CHOO Radio Recollections

An on line scrapbook of images & text for former staff and listeners alike

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Paul Douglas Scott Recalls CHOO in the mid 1970s...

I asked Paul Douglas Scott, who worked at CHOO Radio in the early to mid-1970s, for his recollections of his time at CHOO and of its then owner, Justin McCarthy. Here's what he wrote...

Justin arrived at work every day ready to work and win. He inspired all of us to do the same. With the commitment back to Country, CHOO's ratings began to grow, impressively. So did revenues. We acquired some top talent too. Judy Bull, a recent arrival from the UK, was our amazing receptionist. Ray McCarthy (no relation to Justin) and Johnny Aucoin lit up the sales department. I brought in Bill Johnson to host mid-days (what a natural) and Brian Belfry (one of the most talented guys I've ever had the pleasure to work with) came back to do mornings. Brian Fysh (now Brian Fysher at 680 News) and Gord Taschuk (now with Durham Regional Police) anchored the news department. Jay Mandell was also a wonderful addition to the team. What an awesome line-up of incredible people! I have sample air-checks featuring many of the voices from my time there. I'll need to spend some time filtering through them.

I could write a chapter (or more) on Bill Johnson. He taught me how to play the bass guitar. I taught him how to be a broadcaster. I still have the guitar I bought at Southdown Music in Mississauga from Bobby Lucier, a superb guitarist and one of BJ's contacts.

[Former CHOO newscaster] Leslie McNabb and her husband went to Ottawa following her CHOO days. I can tell you that I received a huge number of complaints when she first went on the air... listeners were not at all tolerant of a female voice delivering the news back then. We weathered that storm and she went on to become warmly embraced and a great addition to the team. She worked with me on the Christmas morning show, 1976... that's a story for another time. (I have lots of them).

After investing three years at CHOO, most of that time as PD, I was ready for a change. In late December, 1976, I applied for the mid-day position at CKKW in Kitchener. This position offered me the chance to join a much bigger company (AM-FM & TV), a bigger market and to earn more money... I got the job.

I submitted my resignation to Justin. He was shocked and not at all happy. That's when I learned that he had sold the station to Elmer Hildebrand. He hadn't said a word to me about the sale before this and asked me to stay.

I began broadcasting on CKKW on January 17, 1977, and sadly, never spoke to, or reconnected with Justin after leaving CHOO. Following the sale of the station, I believe Justin went to work in the advertising department of TV Guide.

So there you have a snapshot of the one and only, Justin McCarthy - combative, competitive, feisty, fair... and fun!

Photos on this page (BELOW) include Leslie McNabb - the first female news voice on CHOO. She was great. In the photo you may notice a bottle of Canadian Club. That pic was taken on the same afternoon we lost audio to the x-mitter. Justin bought that as a "pick-me-up" too! Also... Cheryl - accounting... Judy Bull - reception... Geof Stubbins - copywriter.... and Justin, Claudette & Paul - the day we lost audio. I met Claudette, the girl I would marry, at CHOO in January 1975. In December 2010, we celebrated our 33rd wedding anniversary.

I'll be busy teaching through to the end of April... I'll buckle down and get you more stuff then. Cheers, and thanks for the opportunity to share. Glad to be in touch!

Paul - Program Coordinator/ Radio - Conestoga

PS I do a Sunday classical show from 4 to 6 pm on CJIQ, Conestoga College's station. I know, a big leap from Country to Classical. I still love both.

Hi John,

Justin McCarthy!! He was a character. I enjoyed working with him and for him. And as an eager 21 year old, I learned a great deal from him.

I think CHOO was always country until Justin came along. I believe he hoped the station's signal in the east end of Toronto would be enough to vault the station to major market numbers. It wasn't meant to be.

The first time I met Justin was on the phone. I was a part-timer, working an afternoon weekend shift during the summer of '73 playing "Behind Closed Doors" by Charlie Rich. Justin called and claimed he was the owner of the radio station. He also said that he was listening at his home near Bayview Avenue in Toronto. He wanted me to know two things... the signal was great and that he absolutely loved that record. He said he wouldn't mind if I played the record again before the end of my shift. I did!

Prior to purchasing CHOO with two other partners, Justin was a sales executive at Major Markets in Toronto, an advertising division of CHUM Radio. He sold national advertising and was very good at it I'm told. He was in his late thirties when he bought CHOO, and one of his goals was to become a millionaire before he turned forty. CHOO was going to be his ticket!

CHOO programmed a country music format before Justin took it over, and I can't help but think that it struggled for most of the pre-McCarthy era. I believe Justin felt that the station would have more earning potential if he migrated the format away from country music to a more 1050 CHUM like format. When I arrived, the station was playing a "town and country" format... a hybrid of country and Top 40. But the move away from country didn't work. In late 1973, with poor revenue and ratings results, Justin hired me to do the all night show... and much to my surprise told me to play country music, no Top 40 stuff. So, with no experience in country music, except knowing who Johnny Cash, Brenda Lee and Marty Robbins were, I created a country format for the all night show. And it was a success. Justin began getting letters and calls from listeners and potential sponsors to the all night show. The guys on the line at GM in Oshawa tuned in. I was fielding interview requests from the folks at the Oshawa Jamboree, run by Don Grashy. And I began loving Country Music.

In the spring of '74, Justin changed CHOO's daytime format back to pure Country and I went from all nights to host the afternoon drive show. Several months later, I was appointed to the position of Progam Director.

Justin's Irish heritage was never far from the surface. He was feisty, combative, competitive, friendly and fair. He'd greet me (and all the other guys) with "How you do'in Buck?" One of his business credos was "if you're going to sell tickets to see Tarzan in the tent, Tarzan bloody well better be in that tent". Deliver what you promise. He also taught me the value of pencil erasers. They're there because sometimes we all make mistakes.

On a particularly hot summer day (probably 1975 but I'm not sure), and with no air conditioning in the CHOO control room, I did my show in a bathing suit and t-shirt. Justin was not amused, but he had the AC fixed. On another day a crew was excavating somewhere near the radio station. They accidently severed our Bell line meaning we had no audio going to the transmitter... we were off the air. Justin took it in stride and went out and bought pizza and pops for everyone. We all sang country tunes until we were back on the air several hours later. [CONT'D...]

All photos on this page taken in 1976 courtesy Paul D. Scott. Thanks, Paul. (TOP OF PAGE) Paul Douglas Scott in CHOO master control. (LEFT) Leslie McNabb, CHOO's first female news voice. (ABOVE) Judy Bull, Geof Stubbins, Cheryl [McLaughlin]. (BELOW) The one and only Justin McCarthy with Paul Douglas Scott and Claudette.

What great memories and terrific stories. Thanks again, Paul! More pieces of the CHOO jigsaw puzzle (its history) slowly begin to fill in, piece by piece. We'll look forward to more of your stories later this year. BTW - Leslie, Justin, Geof, Cheryl, Judy or Claudette - if you're reading this - please write. We'd like to hear your CHOO memories too!

Stay tuned... many more CHOO RADIO RECOLLECTIONS to come in 2011... Next up - Rick Fleming recalls his days at CHOO...