Robert McManus, 66, on Feb. 9. McManus began his radio career in Moose Jaw, SK at age 19. He went on to work as news director for CFCN Radio in Calgary in the late 1970s. McManus later headed to Edmonton where he was the news director at the launch of CFCN Communications’ new FM station, CJAX-FM in 1982. Starting out as a Country format, the station later flipped to Soft Rock, changing its call letters to CKNG-FM and branding itself as King FM. McManus was also heavily involved in the Edmonton Fringe Festival where he worked in promotion and publicity. After leaving radio and attending Grant MacEwan College, McManus went on to hold various public affairs roles with the Alberta Government for 21 years.
Peter B. Campbell, 65, on Dec. 28. After studying at Loyalist College, Campbell worked in radio in Thunder Bay, ON, Estevan, SK, and Ajax ON, concluding his radio career at CHUC-FM Cobourg in 1988. Campbell went on to work with Durham Regional Police, including many years as a 9-1-1 dispatcher, while lending his voice to Ontario Hockey League broadcasts as a colour commentator, alongside friend Stew Kernan. His booming singing voice was also heard performing the national anthem at various sporting events, including Toronto Maple Leafs and Hamilton Tiger Cats games.
Hugh Smith, 73, on Dec. 14. Television was in Smith’s blood from an early age. As a youth, he built an antenna in his parents’ backyard in Penticton. With it he was able to pull in television signals from U.S. stations. He was part of the original crew to launch Vancouver’s CKVU (now Citytv), working in Master Control. His love of broadcasting and community involvement drew him naturally to community broadcasting, initially at Fraser Cable in Port Coquitlam. In 1979, he heard about a unique opportunity in Campbell River, a community-owned cable television station called CRTV. Smith was the Community Program Manager at CRTV for 28 years, cultivating, encouraging and supporting countless individuals and organizations, helping them to share their viewpoints, passions and causes, through shows like “Paws for Pets” and “Let’s Go Fishing.” Working with volunteers and program hosts, he was able to enrich what CRTV had to offer the community. He was also a mentor who helped to inspire and encourage the students who volunteered at CRTV, many who went on to careers in broadcasting, journalism and film. Smith retired in 2008 after CRTV was sold to Shaw.
