What sad news. Not only was he a legend in the business (if you could avoid having a typewriter thrown at your head!) but he was a principled one, as well.

When Robert Holiday ran into some controversy at cross town rival CFTR, it was Smyth that very publicly came to his defence. 

I don't think Robert ever forgot that kindness and the support. 

RIP Dick. Even in an era of maverick broadcasters, you really were one of a kind.  

And here's a video from early days of 680 News, which features Dick Smyth, among others.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Dp13EdntEQ

Hi RA,
Dick had one of his best commentary pieces during the Armiean Bomb Threat in 1985.  He rushed into the 5th floor newsroom and taped a real classic commentary with the ending, hoping that the terrorists would "go straight to Hell".  RIP Dick
 

Years ago, I asked Dick about his radio career and this is what he wrote:

"I first was on radio with a children's theatre group on CFCF Montreal. I played the giants and the ogres because I had the right voice for it. My first paid job - a magnanimous $35 a week - was at CKSF (now CJSS) Cornwall. I worked during the summer then commuted on weekends from Montreal. My dad was with CPR and I rode the train for free. And, in those days, there were plenty of trains.

I then went to CKLB Oshawa, CHML Hamilton, CKSL London and then CKLW. I was at CKLW from 1956 to 1969 which makes it 13 years. CHUM had tried to hire me to do morning news. I told them when they wanted a news director, I might be interested. Eventually they did, the situation at LW was shaky because of the forced sale by RKO General - I was looking for an out - so when CHUM came back, I said yes.

At one point I had really wanted to go to California and almost took jobs in Cincinnati and Pittsburgh as stepping stones. Then I came "that  close" to going to KFI in Los Angeles. (Often wonder how things would  have turned out if the deal hadn't fallen through.) I did some commentary on CKLW-FM in Windsor which in those days had an audience of zilch. CHUM had had a tradition of commentary with Bill Drylie --- always regret never having met him --- and after I got settled in, I started doing daily comment on CHUM.

I had always wanted to get into TV but never was able to in Windsor. (I did do some TV reporting, usually in tandem with what I was covering for radio.) When CHUM acquired CITY, I lobbied for a shot at TV and I started doing nightly TV comment."

 

Last edited by Dale Patterson (March 7, 2021 1:03 am)

I often thought Dick would have made a great talk radio host. I heard him once on AM 640 doing a one-off guest spot and he was excellent. R.I.P. Dick Smyth.

My favorite commentary was the day after Bell bought Chum.
“Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined that our beloved station would one day be owned by the god damned phone company.”

Last edited by Prod Guy (March 7, 2021 7:07 pm)

turkeytop wrote:

I remember him best from his days at CKLW>

Me, too. God, he was good!

I'm told (somewhat accurately) Dick had an afternoon rock show at CHML that wasn't very popular.and was let go. But the station GM lined him up a job CKSL. On the way to London he tuned into CKLW and liked the sound of their news and decided to bypass London and go directly to Windsor to try to get a news job which he did.

i remember dick posting on this here big yellow board.... including revealing about his ongoing dealings with clinical depression. he didn't have to post this but it was clear he felt it had to be said. kudos to him! his honesty may have helped many. may he rest in peace!

Dale Patterson wrote:

Dick Smyth's final CHUM newscast from April 10, 1987, courtesy Doug Thompson in the CHUM Archives.

Smyth makes no mention of the fact this is his last CHUM newscast.

http://rockradioscrapbook.ca/chum-smyth-apr10-87-9am.mp3

I wonder if he didn’t want to take the spotlight away from Jeannie Beker, who was making her last appearance before going on maternity leave.

Interesting hearing the traffic and TTC report - Gardiner closures, delays on the Bloor-Danforth line, could just as easily be 2021!

Last edited by MJ Vancouver (March 7, 2021 8:10 pm)

MJ Vancouver wrote:

Dale Patterson wrote:

Dick Smyth's final CHUM newscast from April 10, 1987, courtesy Doug Thompson in the CHUM Archives.

Smyth makes no mention of the fact this is his last CHUM newscast.

http://rockradioscrapbook.ca/chum-smyth-apr10-87-9am.mp3

I wonder if he didn’t want to take the spotlight away from Jeannie Beker, who was making her last appearance before going on maternity leave. !

Considering he left to go to Rogers maybe this was the last broadcast before he told his boss he was leaving and he was told he wouldn't be going back on the air? Did he say anything on his CityPulse commentary about it being his last? 
 

paterson1 wrote:

You may know about this Mike, and be able to confirm or deny, but I read somewhere that Dick was not totally on board with the 20/20 hyper news style and writing at CKLW.  He felt that it went too far at times and that also played a part in his leaving.  I always liked Smyth and CHUM's news, because while still contemporary, it was always straight forward and they stayed away from the more sensational and graphic CKLW style of news reporting.

Can't confirm or deny, paterson1, but can understand why he might be uncomfortable with some of the writing that made it to air, much of it after Dick left. His approach was, as you say, contemporary and aggressively straight ahead. He was fun to watch when he was on the air, very physical, he commanded your attention.
It must be said, too, that many of the talented 20-20 newscasters did not go overboard.
 

Doug Thompson. a SOWNY member and former producer at CHUM, has written a wonderful piece on his memories of working with Smyth at 1050. It ends with the newsman's own obit, which he wrote before his death.

RIP: Dick Smyth, News Broadcaster Extraordinaire

RadioActive wrote:

Doug Thompson. a SOWNY member and former producer at CHUM, has written a wonderful piece

RIP: Dick Smyth, News Broadcaster Extraordinaire

Enjoyed this, Doug. Got a real kick about the Fred Ennis yellow tape bit.

There's a good article in today's Star, too.

Re the summer of '67 in Detroit, it was said that the CKLW 20-20 News vehicles were the only media cars not
shot at...or at least...hit...
 

Last edited by mike marshall (March 8, 2021 1:57 pm)