David Marsden, the influential Canadian broadcaster and programmer who helped turn Toronto-area CFNY-FM into one of alternative radio’s most distinctive stations, has died at 85.
Broadcast Dialogue reported that Marsden died Friday following complications from a fall. During his years at CFNY, Marsden became closely associated with the station’s “Spirit of Radio” identity and its free-form approach to punk, new wave and alternative music. He became program director in 1979 after joining the station in 1977.
Marsden’s career also included stops at CFCO, CHLO, CKEY, CKGM, CHOM and CHUM-FM, along with television work and later ventures including Iceberg Media and “The Marsden Theatre.” He was inducted into the Canadian Music and Broadcast Industry Hall of Fame.
His influence extended beyond Canada. CFNY’s adventurous programming helped expose listeners to artists and sounds that were often absent from mainstream radio, and Rush later paid tribute to the station’s identity with “The Spirit of Radio.”
Sources: Broadcast Dialogue; Billboard Canada.