R.I.P.: Bob Mackowycz Sr., Legendary Canadian Radio Personality

Bob Mackowycz Sr.

Canadian adio broadcaster Bob Mackowycz Sr., whose visionary programming injected a certain artistic flair into Toronto's cultural scene, has died.

 His son says Mackowycz suffered a sudden and unexpected illness. He died Wednesday at age 75, according to The Canadian Press.

Mackowycz began his radio career at Toronto rock and roll station Q107 (CILQ-FM) during its first broadcast year in 1977; he would later move into sports programming at the city's the Fan 590 (CJCL-AM).

At both jobs, and his many others, he found ways to shake up the system, remembered Bob Mackowycz Jr., himself a radio and TV broadcaster.

When Mackowycz joined Q107, he strived to be both. It helped that he was working within a formative period of Toronto's media landscape as Citytv experimented with new ideas.

His rise at Q107 came fast. He first hosted a daily roundup of local arts events called "Street Beat," which led to his weeknight series "Six O’Clock Rock Report," an hour-long news journal where he interviewed everyone from rock royalty to local musicians.

But "Psychedelic Sunday" arguably left the biggest impression, with Mackowycz diving into albums from the likes of Neil Young, Led Zeppelin and Jefferson Airplane. The program ran for three decades until it signed off in 2018 with host Andy Frost.

Mackowycz left Q107 in 1987 for a job as special projects co-ordinator at Standard Broadcasting. His other roles included leadership positions at Toronto's CFRB-AM and the Fan 590 (CJCL-AM), where he found a creative solution to at least one enormous problem.

After a stint in Washington, D.C., Mackowycz returned to Canada with his eye on bringing Sirius satellite radio to Canada. David Bray said he joined his friend to draft the regulatory application.