Edmonton’s Dave Rutherford Unveils Retirement

Dave Rutherford

Longtime radio host Dave Rutherford — contentious, conservative and often cantankerous — will leave his morning talk show on Edmonton’s CHED 630 AM in July, but he’ll remain on the airwaves in a new role.

Meanwhile, according to the Edmonton Journal,  the radio station hopes to start an Edmonton-based show to replace the three-hour Rutherford Show, which has been based out of Calgary for the last 20 years, said Syd Smith, program director for the city station.

Though firmly on the right side of the political spectrum, Rutherford, 64, kept everyone in the province listening as he turned the show into a forum on Alberta politics, said Smith.

“Dave established his own brand with his personality, talent and hard work,” said Smith. “When news breaks out, people turn to the channel, saying, ‘I wonder what Dave thinks.’ He’d be tough but fair and those who disagree with him listen, too, just to keep an eye on him.”

Premier Alison Redford praised Rutherford for the role he played in promoting debate of public issues, though they didn’t often agree.

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