Rhonda Whittaker - Host

Rhonda Whittaker was born in Fredericton, where her father was a psychology student at UNB. She slept in a dresser drawer until her parents could afford a crib.

Two years later, her folks moved back to their hometown of Moncton, and that's where she grew up. Noteable childhood events include being named Moncton's Little Miss Railroad Days.

Rhonda's always been in love with radio. As a child, she'd harass local DJs with requests and contest entries at the city's then-only commercial station.

As an arts student at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, she volunteered at the campus radio station and eventually became station manager. Under her, CFXU won a student referendum that guaranteed capital funding and saved the station from folding.

She couldn't afford a TV in university, and couldn't pick up CFXU in residence (hence the referendum). Desperate for an entertaining and interesting form of distraction, she discovered CBC Radio and became an ardent listener.

Back in Moncton, she became a DJ at the same private station that she listened to as a child, and worked alongside the same DJs she once pestered.

For eight years, she was a writer at The Moncton Times & Transcript. Now, she gets up at 4 a.m. each weekday to host Information Morning - a job that's both a pleasure and a privilege.

She's married to Troy, and they have two "furkids": Dewey, a retired racing Greyhound, and Squirrel, an obese cat.

In her spare time, she paints, makes mosaics, surfs arcane gossip blogs, and practices French. And naps in the afternoon.



Dave MacDonald - Morning News Guy

Dave MacDonald has been with CBC since 2001, working as a reporter and host for several programs.  Prior to that Dave spent several years at a Toronto based TV production company of which he was a founding partner.

Career highlights with the Corp. include covering the 2004 and 2006 Olympics for CBC Radio Sports, and hosting radio coverage of the 2006 New Brunswick election. Throughout his career Dave has worked with many different groups, and the team at CBC Moncton is one of the best. Not "the" best, mind you. That honour goes to the Edmonton Oilers. Though hed like to see any of them type as fast as Kate Letterick.



Susan Aitken - Reporter

Susan Aitken is our northern reporter based in Bathurst.

Not so hot at directions, Susan took a round-about route to get there... studying first at the University of Western Ontario in her hometown of London, then at Universitaet Tuebingen in Germany, later at Ryerson in Toronto and finally, after a detour to work in Austria, Susan steered her way to journalism school at King's in Halifax.

Susan test-drove reporting in print, television and online journalism before finding her perfect parking spot in radio.

Since arriving in New Brunswick, Susan has purchased a compass and is navigating the back roads of the province's north just fine.

Susan advocates rights for redheads, speaks German, takes her cat out for walks, curls and does Highland dancing... sometimes all at once if she's had enough sugar.



Marc Genuist - Reporter

Marc grew up in Saskatoon.  He'd never really known where Moncton was until his partner told him she'd been offered a great job out east.  Being a sensitive, new age guy, he dutifully followed along in this adventure.

Now, several years later they'd never think about leaving.   The lobster, kayaking, the mild weather, the acadian and celtic cultures and oh yes, the work is what keeps him planted here.

Marc has always felt that news reporting is not about him, it's about the listener.  So if you have any concerns or know somebody who is not getting the recognition they deserve send him a note at marc_genuist@cbc.ca.



Kate Letterick - Reporter

Kate's gift of gab was apparent at an early age, so those who know her are not surprised she's earning a living "speaking into the mic".

Kate was born and raised in Moncton but started out as a radio reporter and anchor in London, Ontario. It didn't take long before New Brunswick beckoned her return. She moved to Fredericton, where she spent nine years as a television reporter, covering the Legislature. Kate has been with CBC Moncton since 1999.

Since her start here she's been recognized for her work regionally and nationally, by the Radio Television News Directors Association.

Kate is also a doting mother to her son, and can be found cheering him on at basketball, baseball and soccer.  It's a wonder she has a voice left for broadcasting!



Khalil Akhtar - Reporter

Khalil Akhtar is one of CBC Moncton's newest journalists.

Before arriving at the CBC in 2002, Khalil studied english literature and theatre at Mount Allison Univeristy.  He was also the music director at Mount Allison's campus community radio station.... and Khalil produced and hosted a weekly program on American folk music.

At the CBC, Khalil covers all sorts of topics ranging from arts and culture to politics.  Just don't ask him how to hold a hockey stick.



Jonna Brewer - Reporter

Jonna Brewer joined CBC Moncton in 1988, after paying her dues in the National Radio newsroom in Toronto as a researcher, writer, coffee fetcher, and, finally, reporter (she obviously made really good...or really bad... coffee).

A native maritimer, she happily re-aquainted herself with the easygoing pace and friendly people. She even found a husband (who works for Radio-Canada) and they now have three daughters.

Jonna is our "Saturday reporter" and when she can take a day off from homeschooling her kids, she fills in as a reporter, announcer, director...wherever we need her. Call them her "professional development days."



