The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum / When The Toronto Star Feted CHUM Radio Producer Doug Thompson

**Posted by RadioActive** **Online!** January 12, 2025 10:26 am

Mr. Thompson is a valued SOWNY member who frequently adds great information about the history of CHUM, where he worked as its star producer during the station's Top 40 heyday

I recently discovered this terrific profile of the talented audio man from August 1975.

He was a star then and he's a star still! (In this case, a Toronto Star!)

**Posted by mic'em** January 12, 2025 10:29 am

Cool article. Thanks for posting.

**Posted by Doug Thompson** January 12, 2025 3:21 pm

Wish I still had that hair! Thanks for something I'd totally forgotten about RA.

I wasn't at CHUM when this was published. Former CHUM writer Bill McDonald, CHUM executive Hugh Batchelor, Geets and I had started a creative commercial company called That Commercial Place. The writer did get one thing wrong. I most certainly did NOT start Pete 'N Geets in commercials. They were doing Fairview Electronics spots before we started doing them for The Wool Bureau, The Turkey Board of Ontario, Parc Safari Africain (Montreal), Chelsea Clothes For Men (Detroit) and many others. Geets and his wife Barb had been my best friends since Geets came to CHUM in 1967. He and Bill McDonald were the Best Men at my wedding (Yes, I couldn't choose just one. I had two Best Men).

I did end up working in Hollywood for 4 years in the late 1980's.

**Posted by mace** January 13, 2025 9:04 am

I have always maintained that the most successful ads for radio/television are those that are humorous [Dick Orkin's Time Magazine spots] or annoying as hell [ Wisk laundry detergent "Ring Around the Collar"] which ran for more than 20 years.

**Posted by Saul** January 13, 2025 10:10 am

mace wrote:
I have always maintained that the most successful ads for radio/television are those that are humorous [Dick Orkin's Time Magazine spots] or annoying as hell [ Wisk laundry detergent "Ring Around the Collar"] which ran for more than 20 years.

...and I've always favoured the soft sell. Less really can be more. Nice article!

**Posted by RadioActive** **Online!** January 13, 2025 10:14 am

And as Doug himself noted, nice hair!