else. Okay, great. So this guy called in, yeah, he was really upset.

And he gave me gold, Mike, because we started out. So what's your issue as we talk about pride? He saw all these rainbows everywhere. They're just making us swallow it. And I leaned in and said, what are you swallowing? and my friends who don't listen to the show thought that was really hilarious when I shared it with them after. But he didn't get it. It went right over his head. No, he hated it. He hates the flags. I said, can you just look somewhere else? He said the way I'm raising my kid is child abuse.

That's wild. Yeah. None of this should be anyone else's business. And it eventually ended with me saying, okay, well, then why is it how I raise my child your business? And he couldn't really answer to that and eventually my during the whole conversation my producer was in the booth just like stop talking to this guy so eventually I just had to cut it short but I appreciated the conversation and I felt like that's what I was

there for if you are listening to this station and you fit a certain demographic and maybe it's filled with hate please talk to me a human being who is someone that you likely hate and let's end this conversation with no more hate What a bizarre station where the listenership

sounds like a good segment of the listenership might be homophobic and most of the hosts are members of the community. Yeah, but don't talk about it. Don't talk about it. I took the risk of talking about it. Okay, speaking of things that are none of my business, I'm just going to read quickly on the livestream,

live.tronomike.com. Hey ref starts off a little question by saying, none of my business, but how does she feel, sorry, how does she feed her family? So I think Hayref is just worried about your money situation. I should point out, Hayref is also an accountant, so maybe he wants to help you.

Oh, I'll take any advice out there. Yeah, I mean, I'm still earning. So I mentioned that I've been working on a couple of shows that are on Crave. I was able to go shoot a commercial out in Argentina for a company. That's Donald Trump's favorite country. Oh, there were some interesting conversations I had with people in Argentina at the time. That was just last year. So that was for Eli Lilly, a medical brand. So I've been busy. I've been still in the broadcast industry. I've still, I'm appearing in front

of camera, but not in a live MSM broadcasting way, which I don't. Like not on TV or radio, basically. Like nobody, you're not working, no one can find you on a different frequency or on a different station on our cable package. But you do have those shows on Crave. Are they out now, those Crave shows? Crime Seed Investigators is on Crave right now. Stream it. And Spring Break Murders 2 will be coming out soonish. We just wrapped up production there.

And the Eli Lilly commercial is on in America and abroad, so not in Canada. Unless it airs in the World Series, I'll never see it. I mean, I appreciate the question because I asked that question as well in December, 2023. Right. How am I going to feed my family? We find ways. We do. We earn. Am I on the same path that I was on a couple of years ago financially? Absolutely not. But that also means that I'm opening up this path to greater opportunities. Have I made more money in less time in the last two years than I did hosting a radio show from two to six Monday to Friday that kept me away from my child? Yes, I have. Will those opportunities continue? Only time will tell. But I wasn't going to be hosting the rush well into my 60s.

So as some people do have full-time jobs and they plan their retirements on them, I wouldn't say that people in broadcasting do the same. Well, they usually go to politics. Like, were you at CP-24 when Stephanie Smythe was parted ways? I had just moved over to News Talk 10-10. But as CTV's internal ombuds person, I was aware of issues with CP-24. And they were brutal. Yeah.

So no, I wasn't there. when Stephanie Smy Smyth partied ways. I left and then there was a wave of change that happened in the few months after. Okay, but again, I've never worked in the mainstream media. But if things are brutal at CP24 and you've described how brutal things were at 1010, and what we know from the public realm about this click we all read about and Lisa LaFlam, et cetera, going on at CTV, maybe there's a common denominator. What do you think that is?

Well, maybe it's the people I give all that money to every month for my phone. I just find it interesting. I just find it interesting because right now there's a human rights tribunal ongoing with chorus. So chorus, it's Jennifer Valentine. I don't know if you're following that one. And then it's a John Derringer and everything. And I'm following it as closely as I can. And Jennifer says she'll come on Toronto mic when it's all over.

So that'll be exciting. But, yeah, it'll be interesting to hear her talk. but I mean is it just this is the way of the world in 2025 that if you're going to work for mainstream media it's it's probably going to be shitty like if your child decided I want to work in the news or whatever you're going to know no no you're going to say no go be a plumber or something oh absolutely age back so much money in age back uh no no I wouldn't so this is part of This is the free coaching services. If somebody comes in and says, I need some help, I'm trying to break into radio.

You're like, no, go work at Wendy's. Well, what are you trying to break into, though? In all fairness, the industry is dying. You are the godfather of podcasting, and it will forever exist. Self-appointed. You digitized before mainstream media could. But to make yourself available with something valuable that somebody wants to listen to, like look what you've done.

