The legendary broadcaster takes us back to the early days through to his online Spirit of Radio project.
by Dave Charles
December 7, 2023
Born and raised in Toronto, David Charles Marsden is a Canadian radio broadcaster who launched himself on the air under the name Dave Mickie. He quickly blazed a trail in Chatham-St. Thomas, Hamilton, then Montreal and Toronto radio in the early ’60s. His unique delivery style even attracted the critical attention of one very influential media theorist.
“At the time, I was somewhat involved with WABC New York,” Marsden tells me. “One afternoon, I walked into Rick Sklar’s office. He jumped out of his chair, pointed at me and exclaimed — “You’re in the book!” I had no idea what he was talking about. Soon, a few others joined in. He reached into his desk drawer and pulled out ‘the book,’ which happened to be Marshall McLuhan’s then recently published Understanding Media.”
What follows is a walk down memory lane with this extraordinary spirit in radio who has moved with the times, from the early days of AM to today on the internet at NYthespirit.com, a new revival of Toronto station CFNY’s beloved “Spirit of Radio” era.
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Awesome article! Always good to hear about the roots of rock as formed in the FMRadio years.
Listening to CHUM FM as it went from playing classical music to underground music was amazing to witness.