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It is National Radio Day today...what was your best moment in the biz?
My best moment was getting my first gig at CKMP 1230 in Midland Ontario, it was owned by Telemedia Radio, they were good to work for!
The pic below is a bit before my time...but the station had a big history and now is affectionately known as the DOCK 104 FM...
"National Radio Day is a time for communities across the country to celebrate radio. The goal is to strengthen the radio ecosystem, highlighting all kinds of radio, but especially stations that focus on local service. We want to ensure that amazing noncommercial stations are included in the national conversation."
After our shift is done, we are all going out for a beer to celebrate that we might still be gainfully employed in this industry!
Here is a link to how us radio hacks are celebrating!
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National Radio Day has been around in the US since the mid '90's and really didn't get much national exposure until NPR gave it some promotion in 2011. August 20th is the date in the US since the first broadcast stateside generally is acknowledged to be on 8MK (later became WWJ) in Detroit on that date in 1920.
National Radio Day isn't officially recognized yet in Canada, and we could tap into the August 20th date, but really should consider either December 1st which was the date in 1919 that XWA (later CFCF) first broadcast music in Montreal. The first regular broadcast was on May 20 1920 which featured a concert that was heard as far away as Ottawa at the Chateau Laurier. By this time XWA had become CFCF which stood for Canada's First, Canada's Finest.
Even though CFCF radio no longer exists, in fact they were the first radio station in North America and probably the world. If National Radio Day is ever formally recognized in Canada, I hope that either December 1st or May 20th would be considered.
UNESCO'S World Radio Day has been around much longer and comes up on February 13th and is a big deal overseas but not so much in North America.
This is my first post and much thanks to Radio Active for all of your help!
EVERY day is Radio Day here at the SOWNY network
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I remember CKMP Midland 1230 as my family cottage is across in Honey Harbour.
Nothing was more legendary than the original CHAY FM Barrie, especially big band saturday night shows that would play on many dockside radios.
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I don't really know if I had one best moment in the biz. I really enjoyed my whole 18 years in radio. I was on air, had a time in management as program director/promotion and finally sales. I am amazed that usually a few times per year I meet someone who remembers my time on air from one of the stations I was working at. I haven't been on air for about 26 years. Guess it means I was really bad or a bit of alright if people remember!
One thing about radio I really remember was all of the great characters I was able to work with. Dedicated, funny and eccentric. Radio was and hopefully still does attract people like this. Unless you are working in the majors, the pay was mediocre to average, the hours terrible, but in terms of fun, enjoyment and extending your adolescence, working in radio was about as good as it gets, at least that was my memory.
Online!
I've always said working in radio or TV beats working in an office.
The sheer range of talent - and characters - is unlike anything I can imagine happening in say, a factory or an accountant's office. The unbelievable stories I could tell could go on and on and on. Maybe someone working for a dentist might have tales like that, but I doubt they'd be so funny or so surprising.
It may not always have paid the best, but the experience was definitely priceless.
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RadioActive wrote:
I've always said working in radio or TV beats working in an office
Nothing beats working in an office with a radio tuned to Neil Hedley's Top 10 @ 10:00 or Next 11 @ 11:00, and volume on max
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grilled.cheese wrote:
I like getting paid a very comfortable salary to post on SOWNY and listen to the radio
Your message, a clever cross-promotion for AM-740 arrived from your office at 740 p.m.