Music

Shad out as host of CBC's q

by Tyler Munro

Shad was, unfortunately, set up to fail. When the world learned what a piece of shit Jian Ghomeshi was, CBC’s q was set for a shake-up, and with its team stripped for parts, a rotating cast of guest hosts tried their hand at steering the ship. Eventually, CBC settled on picked Shad who, unfortunately, never seemed entirely comfortable as host, in spite of the fact that he’s an otherwise smart, entirely charming dude.

And so this next bit of news is not entirely surprising, even if it is kind of a bummer:

According to the CBC, Shad will host his final episode of q on Tuesday. Tom Power will officially take the reigns in mid-October, while, we assume, the brand goes through some much needed retooling.

“It’s been an honour and a joy to serve in this role,” said Shad in a statement.

“Countless fascinating guests and don’t even get me started on my colleagues: smart, funny, and dedicated is just the beginning,” Shad’s statement continues. “The show will continue and is in great hands with Tom Power — an excellent host and a great guy. My relationship with the CBC remains strong… I’m grateful for an amazing experience.”

For CBC fans, Tom Power is a safe bet. A Radio 2 host with east coast roots, Power has been with the CBC since 2008, where he joined at a fresh-faced 21, and has experience as the occasional guest host of q. According to Power, he’ll leave his current gig as Radio 2’s morning host for his new job.

As for Shad, he’ll likely go back to focusing full time on what he does best: Making music. He did his best to pull q out of the garbage fire Ghomeshi lit two years ago, and his efforts were certainly amicable, even if he never had a chance.