His name was Doug Pringle and he had an idea for a progressive rock station in his adopted home of Montreal. How he helped create the now legendary CHOM-FM in that city is a story that could only have happened in the 60s. It started when the would-be pro DJ met with eccentric owner Geoff Stirling in a hotel room in La Belle Province.

From The Montreal Gazette:

“I came in and Geoff and I hit it off immediately. I’m telling him about my idea. He’s getting excited. He says, ‘It would be great to do something with one of my radio stations, but how do I know you’re not completely full of s—? How do I know that there’s not just seven people like you in Montreal who are interested in this stuff?’ I said, ‘Trust me.’ He said, ‘OK. I’ll trust you three weeks.’ ”

Stirling gave Pringle a four-hour nightly show, from 7 to 11, repeated from 11 to 3 a.m. If it wasn’t working after three weeks, Pringle was out the door. Their conversation happened at around 2 in the afternoon. Stirling asked if Pringle could start that night.

“I said, ‘Actually, Geoff, I’m just coming down from an acid trip. Can I start tomorrow?’ ”

They don't make those kinds of execs anymore. 

Doug Pringle: The DJ who dropped the needle on CHOM