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CHOO Radio Recollections An on line scrapbook of images & text for former staff and listeners alike ================================================================= | |||||||||||||||||||||
UPDATE November 2009: We've received some more letters and a great visual memory from the golden era of CHOO. Keep those cards and letters coming, folks! My e mail address is on page one. And this month marks a notable anniversary. Greg Schatzmann writes that "it was 15 years ago as of Sunday (November 1st, 2009) that the old CHOO 1390 AM ceased to exist with the launch of "KX96" on FM. (Although I think the AM 1390 khz signal remained on the air simulcasting the new station until as late as February 1995)." | |||||||||||||||||||||
A Letter From Glenn Luff Hi John. I happened upon your page one fine summer afternoon as something prompted me to remember my early days in private radio. (I found your site by the tried and true method that always seems to work - a random Google search. I was curious to see if anyone had actually created a site similar to yours. Thanks for doing that.) In fact, the first radio job I ever had was beginning in the Spring of 1978 at mighty CHOO Radio in Ajax, Ontario (coincidentally - and not many people can say this - home of my birth in 1955). I was actually recommended for a news job at CHOO (news would be my first path considering I graduated with a degree in Journalism from Ryerson University in 1977) by former classmate and friend Jim McAleese. Jim and his buddy John Saunders (who we all know now as a leading sports announcer on ABC). I was, in fact, the guy who replaced the soon-to-be famous Saunders in the CHOO newsroom. My boss at the time was Gord Taschuk (always thought Gord had the talent and means to work in major market radio, but he always seemed happy working in the small-to-medium Durham Region market). Len Jones was one of the announcers at the station at the time and Len became best man at my first wedding in 1981 (anybody know whatever happened to Len? Lost track with him many years ago). I worked at CHOO Radio for little less than a year (spring of 1978 to Winter of 1979) but it was definitely one of the best (or most fun) jobs I've ever had. Currently, I am Director of Communications for Indian and Northern Affairs Canada in Alberta and am looking at retiring in about four years time. CHOO Radio was full of characters - many people at the beginning of their careers, some in their twilight and others just happy to be doing what they were doing at that moment in time. I'll always remember the CHOO radio "newsmobile," which was, in fact, an infamous K-Car. I'll always remember running out for hamburgers in the "newsmobile" on quiet Saturday afternoons when it was just me and the on-air announcer. I'll remember Gord Taschuk, Brian Belfry, Dave Hughes, Tom Edge... and others whose names I can't remember. In 1981 I joined CBC National Radio News as a reporter/editor and then continued my career with CBC for 16 years (as Director, Communications, CBC Alberta and Director of Publicity and Public Relations for the CBC English Networks in Toronto). I am probably the only graduate of the CHOO Radio ranks who has actually hosted CBC-TV's "The National." A strike of CBC announcers in March of 1989 forced the only two managers at the CBC at that time with any on-air broadcasting experience - me and Don Goodwin - to fill in for the likes of Sheldon Turcott and Knowlton Nash. So, I have actually hosted "The National," - in some small thanks due to my 10 months employment at CHOO. Not that my appearance will be included in any history books of Canadian broadcasting, but's it's a neat little fact in my own personal history. I only have one piece of CHOO radio memorabilia - a full-page ad from a local TV Times in 1977 showing the entire CHOO staff - on-air, news, sales, creative etc. I would be happy to scan and send it to you for inclusion in the CHOO website. Cheers, Glenn Luff/Edmonton, Alberta -------------------------------------------------------------- Update from Greg MacNeil (Schatzmann) Hi John.... I took a quick look and see there's a lot of new material there since I last checked. Glad to see so many people coming out of the woodwork! The piece from the guy who operated the pirate station in Oshawa is great (complete with rejection letter!)... gotta love the spirit...if no one will put him on their air, he'll just create his own station! One thing that strikes me is the number of people who passed through ole' 97 McMaster Ave. Truthfully I don't recognize a lot of the folks who have contributed, but in many cases they were there before my first stint at the mighty 'double O' in 1984. However do recognize some of the people in the more recently submitted photos... Gord T of course, as he hired me my second time there starting in '89. Brian Belfrey... one of the nicest radio guys I've ever worked with, Joe Frechette/Conrad who hired me the first time and Lill Bolton. Great photo of her from 1980. For all intense purposes Lill ran the station and was really the cement that kept the whole joint together over all those years. I believe she stayed with the company after it merged with the Oshawa stations and retired just a few years ago. I've always had the good fortune to work with some really great people in the radio biz, but it seems, upon reflection, that the folks who worked at CHOO were almost family-like. Everyone got along very well, worked together and took pride in keeping the station's image strong in the community. I actually get nostalgic looking at that old wood paneling and shag carpet walls! I've looked for, but have yet to find, copies of a couple of reception reports from various DXers who managed to pick up 1390 in far off lands... usually Scandinavia. As I was the resident radio hobbyist, the task of replying to them fell to me for a few years. I know I didn't throw them out... so when I find them, I'll take a scan and send it off. Thanks for your continued efforts on the site! As I mentioned before the one regret (okay, I have several....) but the one that stands out when I see things like this is that I have few if any photos from my early days in radio. So, seeing pics on-line like this is great! Greg (Thanks Greg, always good to hear from you. I also remember getting reception reports from I think it was Finland when I was at CHOO - can anyone explain it?) | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Thanks to Glenn Luff for his letter, his recent photo (above) and for sending along a copy of his "one piece of CHOO radio memorabilia" which appears on the next page. ----------------------- | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Undated photo (above) of CHOO's Jim McAleese, mentioned in Glenn Luff's letter. (Jim's letter is on pg 8.) -------------------------- | |||||||||||||||||||||
WILLIAM (BILL) JONES, CEO and Founder, CHOO (1967) Bill was born on May 25th,1915 in Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, UK. He was educated at Cambridge University. Bill started as a research engineer in 1936, designing television receivers and transmitters. In 1937 he became involved in the design and development of Radar and continued through WWII developing many systems some of which were vital to the success of the Battle of Britain. Starting as a junior engineer with Pye Ltd., he eventually became chief engineer of Pye Telecommunications Ltd. Bill emigrated to Canada in 1950 to manage Pye Canada, the first industry in Ajax, Ontario. In 1951 he became a ''Dollar a Year'' man for C.D. Howe in the Department of Defence Production as head of Radar production during the Korean War and the Cold War. During his business life in Canada, he was Chairman of the Ajax Industrial Association, Chairman of the Ajax Industrial Commission, Rotarian, President Transonic Limited, Vice President and GM of Pye Canada Ltd., Vice President of Canastel Ltd., Vice President CJCH Halifax N.S., Director CHAN TV Vancouver, Founder and CEO of CHOO Radio Ajax, Chairman Electronic Division RETMA, Broadcast Consultant. Bill retired at the age of 65, but went on as an engineering consultant for AEG Telefunken Bayly, where he managed the broadcast division for 10 years. Bill was a member of the Half Century Club of the Canadian Asc. of Broadcasters. He died on June 6th, 2004. (This obituary notice was found on line and edited for inclusion on this site.) | |||||||||||||||||||||
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