The Jim Richards Show

Mark Towhey brings back the discussion on Barrie’s bold high‑visibility police‑car redesign—talking with former TPS cop Mark Mendelson—and opens the phones on whether police uniforms, gear, and presentation have become too aggressive for a profession built mostly on trust, not combat. The hour then shifts to callers debating Ontario’s new pay‑transparency laws taking effect January 1, before wrapping with a look at how AI chatbots may influence Canadian voters and the news that TikTok’s U.S. operations will move to American ownership.

Mark Towhey is in for Jim Richard, and the final hour of today's show opened with podcasting leader Amanda Cupido, who shared the story of selling her podcast company, what the deal means for her future with The Walrus, and whether anyone who isn’t Joe Rogan can still make real money in podcasting. She also dug into the big question facing the industry: what radio can learn from podcasting—and whether traditional live radio can still be saved. Listeners then weighed in with how podcasts fit into their lives, followed by a feel‑good update on Purolator donating a much‑needed delivery truck to the North York Harvest food bank, and a conversation with retail analyst Bruce Winder about what should fill the massive empty spaces in today’s struggling malls. 

Mark Towhey is in for Jim Richards and the hour opened with Darrell Bricker, CEO of Ipsos Research and co-author of a number of books — discussing the themes of his new book Breaking Point, exploring the widening divides in Canada—urban vs. rural, east vs. west, young vs. old—and whether anything still binds the country together. Listeners then weighed in on a provocative question: if Canada vanished tomorrow, who would miss us and why? The hour closed with food economist Sylvain Charlebois, who broke down how much grocery prices have risen in 2025, what to expect in 2026, and how inflation is forcing Canadians to rethink how they eat and feed their families.

It is time for the Airing of Grievances

Plus – Some feel good stories ahead of the holidays

How did we as a country fare during a tumultuous year?
Plus – The meaning of human connection over the holidays

GUESTS: Moshe Lander - economics professor at Concordia University

Pete Bombaci - Founder and CEO of GenWell

Mubin Shaikh - former undercover for CSIS and the RCMP in terrorism related investigations

Jim talks to the founder.

Plus – The Year in Toronto Sports

GUESTS: Ryan Donais - Founder of Tiny Tiny Homes

Bruce Arthur - Toronto Star columnist

Jen Kirsch - dating expert

Jim hosts the return of The Draft

Plus – How often are you supposed to wash a bra?

GUESTS: Scott Reid - CTV Political Commentator and advisor to a number of Prime Ministers, premiers and political leaders

Tim Powers - Chairman of Summa Strategies

Cats, chairs and even more.

Plus - Jim’s thoughts on the Skate Canada story

Why fake videos after major news events are spreading online.

Plus – Wrapping paper vs. Gift bags.

GUEST: Carmi Levy - tech expert

How many Bobs and Dorises are out there?
Plus – Remembering Rob Reiner