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“We are making changes to our programming schedule and will be extending our news wheel format in the afternoon on 1310 NEWS this fall.”

Until then, Ottawa Today with Mark Sutcliffe will broadcast from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., followed by Baseball Central Replay from 1 to 2 p.m., and Afternoon News with Mark Day and Sara Buchan from 2 to 7 p.m.

Gibbons, 66, said on Friday that his show’s cancellation caught him somewhat by surprise, “but I’ve been around the industry a long time, and we all know the challenges that mainstream media faces, whether it’s TV, radio or newspapers.

“But the reality is I was at the latter stages of my career, and wasn’t anticipating being there for the next 10 years. It was a good run and I really enjoyed it.”

He expressed his thanks to Rogers for pulling him out of a brief retirement that “didn’t take,” two years ago. “It gave me an opportunity to reconnect with the community, something I really missed.”

Whether he’ll give retirement another try remains to be seen. He’ll continue writing his weekly column each Monday in the Ottawa Sun, but beyond that says he has nothing in the works.

“My short-term objectives really don’t extend beyond a cold beer on a dock at a cottage. I still want to be active in the community, but who knows? I always say never say never about what future opportunities may await.”

Gibbons’ career in media began nearly half a century ago. He was a London-based foreign correspondent for Broadcast News and a parliamentary reporter. He was later CEO and publisher of the Ottawa Sun, and host with CFRA 580 radio.