Jim Morrison, 80, on Sept. 23. Morrison first got his feet wet in broadcasting as part of the UBC Radio Society, while obtaining his Bachelor of Science. He worked with CKWX Vancouver early in his career, before joining CBC Calgary in 1975 as a producer and host on the evening news hour. Morrison went on to host mornings on Selkirk Communications’ CJAZ Vancouver, billed as Canada’s first all-jazz radio station in the early 1980s. He established Morrison Productions in 1985, his own corporate video production company.
Stan Klees, 91, on Sept. 22. A Toronto native, Klees got his first taste of radio in his teens, dropping out of high school to host on CKLB in the late 1940s, later hosting “Teens and Tunes” on CHUM. Klees transitioned into the music business, eventually landing a producer role at London Records, going on to found the Tamarac record label and then Red Leaf Records. Frustrated by the lack of opportunity for homegrown acts beyond the Billboard charts, Klees urged friend Walt Grealis to found Canadian music industry trade publication RPM Weekly, which made its debut in February 1964. Grealis became a collaborator on future ventures, including the creation of the JUNOs in 1970, which grew out of RPM’s Gold Leaf Awards celebrating Canadian talent, with an eye to building a star system north of the border. Klees and Grealis began lobbying Ottawa to legislate making Canadian content viable, with CanCon regulations, based on Klees’ proposals, introduced by the CRTC in 1971, requiring radio stations to play 30% Canadian musical selections during peak hours. Klees was also the creator of the MAPL logo intended to help programmers identify Canadian-produced selections. He founded the Canadian Independent Record Production Association in 1971, and helped establish the Canadian Academy of Country Music Advancement, the pre-cursor to the Canadian Country Music Association. The Big Country Awards, forerunner to the Canadian Country Music Awards, followed in 1975. Klees was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1995 and was recognized, along with Grealis, with a SOCAN Special Achievement Award in 2001. The duo also received the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame Legacy Award in 2005. Read more here.
Bob Henry, 80, on Sept. 21. Henry’s foray into broadcasting came during a stint with the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) while serving at Station Armstrong in Ontario at “KOLD.” He went on to a 59-year career in radio with his first on-air appearance in 1964 at CFCY Charlottetown. From there, he worked at CKDH Amherst, NS and CKCL Truro, NS where his established the first incarnation of his “Weekend Jamboree” show in 1967. Stops followed at CFAN Newcastle, NB; CHER Sydney NS; CHTN Charlottetown; and CKPE Sydney, NS. In 1980, Henry moved the family to Saint John, NB where he joined CHSJ as Program Director and re-introduced “Weekend Jamboree,” which quickly became a popular Saturday evening staple with listeners. The show eventually ended in 1995 and Henry undertook a new career challenge with Canadian Blood Services, in addition to serving as fundraising director for the Muscular Dystrophy Association of Canada. In 2002, he returned to his radio roots, reprising “‘Weekend Jamboree” on Sunday evenings on Country 94.1 FM (CHSJ-FM) Saint John and working in sales for the station. He went on to host “Jukebox Country” on Oldies 96.1 (CINB-FM) Saint John, which aired Sunday evenings, starting in 2021 until September 3rd, 2023, when he signed off for the final time. Henry was a member of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) 25 Year Club. In 2005, he was inducted into the New Brunswick Country Music Hall of Fame (NBCMHF).
Pierre Camu, 100, on Sept. 5. A geographer, academic, transport executive and civil servant, Camu served as Chair of the CRTC from 1977-79, succeeding Harry Boyle. He previously had served as president of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) from 1973-77. In 1976, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. Among other pursuits, Camu went on to notably became one of the founders of the 28,000 kilometre Trans Canada Trail, which connects Canada from one ocean to the other two.