Karin Reid LeBlanc - Show Producer

Karin Reid-LeBlanc works behind the scenes as the producer of Information Morning.

Karin began work with the CBC in 1993.  She's worked as a reporter, director, tech-director, announcer and producer.  Heck, she'll even make the coffee if you ask nicely!

Karin grew up in Amherst, Nova Scotia, but made numerous cross-border shopping excursions to Champlain Place over the years.  She studied journalism at the University of King's College and started her broadcasting career at CKDH in Amherst (so did Ian Hanomansing!).  Karin worked at CBC Radio in Halifax and Fredericton before joining the Moncton team in 2001.  Highlights include producing a nationally award-winning series on youth and HIV awareness with reporter Kate Letterick and broadcasting live from the Rolling Stones concert at Magnetic Hill.  Go Mick!

Karin's roots keep her firmly planted in the Maritimes with her husband and two daughters.  When she's not running a meeting or running after her kids, you can find her running.


Michael R LeBlanc - Director

Michael R.'s chief role is morning show "content hub." As studio director, he works with the host, news reader and technician to ensure things run smoothly.

He was born and raised in Wedgeport, Nova Scotia. He's tri-lingual: English, French and Acadjonne, the latter being the southwestern N.S. variation of Chiac. (To wit: "J'ai slicé ma drive et la paume a landé dans une pond next de la green.")
Shortly after obtaining his Honours Journalism degree from the University of King's College in Halifax, Michael R. headed to Moncton in search of a job. He'd heard that a city ordinance mandated employers to have at least one LeBlanc or Steeves on staff. While that proved incorrect, Michael R. did indeed find a post with the Moncton Times & Transcript.

The year was 1983. The CN Shops had just closed and so had the Eaton's catalogue warehouse. It was a low ebb for the city. In fact, the best that boosters could muster for a civic slogan that year was "Greater Moncton. We're Okay." Not much swagger to that one. How times have changed.

During his time at the T&T;, Michael R. did general assignment reporting, covered court, won an Atlantic Journalism Award for enterprise reporting and edited the paper's entertainment section that contained his humour column, Loose Enz. In 1990, he went on to freelance for CBC Radio news in Moncton and also started filling in on Information Morning. In 1993, he was assigned to Mainstreet, CBC Moncton's afternoon show.

When Mainstreet drew to a close in 1997, Michael R. directed his efforts towards the small screen. His writing and story-editing credits would eventually include four E.C.M.A. shows for CBC, several documentary specials for CBC and Radio-Canada, as well as documentary series for History Television and Discovery Canada.

Michael R.'s return to CBC Radio was foreshadowed by the nationally-aired CBC radio special he produced in December of 2006 featuring Marshall Button. The show was called Oh Khandahar: Lucien's Adventures in Afghanistan and was the result of Button's comedic tour of duty overseas earlier that fall.

Michael R. can occasionally be seen onstage alongside Button during the annual Hubcap Comedy Revue tour. He co-writes the show, contributes original tunes and does the odd stunt acting. But he much rather prefers being behind the scenes. Or, as in the case with Information Morning, being on the other side of the glass.



Lynn Nicol - Producer

Lynn has worked in CBC's most easterly location (St John's), most southerly (Windsor), and most northerly (Inuvik). While Lynn was in Inuvik, the station was also the most westerly at that time.  Altogether, Lynn spent nine years in the north with CBC,  as a reporter in Iqaluit, and senior editor in Inuvik.

Eventually she wound her way back east to New Brunswick, where years before she had attended  high school in Campbellton.  That's actually where Lynn started out, as a cross border baby. Her family lived across the Restigouche River in Quebec in a small farming village called Sillarsville.

One of the easiest decisions Lynn ever made was picking a university. Lynn ordered calendars from every one in Canada.  When she opened the one for University of Windsor and spotted the photo of the Ambassador Bridge to Detroit, the die was cast.  She could get an education and see Gordie Howe play hockey, at the same time.  So that's where she went for both undergraduate and graduate programs in the field of Communications.

Lynn's interests were mostly in film and television, but she wound up in radio. It may be because of the way she behaved when she was a wee one. She had always created a racket as soon an her grandfather turned on the radio to hear the weather and the farm news.

Lynn came to Moncton to fill in for two weeks in August, 1998 and she's still here! The most wonderful thing is, for the first time in her career, Lynn has family where she's working, including several young nieces and nephews. And she still loves the Red Wings, from a distance.



Ben Ouellet - Technician

Ben is a local boy through and through. He grew up in Moncton and raised a family here.

After moonlighting as a casual for a few summers landed a solid job as a radio technician at CBC Moncton more than three decades ago. The hi-lite of his day....getting up at 5 a.m. to operate the controls for Information Morning.

When Ben's not at the station you might catch him at a hobby shop checking out the latest in die cast cars or operating model trains.