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May 28, 2022 9:52 pm  #1


Some Old Radio Memories

1968. I got a job in another town and moved away from my parent's house. Got my first apartment in the small town of Mount Forest ON. The apartment was furnished. The only things I bought for it were a bookshelf and one of those big old radios that stood on the floor. AM and short wave

Until then, my music preferences had tended toward rock. But on that grand old radio I started discovering other musical genres.
I found CBL. Their morning man, Bruce Smith played a variety of likeable music. Their afternoon man Elwood Glover had a similar program.

Then there was CFRB. One personality I remember from there was Ray Sonin. He was on every evening with an eclectic mix of music.
Every night, I believe it was 10:00 to midnight, CFRB had a program of light classical music. Relaxing to read by. 

I miss that kind of radio


I started out with nothing and I still have most of it.
 

May 28, 2022 11:55 pm  #2


Re: Some Old Radio Memories

Great memories.  Both Bruce Smith and Elwood Glover came to CBL from CJBC in 1961 when the latter became a French outlet.  Ray Sonin's Calling All Britons actually aired every Saturday late afternoon on CFRB. You are probably
thinking of Walter Kanitz who hosted Continental Concert, a program of European music each weeknight at 8:30 pm on CFRB. The light classical music program which actually aired from 9:05pm to 11:00pm on CFRB was called Starlight Serenade and was hosted by George Wilson. 

 

 

May 29, 2022 12:08 am  #3


Re: Some Old Radio Memories

Ay yes. Starlight Seranade.Now I remember.

I remember Ray Sonin's Calling All Britons. But he also did a weeknight program called The Ray Sonin Show..

Last edited by turkeytop (May 29, 2022 12:09 am)


I started out with nothing and I still have most of it.
     Thread Starter
 

May 29, 2022 12:08 am  #4


Re: Some Old Radio Memories

Everyone claims to be the first person to air a Beatles record in North America, but I recall hearing somewhere that it could have been Ray Sonin on his "Calling All Britons" show on CFRB. And while that just may be an apocryphal claim, he did have access to a large amount of music released first in Britain, so I suppose anything is possible. 

I remember Elwood Glover best from CBC-TV's "Luncheon Date," although I'm not entirely sure why - I never watched the show. Glover was on CBL Radio and later moved over for a much reduced schedule on CKEY.



 

 

May 29, 2022 12:15 am  #5


Re: Some Old Radio Memories

Actually, CJBC and CFRB have quite a history together - they used to occupy each other's frequency.

From 1948:

 

May 29, 2022 3:58 am  #6


Re: Some Old Radio Memories

turkeytop wrote:

Then there was CFRB. One personality I remember from there was Ray Sonin. He was on every evening with an eclectic mix of music.
Every night, I believe it was 10:00 to midnight, CFRB had a program of light classical music. Relaxing to read by. 

I miss that kind of radio

I miss the late great 94 point NINE FM CKQT "Always quiet and beautiful"  "On the quiet side" and later "Easy favourites"  (I liked them best as Quiet and beautiful/On the quiet side) 

Toronto could do with a station like this. Don't tell me to listen to Classical 96. I hate that station. Always have, always will.  I want my quiet easy listening, 99% no lyrics station.  
One thing I REALLY miss is tuning in and thinking to myself "Hey? I know the words to that song..." 
If it weren't for this station 
I might never have learned that there is an instrumental version of Laura Branigan's Gloria, which was a great upbeat song they played during the day. (not karoke either. Pure instrumental)

The original CJEZ wasn't all that bad either, but CKQT was an amazing radio station.
Here's an ad for Toronto's 97.3 back when they were "Easy" 









 

Last edited by Radiowiz (May 29, 2022 4:02 am)


RadioWiz & RadioQuiz are NOT the same person. 
RadioWiz & THE Wiz are NOT the same person.

 
 

May 29, 2022 6:22 am  #7


Re: Some Old Radio Memories

turkeytop wrote:

Ay yes. Starlight Seranade.Now I remember.

I remember Ray Sonin's Calling All Britons. But he also did a weeknight program called The Ray Sonin Show..

I believe Ray's weeknight show was entitled "Down Memory Lane"  Regarding Bruce Smith on CJBC/CBL, his show was called "Toast & Jamboree" Walter Bowles did the news.

 

May 29, 2022 6:32 am  #8


Re: Some Old Radio Memories

Radiowiz wrote:

turkeytop wrote:

Then there was CFRB. One personality I remember from there was Ray Sonin. He was on every evening with an eclectic mix of music.
Every night, I believe it was 10:00 to midnight, CFRB had a program of light classical music. Relaxing to read by. 

