Ralph Lockwood on Jan. 12 in York, PA. Lockwood got his start in radio in his home state of Pennsylvania hosting a nightly polka show. He first entered the Montreal market in 1968 at CFOX, briefly leaving to take a morning show job in West Palm Beach, FL, before returning to Montreal in 1972 to do mornings at CKGM. “The Birdman,” as he was nicknamed, quickly established himself as a wise-cracking, high-energy presence. From there, he went to afternoons on CFCF Radio and later CFCF-TV where he’d host a daily morning show. Lockwood also dabbled as a play-by-play announcer for Montreal Concordes’ football broadcasts on CJAD. He was re-hired by CKGM in 1985 to revive the station’s morning show, but had his contract cut short amidst underperforming ratings two years later. In addition to his hosting, he was known for appearing in quirky local television commercials for businesses like Dorion Suits and the Bar-B-Barn, among others. Lockwood returned to the U.S. in 1988 and spent the next decade at WSBA York, PA, before going on to work as a radio consultant.
Ross Wilson, 94, on Jan. 9 in Shediac, NB after a lengthy battle with cancer. Born in Sault -Sainte-Marie, ON, Ross spent his entire 34-year broadcast career at CHML Hamilton as the station’s Chief Operator. He was responsible for hundreds of live broadcasts of “Meet Me At The Brant Inn” from the 1950s through 70s, featuring live big bands like Count Basie, Guy Lombardo, Les Brown and vocalist Ella Fitzgerald. The CHML broadcast was also fed to CBC Radio and networked across the country Saturday nights. Wilson retired in 1982.
Peter “Cam” Kjellbotn, 69, on Dec. 30. Born in New Westminster and raised in Coquitlam, BC, Kjellbotn started his television career at BCTV in Vancouver before moving to Edmonton in 1974 for the launch of ITV (now Global Edmonton). Kjellbotn started in Master Control and worked on station productions of the day including the In Concert music series and sketch comedy show SCTV, on which he served as studio director. Kjellbotn retired in 2013 after 38 and a half years with the station in various roles.
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