Rock Radio Scrapbook

Airchecks: 1983

Talent: JOHN RECORDS LANDECKER
Station: CFTR Toronto
Date: July 14, 1983
Time: 7:08

Billboards all over Toronto screamed the news in 1981: "LANDECKER HAS LANDED!"

And land he did - on August 24, 1981 Chicago radio legend John Records Landecker took over the morning show at CFTR.

Landecker came to 'TR after nine years at Chicago's 50,000-watt giant WLS, where he established himself as of Top 40 radio's leading personalities. At CFTR he had a formidable task, replacing that station's popular morning man Jim Brady, who left after eight years for rival CJCL.

Landecker spent two years at CFTR before returning to the Windy City at WLUP. Since then, the Michigan native has returned to WLS, worked at WPHR Cleveland, then moved to Chicago stations WHN and WJMK. In 2006, he started at WZZN Chicago in afternoons.

Prior to WLS, Landecker was at WIBG Philadelphia and WILS Lansing, Mich. And yes, Records is his real middle name (it was his mother's maiden name).

Enjoy John Records Landecker at CFTR here.

(The Bill Dulmage Collection)

Talent: GEORGE HAMBERGER
Station: WGR Buffalo, N.Y.
Date: July 17, 1983
Time: 8:30

If a Buffalo radio station played hit music, chances are George Hamberger was on it at one time or another.

The master of the double entendre, Hamberger entertained at just about every major Buffalo Top 40 or oldies station in a career that began in 1967 at WYSL. The "Berger" spent four years at WYSL, appearing on both AM and FM, before moving to mornings at WGR in 1971. He was at WGRQ from 1972 to '74 then WBEN in late mornings from 1974 to 1976.

In 1976, Hamberger joined WKBW in afternoon drive where he stayed until the late '70s. In 1980, he crossed the border for a stint in middays at Toronto's CFTR. From 1981 to 1987, he returned to mornings at WGR.

Hamberger went into commercial real estate in 1990, but added yet another station to his collection when he appeared on weekends at WHTT-FM (Oldies 104) from 1999 to at least 2001.

Hear George Hamberger (and Vic Cummings with Soap Dope!) on WGR here.

(The Bill Dulmage Collection)

Talent: TOM SHANNON
Station: WKBW Buffalo, N.Y.
Date: July 19, 1983
Time: 6:29

Tom Shannon was behind the mike at WKBW for both the early and latter days of the station's music era.

Shannon joined 'KB in 1959, one year after it switched to a Top 40 format, before leaving for WGR in 1963.

After stints at Windsor's CKLW and a few other stations, Shannon returned to 'KB in 1983. He did afternoon drive and middays (remember his Pure Gold show?) before leaving in 1986 - two years before the station dropped live-assist oldies. As he did when he left 'KB in 1963, Shannon moved to WGR, then left the Buffalo market for awhile, at one time hosting a shop-at-home TV channel in Tennessee.

Shannon again returned to Buffalo in 1997 for afternoon drive at WHTT (Oldies 104). He retired from day-to-day broadcasting in 2005.

In July, 1983, Shannon was filling in for Dan Neaverth in the morning show. He was joined by veteran newscaster John Zach and the late Rob Stoddard.

Hear Tom Shannon here.

(The Bill Dulmage Collection)

Talent: LEE MARSHALL
Station: CHUM Toronto
Date: August 14, 1983
Time: 6:22

CHUM's great heritage as a Top 40 station would come to an end in 1986, but not before some great radio talents graced its airwaves in the 1980s. One of those talents was Lee Marshall, who later in the decade resurfaced at KEY-590 Toronto and in the '90s was playing the oldies for the Pelmorex Radio Network. For a time, his syndicated show was carried on CHUM, where he rocked the airwaves a few short years before.

Hear Lee Marshall, along with Brian Henderson and Dick Smythe (complaining about bilingual refrigerators)  here.

(The Bill Dulmage Collection)

For more fabulous CHUM airchecks, visit The CHUM Archives

Talent: RUSS HORTON
Station: CING-FM Burlington, Ont.
Date: October 17, 1983
Time: 10:08

(Photo credit/Radio Samantha)

In its time, FM 108 in Burlington, Ont., achieved legendary status in southern Ontario. Several years after its departure from the airwaves, that status has been upgraded to mythical. It was a great combination of classic oldies music and distinctive personalities that made FM 108 a station for the ages.

One of the best of these on-air talents was Russ Horton, who started as the all-night man in the early '80s, left, and then came back again as production manager and music director. But even more important than his on-air and radio management skills is his status as one of the truly nice guys of radio. Thanks Russ! And while FM 108 is long gone, you can still hear him via the Internet at Radio Samantha.

Russ talks about his time at FM 108...

It was the most fun I've ever had in radio ... working with the oldies ... Norman B. was my mentor and everything I do today is a reflection of the things I learned at Canada's original oldies station.

First, Norman B., who introduced me to many of his close friends such as Fats Domino, Peter Tork, Bobby Vee and Ronnie Hawkins. The true veteran pros like Jim Paulson, Pat Murray and Earl Warren ... the screaming style of Rockin' Robin, a.k.a. Biondi North, Burt Thombs and Clint Trueman's Saturdays ... Wes Atkinson, Kenny Wells, Peter Jaycock ... wonderful memories ... once again FM 108 lives on!

Now, enjoy Russ Horton on FM 108 from October 17, 1983 here.

(The Dale R. Patterson Collection)

Subject: FIRST DAY ON THE CN TOWER
Station: CFNY Toronto
Date: November 28, 1983
Time: 7:26

"Covering the heart of Toronto, and the liver and spleen of three other communities."

Toronto broadcasting changed forever May 1, 1976. On that day, CBC-TV and CFTO-TV became the first stations to send out their signals from the newly-completed CN Tower. Most of Toronto's FM stations followed suit later that month.

CFNY went on the tower seven years later. The station was founded as CHIC-FM in 1961, licensed to Brampton, Ont., and initially just simulcast its AM sister. But as the years went by, more and more original programming was offered on the FM side and interest grew. In 1977, the call letters were changed to CFNY to give the station its own identity. Further, the signal was boosted from a mere 857 watts to a much more respectable 100,000.

Things improved even more for CFNY when - after approval from the federal regulator - it went on the CN Tower in 1983. At 553.3 metres (1,815 feet) the world's tallest free-standing structure from 1975 to 2007, the CN Tower is home to eight television stations and 11 FM stations, and is also used for cellular and paging communication. There are no AM broadcasters on the tower.

CFNY celebrated its move to the CN Tower with a "push-button radio breakfast party" the morning of November 28, 1983. About 450 people were on hand as Toronto mayor Art Eggleton pushed the button that transferred the signal to the tower for the first time.

Hear J.R and James Scott from CFNY's first day on the CN Tower here.

(The Bill Dulmage Collection)

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