Ron MacLean ... The 17 Year Old DJ

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Ron MacLean ... The 17 Year Old DJ

Postby radiofan » Mon Mar 03, 2014 7:56 pm

Hockey Night In Canada's Ron MacLean got his start in the broadcasting biz while in High School in Red Deer, AB. At 17, Ron was doing all nights on 85 CKRD as well as airwork
on CKRD-FM. Ron was also seen doing weather on CKRD TV before making his move to Calgary's CFAC TV.

Here's a brief aircheck of 17 year old MacLean at CKRD in 1977.

Ron MacLean at CKRD 850 in 1977

Image

Thanks to Sharkey for sharing this piece of Western Canadian radio history!
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Re: Ron MacLean ... The 17 Year Old DJ

Postby albertaboy4life » Mon Mar 03, 2014 8:37 pm

As a young kid in east central Alberta I got to hear Ron MacLean on the music wave . . . 85 CKRD Radio as well watch him present the weather on CKRD-TV, when it was on Channel 10 in Coronation. Later, I got to watch Ron move behind the sports desk at CKRD-TV alongside anchors Steve Legault and Shelley Fine on Newscene at 5, each weekday afternoon.

Later I was living near Calgary when Jim Van Horne left CFAC-TV's sports department and as host of the Flames on 2&7 broadcasts, to join TSN at its launch, Ron joined Ed Whalen as Jim's replacement (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbGzoSiL59Q). I know that the rest of Ron's well-earned success since joining CBC's Hockey Night in Canada after Dave Hodge's pencil throwing incident, due to a CBC programming decision, is much more widely known.

Very cool to hear this short aircheck of Ron, with what to my ear sounds an awful lot like the influences of two of the best ever - CHED's Wes Montgomery and Bob McCord.
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Re: Ron MacLean ... The 17 Year Old DJ

Postby bigbry » Tue Mar 04, 2014 9:19 am

That was a lot of FUN to hear. Thanks for posting it!
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Re: Ron MacLean ... The 17 Year Old DJ

Postby SteveLegault » Tue Mar 04, 2014 9:51 am

Ron is an incredible talent.

Here's how he got his start as a hockey colour guy.

I was a reporter at CFAC 2 & 7 in Calgary back in 1980, when I was offered a job as News Director at CKRD. Ron was doing mid-days on the radio ( Danny Teed was the morning guy ) He was also doing the weather for the supper news on TV.

When I started working on the 6:00 supper news, I asked my old boss at 2 & 7, Ted Arnold, to watch our show and give me a critique. I had made some changes and moved Ron to sports, as he was such a natural. Ron would go on air and do the entire sportscast from memory, no need for a script, believe it or not. I had to get him to at least provide cues to change the slide (remember those? lol) as the producer and director were unsure when he was moving onto the next item. Lloyd Lewis, by the way, now VP at CTV in Edmonton, was the director.

Ted was blown away by this kid and called me, informing me he was going to steal him for Flames hockey. He had apparently shown his tape to the Hockey Night in Canada Producer at the time (name eludes me) and he was equally impressed. A few weeks later, Ron was gone. The rest is history
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Re: Ron MacLean ... The 17 Year Old DJ

Postby albertaboy4life » Tue Mar 04, 2014 10:19 am

Ralph Mellanby?
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Re: Ron MacLean ... The 17 Year Old DJ

Postby SteveLegault » Wed Mar 05, 2014 7:36 am

Nope...I can now recall, after digging thru old brain cells, that his name was John Shannon. I've seen him once or twice doing panel work between periods on Sportsnet.

When I got to RD, Lorne (Coach) Starko was doing the sports and Ron the weather.
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