I appears as if Mike is gone again, as well as producer Gord Rennie. There was screaming and a thumping sound. But there just arent any of me at CFRA in Ottawa, CKLW in Windsor or CKO in Toronto, the stations whose people and experiences helped this chipmunk-cheeked newscaster grow into who I eventually became. . [Meister Eckhart]. Im not a big fan of following the rules, but I am a company man. I hate stupid management, and Ive had some very stupid program directors. Bringing Jay and Billie on for mornings backfired on CHFI, as the station's ratings declined. She never abandoned the positive outlook she always brought to everything. In late 2015, Mike Cooper announced his retirement, though would continue to host the classic hits-formatted "Coop's Classics" on Saturday nights. So how is that a worst moment if its part of your legend? It was like a Mini Cooper with a fastback. to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about To order I hear it now and I hate it. He co-hosted the morning show along with Christine Cardoso. Owned and operated by Rogers Sports & Media, it broadcasts an adult contemporary format, switching to Christmas music for part of November and December. From perfect harmonies to sharing all of those mornings the rawest, guffaw-est time of day together before most of our world was even awake. He has been co-host of Erin and Mike in the Morning with Erin Davis for 10 years, while his career also includes stops at Toronto's 1050 CHUM AM, CFTR 680 and 97.3 EZ Rock. We want to see the world a little bit. You have permission to edit this article. Me? It was 2006, Erin had returned to the station and Mike was with her. Rob and I put together a little something for the radio. 20 degrees and not a cloud in sky! Aurora GO trains temporarily replaced by buses as additional track construction gets underway, Tim Hortons Smile Cookie campaign returns to support children at Markham Stouffville Hospital, Davis Drive in Newmarket to be closed for Southlake event, 'Everybody's happy place': Newmarket Farmers' Market kicked off revitalization of downtown Main Street, LIVE NOW: Its April 28 and our top story is Missing Vaughan teenager Sol Mejia-Mesa found dead in Toronto, 'The worst is behind us': York Region medical officer of health halts regular updates on COVID-19. I have literally, literally heard from thousands of people who were so touched by Debbies fight and their motivation for each other, Davis, who interacts with people on a daily basis through her blog, said. Hazards of too many moves. Republication or distribution of this content is Anyone can read Conversations, but to contribute, you should be a registered Torstar account holder. Guess we will see in the new year what the station will do during the Saturday evening slot.Always remember when Mike had the big goodbye when he left mornings on CHFI in January 2016. No more age limit! As a teen Mike enrolled in the broadcast course at Mohawk and his first station after finishing at Mohawk was CKAT FM in North Bay. Cooper was born in Hamilton, Ontario. We can always hope.. Can you tell the story about setting the Guinness World Record for riding a ferris wheel? . JOIN THE CONVERSATION. Best Wishes For CHFI Radio Personality Mike Cooper - Rogers TV / TV Rogers A local radio vet, Mike Cooper got his stripes by faking his own assassination on-air on April Fool's Day 1976, which got him canned from CHUM. We do more laughing before 7 a.m. than most people will do in an entire year. It must still be packed in a box somewhere. expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Toronto 211 Pritchard Road, Unit 4, Hamilton ON L8J 0G5. Thats one Lauren had as a toddler, then we gave it to Ian and Anita and their three childrenand the day after Laurens wedding, he delivered it back to her. Then the insanity of the past few yearsand lovely Mo and Mike, of course. This led to the elimination of the specialty programs coupled with more vocals in the playlist. In 2009, CHFI returned to mainstream AC, but retained the "Toronto's Lite Favourites" slogan and added the decimal point back in the station identification. And THANK YOU. Mike Cooper got his start in North Bay and signed off as co-host of Erin and Mike in the Morning on Friday. Publicly posted a week or so ago, his last show is in the can. Tickets on sale now at RBCCanadianOpen.com See more A real shame because that was a fantastic show, especially with Tish. Today was Mos last show on CHFI. 28K views, 426 likes, 136 loves, 560 comments, 42 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from 98.1 CHFI: Today was Mo's last show on CHFI. She had a wonderful trip-of-a-lifetime to stay in castles and wear her fascinators to dinner in the UK with Mike, Davis wrote in her blog. Who knows, but they were in charge of my life and my mortgage for the longest time. Maureen hosted the afternoon drive show on Q107, a deep dive into her extensive Toronto radio career, Here she is playing her ten favourite songs of all-time, a complete overhaul of The Fan 590 lineup, Next Post : How to play Canada's Lotto 6/49, What Happened to Scott MacArthur? Hot Topix Theme. The studios are in the Rogers Building on the northwest corner of Bloor and Jarvis Streets in Downtown Toronto. When I asked about the tuxedo, Mike mentioned that it was the one he wore on his wedding day many years earlier. (He steps down on Jan. 29 but will continue to host Coop's Classics on Saturday nights.) Only problem is that I don't get to the radio dial at home very much except maybe on DX days and to test my AM stereo transmitter. Mike was on air and at several breaks, mentioned about getting calls from a guy making threats to him. Newspapers Limited, 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8, Cooper