News from Victoria – Bye, Bye Broadcaster’s Luncheon

BYE, BYE BROADCASTER’S LUNCHEON

For decades, on the first Monday of every month, a loyal group of broadcasters—retired and active alike—gathered right here in Victoria. They met for a simple reason: to share stories, laughs, and a little piece of history only they could understand. But come next month, that well-worn tradition, like so many others of its kind, will draw to a close, signaling the end of an era for our city’s broadcasting community.

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Now, Ron Robinson—one of the old-timers—is quick to tell you that this ritual was sparked years ago by two legends in their own right: Bob Thompson and Bruce Lowther. Two broadcasters with a vision, if you will. But Ron, well, he’s been the keener, attending every lunch, rain or shine, usually in the same spot, greeting each familiar face as it strolled in. Yet this week, as I came through the door, there were just two other souls in that vast room, and, let’s just say, they weren’t exactly jumping out of their seats. As the unofficial “reminder guy,” Ron’s known the ranks have been thinning for some time, but that didn’t make it any easier to accept. For him, those gatherings were more than just lunches—they were living history, a time capsule of the days when radio and TV weren’t just careers; they were callings.

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To sit with them was to connect with voices that had filled living rooms across Canada, to hear tales of grueling hours, tight deadlines, and unforgettable moments. And you’d be hard-pressed to find one among them who didn’t secretly confess that, given the chance, they’d do it all over again—for free. They’re part of a generation that laid the groundwork for broadcasting as we know it, with a dedication and passion that fueled an industry still standing today, even as it shifts and evolves.

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Next month’s luncheon will be a final farewell, a last chance to swap those treasured tales and pass down a legacy to anyone willing to listen. It’s a salute to names like Andy Stephen, Ida Clarkson, John Barton, Ron Robinson, Bob Aylward, Fraser McAlpine—and so many others. Faces and voices, once household names, now memories shared across a few plates of good food and a room full of empty chairs.

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This isn’t just a farewell to a monthly lunch. It’s the closing of a chapter, a gentle acknowledgment that times have indeed changed, but that the heart of broadcasting endures. New technology may have redefined the landscape, but the voices of these pioneers remind us that, at its core, broadcasting is about one thing: connection.

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And so, they gather one last time. A final toast, a final story, a final lesson for those who will take the industry forward. The Golden Age may be gone, but it echoes on, in every story told and every microphone held by someone who understands what this craft really means.