I'm sorry to hear this. Although I often had issues with some of her shows, I appreciated her passion for it. 

I got my start in radio as a trainee operator at CHIN way back in 1974 and it's where I first learned how to op a board, coming in every weekend to work for free. Incredibly, she and her dad were there even then and I remember her very well. 

It's amazing that she was still on all these years later. That will never get the attention of a Roger Ashby in terms of longevity, but that is one amazing run. 

I tuned in this morning just to see how they were filling the air time. There was no announcement about her passing, just a short, one sentence pre-recorded intro from her producer, a guy named Martin, who said he would be back tomorrow. That was followed by an hour of uninterrupted music. 

I realized the reason he wasn't there was because at that exact moment, he was at her funeral. 

I occasionally tune in to hear this show, because I like to keep track of what stations are doing. For several weeks or even months, Zelda Young had been hosting the show over the phone, which I thought was very odd. But no explanation was ever given. She did come back into the studio for a bit after that, then disappeared again, with her producer taking over, again with no word as to why. 

I guess we now know. 

What happens next is anyone's guess. She inherited, if that's the word, her show from her dad after he passed away. But she had no children and only nieces and nephews, so I have no idea who or if anyone will be left to take it over and keep it going.

She did a one hour program at 11 AM Monday-Friday on 91.9 FM in Toronto and a two-hour Sunday morning show, which is simulcast on both 1540 here and on CHIN's FM counterpart in Ottawa. So there could be some big holes in their schedule that they will have to fill pretty quickly if the show does not continue in some form. 

I can't say I was a fan - but you have to give her credit for doing her show throughout her illness.

Last edited by Hansa (September 29, 2023 8:49 am)

They also will have to get a new opening. It was recorded by Harvey Atkin and was used on the show for ages, ending in "Here's Zelda." Atkin died several years ago, so there's no way for him to record a new one. 

It sounds like Martin (I believe his last name is Abels, or something similar) is going to try and keep the show going, but he has never been very comfortable on air and he's not a great interviewer so I wonder if they'll be able to carry on. Plus, it sounds like most of the stuff they're doing is rerolls. 

As for the spot being read by Zelda, using the voice of dead people is not unusual for this show. For years, they used the voice of Carl Redhead to introduce one of their sponsored segments. He passed away decades ago.  

Last edited by RadioActive (September 29, 2023 11:50 am)

I don't know how it works now, but 50 years ago when I was there, it was paid time. You bought an hour (or more) on the station and then you were free to go out and sell as much ad time as you could. I can't see how that's changed being their original business model.

As for who owns it, I guess if Martin wants to pay the freight and get the advertisers, CHIN would likely be happy to see it continue.