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May 13, 2017 12:00 pm  #1


On Toronto radio in the '60s, and still going...

It's a small club.

To my knowledge there are only two active broadcasters who were on the air in Toronto radio in the 1960s and are still on the air.

- John Donabie arrived at CKFH in 1967, succeeding Norman B. on the all-night show. Since then this versatile jock has worked at several stations with a number of formats,including album rock (CHUM-FM, Q-107), country (CFGM, Country 59, CISS), MOR (CJCL, CKFM), oldies (KEY-590), jazz (CJRT), talk (CFRB). Nowadays he's hosting the "Mixed Bag" every Saturday afternoon from 2-4 p.m. on CIUT.

- Roger Ashby arrived at CHUM in 1969 and hasn't left the building. OK, he has but that's only because they tore down the building! Since his beginnings at CHUM at 1331 Yonge the day after Labour Day in 1969, Ashby has hosted the all-night show and middays at CHUM, co-hosted the morning show at CHUM-FM, and hosted the Sunday Morning Oldies Show at both stations. He's still co-hosting the CHUM-FM morning show with Marilyn Denis at 299 Queen.

Are there any others? Anyone who was on the air in Toronto radio in the '60s and still on the air in Toronto now?




 


"Life without echo is really no life at all." - Dan Ingram
 

May 13, 2017 2:54 pm  #2


Re: On Toronto radio in the '60s, and still going...

Does anyone know if Roger Ashby ever worked in London or Tillsonburg prior to coming to Toronto?

 

May 13, 2017 3:14 pm  #3


Re: On Toronto radio in the '60s, and still going...

Roger did work at CKOC prior to CHUM (but I wasn't born yet...lol)
 


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May 13, 2017 6:39 pm  #4


Re: On Toronto radio in the '60s, and still going...

Brian Master, who is now doing afternoon drive at the Jewel.   According to a bio I found, started in 1969 but didn`t make it into the Toronto market until `72, but I think this still counts.
​BTW-I still listen.  Enjoyed him then, and now.   Almost like a daily flash back for me.
 

 

May 13, 2017 8:17 pm  #5


Re: On Toronto radio in the '60s, and still going...

I thought Brian was on CHUM FM in '71...but... ... ...the old memory ain't all that sharp.  Didn't he leave for 'FI?
-----------------------------------------------

Oops...Dang!!!  Congrats John.  Still one of my all time top on-air radio guys.  [I guess I'm not alone.]

Last edited by Old Codger (May 13, 2017 8:20 pm)

 

May 13, 2017 8:45 pm  #6


Re: On Toronto radio in the '60s, and still going...

Here's some bio material on Brian Master:

From Dion and the Belmonts to Celine Dion, Brian Master has played it all in a career spanning all or parts of six different decades.

Born in Brentwood, England and raised in St. Catharines, Ont., Master began his radio career in January, 1969. His first station was CFCO Chatham, Ont., where he was production manager and also did swing shifts. In May of 1969, he moved to CHOW Welland, Ont., where he did midday op and swing shifts, and later evenings. He was Brian H. Master then - the H. was added to avoid confusion with another CHOW announcer, Don McMaster.

On his evening show at CHOW, Master played Top 40 from 6:30 p.m. to midnight weeknights. Then from midnight to 1 a.m. - a segment he called Symmetry - Master spun progressive rock (he started every Friday Symmetry show with In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida by Iron Butterfly). Also on CHOW, Master played J' T'Aime...Mon Non Plus by Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg a lot, much to the consternation of local Roman Catholic Archdiocese, so he made it number-one three weeks in a row!Master's evening numbers at CHOW were so high (a 32 share!) that CHSC's Bob Redmond hired him away to his St. Catharines station in June, 1971. Master initially did the all-night show (called Town and Country) at CHSC and later moved into evenings.

In July, 1972, he got his biggest break yet, when CHUM-FM PD Bob Laine hired at the Toronto progressive rock station. It was there he permanently dropped the H. from his air name. At CHUM-FM, he was assistant to Benji Karsh, the music director, and Laine, who was followed in the PD position by Duff Roman. In June, 1978, Master moved to Q-107 Toronto as music director and swing announcer.

Master returned to CHUM-FM in June, 1980, initially in mornings and later in middays. He left CHUM-FM for a second time in May, 1983 for easy-listening CHFI Toronto. Master would spend the next 19 years at CHFI, first in weekends and beginning in 1987, afternoon drive. He also spun the oldies as part of CHFI's popular Saturday Night Oldies program.Master left CHFI in January, 2002. He went into real estate in 2005 but has since returned to radio as the Jewel Network Program Director and afternoon drive host at 88.5 The Jewel in Newmarket, Ont.

Last edited by Dale Patterson (May 13, 2017 8:53 pm)


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May 13, 2017 8:48 pm  #7


Re: On Toronto radio in the '60s, and still going...

peter.spyksma@rogers.com wrote:

Does anyone know if Roger Ashby ever worked in London or Tillsonburg prior to coming to Toronto?

Ashby's first radio job was as an operator at CKKW Kitchener, Ont. In 1967, he landed a weekend on-air gig at CKKW's new FM station, CFCA. Later that year, Ashby - who had planned to go to college - was hired to do all-nights at CKOC Hamilton. He moved to CHUM in 1969.
 


"Life without echo is really no life at all." - Dan Ingram
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May 14, 2017 8:21 am  #8


Re: On Toronto radio in the '60s, and still going...

