This may sound trite, but it’s the end of an era in Edmonton, for a lot of radio listeners and specifically for 630 CHED.
Popular morning man Bruce Bowie is retiring on Aug. 30, 2019, after 47 years on the air, the last nine growing the audience at 630 CHED.
A compassionate man, he held back tears on 630 CHED hearing the stories shared during the Stollery Radiothon and had difficulty holding it together on the air the day his mentor, Jerry Forbes, died.
Bruce is known for creating magic and fun on the air. As social media arrived, he started to text but missed talking to people.
A consummate professional, defined as the ideal person for the job, he was punctual in the wee hours of the morning, knowledgeable, enthusiastic and inspiring while on and off the air.
He made many friends with a relationship that started through a radio speaker.
As listener Ken Cameron writes, Bowie made the morning show a conversation with friends, well versed in many topics, a humble man with a great sense of humour.
Amen to that.
There are many pressures in putting together a successful morning show and through all the ups and downs in all those years, I never heard Bruce say an unkind word about anyone.
It’s been a privilege working with you, Bruce.
You and Mary have a wonderful retirement.
Bob Layton is the news manager of the Corus Edmonton group of radio stations.