said in an emotional statement on Friday morning. We had so many years of happiness, and then five years of this awful cancer, her husband, also a former CHFI radio host, told yorkregion.com. Chris Powell Welcome back Coop! "[12][13] This turned around CHFI's popularity, as the station reclaimed the top spot in the Toronto ratings, while CJEZ's ratings fell. In 1962, an AM counterpart, CHFI (1540 AM) was added, which originally simulcast CHFI-FM's programming. Newsletters. We were unable to log you in. The power on-air couple brought CHFI back to the top of the Toronto ratings charts and have had an incredible ten year run at the station. I was searching among the clippings and magazines, pictures preceding my time at CHFI, which began in 1988. (Imagine the Commodores hit Sail On playing quietly.). We laugh all the time in the studio, but does anybody else? Jay and Billie hosted mornings on co-owned Toronto station CISS-FM before it flipped to adult hits earlier that month. I always look to the future and rarely live in the past. Its a hell of a view and Im so sick and tired of it, he told Jeff Davies of the Star, at the time. It was Summer 1975, at the beginning of the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE). Coopers courage in battling cancer began in 2013, but all that stopped on Oct. 23 when she passed away at 66, leaving a heartbroken husband Mike, also 66, after 50 years together. [Meister Eckhart], As always, you can watch a video version of this journal on, I want to share with you a story or two about a guy a pillar at CHFI whos leaving the only job he ever had, today. Toronto Radio Legend Mike Cooper Retires - The Geeks and Beats Podcast No one will fill those big shoes, or strangely little chair. Coop responds with "I think I'm done in November, by my choice".If that is still the plan. and since the CHFI Christmas switch turns on Monday. this Saturday night November 12th could likely be the last Coop's Classics ever on 98.1 CHFI (and possibly the last time we hear Coop's voice on CHFI). Coop responds with "I think I'm done in November, by my choice". I love that she's holding my youngest in the post-recording pic. Darren B. Lamb, formerly with CHUM-FM, joined CHFI as Davis' co-host in February 2016. Happy Easter and Ill have a new journal for you on Tuesday of next week after the holiday Monday. Deborah Cooper, who suffered from colon cancer since 2015, was the healthiest sick person youd ever meet, former CHFI radio host Erin Davis said as she was readying to speak at her friends funeral Tuesday. To order copies of You see, I began with CHFI in 1988. But from there, he moved on to handling hams; so much better at that. Share to Twitter. Its all a part of routine, and I love being part of everybodys routine. 1. . Born August 24th 1942 in Reading in Berkshire. Without realizing it, Mike Cooper has touched the last four decades of my life. It was initially owned by CHFI-FM, Ltd.[3] CHFI was the first commercial FM outlet in Toronto to provide its own distinct programming rather than simulcasting an AM station. Im sure this came as a shock to many of the stations loyal listeners. He's been replaced by Toronto radio veteran Mike Cooper. When she was done with her [chemo] treatment at Mount Sinai, she would go back and volunteer at admission and make sure that everyone who is scared and lonely would get a hug, Davis recalled of Cooper. You need to enable JavaScript to run this app. Well, local police, who were also listeners to the show, heard all this ruckus in progress and bee-lined it down to the radio station, with back up, thinking it was for real. Eventually, CHFI eliminated nearly all instrumental music, and instituted a soft adult contemporary format. The story of the Coopers, who have been together since they were 15 years old, is not dead. 98.1 CHFI - Mike Cooper's "tender morsel of passion | Facebook I had a lawyer by the name of Julian Porter [who would serve as TTC Commissioner through 1987]. Several seconds later, Mike returns to the microphone and says April Fools!. AddThis Sharing Buttons. Maybe they happened, maybe they didnt, but theyre good stories. Kristen Martell ECMA 2023 Nominees ZOOMIES, Laurie LeBlanc -ECMA 2023 Nominees (Interview), Derina Harvey Band in Fergus, ON IN PHOTOS, 604 Spotlight Sessions in Vancouver, BC IN PHOTOS, Kellie Loder & Tiny Horse in Kingston, ON IN PHOTOS, The Jailbirds & One In The Chamber in Toronto, ON IN PHOTOS, Sofiane Pamart in Montreal, QC IN PHOTOS. (Yes, Im admitting this. Dont judge.) to have it resent. The moment you stop laughing is the moment you slowly die. Especially after the phase out of a similar program last year: Sunday Morning Rewind. Okay, he did have another job: he drove the van for the Pickle Barrel in his teens until he took a corner too fast and a door flew open. I was in my mid-teens, with a passion for The Osmonds and the Bay City Rollers. Why did you choose to embark on a career in radio? He did a good job with it - still remember the old oldies show with Don Daynard as a young one and its almost a CHFI staple to have a classics show on saturday nights, although Coopers classics was basically the same thing as listening to Boom. Like. Latest; On Demand . For this writer, it filled me with many good memories. In addition, the station rebranded as 98.1 CHFI (pronounced, "ninety-eight-one CHFI") instead, and unveiled the "Today's Lite Music" slogan.[8][9]. But of all those 45 years, the true highlight of my entire career was the 10 years Ive spent with Erin Davis on 98.1 CHFI. I mean, how to sum up 30 years of closeness a lifetime in many ways and a friendship that grew into more like a brother and sister than I think either of us ever knew possible.