Walter Hulme, champion of
small market radio, passed away
Tuesday, April 29, 2008,
in Guelph, Ontario, after an extended
illness. He was 68.
Walter was a graduate of Radio & Television Arts
from Ryerson 1961 and went on to have a long 40+
year career as a champion of small market radio.
First at CKOX in Woodstock then to CAP
Communications in Kitchener and then to North Bay to
be part of the launch of CHUR-AM.
After a brief stop in Kapuskasing at CKAP, Walter
along with his wife Betty Jean, settled in Elliot
Lake and assumed the management duties at CKNR/CJNR/CKNS
AM first with MidCanada Communications and then with
Pelmorex Radio.
In 1996, in conjuntion with committed family and
local investors, Walter formed North Channel
Broadcasters Inc. and purchased the assets of the
three struggling AM stations replacing them with one
powerful FM station that played an important role in
uniting a large and diverse geographical area
stretching from Espanola in the east to Blind River
in the west and including all of Manitoulin Island.
(an area now known as Algoma-Manitoulin). In 2004,
Walter sold the assets of North Channel Broadcasters
to the Haliburton Broadcasting Group and retired to
Southern Ontario.
One of the things that Walter was most proud of
during his long career was to be part of the
founding of the Ontario Independent Radio Group, an
ad-hoc advocacy group for small market, independent
radio operators. Walter was also deeply committed to
the work of Rotary International, as well as serving
with local Chambers of Commerce, the Ontario Chamber
of Commerce, and serving as the chair of the
hospital board in Elliot Lake.
Walter Hulme touched many lives in the broadcasting
industry, and in the communities where he worked and
lived. He will be sadly missed by many.
-----------------------------------------------
Beloved husband of Betty Jean
(Burns) for 46 years. Loving father of Deborah (Mark
Kind), Cheryl Dietrich (Simon de Boer), Heather (Lou
Santamaria), and Brad (Leanne). Dear grandpa of
Courtney, Ben, Amanda, and Spencer Kind; Adam,
Sarah, and Andrew Dietrich, Ivy de Boer; Nicole,
Stephanie, Alexander, and Vanessa Santamaria;
Tabitha Shields, Brenden, Mackenzie and Cooper Hulme.
Walter is the dear nephew of Olive Lawrence. He will
be dearly missed by his many nieces and nephews.
Walter had a long career in Broadcasting throughout
Ontario for over 45 years and was an avid and
devoted member of Rotary. The family will receive
friends at the Gilbert MacIntyre and Son Funeral
Home, Hart Chapel, 1099 Gordon St., Guelph, on
Friday from 2-4 and 7-9 pm. A Funeral Service will
be held in the Funeral Home Chapel on Saturday, May
3, 2008, at 1 pm. Cremation to follow. As
expressions of sympathy, donations to Rotary
International (www.rotary.org
), Sickkids Foundation (www.sickkidsfoundation.com
) or the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (www.ccff.ca
) would be appreciated by the
family.
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