1 of 1- Muffaraw Joe
- Member
Offline 
What is your fave Labour Day Memory?
For me it is growing up in Ottawa and I was fan of CFGO 1440, each year they would play the top 400 of all time on Labour Day weekend and cover the Jerry Lewis MDA telethon live as well, their morning show host would be on the local feed of the the Telethon and then play the best darn music all weekend long.
If memory serves me, they had live hosts all weekend long.
It was a fun way to unofficially end summer. Here is a sample of the station...they were a powerhouse and went head to head against CFRA, Ken Grant and company,
Radio was a blast and totally involved in the community too!
Last edited by Muffaraw Joe (September 1, 2024 9:30 pm)
The world would be so good if it weren't for some people...
- Shorty Wave
- Member
Online!
Re: What is your fave Labour Day Memory?
In the early 80s I worked for a cable station in Regina and we would broadcast the local inserts for the Jerry Lewis’ MDA telethon over the Labour Day weekend. It was one of our annual highlights, fun to work on around the clock, plus McDonalds provided the food, it would show up about every 4 hours, a young man’s smorgasbord of greasy joy. We would get the following Tuesday off, to degrease I think….
- Hansa
- Member
Offline
Re: What is your fave Labour Day Memory?
Has anyone ever revealed why the MDA fired Lewis? On the one hand, for all his charitable work, Lewis was by many accounts a tyrant and awful human being to work with - on the other I recall some suggestion that MDA execs were enriching themselves and that Lewis objected. Has anyone heard anything definite?
- Hansa
- Member
Offline
Re: What is your fave Labour Day Memory?
MDA is streaming an old Telethon right now.
- RadioActive
- Moderator
Offline
Re: What is your fave Labour Day Memory?
This is pretty old but it holds up well. In 1980, CFTR's Clint Nickerson went to Las Vegas for a behind-the-scenes look at the Jerry Lewis Telethon. It features Jerry, Ed McMahon and Wolfman Jack among others. It was part of the station's nationally syndicated "Sunday Sunday" program and aired on Canadian radio stations throughout the country.
Still a great piece with lots and lots of audio and a backstage look at what really went on at the Telethon. And don't forget Wolfman and those olives. Or Jerry's "You'll Never Walk Alone" at the end of the show.
Hear it here.
- BowmanvilleBob
- Member
Offline
Re: What is your fave Labour Day Memory?
Hansa wrote:
Has anyone ever revealed why the MDA fired Lewis? On the one hand, for all his charitable work, Lewis was by many accounts a tyrant and awful human being to work with - on the other I recall some suggestion that MDA execs were enriching themselves and that Lewis objected. Has anyone heard anything definite?
In 2007, Jerry was caught on mic using a homophobic slur, for which he later apologized. Beginning in 2010, his participation began to wane as his health issues combined with his age made his appearances problematic, particularly as he began to rant at both his real and percieved critics. As I stated here previously, I still recall Mike Darrow, who hosted the Canadian portion of the telethon on Global, pleading with the audience to keep donating and stating that "your concerns will be passed on the MDA officials in charge of the telethon." Following this, the telethon dropped to six hours, then three, before finally being cancelled altogether in 2015.