Rock Radio Scrapbook

AIRCHECK OF THE WEEK
For week of September 11, 2016
Edition #902

Now in both Real Audio and MP3

Talent: BOB McADOREY
Station: CHUM Toronto
Date: September 17, 1964
Time: 56:39 (unscoped)
         28:15 (scoped)

(Photo credit: The CHUM Archives, Bob McAdorey)

Bob McAdorey not only played the records, he chose them.

Doubling as afternoon jock and music director during CHUM's glory days of the 1960s, McAdorey played a huge part in the station's success during that memorable decade. One of the biggest plums of his job was determining the rankings of the songs on the CHUM Chart, which during his time as MD was a Top 50 ranking. The CHUM Chart was one of the most influential music charts in North America and could make-or-break the career of a musical act, especially a Canadian one.

Rock and roll was in its nascent stages when McAdorey got his start in radio in 1953 at CHVC in his hometown of Niagara Falls, Ont. From there he worked in Dawson Creek, B.C., and the Ontario markets of London, Hamilton and Guelph. He arrived at CHUM in 1961, replacing the last of the original CHUM jocks - Pete Nordheimer, in the 1-4 shift. In 1964, he moved to the 4-7 p.m. time slot, trading places with Mike Darow who moved into Mac's shift. McAdorey would spend the next four years in afternoon drive, before leaving as part of a major upheaval of the station in 1968.

"We kept it clean up here," McAdorey told the Toronto Star's Jim Bawden. "There was no payola as in the U.S. and we deliberately helped a lot of Canadians. It was personality radio. We were promoted like crazy back then. And the pressures were unbelievable. We dictated what record were going to go. And what kids would eat, drink."

After CHUM, McAdorey moved to country-formatted CFGM in Richmond Hill, just north of Toronto. He moved to easy listening CHFI-AM in 1970 and was there for a short time after the station moved to a rock format in 1972. McAdorey returned for another stint at CFGM before moving to Global Television in 1976 where he spent 24 lively years, first doing wacky comedy bits then moving into entertainment. A man who suffered significant tragedy in his life - he was predeceased by his wife Willa, daughter Robin and son Terry - McAdorey yearned for his earlier radio days. "I'd walk into the booth in pyjama tops and jeans and talk one-on-one to people," said McAdorey, who passed away in 2004 at age 69. "At least that's the way I always imagined it."


Enjoy Bob McAdorey on CHUM (UNSCOPED) here.

Enjoy Bob McAdorey on CHUM (UNSCOPED) here.

 

Enjoy Bob McAdorey on CHUM (SCOPED) here.

Enjoy Bob McAdorey on CHUM (SCOPED) here.

(The CHUM Archives/Doug Thompson)

More from the CHUM Archives here!