Carmel Kilkenny, 62 on Aug. 13, after a brief battle with cancer. Kilkenny grew up in Toronto, but after a year living abroad in Paris, she made her home in Montreal. Kilkenny graduated from Concordia University in 1988 with a degree in Communication Studies and Journalism, and went on to work with CBC/Radio-Canada. Among the roles she held were anchoring Quebec’s late-night TV newscast, in addition to reporting and guest-hosting a daily program for CBC Radio that was broadcast internationally on RCI shortwave. That led to her producing ‘The Link’ – a program featuring stories and interviews with immigrants to Canada. Since 2012, Kilkenny had been freelancing, including contributing to the Radio Canada International website.
Monica Miller, 64, on Aug. 11. Miller got her start with CKUA Radio Edmonton in 1977 as a library assistant. She would go on to work with the station for four decades, holding roles including writer, assistant producer, arts coverage producer, and eventually host. In a post to the CKUA website, senior producer David Ward said Miller’s “curious, playful musical taste” was combined with hours of careful research and planning. “Because of that she brought a reverence and dedication to her work…It also meant that she had an ear for quality music, often overlooked music, and depth that delved across genres with strong flavour of jazz and world music.” Miller is also credited for bringing that attention to detail to the CKUA database to help the station run smoothly, even while off on medical leave. Penning her own obituary, Miller said of CKUA: “that for 40-odd years allowed me to play, learn, experiment, and share the magical world of radio with unsuspecting listeners, while having the opportunity to meet, work with, and learn from the best of the best. Viva CKUA!”
Barry Mercer, 66, on Aug. 11. Mercer began a career with CBC Radio in 1972 as a summer relief announcer in Goose Bay, NL. That led to a 35-year career with the public broadcaster, much of that time as a reporter and host at CBC Radio Sudbury where he landed in 1985. Mercer served as host of long-running afternoon show Points North, co-host of Radio Noon, and reporter for Morning North, before retiring in 2006, however he continued to be heard on the airwaves as a fill-in announcer.
Jack Hagerman, 92, on Aug. 8. Hagerman began his career in radio in 1946 at CFQC Saskatoon. As the legend goes, he stepped off the train in Edmonton in May 1949 and landed a job at CKUA Radio within hours. Worthington would go on to work with the station for more than 70 years, holding roles from host (under the on-air pseudonym of John Worthington), sports announcer, program manager, and by the mid-1950s station manager. In a 70th anniversary tribute on the CKUA website, Hagerman is credited with defining the station’s sound with the hiring of young, creative announcers with a deep love of music, including Bill Coull, Gill Evans, and a young Robert Goulet. Hagerman was also instrumental in expanding the station’s reach, establishing a 10,000-watt transmitter in 1960 and later FM transmitters across the province. Hagerman semi-retired in the 1970s, continuing as host of big band show The Old Disc Jockey.
Howard Lapides, 62, on Aug. 1 after a battle with colon cancer. Hailing from the Village of Kenmore in Erie County, New York, Lapides got his start in radio at age 16, as a post-game host on Buffalo Bills broadcasts on WSYL-FM, using the pseudonym Michael O’Shea. He went on to attend Emerson College in Boston, while producing “The Steve Fredericks Show” for WMEX and working on-air part-time at WEIM Fitchburg, Massachussetts. Lapides landed at Baton Broadcasting in Ontario after graduation where he worked at CKLW Windsor and CFGO Ottawa. After five years, Lapides went on to work in concert promotion, teaming up with Michael Cohl and Donald Tarlton, and later became owner of the Yuk Yuk Comedy Clubs in Buffalo and Rochester. After forming Lapides Entertainment in the early 1980s, he began managing clients that included Carson Daly, Jimmy Kimmel, Adam Carolla, Tom Green and Dr. Drew Pinsky. His creative credits include consulting on CTV talk show Open Mike (hosted by Mike Bullard); was executive producer of VH1 reality series “Celebrity Rehab”; Comedy Central’s “The Man Show”; developed MTV show “TRL” for Daly; and produced Tom Green- directed feature “Freddy Got Fingered.” He was also a regular visiting professor at USC, UCLA and Emerson.
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