THE ALLAN SLAIGHT STUDIO LAUNCHES AT SYDNEY’S EASTSIDE RADIO 89.7FM

Thanks to the donations of Sydney-based Marie Slaight, the Eastside Radio 89.7FM new broadcast studio is being named “The Allan Slaight Studio” to honour her father’s legacy as a broadcasting legend, philanthropist, media mogul, magician and Member of the Order of Canada. 89 year-old Allan Slaight, widely considered a Canadian entrepreneurial trailblazer and rock ‘n roll radio pioneer, now has three generations of descendants living in Australia. Marie Slaight is eager to celebrate her father’s extraordinary broadcasting career, while simultaneously supporting Eastside Radio’s decades-long jazz related programming, of which she is a long-time listener.

Born in Galt, Canada in 1931, in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Allan moved to Edmonton, working in radio news and programming until being appointed National Sales Manager at CHED. He caught the attention of CHUM Radio in Toronto and was hired to invigorate the station’s programming, which became, thanks to Slaight, a 24-hour rock ‘n roll station. In 1966, Slaight left the station to co-ordinate sales at Radio Caroline, the UK’s notorious pirate radio station. In 1970, he established Slaight Communications and acquired Toronto-based radio station CFGM, and then Montreal station CFOX. In 1977 Slaight Communications launched Q107, a new Toronto rock and roll radio station. Slaight purchased Standard Broadcasting Corporation in 1985. Under his stewardship, Standard Broadcasting expanded from seven to a network of over fifty Canadian radio stations. By 2003, Standard was the largest privately-owned multi-media company in Canada. He also co-founded Canada’s first NBA team, The Raptors.

Slaight has maintained a life-long interest in conjuring and magic and is the author of a number of magic titles, including The James File, the largest work ever published on magic. Slaight’s own sleight-of-hand inventions are well-documented in magic magazines such as Ibidem, Genii and Magic and his contributions to magic are recognized in the book Spins and Needles: The Magic of Allan Slaight. He is also an inductee into the Broadcast Hall of Fame, Member of the Order of Canada, and recipient of the Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award for his contribution to Canadian music industry.