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November 23, 2009

Corm & The Coach Return to the Local Airwaves ... Tomorrow

Corm&CoachUPDATED: TUESDAY 11:45 A.M.

It's official, Steve Cormier ("Corm") and Tom Brennan ("The Coach") will bring their morning talk show back to the Vermont airwaves — tomorrow.

In August, Cormier announced the pair would return to the air this fall, reviving their popular morning show that once aired on Champ 101.3 FM. Tomorrow, the new Corm & the Coach show will air on WNMR-FM (107.1 FM) from 6-9 a.m.

The show will differ from its previous incarnation, said Cormier. "This new show is going to be a talk show with very little music," he said. "That means we're going to have more guests and more listener involvement."

Brennen and Cormier announced the return of the show at the site of their last on-the-road broadcast — Burlington Bay Market & Cafe. That show aired July 1, 2008.

The revamped show's first guests will be Bob Ryan, sports columnist for the Boston Globe, and U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT).

The pair seemed perfectly at ease working together, even finishing each others' sentences.

"This all came about thanks to one single phone call," said Cormier, as he looked to Brennan.

"And that phone call came from ESPN saying, 'You're fired!'" joked Brennan. In June, ESPN told Brennan it wouldn't keep him on for the third year of his contract. In January, Cormier had been laid off by Vox Communications.

Cormier said the pair missed working together and believe no one in the local market picked up where they left off when they closed down the show in 2008.

Though initially only on the radio, within a few weeks listeners will be able to stream "Corm & the Coach" via the station's website. Also in the works is a plan for a simultaneous live TV broadcast of the show, as well as a taped version to air at night.

Convergence Media, which owns 107.1 FM, also owns two TV signals in the region.

The station will also air nationally-syndicated programs by conservative talkers such as Michael Smerconish and Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa, but it will also feature Dan Patrick (sports and entertainment) as well as lifestyle and financial shows.

"The goal," said Cormier, "is to try and develop more local programming during our first year."

* * * UPDATE * * *

What's that old saying about the best-laid plans? Despite making the announcement yesterday all system's were go to relaunch Corm & The Coach this morning ... it didn't happen.

No, it wasn't an elaborate hoax.

Cormier tells Seven Days that a crucial piece of equipment — the one that sends what's happening in the studio to the tower transmitter — stopped working yesterday.

The equipment was tested as late as Saturday, and was working fine. Then, at 4 p.m. Monday the equipment failed.

Cormier said he and the station's engineer made trips to the tower site, and worked until about midnight trying to get it to work. No luck. They tried again this morning, and it didn't happen.

"I feel horrible that we weren't able to come on this morning," said Cormier. "We're going to keep working on this today and hopefully try again tomorrow."

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