OAB Announces Recipients of Ontario Hall of Fame Award

The Ontario Hall of Fame Awards will be presented during the OAB conference, Gala Awards Luncheon, Thursday, November 10th at the Marriott Toronto Airport Hotel.

A Board nominated honour, the OAB’s Ontario Hall of Fame is presented to individuals who have spent most of their careers working for private broadcasters and demonstrated a commitment to the highest standards of broadcast excellence.

Before his passing in 2024, Richard Costley-White was Chairman and President of Blackburn Radio Incorporated, a small and mid-market broadcaster with 13 stations serving Southwestern and Midwestern Ontario.  He graduated from St. Andrew’s College and received his MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario.

Richard was the 5th generation of the Blackburn family in the media business. Family holdings have included the London (Ontario) Free Press newspaper, CFPL Radio and Television, and the PennySaver chain of free periodicals.

In 1922 Richard’s great-grandfather Arthur Blackburn was granted one of the first radio licenses in Canada. Since then Blackburn Radio has established a successful tradition of marrying current technology with strong local content, and a deep commitment to the communities in which the company operates.

In addition to his love of radio, Richard understood the importance of social responsibility and contributed to a number of organizations and causes.  He was a Governor of the Stratford (Shakespeare) Festival, served as Chairman and President of the Walter J. Blackburn Foundation and Director for the Ontario Association of Broadcasters.

With 51 years in the Canadian Broadcasting industry, Chuck McCoy has worked his way from the ground up, beginning his professional career on-air in 1965.  His on-air hosting included stops at four stations, culminating with five years at the iconic 1050 CHUM.  Over the span of his career, Chuck has crossed Canada to work as an on-air personality, program director, broadcast consultant, and has also held various executive positions.  Most recently, he held the position of Executive Vice President, Rogers Toronto Radio Cluster.  Chuck currently operates his own consulting company, Chuck McCoy International Media Services.

In addition to his career achievements, Chuck put his many talents to work contributing on industry boards.  He was a founding director and board member of FACTOR, Chairman of the Board for Radio Starmaker Fund, member of the CAB, CRTC Review of Radio Committees in ’85 & ’97, and served on the Numeris’ Board of Directors. Chuck was inducted into the Canadian Music and Broadcasting Industry Hall of Fame, receiving the Allan Waters Broadcast Lifetime Achievement Award in 2024.