Walt Rutherford

 

CJCA Edmonton 1942-70 and News Director/Talkback talk show host CJCA 1960-70

News Director CKWX Vancouver 1970-1980; retired on Vancouver Island.

 

"I am quite enjoying working with Walt Rutherford, who I am gradually discovering is quite an ol' guy with a real soft streak to him. And he has a great smooth and deep throated way of reading the news." As I was telling you CJAZ is supremely disorganized and this week (my first one) has been a real "well just speak into the microphone and see what happens" week.

(Barb Whiting 1980)

Barb Whiting got to the middle of that first week at CJAZ – the new jazz station WX was trying out and found it was Walt Rutherford and her as a Team. He had his started more than 35 years before in Edmonton

 
I don’t have a specific story about Walt…just impressions of working with him which was primarily one big laugh, or, if while on-air co-hosting with him, attempting to stifle laughter caused by Walt’s lethal sense of humour. He was the most impressive wise-cracker I have ever known.
Dry, dry, dry humour. He could keep the most serious of faces and then stab you with a zinger that would have you rolling on the floor – usually at the most inappropriate of times. Walt was, above all, a kid at heart, who loved the microphone but more than anything, loved his wife and his home life.

 (Barb Whiting 2004)


All three of his sons Dave, Doug and Don have dabbled in radio. One is a successful businessman in
North Vancouver, one is the VP of CORUS Radio (CHED) and the oldest - a talk show host with a national presence broadcasting his message from Calgary. (CHQR)

Walt died January 29, 1990 at age 63.

 

BC Radio History


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