CHFM Calgary - Cal Walker - 1988

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CHFM Calgary - Cal Walker - 1988

Postby albertaboy4life » Sat Apr 11, 2020 8:18 am

From the RadioWest aircheck archives -

In December 2019, Cal Walker retired from San Diego radio after reporting traffic for 30 years.

https://timesofsandiego.com/business/20 ... s-retired/

Before that he was in Calgary hosting the afternoon drive show on Calgary's Lite Rock FM96, CHFM.

Here's Cal's show from April 15, 1988. He's joined by Kathy McNeil with the news and Commander Cody reported on Calgary traffic, including his thoughts on the introduction of photo radar by the Calgary Police Service.

https://soundcloud.com/westernbroadcast ... il-15-1988

Cal spent 40 years on air with stops in Kelowna, Victoria, Vancouver, Calgary and San Diego.
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Re: CHFM Calgary - Cal Walker - 1988

Postby Neumann Sennheiser » Sun Apr 12, 2020 9:25 am

Seeing as 32 years is a long time ago, I don’t know if anyone recalls when CHFM’s great success in the Calgary market really began taking hold.
Was the Don and Joanne morning show in place in 1988?
I think Don Stevens might have been on mornings then, but solo - pre Joanne and The Coach.
In any case, this is a station that sounds like a solid, well programmed winner and Mr.Walker’s smooth, affable and very naturally communicative delivery impresses.
He was punching above the weight of the average talent of a city like Calgary at that time and it’s no surprise he was able to fit right into a much more significant American market. I understand he accepted his traffic reporter gig there in San Diego in 1989 as that was what was then available to him in a very competitive environment. I remember being in San Diego that summer and being impressed that this was a city you would want to be; both for the lifestyle and for the level of radio market quality and talent.
In any case, despite that he established a long and successful career in traffic, he really had the chops to host his own show.
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Re: CHFM Calgary - Cal Walker - 1988

Postby albertaboy4life » Sun Apr 12, 2020 11:37 am

It would be a few years before Don Stevens, Joanne Johnson and Jamie “the Coach” Herbison would join CHFM.

In 1988, Kevin Nelson (son of 1050 CHUM’s Jay Nelson) hosted the morning show on FM96. The Johns brothers were the consultants behind the scenes.

Jamie Herbison was cohosting mornings with Bruce Bowie (later Kelly Latrimouille) on sister station, 1140 CISS AM. Don Stevens was hosting the morning show on AM106 (CFCN) while Joanne Johnson was part of the (Jerry) Steen Team mornings on 66-CFR. Don would leave later that year for Toronto.

The rest of the market included the following morning hosts -

Dave Rutherford and Jim Jeffries on QR-77

Jeff Michaels on Q-91

Ned Corrigall on 960 CFAC

Norm Edwards on C-JAY 92

Charley West on Country 105

Jim Ripley on 107 KIK FM

Don, Joanne and the Coach would join CHFM after Rogers bought the station in 1992.
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Re: CHFM Calgary - Cal Walker - 1988

Postby albertaboy4life » Sun Apr 12, 2020 11:52 am

Don Stevens was also AM106’s PD.

CHFM had been the top FM station in Calgary in the early ‘80s.

Country 105 CKRY dominated the market from the late ‘80s to very recently.

C-JAY 92 was the FM market leader in the late ‘70s pretty much right from its launch under PD Ross Davies. He left for CHUM FM in 1979. C-JAY had some non-compliance issues in the mid-‘80s. It thrived through the ‘90s and into the 2000s, especially under the Slaight family’s ownership.
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Re: CHFM Calgary - Cal Walker - 1988

Postby DonovanTildesley » Thu Apr 16, 2020 11:35 pm

Is that the voice of Gord Eno heard on the Calgary Stampede spot right at the end of this aircheck? I also seem to recall that Chris Coburn was hosting the morning show as "Chris in the Morning" on CHFM circa 1993, prior to his arrival in Vancouver, to take over morning duties on JRFM alongside the late Sharyn Graham.
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Re: CHFM Calgary - Cal Walker - 1988

Postby albertaboy4life » Sat Apr 18, 2020 6:32 am

Chris Coburn was on CHFM first to do the PM drive shift, after leaving 66-CFR in 1990 where he did the same shift. He took over the FM96 morning show when Gerry Forbes left for QR-77 in 1992. "Gerry's Flipped . . ." said the billboards in Calgary at the time. CHFM had a promotion that summer where they "Gave Away the Beetles." Four VW beetles were the prizes.
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