Mais oui: CKGM set to mark 50 yearsBy Mike Cohen Radio station CKGM, which first hit the local airwaves on Dec. 7, 1959, will celebrate its 50th anniversary in style this Saturday evening at an alumni reunion bash at a downtown Montreal club. On-air personalities and staff from five decades of broadcasting on the 980 and 990 AM dial will be on hand to look back on 980 CKGM (1959-1989), 980 CHTX (1989), 990 CHTX (1990), 990 CKIS (1991-1995) and 990 CKGM (1996-2009), which since the year 2000 has been all-sports radio THE TEAM. Legendary deejay Marc “Mais Oui” Denis, a Kirkland resident, chronicles the history of the station well on his website (www.marcdenis.com). When we spoke on Friday he told me that this reunion has been in the making for six years. Besides present-day TEAM 990 personalities such as Mitch Melnick, Elliott Price, Denis Casavant, PJ Stock, Shaun Starr and Tony Marinaro, confirmed alumni include Jim Bay, Buster Bodean, Rob Christie, Al Gravelle, Eden Polansky, Bob McDevitt, Tom “Bones” Malone, Don Burns, Robert Vairo, Senator Jim Munson, Roger Abbott of Canadian Air Farce fame and the newly reunited Q92 FM morning team of Aaron Rand and Murray Sherriffs. The legendary Ralph “The Birdman” Lockwood was slated to attend, but health reasons will keep him back in Pennsylvania. Denis keeps busy these days with his own audio and visual production company. He’s been heard on Q92 in recent years and had a brief stint as the morning man on 940 Hits. Although he was a perfect fit for the format, budget cuts forced the station to downsize. While THE TEAM 990 is licensed for sports, it sure would be great to hear Denis there on the weekends with a “where are they now?” type of music and sports show. Honouring Weinstein: Businessman Gerry Weinstein has received a number of great honours in his lifetime, but the upcoming B’nai Brith Canada Award of Merit Gala at the Marriott Château Champlain toasting his enormous contributions to the community have him smiling ear to ear. Montreal Alouettes president Larry Smith and ScotiaMcLeod senior executive Jacques Maurice will co-chair the Nov. 26 (6 p.m.) event. Weinstein, of course, is the immediate past national president of B’nai Brith Canada. Former regional director Robert Libman, who first brought Weinstein into the organization, will be the emcee. Weinstein is a real trooper. Legally blind, in 2005 he underwent a lifesaving kidney transplant. Diabetes robbed Weinstein of most of his sight nearly 20 years ago, at which time had to stop driving a car. But he never let that disability get in his way. “I have to be honest and tell you that I do not feel as if I have any impediments,” he said. COHEN CHATTER: While it is nice to see Sherriffs and Rand back together again on The Q, it is regrettable to note that newscaster Barry Morgan was let go. Barry is a superb news and sports broadcaster. Here is to hoping someone will pick this talent up... Sarah Bartok is the new Q traffic reporter, replacing Shaun McMahon who becomes the morning show producer... The French version of Les Miserables finally comes to Montreal next June at the Place des Arts… Word has it that the July U2 concert could indeed be held at the former Blue Bonnets Raceway on Decarie. There is talk that 80,000 tickets will be made available… Will Canadiens GM Bob Gainey really get a $5 million bonus from George Gillett when the latter’s sale of the team and the Bell Centre to the Molson brothers really goes through? Sounds like a nice nest egg for Gainey, whom if he is not let go will likely step down after the Habs fail to make the playoffs and devote himself full-time to his foundation… Item of interest? e-mail mcohen@thesuburban.com, call 514-484-1107, Ext. 307 or fax 514-483-7213. |
