On the long weekend I had a great time at the CJCB-CKPE-FM “Cape Country” 2022 Radio Reunion, our first one in 20 years.
It was so great to catch up with the voices I grew up listening to, and luckily ended up working with, from April 12th, 1984 to July 24th, 1987.
If you’ve wondered what radio people talk about at these reunions, well a lot about the funny stuff that happened live on-air and the many bloopers from our mistakes…
Cracking up fellow announcers making them laugh with silly faces, flashing centrefolds at news readers in the middle of reading the news and setting fire to someone’s script while live on air, those were the days.
We also reminisced about the listeners who called us and became phone friends.
We do have cassette tape recordings from back in the day of “air checks” as we call them, but it’s hard to find a cassette player anymore to play them on!
Here’s a few pictures of the great radio people from those stations over the years who were a part of the soundtrack of Cape Breton Island.
(Above: Ian with Don Sharpe, we had soooo much fun working in the 80’s on evenings.)
(Above: The Public Address Announcer Voices of the Cape Breton Eagles and Halifax Mooseheads, Ian at right with my buddy Dave LeBlanc. )
(Above: Two of the legendary voices of CJCB Talk Back, I just heard the jingle in my head typing this… Dave Reynolds and Dave Wilson. “Is diss Dave or dee udder Dave??” )
(Above: With Peggy MacDonald, we did stints on CKPE-FM mid 80’s evenings in Sydney, then at CHNS Halifax late 80’s, then back to Oldies 950 Cape Breton at CHER in Sydney 1995-96. Up and down the dial.)
(Above: The Two Ians, Ian Robinson and Ian Smith with Dave Reynolds who hired us both for our first jobs in 1984. Pretty cool to have a former Hockey Night in Canada host wear my Mooseheads Memorial Cup ring.)
(Above: With legendary Cape Breton voices: Bill MacNeil, Phil Thompson and Dave Reynolds.)
(Above: With CJCB Music Director George Gregory. I wrote George in High School about Billboard Magazine subscriptions and he wrote me back. )
(Above: Late 80’s CKPE-FM Cape Country staff with Randy Travis!)
(Above: getting to work here was a dream come true for a kid from Big Bras d’Or.)
(Above: Where it all began at 318 Charlotte Street, Sydney.)
Some more of the CJCB Legends I grew up listening to:
(Above: Freeman Roach far left, the first 1270 CJCB announcer I remember as a kid.)
(Above: The legendary Robbie Robertson aka “Doc.”Β )
(Above: The legendary Ann Terry, one of Cape Breton’s first female broadcasters. As a kid I called her “Aunt” Terry until my mother corrected me. )
For a few hours we were all 30 or 40 years younger recalling some great radio days and the times spent at Smooth Herman’s and Daniel’s bar where we all gathered.
So many cherished memories and radio stories were shared on the weekend with our fellow radio brothers and sisters who are friends for life.
Can’t wait for the next one!
-Ian