Legendary broadcaster and radio programmer Bob Mackowycz, Sr. passed away Wednesday morning. He was 75.
Mackowycz is arguably best known for his time at Toronto’s Q107 (CILQ-FM), which he joined in its first year of operation in 1977, and where he went on to create “The 6 O’Clock Rock Report” and “Psychedelic Sundays.” After being promoted to program director in 1987, Mackowycz left the station that same year to work for Standard Broadcasting, joining CKFM in 1988.
He went on to leadership positions at CFRB and The Fan 590 (CJCL-AM), among other stops. His industry footprint included working on the application to bring Sirius satellite radio to Canada, and while in Washington, D.C., serving as the program director of SiriusXM’s USA Today channel. He eventually became a programming consultant and subsequently a co-owner of Shore 104 (CHLG-FM) Vancouver, which was sold to Astral Media in 2012.
Mackowycz was also a published author, co-authoring Dream Tower: The Life and Legacy of Rochdale College, exploring the history of the experimental student-run alternative education and co-operative living venture, located in a notorious 18-story residence at Bloor St. and Huron St. in downtown Toronto in the late 1960s and early ’70s. The book was later adapted into a National Film Board (NFB) documentary.
Broadcast consultant David Bray, who worked on numerous licence applications and consulting projects with Mackowycz, told Broadcast Dialogue that his influence on the industry can’t be understated.
“He’s a radio legend, but also one of the best human beings I’ve ever known,” said Bray. “It was an honour to call him my friend.”
Mackowycz was also known for giving many broadcasters a leg up in the business, including veteran personality Jeff Woods.
“My single greatest inspiration to do radio,” wrote Woods in a post to X. “And the man who’d give me my first shot in Toronto at Yonge and Bloor. Nobody did it better than Macko.”
Mackowycz’s son, Bob Mackowycz, Jr., has also gone on to pursue a career in broadcasting.
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