After spending nearly three decades in listeners’ living rooms, cars and kitchens, Wendy Daniels is, for the time being at least, leaving Ottawa’s airwaves.
The popular on-air radio personality and host of Boom 99.7’s midday show was let go on Monday, with the station announcing the news on its Facebook page.
“We made some changes to our boom 99.7 programming lineup today,” it said. “Wendy Daniels is no longer host of our midday show. Wendy is a true broadcast professional with many years of experience and significant accomplishments in our local market. We want to sincerely thank her for her many contributions and wish her the best of success in her future endeavours.”
Boom, or more accurately CJOT-FM, is owned by Corus Entertainment.
In her own Facebook post, Daniels thanks her fans, noting “I’ve spent 29 years, 6 months and 23 days working at 1504 Merivale Road and made some wonderful friends and memories. It was an honour to go on air every day. Thanks for hanging out with me on the radio. Maybe we’ll do it again sometime.”
Her post prompted hundreds of likes ands scores of messages of support, including one from former radio personality Sandy Sharkey, with whom Daniels often shared philanthropic hosting gigs: “I’m on the road in Lubbock, Texas,” she wrote, “otherwise I’d be drinking a bottle (or 2) of wine with you right now Wendy Daniels. I would raise a glass to you~ one of the most beloved talents ever to grace the Ottawa airwaves. You delivered the kind of radio that made people stay in their car listening to you long after they had arrived at their destination. You are the original Wicked Wendy. The music, the stories behind the music, the breaking news, the local stories that mattered, the tears when one of our rock and roll icons passed away .. we shared all of this with you. Thank you for always being the best.”
Daniels attended Humber College’s radio and television program in the mid 1980s before lending her voice to 580 CFRA as an evening host. In September 1989, she moved to the Bear 106.9, hosting midday programming as well as the station’s morning and afternoon drive programs. She remained with the station in its various incarnations until 2013, when she moved to Boom.
Over the years, Daniels, known as “Wicked Wendy,” volunteered for numerous charities and events in the area, including the CHEO Telethon, the Max Keeping Bowl-a-thon for CHEO, Manotick’s Dickinson Days Parade, the Special Olympics, and the Run for Miracles and the Army Run. She was a board member at the Ottawa Humane Society and was involved with Hopeful Hearts Dog Rescue. In 2014, she received the Mayor’s City Builder Award for her volunteer service and support.
There was no immediate word as to why she was let go or who would replace her. “Wendy Daniels is a terrific broadcaster and we want to thank her for her contributions to boom 101.9,” wrote Corus Entertainment spokesperson Rishma Govani on Tuesday. “We are excited about the future , and look forward to sharing our plans with our listeners at a later date.”
(There are at least two Boom 101.9 stations, both owned by Corus Entertainment – one in Cornwall and the other in Wainwright, Alta. Daniels was a broadcaster with Boom 99.7)