NorthEast Radio Watch 4/24/2023: Remembering Don Daynard and Recapping NAB

In this week’s issue… Toronto loses legendary morning man – What we learned at the NAB Show – Call change heralds Rochester NPR move – Towers coming down in PA – Remembering New England’s Bill Macek

By SCOTT FYBUSH

Jump to: ME – NH – VT – MA – RI – CT – NY – NJ – PA – Canada

*Make a list of the most beloved radio voices in CANADA‘s largest market and one name that should be almost universal is “Don Daynard.”

The native of Owen Sound started his career up there at CFOS (560) way back in 1953, then worked in Peterborough, Kitchener and Smiths Falls before taking a brief swing at a Hollywood career. While his passion for the movies lasted his whole life, Daynard’s time in LA lasted only a few years – by the mid-1960s, he was back in greater Toronto at CFGM in Richmond Hill before joining CKFH, CFRB and then sister station CKFM.

It was at CKFM that “Double D” became a Toronto radio star, hosting mornings for 12 years and launching his long-running Saturday night oldies show.

In 1987, Daynard crossed the street to competitor CHFI (98.1), taking the sleepy beautiful music station to the top of the ratings and pairing with another morning star, Erin Davis. Daynard left the morning show in 1999 but kept on with his Saturday night show until fully retiring in 2004.

Along the way, he also hosted a show on TVOntario, made some movie appearances (including having his voice as a radio newscaster in “Porky’s”), and lived a radio dream that literally included riding off from his retirement party on a white horse to “Happy Trails.”

Daynard died on Thursday (April 21) after a long illness. He was 88.