Peter Ray Obit

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Peter Ray Obit

Postby cart_machine » Wed Aug 05, 2020 10:21 pm

Peter Ray, the long-time Broadcast News reporter, has passed away. Here's a CP obit:

https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/202 ... ge-71.html

Peter had been at CFOX Montreal before he was hired at the new CKO Montreal in 1977. He was the second news director for CKO Vancouver in 1978 and was transferred to Calgary that year before heading back east to work for the wire service.

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Re: Peter Ray Obit

Postby cart_machine » Wed Aug 05, 2020 10:52 pm

Chuck Davis had a bit of fun with Mr. Ray at the outset of CKO Vancouver in 1977. This is part of Davis' column in the Province for Nov. 3rd:

"Hello, Mr. Davis?"
"Yeah?" "My name's Peter Ray, I'm with CKL all-news radio. I see in your column that we're not gonna sign on until spring?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm calling from Vancouver. Our staff is just about all chosen, and we sign on in two weeks. Anything else you wanna know?"
Well yes there is, Peter, now that you mention it. How come the CRTC didn't know, because that's where I got my information!
Anyway, welcome to Vancouver!


Peter read the column and had a chat with Davis, who responded in his column of the next day.

"Are you sitting down, Chuck? Comfy? Can I get you a glass of water, or anything? You're sure you're comfortable? You need a pen and a piece of paper? Sure thing, here you go. Ready now? Fine.
"First, our call letters are CKO, not CKL, Chuck. It's your phone system out here, I guess, or maybe you work in a noisy office. We sign on at 6 a.m. on November 21, not in the spring, Chuck. You're sure you're comfy? Okay, we'll have a staff of 10 news people, and we're still hiring. Our senior newsman will be Cam Scott; our sales manager's John Newbery.
"Our transmitter's on Grouse Mountain, our studios are at 2780 East Broadway near Laslo Street Oh, it's Kaslo? Thank you. I'm actually from Montreal. I'm just out here to set things up. You'll find us at 96.1 on the FM dial from 6 a.m. to midnight every day and it's news straight through. Yes, we'll have a Victoria correspondent.
"Why didn't the all-news format work for CFUN back when they were called CKVN? Top heavy. They had a staff of 35. We can do it with 10."
Thank you, Peter Ray. We'll be listening.
P.S. David Ruskin, President of the CKO chain, told the CRTC two weeks ago that his Vancouver station wouldn't be on the air before January 1978.


Ray was flown out here to replace Cam Scott a number of months later, then transferred to Calgary several months after that.

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