(excerpt from a note from Wayne MacClure June 23, 2012)
I must tell you how I started to freelance. I was doing the afternoon slot at CKTB, when I received a call from the Jim Kelly Ad Agency in Buffalo. No, not Jim Kelly QB with the Bills, this from a guy who said he was driving around Niagara On The Lake, heard me on the radio and wanted me for some spots for the Buffalo market. That's when I did my first Marineland spot. In months to follow, I did a few spots with Carol Chrissy, then a news anchor with WBEN-TV. Then Jim asked for me to do a few spots for a shirt company in Dallas Texas--imagine me, Wayne Maclure, on the radio in Dallas Texas. WOW !!!!!
Nothing much happened until later on at CHRE, when the sales manager told me about Mike McCurly of MJM productions in Hamilton looking for an announcer with a style similar to that of Carl Banas at CKFM Toronto. Hey! I got the job. Also did some spots at CHML Hamilton and a few more here and there. Not a big freelance career, but enough to make me happy.
In the mid 90's, Warren Parker, who owned a recording studio in Niagara Falls, received the contract from Marineland to do the on-site recordings for announcer and music for the summer season. Again, I was the guy. However they were in a great rush to transfer the voice to CD, so I didn't get a chance to ask for a copy.Then, the O'Brien's, Jim, his son Jamie and brother Bob, came back to haunt me one more time. They were fronting a new company called AFFINTY RADIO, which bought CHRE and a several others. Later, CHRE was bought by ASTREL and moved to the old CKTB building on Yates St., along with CKTB and HITS-FM.
I do have many blessings in my life. I have a lovely wife, Pat, and three children who have given us six grandchildren and one great grandchild, a nice house, a nice car, a big screen TV, good neighbors and lots of cold beer for a hot summer day. And Bud, old friend, you have a terrific web site.
Hope this isn't too much info, but felt I should up-date you.
Keep in touch...Wayne.