Doug Saunders
Doug Saunders has spent over 35 years in broadcasting, private radio and television, including 25 years with CBC covering news and sports, including the Olympics, the Commonwealth and Canada Games for CBC Television. Doug was also a popular morning show host in the Metro-Halifax market on Oldies 96 CHNS.
Doug currently hosts The Coast Morning Show and Juke Box Saturday Night. When not on the air, Doug plays a role in the creative area by writing and producing commercials. Additionally, Doug utilizes his vast experience in the industry by acting as a mentor to younger staff members and volunteers.
Bill MacNeil
Bill MacNeil is the General Manager of Coastal Community Radio Co-operative and Program Director for The Coast 89.7. Through his dedication and follow through on the idea for a radio station that specializes in East Coast Music, The Coast 89.7 FM was born.
Bill is responsible for the overall management of the station from advertising sales to programming. Outside of his management responsibilities, Bill can be heard on-air Saturdays at 6pm with the Coast Top 10. He also takes an active role in the production of commercials and promos. Under his leadership, the station has been nominated, four years consecutively, for the East Coast Music Award for Small Market Radio Station of the Year. Bill has been a long time advocate for local musicians and believes in locally owned and operated radio for Cape Breton. Bill began his radio career with CKBW Bridgewater and was Operations Manager & Music Director with CKPE-FM Sydney until 1993 when he left radio to work in the Music Industry. He returned to radio in 2003 when Coastal Communtiy Radio Cooperative was established.
Dennis Chipman
Dennis “The Menace” Chipman started with The Coast 89.7 FM as a volunteer and now handles on-air weekdays between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. You’ll want to stay tuned-in as Dennis entertains our audience—and keeps them coming back—with a mix of great music and entertaining stories. Dennis is also the regular caller for Coastal Community Radio bingo Sundays at 3pm.
Ron Neville
Ron Neville is a native of Glace Bay and the son of a coal miner and a housewife. Ron first caught the radio bug listening to local stations at around the age of 10, and later to international short wave stations as a teenager. He graduated from the Kingstec broadcasting course in Kentville, Nova Scotia in 1980, and joined the staff of CHER Radio in Sydney later that year. He left CHER in 1988 to pursue a university education in computers, always with a view to combining his dual interests of broadcasting and radio. His educational pursuits continued thru the 90s while looking after his elderly parents. The spark for radio was reignited in 1998 when he volunteered at CAPR radio at UCCB (now CBU), and later at Radio FreeECMA. After a stint at two local call centres early in the new millennium, Ron joined The Coast 89.7 in early 2006 while it was still a low-power special events station performing production and on-air duties. He took on news duties following its full time launch in Dec 2007. Since October 2008, he has returned to his first love, music announcing.
Derek Warner
Derek was born and raised in Whitney Pier. He is a true music fan and his home music library is quite extensive. Derek likes pretty much all genres of music and has wanted to work in radio for quite a long time. He may just be the biggest Paul McCartney fan in Cape Breton. Derek's love of music and his passion for radio led him to The Coast 89.7 as a volunteer and he has become a welcome addition to The Coast Crew.
Greg Hanna
Greg Hanna has always been interested in both broadcasting and meteorology. The South Bar resident is thrilled to have joined “The Coast Crew” back in June of 2008. Greg made his first radio drop in, in 2006 with CBC’s “Information Morning.”
Since then, this “radio junky” has been seen and heard on The Weather Network, in local newspapers and now on The Coast. He is involved with many school activities including debate, public speaking, fundraising events and student council. You can catch Greg Saturday afternoons on The Coast.
Jennifer Ludlow
Jennifer Ludlow spent two years studying at UCCB with a concentration on communication, before finishing a Journalism & Professional Writing course at McKenzie College. Jennifer has been writing since she was eight years old and began her professional writing career working with “Caper Times” and then moving on to become a community writer with “The Glace Bay Gleaner.” Often described as real “news hound,” Jennifer is News Director at The Coast 89.7 and also hosts a weekly informative talk show titled “Coastal Conversations” on Sunday evenings. Jennifer is 24 years old and the mother of one boy, Zackery.
Rob Calabrese
Originally from Port Morien, Rob got his start in radio at CAPR, housed in what was then UCCB. He was quickly hooked on the medium thanks in part to its potential for creativity. For several years Rob moved around quite a bit, mainly in Eastern Ontario, where he worked as a morning show host and music director for a growing group of radio stations. Rob and his honey-bunny now live in the North End of Sydney where they enjoy taking in fantastic bands and musicians from here and away whenever they can. Rob is absolutely thrilled to be a part of The Coast 89.7.
