MY Memories
THE EARLY YEARS
From that time until May of 1959 I did everything I could to absorb everything that was radio.
During the school year I left the house long before sunrise to operate the morning show until 8:30 when I would dash around the corner to Richmond Hill High. I was back on the board just after 3:30pm and did my homework while playing the classical music (thank heaven for long selections) until the station shut down at sunset. During the summer and school holidays I was there sunup to sundown.
We had what was referred to as 'block programming'. Unlike most of today's radio stations that feature a certain type of music or talk format, we had a variety of programs that ran the whole gamut. Following the morning show (music, news, weather, sports), we had 'Memos From Marge' with Steve Appleby and Marjorie Chadwick that had community news, interviews and such.
Noontime included an extended newscast (no voice clips from newsfolk around the world in those days), sports with Jack Seaton who would drop whatever real estate deal he was working on to dash over to the station to rip and read the latest from the news wire and the farm report with Andy Williams (not the singer) who was an inspector for the Department of Agriculture.. or something like that.
The afternoon was mainly music with Hal Burns (later to be my Best Man when I married) and Gary Parkhill. Both were recent graduates of Ryerson where Gary once told me the only thing he really learned was how to shoot pool. Funny thing about that.. Gary ended up heading the Radio & TV Arts program at Conestoga College.
In late 1958 the station hired Johnny Williams, ex-CKEY overnight announcer and soon my life would change forever.
Johnny and I hit it off right away. Johnny was a pro through and through. His sense of humour, his timing and his personality made him an instant hit on CJRH. He did voices galore (his best was Popeye) and the show gave me a chance to use sound effects and voice clips, something we hadn't done on the station previously. The show was a delight to look forward to every week day, either as a listener or as its operator.
In late April of '59, Johnny was offered the chance to take over the morning show on Foster Hewitt's Toronto radio station CKFH. He asked if I would go with him.
I was 16 at the time and was faced with a major dilema. I was just a month or so from completing grade 10 at RHHS but my interests were radio, radio and radio. My father, mother and I talked it over for days then Dad and I went to the school for an appointment with Wright Morrow, principal of Richmond Hill High. We sat in his office and Dad explained what was happening. While he was disappointed that I wouldn't graduate, he felt that radio was where I wanted to be and that this was the golden chance. The chat went back and forth for some time then, thankfully, Mr. Morrow gave his blessing with the admonition that I was keep my eyes and ears open and add to my knowledge daily while out in the working world. It was advice that I've always heeded and, while I certainly wouldn't recommend leaving school early to everyone, in my case it seemed to work. Touch wood.
To be continued.
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