News

After a quarter of a century as Calgary’s favourite morning radio trio, Don Stevens, Joanne Johnson and Jamie (the Coach) Herbison are splitting up.

Wally Desjarlais has taken a medical leave and as a result we have made some line-up changes.

We lost a couple of very good ones in Edmonton over the past few weeks. If I listed all their accomplishments in this column I’d need the full Page 6 and likely half of Page 7, too. Chuck Chandler was one of Edmonton’s most colourful media guys … and he worked at several radio stations in town but his main claim to fame was working with the powerhouse 630 CHED in the heyday of Top 40 radio. Also Fil Fraser, (pictured)

Happy Birthday to Brenda Lee, Jermaine Jackson, Rita Moreno, Donna Mills, Teri Garr and comedienne Mo’Nique. Radio around the world carried the abdication speech of the UK’s King Edward VIII; Alan Waters purchased Totonto’s CHUM 1050; Victoria’s CFMS was transformed into ‘The Ocean 98.5’; the CBC announced the cutting of 378 jobs; ABC-TV aired the first of Bing Crosby’s 17 Christmas TV Specials; and Tom Selleck was seen for the first time as ‘Magnum PI’ on CBS-TV. Notable obits include sitar virtuoso Ravi Shankar, radio & TV host Robert Q. Lewis, and Canadian TV vocalist Wally Koster, Details and ALL the Dec 11th milestones INSIDE.

Born this date were BC broadcaster Mel Cooper, actresses Nia Peeples, Susan Dey and Gloria Loring, actors Kenneth Branagh, Dan Blocker and John Colicos, and newsman Chet Huntley. Vancouver’s good music CHQM signed on at 1320 KHz; Seattle’s KOMO 4 became the city’s 2nd TV station; Nashville’s WSM Barn Dance was introduced for the first time as ‘The Grand Ole Opry’; and 6-year old Donny Osmond appeared for the 1st time with his brothers on NBC-TV’s ‘Andy Williams Show.’ Checking out were Richard Pryor (pictured), Marie Windsor, Paul Richards, Freeman Gosden, Shirley Hemphill, and Canadian broadcasters Spence Caldwell and Duke McLeod. ALL the Dec. 10th milestones INSIDE.

The very capable Amber Schinkel signed off from the Global Calgary morning show Nov. 10th, and began working the anchor desk at CTV Vancouver...

With over 20 years in the field and behind an anchor desk, Pierson is known and respected for her tough reporting style and accountability

A talented group of birthday celebrants today, including Kirk Douglas (who turns 101!), Judi Dench, Beau Bridges, John Malkovich, Felicity Huffman, Buck Henry and Donny Osmond. The joketelling radio show ‘Can You Top This’ debuted on New York’s WOR, two years before it got to the networks; ‘Coronation Street’ premiered on ITV in the UK; ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ began its 50 year run on CBS-TV; and the ‘Royal Canadian Air Farce’ was heard for the first time on CBC Radio. U2 made their first appearance on NBC’s Saturday Night Live; Bobby Darin was the mystery guest on CBS-TV’s ‘What’s My Line’; and Motown’s The Supremes and The Temptations shared the spotlight on their own NBC prime time special. Among those checking out this date were singer Georgia Gibbs,, actors Gene Barry and Vincent Gardenia, and ABC-TV prime time star Bishop Fulton J. Sheen. ALL the milestones for Dec. 9th INSIDE.

The show is still popular enough that this Saturday the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame is opening Sports Page: The Exhibit. It’s a salute to the 40th anniversary of the program’s debut.

O’Brien had been suffering from complications due to diabetes for years, she said, but had been working all the while, even lately as he was dealing with kidney disease