Everybody knows what they're going to get into. do when they listen to your podcast. They settle in. You have an audience who's aware of what they're getting into. It's like hockey night in Canada. You know what you're about to get into. Right. Right. But give me a show on a mainstream media outlet that makes you feel that way when you're

about to listen to any of their efforts at podcasting, which have all been terrible. If you're, you don't watch supper hour news. So, like, what is it that the Canadian media audience is like settling into and knows what they're going to get. That doesn't exist anymore. We're not. No, you know what? Outside of live sports, you're correct. Yeah, so we're not giving that. We're reactive. I sometimes, yeah, I sometimes wonder

how many Canadians, or people in the GTA specifically, are right now either doing some kind of trial or, you know, subscribing to some kind of digital sports net streaming service or something just because they want to, at 8 o'clock, they want to, you know, watch three hours of baseball right now.

Absolutely. Like, to me, so to me, and I joked that you're at better air during the World Series or I'll never see it because the way my life is right now, and I do consume a lot of, I do think I consume a lot of audio and video, but I only see advertisements right now when I'm watching live sports and I'm only watching live sports right now because the stakes are high and the Blue Jays are in the playoffs. And everybody knew this 15 years ago, right? And they still wouldn't change, right? I'm talking about when you kind of pointed towards, is it a management issue?

Right. I would hate to be in management. I think there's strength in numbers with management where nothing gets done and 10 people can be blamed, but 9 out of 10 will make it okay. Is there enough being done on a managerial level? No, the role is manage. It's not to come up with new ideas. It's not to restructure. It's to just manage.

So they are literally just keeping things the way they are and everything is changing. The audience has changed. the way we consume is changed, and then also the information. One of our issues with Quibi was we had to record our newscast about eight hours before it went on the app. What changed in eight hours? I don't know, a global pandemic, anything geopolitical, imagine. Well, eight hours is, that's extremely dusty news in 2025. Or I know that wasn't 20, but even in the last decade.

In 2020, yeah. I mean, you get a news alert. Okay, Trump is mad at Canada. Oh, why? and I find the context by myself. Wikipedia is a better reference for context at this point than any newscast you're going to get. I just heard it on the radio on the way over here. Love 680 News.

They're great. They played a clip of Donald Trump. No, we're not going to negotiate with Canada anymore. And then they played a clip of Carney. But nowhere did they explain why this happened. The why is gone. The because is gone. And why is that?

Is that because that takes work and effort? Like, that's the hard part? Absolutely. But it's easy to play a clip of Trump going off and then play the response from Carney. That's easy. And it might also be the easiest way to keep everyone happy. Because if you then say, it's because the Reagan Foundation came out and said that the Ford government misused their clip.

Well, guess what? The Ford government's not happy with your station. And that's real. That happens. Well, the whole time I worked at CP 24, I was told that the Ford government wasn't happy with me. And I was told by my managers as though that was a bad thing. And they really cared about that. That's very interesting to me.

I know FOTM Richard Southern, for example, was getting some heat because of the same. Our provincial government wasn't happy. What a world we live in. In a lot of this we see in the states of Trump, particularly, and we can talk about Stephen Colbert, and we can talk about what happened with Jimmy Kimmel. There's so much ground we could cover here.

But this whole firewall we thought we had between, like, news and politics, it seems to have evaporated. Oh, man. Did it ever exist? Did it ever exist? Next, you're going to tell me there's no Santa Claus. I've got to be careful. People want to say that the media is liberal. The media is not liberal at all.

I mean, calling me a liberal on News Talk 1010 was an insult for some reason. But I'm as critical of a liberal government as I am a conservative as I am if there ever will be another NDP government. and that was a criticism right there. Are you Reschminer on our way out? And you did say this off the top, but I want to make sure we're in agreement that this is absolutely not your final time visiting the TMDS Bateman studio.

Like, you need to return. I would love to. How's tomorrow? I'm free. I feel like it's only tip of the iceberg here. Okay, see you tomorrow, Reschminer. But are you 100% done with mainstream media? Yeah.

I mean, yeah. What would that involve? What would that, are you asking me if I would be a full-time live broadcaster again? Like if CBC offered you something, would you consider it? CBC will never offer me anything. Why not? I thought you were a good fit at CBC. I thought I was a great fit at CBC too.

Yeah. So why are you so confident that CBC would not offer you anything? I mean, I would say I burned a bridge, but there needed to be a bridge there first to burn. the management there and I didn't agree on on some issues where I will boast I turned out to be on the right side of history with yeah I mean I argued Gaza issues in 2016 at CBC why have sorry I don't mean interrupt you in the middle of something there

but why have we and I've I've struggled with this as well over the years why is there some equation of anti-Semitism and criticism of Netanyahu in Israeli policies and practices. Like, why are we treating them as if they are one and the same? When I see them as mutually exclusive. They are. They are mutually exclusive.

