Wayne Harrett, 60, on Aug. 14, after a lengthy battle with cancer. Harrett started volunteering in community radio in the mid- to late ’80s at Dalhousie University campus station CKDU Halifax, before starting Seaside FM in a room in his home in 1998 with a low-watt transmitter. CFEP-FM Eastern Passage, NS officially hit the airwaves in August 2002 with Harrett holding roles from general manager and program director to announcer. The not-for-profit station quickly grew a loyal following with Harrett recruiting retired radio talent like CHNS and CBC veteran Frank Cameron, CFDR and MITV host Gail Rice, and CKBW and CJCH personality Blain Henshaw, among others. Seaside’s eclectic playlist also struck a chord with listeners, featuring a unique mix of b-sides, oldies and homegrown talent, that spans the tunes of local rocker Joel Plaskett to Anne Murray, Elvis Presley, Joni Mitchell, Stevie Wonder and lesser known artists from the ’60, ’70s, and ’80s. That combination found a generationally wide-ranging audience, with Plaskett and other local musicians often participating in station fundraising events, which have consistently exceeded their targets over the years, including a 2015 campaign for a new tower that saw the station get a power boost from 900 to 2,500 watts. Read more here.
Geoff Scott, on Aug. 5 after a short illness. Scott studied journalism at Carleton University and went on to become a household name as a Parliament Hill correspondent on Hamilton’s CHCH-TV during the 1960s and 70s. While still in school, he worked with best friend, Rich Little, performing comedy shows in the Ottawa area. He started his own company, Geoff Scott Communications, in the 1970s and was the first journalist to report news from Ottawa and Parliament Hill tailored to local markets. In 1978, Scott won a byelection in Hamilton Wentworth, and served as the Conservative MP for the riding for 15 years.
