The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum » Veteran T.O. & London Morning Man Recalls That Tough Shift

RadioActive · August 28, 2016 10:56 am

Bill Brady served as the morning man at CKEY and CFPL during his long radio tenure. And although this article is primarily about sleep, he remembers his first gig in Ft. Frances - in the middle of winter, no less.

Radio days’ sleep static still in night air

Last edited by RadioActive (August 28, 2016 11:29 am)

Kilgore · August 28, 2016 2:27 pm

Shift happens

John D · August 29, 2016 7:49 am

Bill Brady will not be a name remembered by everyone here in Toronto; in 2016; but when he was on CKEY, he was one of the funniest morning men, I ever heard; in this market I believe he had come from London Ontario and then returned there. It was Toronto's loss and London's gain. A brilliant talent.

Dale? Help me out. Who did Bill replace and who followed him at CKEY.

Last edited by John D (August 29, 2016 8:07 am)

ig · August 29, 2016 8:43 am

I _think_ it was Boliska.

ig.

John D wrote:
Bill Brady will not be a name remembered by everyone here in Toronto; in 2016; but when he was on CKEY, he was one of the funniest morning men, I ever heard; in this market I believe he had come from London Ontario and then returned there. It was Toronto's loss and London's gain. A brilliant talent.

Dale? Help me out. Who did Bill replace and who followed him at CKEY.

August 29, 2016 9:59 am

Had to be back in that time-frame ig/John 'cause Keith Rich was there for about 3 weeks short of forever...'til John Rode replaced him. And good ol' Robert Payne was still handling the morning news run with distinction.
So...during the old 'Silver Dollar Survey' days? Must have been a Jack Kent Cooke hire/fire.

August 29, 2016 6:56 pm

I know Bill. A wonderful, wonderful man with a wicked sense of humour. He returned to London in the mid-1960s from CKEY and was a CFPL legend, first on middays and then replacing John Dickens on the "Open Line" morning show. I went to high school with his daughter, Toronto Star entertainment reporter Linda Barnard.

Dale Patterson · August 29, 2016 8:00 pm

John D wrote:
Bill Brady will not be a name remembered by everyone here in Toronto; in 2016; but when he was on CKEY, he was one of the funniest morning men, I ever heard; in this market I believe he had come from London Ontario and then returned there. It was Toronto's loss and London's gain. A brilliant talent.

Dale? Help me out. Who did Bill replace and who followed him at CKEY.

Stu Kenney did the CKEY morning show before Brady took over in 1961. Al Boliska replaced Brady in 1963, then John Dolan took over mornings for a while after Boliska left in 1965. Rick Campbell was CKEY's morning man by 1966 until at least 1968. Keith Rich took over until he left for CJCL in 1986. Jay Nelson replaced Rich and did mornings at 'EY until he left for CJEZ and John Rode arrived to do AM drive in 1987. John Donabie did mornings after Rode left for CHUM in February 1989 and held the shift until Mike Cooper took over in August of that year. Donabie took over mornings again when Cooper left in March 1991 and retained the shift when CKEY became Country 59 (CKYC) on the 16th of that month.

Last edited by Dale Patterson (August 30, 2016 12:38 pm)

August 30, 2016 8:34 am

Oh man!!! I forgot about Jay. Oops. A good soul.

John D · August 30, 2016 9:24 am

Wow Dale! Now that's an answer! I sent an email to Mr. Brady yesterday morning and within an hour received a wonderful message back. I didn't realize Dale he was only there for two years. Brilliant Broadcaster.

ig · August 30, 2016 9:28 am

John D wrote:
Wow Dale! Now that's an answer! I sent an email to Mr. Brady yesterday morning and within an hour received a wonderful message back. I didn't realize Dale he was only there for two years. Brilliant Broadcaster.

I knew Dolan took over from Boliska, and he'd mentioned Brady before. Shit we were lucky to know some awesome people in this business. I suppose it's the one grace about getting older is being able to touch history rather than just read about it.

ig.

Dale Patterson · August 30, 2016 11:07 am

John D wrote:
Wow Dale! Now that's an answer! I sent an email to Mr. Brady yesterday morning and within an hour received a wonderful message back. I didn't realize Dale he was only there for two years. Brilliant Broadcaster.

I don't know if there was anyone between Rick Campbell and Keith Rich. Anybody?

ig · August 30, 2016 11:32 am

Nobody seems sure when the change happened.

Lore has it he started mornings in 1965 but I don't think so, since Campbell & CKEY did their morning show from the 54th floor of the newly opened TD center and that was in 1967. I believe Keith took over later that year. That ad was from April 1972 and they had just moved to 1 Yonge from Ave & Dav.

Wish Captain Bob was still around

Dale Patterson wrote:
John D wrote:
Wow Dale! Now that's an answer! I sent an email to Mr. Brady yesterday morning and within an hour received a wonderful message back. I didn't realize Dale he was only there for two years. Brilliant Broadcaster.
I don't know if there was anyone between Rick Campbell and Keith Rich. Anybody?

Dale Patterson · August 30, 2016 12:38 pm

Here's an article about CKEY's Rick Campbell from the Globe of January 8, 1968. I don't think he was there much longer.

http://rockradioscrapbook.ca/globe-jan8-68.pdf

Lorne · August 31, 2016 4:32 pm

The following thread has some info that I think will be helpful ... including a posting to this forum from Captain Bob.
http://www.radiowest.ca/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2603

Lorne · August 31, 2016 8:02 pm

I can't get TinyPic to post a pdf of the following item, but here's the headline and first sentence from an article about Rick Campbell's departure.

Campbell fired for reading memo on air
The Globe and Mail (1936-Current) [Toronto, Ont] 16 Jan 1969: 9.
Announcer Rick Campbell of Toronto radio station CKEY was fired yesterday from his $18,000-a-year job by program director Gene Kirby for commenting on his boss's memo of warning on the air.

Dale Patterson · August 31, 2016 8:44 pm

Lorne wrote:
I can't get TinyPic to post a pdf of the following item, but here's the headline and first sentence from an article about Rick Campbell's departure.

Campbell fired for reading memo on air
The Globe and Mail (1936-Current) [Toronto, Ont] 16 Jan 1969: 9.
Announcer Rick Campbell of Toronto radio station CKEY was fired yesterday from his $18,000-a-year job by program director Gene Kirby for commenting on his boss's memo of warning on the air.

Well that certainly clears up that mystery. Thanks very much Lorne.

As a sidelight, I remember Rick Campbell hosted a game show (forget the name) that ran on CFTO every weekday at 3:30 p.m. in the early '60s. We attended a taping of the show because my mother was on it! I remember running home from school so I could see her appearances (no home recording devices in those days).