Down radio memory lane
News of Pete McGarvey’s death at 87 is taking me way down memory lane today to my early Roots in Radio. I was just a kid in my early 20’s working on the Morning show with Keith Rich at 590 CKEY.
It was the early 70’s and the radio battle for adult ears was between CKEY and CFRB. It was Wally Crouter and his operator side kick Bev at RB against Keith Rich and me at EY. In those days, Prime Morning Time was the 8 O’clock news. Today it’s the 7am. McGarvey was brought in to EY from Chatam Ontario to write and read the 8 o’clock against the powerful voice and persona of Jack Dennett at RB.
They were truly the days of “The Voice”. Both of them had a set of pipes that could keep Marconi tubes glowing forever. Dennett always kept the ratings edge at 8am. He was the most-listened-to radio newscaster in the Country – no doubt buoyed by his high profile television role as original host of “Hockey night in Canada ” nah nah nah nah nah naaaah. He was a fixture on Saturday night Imperial Esso hockey broadcasts on radio as well.
It was a golden age of radio! Our side had Kieth, Mcgarvey, Joe Morgan, Taylor Parnaby, Charles Templeton and Pierre Burton with Dini Petty in her pink chopper. The RB side had Crouter, Dennett, Gordon Sinclair ,Bill Stephenson and Henry Shannon in the Twin Comanche. I of course eventually joined Crouter’s team in the 80’s for 18 yrs. before this 13 yr. run at 680news.
Pete McGarvey contributed in more ways that on the radio though. As a native of Orillia which is where he retired, he co-founded in 1961 the now world famous Mariposa folk festival launching the careers of folks like Gordon Lightfoot. Pete led the restoration of humourist Stephen Leacock’s summer home which became the Leacock museum that is still treasured by tourists today. The museum’s lifelong learning centre was named after McGarvey in 2002.
I learned a lot from Pete McGarvey, and am STILL doing morning radio! #680news