Thanks for the feedback on the chapters to this point.
I’d appreciate hearing from you about topics of interest. Please email me at [email protected]. (Please don’t leave your ideas here on this page.)
Some areas suggested include:
1.) The meaning of station call letters.
2.) Was there a person who stands out for you as a mentor? How did they provide a positive influence? Or the flip side, was there someone who made your life really rough and you had to tolerate?
3.) Did you have a favorite song you liked to intro?
4.) Is there a particular voice that you recognize immediately and really enjoy hearing. (I’ll tell you now…for me, it’s Morgan Freeman.)
5.) I’d especially like to hear from the women in broadcasting on this one. Most of us got into the business before the #metoomovement. And staffs were largely single. So, there was a good deal of dating among staff. As a woman, did you ever feel pressured because you are female? Unwanted advances from a boss?
6.) Was there a particular air personality who ignited your interest in broadcasting? What was it about their style that caught your interest?
If you have any stories about those topics or would like to make suggestions for future chapters, please email me at [email protected].
Comments (2)
Guy Aoki
March 18, 2020 at 4:09 pmHi Charlie! Great to hear from you again. I was a production assistant in ’84 & ’85 & even picked you up from the Burbank airport to take you to the studio, so it must’ve been one of those last minute calls from Don. I’m the guy in the picture you used of Casey & Don (it’s my picture! 🙂 ) that got cut out. That’s OK! Those were the good ole days. So sad that so many staffers have since passed away: Don, Casey, TR, Daryl Morden, and Matt Wilson just last year. I wanted to have a 50th anniversary AT40 convention this year to celebrate. If you have any ideas, I’d love to hear from you. [email protected]
Doug Thompson
March 19, 2020 at 2:50 pmCharlie, it was my lifelong dream since I was 13 years old to work at CHUM. It took me 5 & 1/2 more years before I got there.
I started as a board op, then moved into production 2 years later. There were so many talented people at CHUM (besides the on air jocks). But it all started with the man at the top…Mr. Allan Waters. He only hired the best. There were really two ‘genius’ Program DIrectors during CHUM’s Top 40 era. The first was Allan Slaight (who started in 1958 and left in ’66) and became a billionaire himself with Standard Broadcasting. Then for a couple of years, CHUM languished with a ‘committee’ which never really worked, which was when consultant Ted Randal was brought in and J. Robert Wood joined…the second programming genius. Bob was the guy who took CHUM into the 1970’s and ’80’s. When we were producing documentaries, Bob was right there at all hours of the day and night to support us, feed us and always, always to inspire us to go ‘above and beyond’. It was an honour to be a part of CHUM’s history….along with many others, including you.