I was introduced to Nunn by follow co-worker Blaine Henshaw.  I say co-worker because Nunn worked at the same station (CHNS) as I did but he was constantly running around covering either the legislature or other events. Ah, the good old radio days when radio stations not only had reporters but broke stories.

I worked with Jim Nunn on two occasions in the early 70’s as he and Henshaw did the cross-over-to CJCH routine on a few occasions.

In my brief dealings with him in those early days in Halifax I found him to be very good and very hard working. He had a great radio delivery for news. In fact, the program director of CHNS once used Nunn’s “authoritative” delivery to voice over station promos.

I have one in my files where he bellows:  The music sounds best…on CHNS.

He always wanted to get into CBC. It took him a while, something like 10 years but when he got in he made his mark.

I have no doubt that he was the right person for what CBC was trying to do when they decided to ‘return’ to the News for Nova Scotia a few years ago.

They’ve always been the news for Nova Scotia going back to Nunn first tenure as anchor.  They dress it up better now.

I’ll do a longer piece one of these days on Nunn but now the question is who will replace him.

Four strong candidates come to mind.

I will list them in no particular order.

The obvious choice is… who else but Steve Murphy.

And, why not.  CBC has already hired Peter Coade a few days after he ‘retired’ from ATV.

Then, they went and got Elizabeth Chiu so why not the full package and they can go after Paul Hollingsworth later.  Hollingsworth has a great upside as an anchor he needs more experience. Weekend news is nice but it is a starting step for hi

Murphy could and or should be top on the list. Who has more experience and has delivered more constant and strong rating numbers not only as anchor but just about everywhere he has been.

It’s one thing to follow a strong person and Murph has followed Dave Wright on three occasions, the talk show on CJCH, the Live at Five person and the anchor.  In ALL three cases he has surpassed Wright’s already prodigious numbers.

A strong on air presence, the ability to ad-lib or handle matters when things aren’t going well (and that is a must with all the technical snafus at CBC). Murphy and one other candidate do it as well as anyone I know.

Remote broadcasting from just about anywhere in the Maritimes and that includes the two major tragedies in the past two decades, with Westray in 1992 and the Swiss Air disaster, no one beats Murphy.

And Murphy, in my opinion, beats Nunn in one other key area.

I like, most of the times Nunn’s, no-hold-barred, slightly aggressive interview style when in comes to politicians and those who spend from the public purse but I don’t like it when it comes to interviewing average people.

There is a thin line between ‘aggressive and attacking’ and regrettably Jim has crossed it often in the past year.

When he asked Leanne Hachey how much she made, I was hoping she would say “That’s none of your business but how much are you making Jim, as we are paying your salary.”

The name of the game in the world of interviewing is not about how strong the ‘personality is’; it’s about getting the information and at time getting it from people who may not want to share it. 

Murphy gets the info as much as anyone else.  He can ask the toughest questions but it is a matter of style.  He has dealt with the heavyweights of politics more than just about any other anchor in this country.  A Stephen Harper – Steve Murphy battle is almost as good as Liston vs. Ali or Crosby –Ovechkin.

So, ratings, experience, ad lib ability and news judgment, he is my first choice and the others get considered after Murphy mulls over the offer and rejects it.

The others on my list and they are good.

Norma Lee McLeod.  She may not even want it but is good.  She can deliver on camera, has the experience ever since she came here from PEI where she learned the ropes by reporting on everything in Prince Edward Island from potatoes to politics.

She has national TV experience with Newsworld and deserves serious consideration.

Her only drawback is she doesn’t exude that much warmth in front of the camera.  She does as a reporter and that getting caught in those handcuffs was a classic but anchors these days are to be likeable and warm.

Next comes Tom Murphy.

No, he is not as visible as M factor (Murphy & McLeod) but has been toiling around the Maritimes for years.  He is the national CBC reporter for Atlantic Canada and has done yeomen work on stories and specials.

In fact, I wonder if CBC were sort of auditioning him for an anchor role when he replaced Nunn at the anchors chair a few months ago and came across very credible.

I have no idea if he can handle the daily interviews and how good he is at it, that to me is an unknown and a strong part of the job. And I understand that CBC will also do 30-more minutes of info this fall. So, that’s 90 minutes, can he handle that kind of load.

But the little I have seen has been impressive.  And if the CBC wants to go in a ‘new direction’ he certainly, on camera fills the bill.  My sources in the business say he is easy to get along with and has a very good work ethic.  Whether he has any interest in leaving one of the top reporting jobs in the country is another matter.  Not, everyone wants to be an anchor.

My last candidate is one who in a way is no stranger to CBC Halifax and that is Bruce Rainnie.

If the CBC is looking for an all-around broadcaster with a major in news it has Rainnie.

From what I know and seen of him he is very diversified.

I have met him on several occasions in my sports life in Halifax and that is where he started in the mid 90’s replacing Doug Saunders. In that domain he has done national network from Hockey Night In Canada, to Olympics and co-hosted the last big Tall Ships with Peter Mansbridge.

He has done something like five or six Olympic games, not bad for guy who I would say around 40 or very early 40ish.

There was a point 4-5 years ago that he and Linda Kelly were doing news in Halifax but he left for PEI and a program called Compass where he has been the Jim Nunn of suppertime news.

Maybe, in fairness to Rainnie, I should make that he has been the Steve Murphy of the PEI suppertime news for Rainnie much like Murphy is very likeable and uses smart questions but still can illicit answers required.

I’m not sure just how much ‘being in and around the community counts’ to those who make the hiring decisions.

I do know from my contacts at the World Trade and Convention Centre that top of the top functions, the $100 plate dinners are either hosted by Steve Murphy or Bruce Rainnie.

Rainnie who has MC’d some of the biggest fundraisers in Halifax may have no competition in that area. 1000 people showed up a few months ago for a dinner honouring Dr Bill Stanish, for the Arthritis Society and over 1000 people witnessed Rainnie and his tux doing his magic.

He glibly handled the proceedings as he has been doing for several dinners all over the province each year over the last decade.  Truro brings him in for their major function as does Acadia University and when Yarmouth wants to raise money it calls on Rainnie who started his media career down south and on one occasion was named the ‘Citizen of the Year’.  I’m surprised they haven’t made him handle that Ferry, ‘The Crow or Cat’, whatever they call it.

Steve Murphy not Jim Nunn got the big events to MC at the WTCC.  Rainnie already has done many of those.  And, I don’t know about Tom Murphy but Rainnie is a local kid from Dartmouth, which never hurts.

Earlier in this column I pointed out in addition to his experience, Steve Murphy is in the gold plated club of being able to manage the broadcast when things go wrong. I would say Rainnie is in that club or close to it and whoever gets that CBC job, they better get someone who can talk, ad-lib, and manage the moment because they have yet after three years mastered how to do a supper time show without some problem.  That may be Rainnie strongest suit.

In fact I would love to see Steve Murphy handle the CBC News for a week, with all the flubs, dubs and mistakes, even Murph would have a challenge.

I did some research into this article and if numbers count then the PEI news broadcast with Rainnie and a weather guy called Boomer Gallant is the number-one rated CBC supper hour news broadcast in the country.

It must be the only area where Steve Murphy doesn’t dominate. And it seems this show with Rainnie as anchor received a Gemini for Best News Special Events for PEI power outages.  We have lots of those courtesy of N.S. Power should he end up here.

All four, in my opinion, are good candidates but if Murphy doesn’t want the job Rainnie would be my choice. 

Alex J Walling can be reached via email at:  This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it