Rock Radio Scrapbook

AIRCHECK OF THE WEEK
For week of September 25, 2016
Edition #904

Now in both Real Audio and MP3

Talent: JOHN RODE
Station: KEY-590 (CKEY) Toronto
Date: October 10, 1988
Time: 57:16 (unscoped)
36:22 (scoped)

John Rode's radio career never went south - it went north.

The native of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, got his professional start in San Juan, Puerto Rico., and steadily worked his way northward - to WALT Tampa, WKLO and WINN Louisville, WSAI Cincinnati and WRKO Boston - before arriving in Toronto at CKFH in 1968-69. After a couple of years doing mornings at 'FH, Toronto rival CHUM hired him for swing in 1970.

Much of the rest of Rode's career would be spent in Toronto, though he also did gigs at CFUN Vancouver, WIBG Philadelphia and KFQD Anchorage. He was the first voice on Q-107 when the Toronto station launched in 1977. Eleven years later, Rode landed the morning show at Toronto oldies outlet KEY-590 (CKEY) where you can hear him below. He did fill-in work at CHUM into the 2000s but retired from radio later that decade. Rode, who started his own media data company in 1984, become a winemaker for Harwood Estate Vineyards in eastern Ontario in 2007.

Enjoy John Rode on KEY-590 (CKEY) (UNSCOPED) here.

Enjoy John Rode on KEY-590 (CKEY) (UNSCOPED) here.
 

Enjoy John Rode on KEY-590 (CKEY) (SCOPED) here.

Enjoy John Rode on KEY-590 (CKEY) (SCOPED) here.
 

(The Russ Horton Collection)

More great 1988 airchecks here!