CFUN Is Back – Part II

September 30, 1973 — #14CFUN is back! Program Director Chuck McCoy has an interesting story about the promotion:

“I selected veteran DJ Daryl ‘B’ to be the MC and star of our call letter change. I asked Daryl to announce that all regular programming on the new CFUN would be suspended while he dialed randomly selected numbers waiting for the first person to answer ‘CFUN is back’. That person would then instantly win $5,000.

I’m not sure most people know why we selected September 30 as our launch date. Wouldn’t October 1, the beginning of a new month be the right day to announce the ‘beginning’ of a new CFUN?

CRTC regulations prohibited any radio station from giving way more than $5,000 in promotional winnings in any given calendar month. What if we gave away no cash prizes from September 1-September 29? In that way, the entire month’s allowable $5,000 prize could be awarded on September 30. It was a tricky way to stay within the law and the very next day, being able to go back and start giving away more cash prizes.”

Thanks, Chuck! A big “thanks” also to Doug Thompson and the late Mike Cleaver for their help with this audio composite of the big night and a sample of the amazing radio that followed.

We honour the voices of #14CFUN in 1973: Fred Latremouille, Daryl ‘B’, Bob Magee, John Rode, Peter Benson, Tom Jeffries, Russ Tyson, J. Lee Smith, Jim Hault, Bill Edwards, Tom Lucas, Jack Casey, Russ McLoud and Bob Merchant.

Next: Chuck McCoy reflects on the day’s events, and we’ll hear the first song played on #14CFUN.