I miss that kind of radio

I miss the late great 94 point NINE FM CKQT "Always quiet and beautiful"  "On the quiet side" and later "Easy favourites"  (I liked them best as Quiet and beautiful/On the quiet side) 

Toronto could do with a station like this. Don't tell me to listen to Classical 96. I hate that station. Always have, always will.  I want my quiet easy listening, 99% no lyrics station.  
One thing I REALLY miss is tuning in and thinking to myself "Hey? I know the words to that song..." 
If it weren't for this station 
I might never have learned that there is an instrumental version of Laura Branigan's Gloria, which was a great upbeat song they played during the day. (not karoke either. Pure instrumental)

The original CJEZ wasn't all that bad either, but CKQT was an amazing radio station.
Here's an ad for Toronto's 97.3 back when they were "Easy" 



I think the last Beautiful Music aka Elevator  Music formatted station in Southern Ontario was CKOT in Tillsonburg. After Rogers purchased the station, the format became more ACish around 2018.





 

 

 

May 29, 2022 9:12 am  #9


Re: Some Old Radio Memories

RadioActive wrote:

Everyone claims to be the first person to air a Beatles record in North America, but I recall hearing somewhere that it could have been Ray Sonin on his "Calling All Britons" show on CFRB. And while that just may be an apocryphal claim, he did have access to a large amount of music released first in Britain, so I suppose anything is possible.

My parents listened to his shows, and they told me about him having played the Beatles well before they became popular here. They thought he was the first in North America to do so, but I've since read about others that may have played them before he did. However, in my view even if he wasn't the first, it's still significant that he gave them airplay before most other stations did. 
 

 

May 29, 2022 9:23 am  #10


Re: Some Old Radio Memories

Radiowiz wrote:

I miss the late great 94 point NINE FM CKQT "Always quiet and beautiful"  "On the quiet side" and later "Easy favourites"  (I liked them best as Quiet and beautiful/On the quiet side) 

Toronto could do with a station like this. Don't tell me to listen to Classical 96. I hate that station. Always have, always will.  I want my quiet easy listening, 99% no lyrics station.  
One thing I REALLY miss is tuning in and thinking to myself "Hey? I know the words to that song..." 
If it weren't for this station 
I might never have learned that there is an instrumental version of Laura Branigan's Gloria, which was a great upbeat song they played during the day. (not karoke either. Pure instrumental)

The original CJEZ wasn't all that bad either, but CKQT was an amazing radio station.
Here's an ad for Toronto's 97.3 back when they were "Easy" 



 

Growing up in Omemee, I remember my parents occasionally tuning in CKQT in its last couple of years with the B/EZ format before changing to hot AC around '93-ish as CKGE "The Edge 94.9"... this was just before CFNY picked up the Edge name.

I do miss those beautiful music/easy listening stations, and there were many of them across southern Ontario besides CKQT, CJEZ and CKOT-FM... among them were CHAY 93.1 Barrie, CFCA "Stereo 105" Kitchener, CFLG 104.5 Cornwall, CFMO 93.9 Ottawa, and CIGL 97.1 Belleville.

 

May 29, 2022 9:36 am  #11


Re: Some Old Radio Memories

And don't forget another relic from the past in Toronto - Don Parrish on CHFI with his nightly "Candlelight and Wine" show, which ran on the station for years. They even issued LPs based on the popular program. I can't imagine there are any radio stations left that would play Mantovani today. Notice the second album is titled as "CHFI 680 presents," with a note at the bottom that it can be heard in stereo on 98.1.

This was before CHFI-AM became CFTR and went from MOR music to more music.

And talk about bland - here's the track list, courtesy Discogs


 

May 29, 2022 10:41 pm  #12


Re: Some Old Radio Memories

mace wrote:

turkeytop wrote:

Ay yes. Starlight Seranade.Now I remember.

I remember Ray Sonin's Calling All Britons. But he also did a weeknight program called The Ray Sonin Show..

I believe Ray's weeknight show was entitled "Down Memory Lane"  Regarding Bruce Smith on CJBC/CBL, his show was called "Toast & Jamboree" Walter Bowles did the news.

Down Memory Lane. That's right. I remember now. I can still recall the theme music played on electric guitar.

I also remember Toast and Jamboree. I was just a kid. My parents listened to it so, of course, I hated it.

Another CFRB memory. Pierre Berton, the socialist and Charles Templeton, the conservative used to have a short and very civil debate every day on a particular topic.


I started out with nothing and I still have most of it.
     Thread Starter
 

May 30, 2022 2:09 am  #13


Re: Some Old Radio Memories

Does anyone remember "Rich Blend" CKEY at 101.1 in Fort Erie? This short-lived format appeared in the early '90s.

I believe CING-FM had a beautiful music format when it first signed on in 1976.

