Rock Radio Scrapbook

AIRCHECK OF THE WEEK
For week of August 10, 2014
Edition #796

Talent: ROGER ASHBY
Station: CHUM Toronto
Date: August 10, 1976
Time: 56:49 (unscoped)

Roger Ashby first appeared on the CHUM Chart September 6, 1969

Roger Ashby may be a big-city jock, but his roots are in smaller locales. The long-time CHUM broadcaster grew up in Brantford, Ont., where he used to broadcast from a mock radio studio in his basement. Only his mother and father could hear his show, but it was a start.

Ashby's first radio job was as an operator at CKKW Kitchener, Ont. In 1967, he landed a weekend on-air gig at CKKW's new FM station, CFCA. Later that year, Ashby - who had planned to go to college - was hired to do all-nights at CKOC Hamilton. So much for college - he was a jock! In 1969, CHUM program director J. Robert Wood offered him the all-night show at the legendary Toronto station. Ashby took the job and within two-and-a-half years landed the shift he had coveted since the age of 10 - middays at CHUM. He held it for several years before moving into programming.

Ashby returned to the air in 1982, when he became a "temporary" replacement on the CHUM morning show. He did the show for three years. The Ashby morning show included the Oldies Hour from 5-6 a.m., an offshoot of Ashby's amazing Sunday Morning Oldies Show which was a CHUM staple from 1980 to 2009.

Ashby did his last CHUM-AM morning show in August 1985, but within a month moved on to another challenge - the morning show at CHUM-FM. Since then, the trio of Roger Ashby, Marilyn Denis and Rick Hodge (Darren Lamb since 2008) have hosted one of Canada's most popular morning shows.

Enjoy Roger Ashby (with a full newscast by Dick Smyth) here.

(The CHUM Archives/Doug Thompson)

More classic CHUM 'checks here!