'A radio legend': former CJAD broadcaster Dave Fisher dies at 71
Renowned Montreal broadcaster Dave Fisher, who retired from a radio career that spanned three decades at CJAD 800, has died.
Fisher passed away Wednesday morning after suffering a heart attack, according to his family.
He was 71.
Fisher worked at CJAD for 32 years, retiring in 2016 in front of a live audience for his final broadcast. Before signing off for the last time, his name was added to the CJAD Wall of Fame, marking an end to a remarkable career in broadcasting in the community that loved him just as much as he loved it.
The longtime Montreal radio personality amassed a devoted audience while hosting the station's weekly Trivia Show, a long-running mainstay of the station that remains on the airwaves and is among the market's highest-rated shows.
A FAMILIAR VOICE ON MONTREAL AIRWAVES
Veteran radio host Ken Connors told CTV News that he was "honoured and flattered" when he was announced as Fisher's replacement in 2016 and called the broadcaster's sudden passing "a devastating blow" to Montrealers.
"Dave was a radio legend and still is in the city. He had that warm, wonderful voice for so many years that CJAD, he hosted Saturday and Sunday mornings — the weekend show — and of course, the trivia show and he was just a welcome presence in so many homes and so many lives for decades, really," Connors said in an interview Wednesday.
Fisher, a familiar voice on Montreal's airwaves for years, connected with the audience immediately during his segments in such a way that you considered him as part of the family, Connors said.
"He was just so so good at what he did and just an amazing broadcaster — one of the giants, really, in the city."
Fisher made his radio debut in Lindsay, Ont. before working at stints in Peterborough, Ottawa, and Winnipeg. He made Montreal his home in 1984, keeping his same time slot right up until his retirement.
He maintained that among the major stories he covered as a broadcaster, it was the ice storm of 1998 that really stuck with him. Even though CJAD was knocked off the airwaves, he came into the office and answered calls from Montreal residents.
"For me, it’s all about the listeners… who really are better than Google. If you want to know anything, just ask. They were my motivation," said Fisher at the time.
FISHER REMEMBERED AS 'A MONTREAL RADIO STAPLE'
Andrew Carter, host of CJAD's morning show, recalled meeting Fisher for the first time as a young reporter in the newsroom in the mid-1980s and marvelling at his innate ability to put his foot down when he needed to.
"He was never beholden to management. He was his own guy. He could come across as a curmudgeon at times when it came to dealing with management but he never gave an inch. I airways respected that because it's so hard to do," Carter told The Elias Makos Show. "It's a tough day for the CJAD family."
Fisher's impact even went beyond Montreal's borders. Vermont radio host Robert Welch wrote on Twitter he was "saddened" by his death as a regular listener to his shows in the 1990s.
Former colleagues, friends, and longtime listeners also expressed their condolences on social media, writing that he was born to be the broadcaster he became and describing him as a "kind, classy and funny guy."
Dan Laxer, long-time co-host of The CJAD 800 Trivia Show with Dave, said Fisher was a mentor to him as a young announcer on the radio. Reacting to his death on Wednesday, he said Fisher carved a niche on the radio that drew in listeners looking for that "special" dose of Dave on the weekends.
"There's a certain mix a radio announcer needs — that mix of a sense of humour, a sense of gravitas, friendliness and he understood that sense of community. As much as I say he galvanized the team around him, he really galvanized weekend listeners who tuned in not to hear news and sports and whatever they say, [but] 'let's listen to Dave.'"
- Listen on CJAD 800: Remembering the Legendary Dave Fisher
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Inflation is down, wages are up. Why are Canadians still frustrated with the economy?
The federal finance minister has been taking every opportunity to remind frustrated Canadians that after a bumpy pandemic recovery, the nation's economy is actually doing a lot better.
'It looks quite real': Two Ontarians lose money to fake phone scam
About 85 per cent of Canadians have a smartphone and once you have one they’re hard to live without. The latest smartphones can cost as much as $2,000, so if you’re trying to save money, make sure you don’t get caught in a fake smartphone scam.
America reaches Election Day and a stark choice between Trump and Harris
A presidential campaign marked by upheaval and rancor approached its finale on Election Day as Americans decided whether to send Donald Trump back to the White House or elevate Kamala Harris to the Oval Office.
New homeowners find skeleton in attic 15 years after previous occupant disappeared
Homeowners in France have discovered a skeleton in the attic of an outbuilding while undertaking renovation work.
B.C. ports shuttered as lockout takes hold in latest labour dispute
One of Canada's most vital trade arteries is cut off as employers at most of British Columbia's ports lock out their workers in a dispute involving about 700 unionized foremen.
Months after VRBO booking, Taylor Swift fan told home 'not available' during Vancouver concert
A frustrated Taylor Swift fan is speaking out after being pushed from a short-term rental she booked for the upcoming Vancouver leg of the superstar’s Eras Tour.
Trudeau and Harris? Poilievre and Trump? Here's who Canadians think would work best with: survey
As Americans prepare to elect their next president on Tuesday, new data from the Angus Reid Institute suggests Canadians hold differing views as to which federal party leaders would be best suited to deal with either Donald Trump or Kamala Harris.
Dutch police arrest a suspect in a botched art heist of Andy Warhol screenprints
Police arrested a 23-year-old man Tuesday on suspicion of involvement in a botched art heist at a gallery in the southern Netherlands targeting four valuable Andy Warhol screenprints.
Australian foreign minister raises allegations with Indian counterpart of targeting Sikhs in Canada
Australia's foreign minister said Tuesday she raised allegations with her Indian counterpart that India has targeted Sikh activists in Canada.