Frank Cameron, a staple on the Nova Scotia airwaves for more than six decades, passed away Saturday. He was 85.
Cameron, who had just retired from Eastern Passage, NS community radio station 105.9 Seaside FM (CFEP-FM) in November, was captivated by radio from a young age.
While still in high school, he started hanging out at CKEC New Glasgow, which hired him after graduation. He went on to join CKCL Truro a year later in 1956. By 1959, he had moved to Halifax and CHNS, gaining notoriety as the station transitioned to Top 40 and resulting in a subsequent offer to host national CBC television program “Music Hop” and the local Halifax version “Frank’s Bandstand.”
Cameron joined CBC full-time in 1967, contributing to both radio and television for almost 30 years until his retirement in 1995. Another 10-year stint at CHNS followed, before Cameron briefly stepped away from the mic, quickly recruited by Seaside FM station manager Wayne Harrett to volunteer on-air at the community radio station.
Seaside FM marked his recent retirement with a four-hour “Frank Cameron Retirement Tribute” show. The station wrote in a statement posted to its Facebook page that Cameron’s passing leaves a void “impossible to fill.”
“Frank was a man of many talents and passions, but perhaps his greatest love was the world of music. As the host of ‘Frank’s Bandstand,’ he became a household name, captivating listeners with his encyclopedic knowledge of music and his warm, inviting voice. For the majority of his life, he shared his passion for music with the world, leaving an indelible mark on the hearts of all who tuned in.”
The station says Cameron’s 2015 memoir “I Owe it All to Rick & Roll (and the CBC)” was a glimpse into the host’s unique sense of humour and wit
“His writing was a reflection of the man himself – insightful, clever, and always with a twinkle of humour in his eye.”
Cameron is also being remembered as a good friend to fellow broadcasters.
“He was very kind to me when I was a mere boy broadcaster working in Sydney, Cape Breton,” wrote retired CBC reporter Rob North, in a post to social media. “Frank worked in Halifax and would call often to offer both advice and encouragement. All these years later I remember the conversations, which always seemed like more good humoured fun than mentoring. Broadcasting is a rugged business and not everyone was kind…Frank was kind. He was one of the really good guys in the business, although his antics were not always well received by senior management. Years later after I returned from working several stints in the wild west, I worked with Frank in Halifax as a co-worker and a colleague. He remained a good friend and continued to offer advice as only a real veteran of the broadcast wars could.”
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