Rock Radio Scrapbook


AIRCHECK OF THE WEEK
For week of June 7, 2015
Edition #837

Talent: PETER GARLAND
Station: CKSL London, Ont.
Date: October 1, 1979
Time: 15:33

L-R: Kate Young, Dean Chevalier, Wayne McLean, me, Gary Allen Price, Rick Wellwood. (Courtesy Peter Garland)

Peter Garland spent more than three decades on the air in south-western Ontario, most of it in mornings at London stations CKSL and CFPL. Rock Radio Scrapbook asked Peter about his long and fascinating radio career, and here's what he told us:

"In 1969, while still a Fighter Control Operator in the RCAF, I got a weekend gig at CFCH North Bay based on some experience I had at volunteer radio stations on various bases on the Pine Tree Line during the previous 12 years of service. In April 1970, I walked into CJCS radio in Stratford while on leave and left as the new PD. GM Stan Tapley handed me some copy to read, asked if I supervised anyone in the RCAF and hired me. Did PD, middays, production, swept up, etc for two years. From PD I worked my way down.

One summer day in '72, John Funston, GM of CKSL London, came to town for a dose of Shakespeare, heard me and had PD David Craig call and offer me Robert Q. Smith's midday job. After one year on middays, I got the morning show, replacing Warren Pierce after consultant Ted Randall led a massive and ruthless purge in staff, the new format being "Gold 'n' Great" - perhaps one of the first oldies stations. After nine years, a comedy album, and pretty good numbers against the king of mornings - CFPL's Bill Brady - I got a very secretive phone call, who had left mornings for management. Big shoes to fill! The man is legendary.

CFPL is the heritage station in London - also legendary - owned by the Blackburn family, at one time a London media giant: TV, radio newspaper. So between 1981 and 2003 it was Garland in the Morning, interviewing some of the world's most famous, combined with oldies, comedy and a huge newsroom community presence. We had a magazine-type format sadly missing in today's radio, mostly. It still lives on to some degree in rural radio.

Blackburn sold their radio properties to Corus in 2000. I hung up the headphones in 2003, after 33 years in commercial radio. From the kid who grew up with radio's golden age, to fulfil his radio dreams, to be given the chance to make people smile in the morning, to help charities grow, it was a beautiful fulfilling time of my life. As I say to my neighbours here in beautiful Twillingate (Newfoundland), I used to be somebody. Now I'm somebody else."

Hear Peter Garland (with Larry Silver and Chris Mayberry) on CKSL here.

(The Bill Dulmage Collection)

More 1979 airchecks here!

 




Rock Radio Scrapbook pays
music licensing fees to the
Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (License 22-F)

 

 


The Aircheck of the Week PREVIEW!

We're previewing the Aircheck of the Week on Facebook. Every Friday, we post the audio link to the Aircheck of the Week on Facebook with the full feature to follow on Sunday as usual.

Rock Radio Scrapbook: Inside Edition
 


 


Download your free RealPlayer
to hear the Aircheck of the Week via your PC or mobile device

Click here for technical help
 

 


RETURN TO ROCK RADIO SCRAPBOOK