Vancouver Radio: Legendary Personality Red Robinson Signs-Off

A Vancouver radio legend has signed-off.  Red Robinson delivered final broadcast Sunday after more than 60 years in broadcasting.

“63, believe it or not. I started in 1954. Oh boy!”

Robinson celebrated his 80th birthday in March and was inducted into the Order of BC last month, reports sister-station CKWX News1130.

But it was the news that CISL 650, his longtime radio home, was changing to a sports format that made him decide now was the time to move on.

“[There’s] nothing wrong with that, except I don’t want to do sports. If I had, I probably could have transferred over, but I didn’t,” he jokes.

“I believe in signals. And when they sold CISL, it was sort of a, well, where do we go from here?  The answer is nowhere. Just retire. Enjoy life.”

Still, Robinson isn’t retiring completely. He plans to keep his downtown office and says he has projects he’s working on too.

“You can’t get up and do nothing. You have to keep moving.”

As for the guys and gals taking over his old AM frequency, he has but one request.

“Do me proud!”

CISL 650 AM (20 Kw-D, 4 Kw-N, DA

Red’s final show was Sunday on CISL 650.  On Monday morning, the station will become Sportsnet 650, an all-new format.