TORONTO – Long-time CHUM radio host Roger Ashby said Thursday that he is retiring from the morning show on CHUM 104.5 after 50 years with the station.
“It’s easy to get up early every morning when you love your job and the people you work with,” said Ashby, in a statement. “Of course, I couldn’t have done it without the amazing (co-host) Marilyn Denis. From the first moment we met, I knew she was the right person to spend my mornings with. And our success over the decades would not have happened without the dedication of our longtime listeners.”
Ashby’s farewell broadcast will air live from the Sheraton Centre Toronto grand ballroom on Wednesday, December 5 beginning at 5:00 AM ET, and will recount Ashby’s fondest memories from his half-century as a preeminent voice on Toronto radio.
The station unveiled Jamar McNeil as new a new morning co-host in July as part of its ongoing brand refresh.
“Roger Ashby is quite simply a radio legend, and a luminary of Canada’s music industry,” added Bell Media president Randy Lennox. “He is a model of excellence and consistency in radio broadcasting, and upholds that gold standard every time he sits behind the mic. We wish him the very best in his retirement, and thank him for 50 incredible years at CHUM.”
In January 2010, Ashby was inducted into the Canadian Music and Broadcast Industry Hall of Fame, receiving the Waters Family Broadcast Lifetime Achievement Award. Outside of the studio, he dedicates his time to a multitude of charities, including Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Toronto, the CNIB, the Toronto Humane Society, and the Toronto Wildlife Centre.
