Peggy MacDonald, 69, on May 12. MacDonald’s media career spanned 50 years, starting as a reporter with the Cape Breton Highlander newspaper in the 1970s. Holding roles from columnist to reporter and producer, among MacDonald’s radio stops were CHNS Halifax, and CJCB and CHER in Cape Breton. She also wrote weekly entertainment column “Night Side” for the Halifax Chronicle Herald. MacDonald went on to work as an editor and executive producer at CBC Cape Breton for 18 years. She retired from the public broadcaster in 2018.
Rex Murphy, 77, on May 9 of cancer. Hailing from Placentia, NL, west of St. John’s, Murphy studied law for a year at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar after completing his undergrad in English at Memorial University, before embarking on a career in media. Murphy began appearing on CBC properties like Newfoundland and Labrador’s “Here and Now,” gaining a following for his commentary on politics, including tussles with politicians like Premier Joey Smallwood. After working as an executive assistant to Newfoundland Liberal Party leader Clyde Wells, who would go on to become premier, he unsuccessfully stood for election twice – once for the Liberals and once for the Tories. He was perhaps best known for his regular commentary and documentary work for CBC’s “The National” that spanned pieces on William Shakespeare and Conrad Black to tackling issues like the Newfoundland cod fishery, Canada’s role in Syria, and federal subsidization of big business. A regular host of CBC Radio call-in show “Cross Country Checkup” for two decades, Murphy retired from the show in Sept. 2015, but continued appearing on The National for another two years. He concurrently wrote a Saturday column for The Globe and Mail until 2010, before it was cancelled and he was picked up by the National Post. Read more here.
Janine Sharp (Grespan), 63, on May 3. Grespan is best known for her almost 25-year run as a reporter, weather presenter and anchor at CKCO/CTV News Kitchener-Waterloo. She began her career at CFRB Toronto working as a features reporter before returning to her hometown of Kitchener in 1985 to work with CFCA and CKKW. She began appearing on television in 1986. Grespan fought cancer twice, initially in 2007 when she told viewers she “would be back.” Following her return, she set her career aside for the next 15 years to enjoy life.
Paul Edgley, 85, on May 7. Edgley graduated from Ryerson University in 1958 where he studied electrical engineering and electronics and was president of the Ryeham Radio club (VE3RIT) for three years before starting a short-lived position installing and servicing military radar systems during the cold-war period with Canadian General Electric. He chose to stay closer to home taking a position with Standard Broadcasting, working for Clive Eastwood as the Chief Transmitter Technician for CFRB and CKFM. He was involved in the design and installation of a new antenna array for CFRB, and design and installation for CKFM’s move from the Bank of Commerce Building to the then new Commerce Court Building. In the mid-1970s, he moved over to Baton Broadcasting (CTV) at 9 Channel Nine Court in Scarborough as Manager, Transmission System. He was a member of the engineering team for the broadcast transmitter facilities at Toronto’s CN Tower with primary involvement in the planning and installation of the initial five FM radio transmitters and related combiner / antenna system. Edgley also served in executive positions with several Amateur Radio organizations over a 35-year period including the original Ontario DX Association (ODX), CanaDx, Radio Society of Ontario (RSO), CARF and Toronto FM Communications Society (TFMCS) and was active in CW, SSB, RTTY and OSCAR satellite modes as well as some pioneering work on the early VHF/UHF repeater and linking systems in southern Ontario. He was awarded the Association of Central Canada Broadcast Engineers (CCBE) “Engineer of the Year” honour in 2001 and retired from CTV Television in January 2004, capping a 53-year career in broadcasting engineering.