Last edited by Dale Patterson (May 30, 2022 2:21 am)


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

May 30, 2022 7:00 am  #14


Re: Some Old Radio Memories

I have a very weird memory about Ray Sonin. When I was very young - maybe 6? - my father and I were at some kind of event where Ray Sonin was a guest. Maybe it was the CNE. My dad used to listen to CFRB all the time and knew who he was. I, on the other hand as a CHUM-only listener, had never heard of him. 

In any event, he insisted I take out an autograph book that we had in those days and get Sonin - who in my father's mind was a celebrity - to sign it. So he did. He scrawled "Ray Sonin" in an almost illegible hand and then wrote "TTFN."

I later found out that "TTFN" stood for "Ta Ta For Now," which apparently was Sonin's famous sign-off at the end of his show. Wish I still had that book. It would be a wonderful keepsake.

 

May 30, 2022 10:02 am  #15


Re: Some Old Radio Memories

turkeytop wrote:

mace wrote:

turkeytop wrote:

Ay yes. Starlight Seranade.Now I remember.

I remember Ray Sonin's Calling All Britons. But he also did a weeknight program called The Ray Sonin Show..

I believe Ray's weeknight show was entitled "Down Memory Lane"  Regarding Bruce Smith on CJBC/CBL, his show was called "Toast & Jamboree" Walter Bowles did the news.

Down Memory Lane. That's right. I remember now. I can still recall the theme music played on electric guitar.

I also remember Toast and Jamboree. I was just a kid. My parents listened to it so, of course, I hated it.

Another CFRB memory. Pierre Berton, the socialist and Charles Templeton, the conservative used to have a short and very civil debate every day on a particular topic.

That was called Dialogue. It aired on CFRB for four years and CKEY for 13 more.

 

May 30, 2022 10:45 am  #16


Re: Some Old Radio Memories

Could you imagine two political opposites having a polite and civilized debate on radio today?


I started out with nothing and I still have most of it.
     Thread Starter
 

May 30, 2022 10:52 am  #17


Re: Some Old Radio Memories

I worked at CKEY at the time and recall that they would come in, do their thing, and then leave, without talking to anyone. Bit stuck-up was my opinion, but they'd been "stars" or well-known personalities for a long time by then, so maybe they just couldn't be bothered.

Templeton once gave me a copy of his new hardcover book. 

I never read it. 

 

May 30, 2022 11:27 am  #18


Re: Some Old Radio Memories

CHAY-FM launched on the May long weekend in 1977, 45 years ago, and enjoyed a long run first as elevator music with a solid newsroom and later as soft rock, still with an outstanding newsroom.  We had a good run!

Last edited by PaulR (May 30, 2022 11:28 am)

 

May 30, 2022 11:49 am  #19


Re: Some Old Radio Memories

I don't know if it is still there. I always remember the station had a giant billboard on the northbound 400 as you approached Barrie. "For the next 300 km, CHAY FM 93.1"

 

May 30, 2022 1:49 pm  #20


Re: Some Old Radio Memories

CHAY's huge highway 400 billboard was situated just north of Toronto and was designed to look like an actual provincial highway sign.  "CHAY FM 93.1 for the next 300 km" was the first version.  Here is the second version!
share picture

 

May 30, 2022 3:02 pm  #21


Re: Some Old Radio Memories

I used to be the control room operator from time to time for Ray Sonin at CFRB - both shows down memory lane and calling all britons.  I remember he was a fairly short man, and he would carry very heavy boxes of 45's which had plastic handles,  He'd literally be bent over from the weight of the boxes.   Always as pleasant off the air as on the air...at least to me.  I can still hear his sign off - T T F N - Ta Ta For Now.  My recollection is that Walter Kanitz was heard on CKFM for a period of time.  I also "operated" that show.  But it was a long time ago, so perhaps Continental concert started on 'RB and moved over to CKFM at some point in time, or vice versa.

 

May 30, 2022 3:36 pm  #22


Re: Some Old Radio Memories

turkeytop wrote:

mace wrote:

turkeytop wrote:

Ay yes. Starlight Seranade.Now I remember.

I remember Ray Sonin's Calling All Britons. But he also did a weeknight program called The Ray Sonin Show..

I believe Ray's weeknight show was entitled "Down Memory Lane"  Regarding Bruce Smith on CJBC/CBL, his show was called "Toast & Jamboree" Walter Bowles did the news.

Down Memory Lane. That's right. I remember now. I can still recall the theme music played on electric guitar.

I also remember Toast and Jamboree. I was just a kid. My parents listened to it so, of course, I hated it.

Another CFRB memory. Pierre Berton, the socialist and Charles Templeton, the conservative used to have a short and very civil debate every day on a particular topic.

Templeton may have been more conservative than Berton but he was far from being a conservative.  He ran for the leadership of the Ontario Liberal Party in 1964 and was editorial page editor of the Toronto Star for a time as well. If anything he was a centre to centre-left liberal.