Thanks Dale.

 

May 14, 2017 8:51 am  #9


Re: On Toronto radio in the '60s, and still going...

If you want to count people who were employed in Toronto radio in the '60s (but not on air) and are on the air today, well there's Russ Holden. He started at CHFI in the operations department in 1967, went on air in the traffic department 10 years later and nowadays can be seen doing traffic on CITY-TV's Breakfast Television.


"Life without echo is really no life at all." - Dan Ingram
     Thread Starter
 

May 14, 2017 10:22 am  #10


Re: On Toronto radio in the '60s, and still going...

And last but certainly not least, there's Duff Roman, who started in Toronto radio in the fall in 1959 as a jock at CKEY. Fifty-eight years later, he's still in radio:

http://www.e-radioinc.com/contact/


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May 14, 2017 12:15 pm  #11


Re: On Toronto radio in the '60s, and still going...

I actually remember hearing Brian Master's progressive rock show before he came to CHUM FM. I remember him playing The Association which were not played on album rock stations that much. The band was referred to as the "hippest square band or the squarest hip band" but they had some great records.By the same token I remember hearing the 5th Dimension's Paper Cup on Pete Griffin's show on CHUM FM several times and that was a great record as well.

Loved Brian Master's show on CHUM FM in the early 70's as he seemed to have an affinity for Beatlesque music.


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May 14, 2017 12:23 pm  #12


Re: On Toronto radio in the '60s, and still going...

If we expanded this list to the early '70s we'd have a few more names, and Brian Master would be one of them. We could also add Darryl Dahmer, who's been doing traffic reports on 680 since 1973 and is still going. I wonder who else?


"Life without echo is really no life at all." - Dan Ingram
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May 14, 2017 12:30 pm  #13


Re: On Toronto radio in the '60s, and still going...

Speaking of Brian Master and his affinity for Beatlesque  music I belive it was on his show that I first heard Bob Segarini's  Wackers. They had an excellent cover John Lennon's "Oh My Love" and also produced this power pop classic which I bought after hearing it on CHUM FM and which was produced by ex Brian Wilson collaborater and Byrds producer Gary Usher:



 

Last edited by Fitz (May 14, 2017 12:36 pm)


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May 14, 2017 3:42 pm  #14


Re: On Toronto radio in the '60s, and still going...

Although not cool or FM worthy at that time ... Gary Usher also had some small dealings with Gary Puckett and the Union Gap.

 

May 14, 2017 4:10 pm  #15


Re: On Toronto radio in the '60s, and still going...

is George Jonescu still doing Sunday nites on zoomer radio?  he started in Sault Ste Marie in the early 60s.....

 

May 14, 2017 4:51 pm  #16


Re: On Toronto radio in the '60s, and still going...

Old Codger wrote:

Although not cool or FM worthy at that time ... Gary Usher also had some small dealings with Gary Puckett and the Union Gap.

Aside  form his work with Brian Wilson and a series of Byrds classics, he did a lot of production work including The Peanut Butter Conspiracy's "The Peanut Butter Conspiracy Is Spreading." One of his best production credit's belongs to comedy troupe The Firesign Theater and their "Waiting for The Electrician or Someone Like Him." 


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May 14, 2017 5:34 pm  #17


Re: On Toronto radio in the '60s, and still going...

Can't forget the great David "Mickie" Marsden, who rocked on both CHUM and CKEY in Toronto, and - with a brief sojourn to Montreal - returned here to revolutionize FM with CFNY's famed "The Spirit of Radio."

His last over the air free radio appearance was in 2014 on GTA-area CKGE, and he now runs the subscription based NYthespirit.com, which purports to bring the old CFNY concept back, this time online. 

 

May 14, 2017 8:53 pm  #18


Re: On Toronto radio in the '60s, and still going...

We'll agree to disagree Charlie. Power Pop is not everyone's cup of tea. A mint copy of the Wackering Heights  or Hot Wacks albums now probably fetch more than most Elvis releases except for things like the early Sun  releases.

Last edited by Fitz (May 14, 2017 8:57 pm)


Cool Airchecks and More:
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May 15, 2017 8:48 am  #19


Re: On Toronto radio in the '60s, and still going...

Yes ... George Jonescu is still hosting Big Bands Sunday Night on Zoomer Radio.  The show began as Big Bands Saturday Night on CHAY-FM many years ago.  I'm having lunch with him tomorrow ... it is his turn to buy!

 

May 15, 2017 11:55 am  #20


Re: On Toronto radio in the '60s, and still going...

PaulR wrote:

       having lunch with him tomorrow ... it is his turn to buy!

You can never go wrong with High Street fish 'n chips, just inform the attractive, buxom server that John Oakley sent you and lunch may be on the house
 

 

May 15, 2017 1:13 pm  #21


Re: On Toronto radio in the '60s, and still going...

PaulR wrote:

Yes ... George Jonescu is still hosting Big Bands Sunday Night on Zoomer Radio.  The show began as Big Bands Saturday Night on CHAY-FM many years ago.  I'm having lunch with him tomorrow ... it is his turn to buy!

George Jonescu started in radio in September 1960 and is still going after more than 66 and a-half years. Amazing! Only Red Robinson, who started in 1954, has been going longer to my knowledge.


"Life without echo is really no life at all." - Dan Ingram
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