In this week’s issue… Toronto loses legendary morning man – What we learned at the NAB Show – Call change heralds Rochester NPR move – Towers coming down in PA – Remembering New England’s Bill Macek
By SCOTT FYBUSH
*Make a list of the most beloved radio voices in CANADA‘s largest market and one name that should be almost universal is “Don Daynard.”
The native of Owen Sound started his career up there at CFOS (560) way back in 1953, then worked in Peterborough, Kitchener and Smiths Falls before taking a brief swing at a Hollywood career. While his passion for the movies lasted his whole life, Daynard’s time in LA lasted only a few years – by the mid-1960s, he was back in greater Toronto at CFGM in Richmond Hill before joining CKFH, CFRB and then sister station CKFM.
It was at CKFM that “Double D” became a Toronto radio star, hosting mornings for 12 years and launching his long-running Saturday night oldies show.
In 1987, Daynard crossed the street to competitor CHFI (98.1), taking the sleepy beautiful music station to the top of the ratings and pairing with another morning star, Erin Davis. Daynard left the morning show in 1999 but kept on with his Saturday night show until fully retiring in 2004.
Along the way, he also hosted a show on TVOntario, made some movie appearances (including having his voice as a radio newscaster in “Porky’s”), and lived a radio dream that literally included riding off from his retirement party on a white horse to “Happy Trails.”
Daynard died on Thursday (April 21) after a long illness. He was 88.
Behold, the 2025 calendar!
We chose the 100,000-watt transmitter of the Voice Of America in Marathon, right in the heart of the Florida Keys. This picture has everything we like in our covers — blue skies, greenery, water, and of course, towers! The history behind this site is a draw, too.
Other months feature some of our favorite images from years past, including some Canadian stations and several stations celebrating their centennials (can you guess? you don’t have to if you buy the calendar!).
We will ship daily through Christmas Eve. Place your order now for immediate shipping!
This will be the 24th edition of the world-famous Tower Site Calendar, and your support will determine whether it will be the final edition.
It’s been a complicated few years here, and as we finish up production of the new edition, we’re considering the future of this staple of radio walls everywhere as we evaluate our workload going forward.
The proceeds from the calendar help sustain the reporting that we do on the broadcast industry here at Fybush Media, so your purchases matter a lot to us here – and if that matters to you, now’s the time to show that support with an order of the new Tower Site Calendar. (And we have the new Broadcast Historian’s Calendar for 2025 ready to ship, too. Why not order both?)
Visit the Fybush Media Store and place your order now for the next calendar, get a great discount on previous calendars, and check out our selection of books and videos, too!
In this week’s issue… WBUR backs off local talk - EMF's expansion in NY, nationally - Rochester broadcasters honored - Russell finds new PA radio home - Remembering Bruce Stevens - The new calendar's here!
In this week’s issue… Remembering WNY's Palvino, Harris - Will King sell Bangor stations? - Kay moves earlier - New signal on LI - Cumulus cuts hit PA, New England - Frizzell sells in NH
In this week’s issue… Saluting a small-town radio vet - Bell moves CP24 - Scott heads west - Burlington gets Air 1, "Experimental Radio" - Family Life heads down I-86
In this week’s issue… NY TV anchor, radio historian both retiring - XPN PD to retire - More Cumulus cuts - Rogers sells FMs as Corus makes big talent cuts By SCOTT FYBUSH Jump to: ME - NH - VT - MA...
