Industry News

Bobby Curtola’s death Saturday at 73 came as a real shock. I will always remember his youthful enthusiasm and how he loved to perform. Bobby was Canada’s first singing idol. Ottawa’s Paul Anka moved to the U.S. and in hindsight Bobby should have gone too – most of his early recordings were made in Nashville. He was the Justin Bieber of his day. Without the tattoos!

IT WAS JUNE 6th … in fact D-Day on the beaches of Normandy, when 44-year-old Toronto Star reporter Gordon Sinclair (pictured) began a daily series of popular broadcasts on CFRB Radio, that continued until his death… When CBC TV aired the first program in the long-running news-panel show “Front Page Challenge.” It continued for 38 years… When after 23 years The Ed Sullivan Show left CBS-TV. Gladys Knight & The Pips and singer Jerry Vale appeared on the final show… ..and when CHUM 1050 Toronto, the station with North America’s longest-running hit record chart, abandoned its Top-40 format for a mixture of soft rock and oldies. ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.

Bobby Curtola died at his home in Edmonton last night

IT WAS JUNE 5th .. when after 22 years, Canada’s longest running radio program, “The Happy Gang,” was heard for the last time… When Toronto newsman Gordon Sinclair wrote and first broadcast one of the most popular spoken-word recordings of all time: “The Americans”… When CBS-TV premiered the summer replacement show “The Bobbie Gentry Happiness Hour”…. ..and when Edmonton’s CISN-FM signed on with 100,000 watts on 103.9 MHz as “Kissin’ Country”. ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE>

Andrew Wilcox was allowed back into Fort McMurray a week ago, four days before the official staged re-entry began, as the radio station was deemed an essential service.

In San Jose, where the Sharks play, surfing is definitely more popular than skating or snowboarding. The Stanley Cup is undoubtedly the hardest trophy to win in all of professional sports

He had become increasingly frail since being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1984, aged 42, and in recent years had limited his public appearances

IT WAS JUNE 4th …. when NBC-TV’s “The Monkees” won an Emmy award for outstanding comedy series. When ABC-TV’s “Bobby Sherman TV Special” aired, featuring guest performers The 5th Dimension… When the final episode of “The Waltons” aired on CBS TV, though six TV movies followed over the next 15 years … .. and when the final episode of the sitcom “Married With Children” aired on FOX. ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.

Our friend Martin Strong of Roundhouse Radio, last night interviewed 1980's MuchMusic VJ Kim Clarke Champniss (pictured)

IT WAS JUNE 3rd …when Dragnet (with Jack Webb as Sgt. Joe Friday) was first heard on radio (KFI in Los Angeles), a month before it went nationak on NBC… When the Hollywood Palace on ABC-TV hosted the first North American performance by The Rolling Stones… When the characters of Nancy & Chris Hughes returned to CBS-TV’s ‘As the World Turns’, after an absence of 5 years… and when the final episode of the original ‘Star Trek’ series aired on NBC. ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.