Rock Radio Scrapbook

AIRCHECK OF THE WEEK
For week of May 19, 2013
Edition #732

Talent: BURT THOMBS and DOUG HOBBS
Source: goldandgreatrevival.com
Date: December 17, 2003
Time: 30:18

"Don't forget to eat your Snicker Snacks because it's crackers to slip a rozzer a dropsy in snide. Goooooood day."
Doug Hobbs' sign-off, taken from an old MAD magazine quotation

Whether it was Elvis, oldies music in general, baseball - even magic - Doug Hobbs had a passion for it.

Hobbs, who served as a judge at Elvis tribute shows, once played every song The King ever recorded all in a row on his long-running Saturday morning oldies program at CKTB. He joined the St. Catharines, Ont.-station in 1969 from CKSL London, serving for many years as sports director before leaving in 1991 for a year at CJRN Niagara Falls, Ont. He then moved to TSN before returning to CKTB later in the '90s to do a talk show that ended in 2000.

Hobbs was a huge baseball fan - the Cleveland Indians were his team - serving for more than two decades (1990-2012) as an official scorer for the Toronto Blue Jays and also broadcasting games for the minor league St. Catharines Blue Jays. He also dabbled in magic - once doing his act on Uncle Bobby's children's show on CTV - and was a lifetime member of the Order of Magicians.

Hobbs, who had an extensive record collection and a deep knowledge of music, appeared several times as a guest on The Gold and Great Revival, hosted by Burt Thombs and produced by Rob Muir. This online show, a tribute to Burlington, Ont.-oldies station FM 108 (CING-FM), ran from February 2003 to May 2004.

Hobbs died May 5, 2013, a few days after suffering a heart attack. He was 68.

Enjoy Burt Thombs and Doug Hobbs on The Gold and Great Revival here.

(The Rob Muir Collection)

More 2003 airchecks here!