The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum / Radio Veteran Looks Back On the 70s As Medium's "Golden Age"

**Posted by RadioActive** February 25, 2025 8:47 am

His name is Randy Russon and he spent much of his youth working in the Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. radio market. In this article about those days, he recalls the rivalries between CKCY and competitor CJIC just down the dial. And as hectic as those days may have been, they were also recalled fondly.

"When I first started out, the competition was intense — as in capital I intense — between rival radio stations CKCY and CJIC. To be sure, it was not for the faint of heart. It was akin to Canada v. the United States in hockey. It was all about who played the best music, who had the top news and sports coverage and who — according to the Bureau of Broadcast Measurement (BBM) — had the most listeners.

Yep, it was head-to-head, take-no-prisoners, blood and guts — the brash lads from CKCY 920 Radio v. the old boys club at CJIC 1050."

Radio Veteran Looks Back On the 70s As Medium's "Golden Age"

**Posted by RadioActive** February 25, 2025 9:49 am

I'd long forgotten I had these, but they're from both stations mentioned in the article above, right about the time he's talking about.

**Posted by Dale Patterson** February 25, 2025 1:19 pm

>> When I first started out, the competition was intense — as in capital I intense — between rival radio stations CKCY and CJIC.

That's what's really lacking, the competition. Competition makes everyone better.

**Posted by RadioActive** February 25, 2025 2:04 pm

Dale Patterson wrote:
>> When I first started out, the competition was intense — as in capital I intense — between rival radio stations CKCY and CJIC.

That's what's really lacking, the competition. Competition makes everyone better.

Could not agree more. Things were a lot better when one station had to beat the other's guys brains in (figuratively speaking) to try to get those extra rating points. It was what made CHUM vs. CFTR in the rock days, as an example, epic competitors and both were better as a result of fighting off each other.

Now the same owner controls so many stations with similar formats that there's not as much incentive to "be better than the other guy." Because, in effect, you already are the "other guy." And the result is the staid radio we have today.