This Is The CFUN Radio Lifestyle .....

[hagopian]

Holy COW - thanks Larry. It means the world to hear my old pal again.

Darryl went on to CHUM, and I went, eventually to CFTR, but we were reunited at CFUN, in 1978. (*We used to risk getting fired in Toronto, by hanging out together - a BIG no no - CHUM - CFTR war was intense).

He was the short lived PD of that era, back here at CFUN.

As for working at the Kelly's Store in New West - I did, as well as on Granville, after spending time working at the Warehouse at Kelly's on Broadway.

Thanks too for mentioning Dave Brian, Ray Ramsey, Monica Netupsky and other Record reps. Nice people.

[Anotherwpgguy]

How absolutely delightful to hear that slice of history, and it triggered a Darryl B memory I can pass along.

When I was 20, I was hired by "The Big 8, CKLW" as an operator. That experience changed my "radio life" forever. Being a part of such a huge, white-hot intense radio station had the 5th largest radio audience in North America was a look at the pursuit of broadcast perfection which I never saw anywhere else in Canadian broadcasting.

I often was scheduled to work evenings or over-night.

Darryl B came to CKLW in roughly March of 1970 and I "opped" for him during his first shift ... the all-night show to break him into the format and the system of operations.

Darryl was as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs because he had heard stories of the reputation of "The Big 8" and listened in his car from hundreds and hundreds of miles away approaching Windsor/Detroit.

We worked together, and he was highly grateful for me having him in my hands and assisting him with fitting into the station.

About 3 years later, our paths crossed again at CFUN, where we enjoyed quite some time together and had a mutual respect because of the time we spent on his first night on CKLW.

The last time I spoke to Darryl, I was hoping to get him to join the staff of "The Breeze, 100.7 FM" but he was very, very sick by then, and although he was highly appreciative of my having searched him out, the weakness in his voice told me that our mutual desire to get him on-air in a low pressure environment wasn't to be.

This is a small business, and as the Billy Joel lyrics proclaim ..."only the good die young."

Regards to all,
AWG

[hagopian]

I know that Darryl scared some folks. He could be gruff. He was a great fellow under the insecurities and we became good friends. The last time I saw him, he came to visit Chuck McCoy when Chuck and I were working on Ash Street.
Darryl didn't see me, but I saw him. I wasn't happy with what I saw.

Thanks for the story AWG.

Now I can say I was trained on the board by the same guy that broke in Darryl B. at the big 8. CFUN was no big 8 = but we sure had a blast.

I worked with the greatest people in the world.

[Muzik]

WOW....Interesting stuff...Thank you all. I just wanted to add that Darryl was born in Saskatoon, one of many broadcasters that got their start here.

[FORMER-BOSSJOCK]

" B " was always coming and going... in the 15 yrs I worked with him at ' LG and CFUN... I think I attended 5 or 6 " Goodbye Darryl Parties " One stands out... Ron Carabine threw a noon hour bash at a pizza joint on W 4th Ave... 30 or 35 people showed up. Around 1:30 some folks started drifting away ,including Ron . He signed the bill (which was around $350)... left the amount open and gave us his credit card . By 3:30 The " B " and I ... who were the only ones left ...managed to add another $100 to the total . We staggered back to the station trying to figure a way to return Ron's card without him tearing a strip off us ...so we slipped in the back way...slid the bill & card under Ron's door and ran out the back like 2 school kids caught stealing apples...not our finest moment. By the way Ron never mentioned it . He was a sweet guy.

[hagopian]

Big Alice is still one of my favourite people.

Ron Carabine was a sweetheart. He smoked a pipe. Quiet, efficient and fair.

He saved me from a PD at CKVN called Simon Ginsberg. (*I have stories, but not here, LOL).

B and BossJock were the two guys that us "junior jocks" kinda were in awe of.

I worked with some talented folks and not sure why I lucked out, but I did.

CFUN. Tricia Hannah - receptionist, really ran the station, not Paul Ski....we had a woman go from Accounting to the pages of Playboy (Heidi Sorenson) - talk about a crazy place.

[radiofan]

Here's some pics from Muzik ... thanks for sharing!


Jack Casey


CFUN at The PNE


1900 West 4th Avenue


C-FUN Van


The Famous CFUN Parkade


David Palmer


Drew Snider


Jack Casey



Master Control


News Booth


News Cruiser 1


News Booth


News Crusier 2





Russ McCloud

[Jack Bennest]

Love's Theme - great memories of Darryl on the radio. - Thanks Firedog, Muzik and radiofan for the pix.
Seems like yesterday.

[Anotherwpgguy]

Absolutely delightful!

More raving later today ... my real job is calling me back to a life of responsibility.

AWG

[Neumann Sennheiser]

The master control was the second of three boards in the history of the 1900 W 4th building; because of the era and the look of it, I've always referred to it as the "disco board."
Designed and built by Stan Davis, it was one of those nearly unheard of cases where the jocks who would be using it were consulted on what they wanted in features. Two things we obviously preferred were rotary pots instead of faders and a stand-up use function (..that was perfect for McCloud, who never stood still and for lazy-asses like myself, there was a tall stool chair).
Note two other things in the picture; the stuffed cushioning at the front edge of the railing has been hacked out, it was a good idea in theory but, in practice, it just got in the way,
Also you are able to see posted references to the BC Lions. This, I believe, was the summer of 83' when the dome had just opened and CFUN was carrying the games for the first time having won the rights away from NW. We were pretty stoked about that with myself, Marc Webber (Jaymes) and McCloud being huge fans who rarely missed a game that season including the 83' Grey Cup. McCloud claimed they couldn't win if he wasn't there. They lost anyway, to Toronto, 18-17 after holding a first-half lead of 17-7 and then never scoring another point. That one still hurts.

[hagopian]

Oh man, this made me so happy. Just to see my old joint was a thrill. Any pics of CFUN from back in the day would mean a lot. Thanks a Bunch.

[freqfreak2]

Interesting to note the tools of the trade in these pics ...

Radio Shack scanner, cart machines, reel-to-reels, spliceblocks, magic mending tape, teletype rolls feeding the typewriters, typewriters, paper, pencil-sharpeners, giant wastepaper bins, ashtrays ...

At least you can still find coffee in today's newsrooms ... or maybe that too has been replaced - with designer water.

[Muzik]

Hey hagopian,AWG and everyone else glad this brings back old memories. I will keep digging through my boxes and boxes of the past.I do know that I have some jock profile pic's from '76 or '77 and will post then or should I say many Thanks go out to radiofan for posting. Gee I just found a few CFUN t-shirts nicely folded up in a box,but the funny thing is that none of them seem to fit anymore.

[hagopian]

The reason this is such a great thing for us old CFUN types is the fact that we didn't realize this was our "Season in the Sun".

After all these years, yes the nostalgia is raw - you forget the BS and remember the people and the fun.

I am doubly reminded that it pays to enjoy - because, my friend, the days fly by.

If you want stark evidence of same - today at 2 PM - the community says goodbye to Dave Abbott - and it will be very sombre for me. I have lost too many of my friends, including Rick Honey, Darryl B., Marc Jaymes (Webber) and others.

It makes me realize that time grows ever shorter - so enjoy.

EVERYDAY.

[Mike Cleaver]

Love the pics!
Keep them coming, everyone.
I also enjoyed seeing the 47.9 cent a gallon gasoline sign at the service station that's still just east of the old CFUN building on 4th.