And I know some Jewish friends who aren't really chatty with me anymore, and I take that extremely personally. I think it's really hard. It's really hard to be a human being in the world today, first of all. and then all of the identifiers about us end up becoming causes that we really have to fight against. And I'm glad you're circling back on this, Mike, because one of the biggest issues of anti-Semitism is not the brown person speaking up for Palestinians. It's the neo-Nazi in Canada who has existed online in these chat rooms for generations.

And I've had those stories. Anti-Semitism, especially in Canada, is fueled. by neo-Nazism. And that is the angry white guy. And I talked about that on 10-10, and the phones lit up because people wanted to argue with me. And I was going back to the research that's done by Jewish foundations. So we know that. So we know that. So now anyone wearing a kaffia, anybody wearing a certain pattern isn't allowed to exist. I'm the threat now. It's always going to be the neo-Nazi. it's always going to be the real racist, angry person. But, you know, people speaking up for human rights are getting just as angry.

Have you considered podcasting? No, I'm just, you haven't. You're the best of the best. I couldn't compete. You do something very different. You do something very different. And I think your voice would be welcome. Maybe not on 1010's airwaves,

but in some kind of on-demand, modern digital form? Like, have you considered broadcasting for yourself? I appreciate that. My voice is mostly aimed towards my child for the next good 10 years, and I have no regrets with that. They won't want you that involved for another 10 years. Yeah, that's the punishment that they get. Best career I ever had.

Okay, your lucky child. And, man, I'm so glad we got to catch up, Rushme. because I've had questions for almost two years. Like literally since December 2023, I've wondered what happened with Rush Me and Ten-Ten and is she okay? Where is she? Did she consciously go off the grid?

Why didn't she reply to my text? All of the above. I'm sorry it took so long. Let's not keep it this long for next time. Well, I'm seeing you tomorrow, right? Yeah, right. But do you get another lasagna tomorrow? Oh, I'm only coming back for the lasagna.

You know what? Palma, oh, you know what, I reminded myself while I still have a little extra here. I need you to take this down. If you have a calendar app on that phone, November 29, Reshmi, this is very important. November 29, 2025, it is the last Saturday of November. Noon, high noon, shout out to shop kindling.ca, okay? Noon, all listeners and FOTMs like you, Reschmi, are gathering at Palma's kitchen. in Mississauga.

Palma's Kitchen has a second floor. That's where I'll be recording live. People like you will drop by. If you drop by, the following three things would be true. One, your meal, courtesy of Palma Pasta, is on the house. They're going to buy, you just get a coupon. You go to the hot table and you say, yeah, I want penny, I want this, I want that, whatever. So free meal.

You and you can bring your child, you can bring friends, family, whatever. Everyone gets a free meal. I'm bringing cold Great Lakes beer. Rushcraft beer. I'll be having it on ice. You can pop a can. Enjoy that with your meal. And then because it's a live recording, we put Rush Me on the mic to say hello. And maybe you could make the big announcement because Retro Festive is giving everybody a holiday gift. But you could declare in front of everybody at TMLX21 that there is in fact no Santa Claus. But you can believe. You can still believe.

Okay, I want to believe. Call me Fox Molder. But I am, jokes aside, I would love to to see you. And heck, bring your kid. Everyone eats for free. Did I mention it's free? Come to TMLX21 at Palm's Kitchen. What do you say? Sounds great.

I'm there. Oh my God. Get that in the calendar. Rushmi's there. That'll go on the poster. That'll be on the poster. And that brings us to the end of our 1,787th show.

Go to Toronto Mike.com for all your Toronto mic needs. But go to Rush Me Nair in other parts of the world. would be Nair, but it's Nair, that's how I'm saying it. Okay, go toreshmeaner.com for all your reshme needs. Hire her as a coach. I'm considering it. I need some help.

I need some help. Much love to all who made this possible. That is patrons like you. Go to patreon.com slash Toronto Mike and become a member. Great Lakes Brewery, Palma Pasta, Nikaiini's, Kindling, Recycle My Electronics.C.A., Blue Sky Agency, and Ridley.

funeral home going to my calendar to find out. Oh yeah, so tomorrow's retro Ontario. Wednesday is Finger 11 in the basement. That's going to be wild. Really? Yeah, Finger 11's here Wednesday. Sammy Cohn from the Watchman is Thursday.

And Dave Perkins and Bob Elliott talk about the World Series victory Friday.