Davis' listeners hard hit by business of radio

"Where do I turn?"

That is the refrain coming from many of Erin Davis' faithful listeners after she and partner Bob Magee were replaced by Mad Dog and Billie on Toronto's CHFI-FM last month. Erin made a lot of friends in the 15 years she spent hosting the morning the morning show. In fact, she has received over 3,000 personal emails from listeners who have sought her out to say they feel like they lost a friend. She can be contacted at www.erindavis.com.

In spite of corporate consolidation and networking, radio continues to be about community and human contact. The medium continues to touch people in a very personal way on a day to day basis. Erin has been a perfect example... a small but important part of listeners' lives, waking them up and cushioning their drive to work. In a world which so frequently promotes "less talk, more music", she enthusiastically describes her ongoing goal of giving listeners "something they can relate to," she says, something more than just "chatter". Think of it as a comfortable conversation between friends...

She first went on air with Don Daynard in September 1988. They perfectly covered the station's core target group - she was 25 while he was 54. For the next 11 years they remained a ratings powerhouse. In 1999, Daynard semi-retired, opening up a spot for Bob Magee. For the next four years, the new team always remained at or near the top of the heap in Canada. For the last two years of her tenure, she also hosted the Erin Davis Show, a talk show on Rogers Cable.

Prior to her CHFI-FM stint, she co-hosted the Good Morning Toronto slot on CKO. Before that she was on CKLW in Windsor and CIGL-FM in Bellevlle. It is also worth noting that, in 2002, Erin was honoured as a Chatelaine Woman of Influence.

While the station made the personnel change to move the station in a younger direction, Erin has only just turned 40. So where will she go from here? She is catching her breath, taking some time off and exploring opportunities. Expect a decision shortly. As she says, she has always been fortunate. With her talent, I expect that will continue to be the case.