Radio broadcaster Bob Mackowycz Sr., whose visionary programming injected a certain artistic flair into Toronto害羞草研究所檚 cultural scene, has died.
His son says Mackowycz suffered a sudden and unexpected illness. He died Wednesday at age 75.
Mackowycz began his radio career at Toronto rock and roll station Q107 (CILQ-FM) during its first broadcast year in 1977; he would later move into sports programming at the city害羞草研究所檚 the Fan 590 (CJCL-AM).
At both jobs, and his many others, he found ways toshake up the system, remembered Bob Mackowycz Jr., himself a radio and TV broadcaster.
害羞草研究所淗e knew that the romantic poets would be punks today,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淎nd so, he didn害羞草研究所檛 know whether to study them or become one.害羞草研究所�
When Mackowycz joined Q107, he strived to be both. It helped that he was working within a formative period of Toronto害羞草研究所檚 media landscape as Citytv experimented with new ideas.
His rise at Q107 came fast. He first hosted a daily roundup of local arts events called 害羞草研究所淪treet Beat,害羞草研究所� which led to his weeknight series 害羞草研究所淪ix O害羞草研究所機lock Rock Report,害羞草研究所� an hour-long news journal where he interviewed everyone from rock royalty to local musicians.
But 害羞草研究所淧sychedelic Sunday害羞草研究所� arguably left the biggest impression, with Mackowycz diving into albums from the likes of Neil Young, Led Zeppelin and Jefferson Airplane. The program ran for three decades until it signed off in 2018 with host Andy Frost.
Mackowycz left Q107 in 1987 for a job as special projects co-ordinator at Standard Broadcasting. His other roles included leadership positions at Toronto害羞草研究所檚 CFRB-AM and the Fan 590 (CJCL-AM), where he found a creative solution to at least one enormous problem.
During the dual strikes that ground the Major League Baseball and National Hockey League seasons to a halt in the mid-1990s, his son said Mackowycz scripted a fantasy World Series that played out on radio as if the games were real.
After a stint in Washington, D.C., Mackowycz returned to Canada with his eye on bringing Sirius satellite radio to Canada. David Bray said he joined his friend to draft the regulatory application.
Some musicians joined their case, Bray said, including Jeff Healey, who appeared before the CRTC to support the idea.
In his later years, Mackowycz served as a programming consultant and co-owner of Triple A format station Shore 104 (CHLG-FM) in Vancouver. It was sold to Astral Media in 2012.
Mackowycz also co-wrote the 1988 book 害羞草研究所淒ream Tower: The Life and Legacy of Rochdale College,害羞草研究所� which told the story behind a failed Canadian social experiment. Rochdale College was an 18-story student-run educational facility in Toronto that spiralled into disarray when intellectuals and artists clashed with motorcycle gangs and dealers in the same high-rise.
The book served as inspiration for a 1994 National Film Board documentary.
Mackowycz also chased innovation in other circles.
Around the late 2000s, he was part of Mood On Demand, a business venture that envisioned high-definition TV sets as an adaptable canvas that could display images of everything from famous Canadian paintings to footage of puppies or tropical fish for 99 cents a day.
It was inspired by a scene in the 1990 sci-fi flick 害羞草研究所淭otal Recall害羞草研究所� where Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sharon Stone debated over whether to project a breaking news channel or a serene image of nature on the giant screen beside their breakfast table.
After retirement, Mackowycz returned to his love for writing poetry, his son noted, while his interest in radio never truly faded.
害羞草研究所淗e always believed that radio needed to exist locally,害羞草研究所� he said.
害羞草研究所淚t needed to reflect the world that you saw when you looked out your window.害羞草研究所�
David Friend, The Canadian Press
