Rick Hodge signs off
105.7 EZ Rock morning co-host retires after 45 years in radio
It’s rather fitting that Rick Hodge spoke his final words as a radio host from The White House on Friday.
After all, it was from that Yates Street house, which doubles as a radio station, that his voice was first transmitted over the airwaves nearly 50 years ago.
Back then, he was a student at Merritton High School when an announcer from CKTB reached out to the school asking for students who would be willing to come in and share their thoughts on what it is like to be Canadian.
“It was the first time I spoke into a microphone and it was at this radio station. Friday may well be the last time I ever speak into one. It’s the same building, if it’s the last time I ever do that, it’ll be fitting. It’s an odd feeling but it’s fitting.”
Aside from his high school visit, Hodge got his official start in radio not too long after. As a college student in Toronto, he was invited by a former CKTB host to write for a sports radio show. As an avid sports fan, Hodge said he jumped at the chance and quickly worked his way to an on-air position and the rest, as they say, is history.
Hodge made his on-air debut in 1973 and went on to spend more than 30 years as part of the “Roger, Rick & Marilyn Show” on CHUM 104.5 FM in Toronto.
After leaving CHUM, he was part of 97.3 EZ Rock’s morning team in Toronto, he taught courses as part of Niagara College’s broadcasting program, and six years ago returned to his hometown to join the morning team at 105.7 EZ Rock, co-hosting the show with Lori Love.
Hosting a morning show is a grind. On air from 5:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. every weekday, Hodge said the hours are notorious for making people very tired.
“You’ve got to get up very early and go to bed very early,” he said.
The 67-year-old said he opted to get up at 10 p.m. the night before to prepare for his morning show, sifting through 50 to 60 different news sites to find topics to discuss the next morning.
“The most time-consuming part is looking for things to talk about,” he said, with a laugh.
Five days a week, he found himself heading into the studio about 4 or 4:30 a.m. where he’d be on air until 9 a.m., then he’d head home to sleep. Late afternoons would be spent running errands, socializing with friends, and then it was back to bed before 10 p.m.
“Mondays to Fridays would be pretty busy, there was no time to slow down and smell the roses,” he said, adding that in retirement he’s looking forward to doing just that.
While he owns a home in St. Catharines, he also has a farm in Tottenham, Ont., where he’s hoping to spend time with his rescue cats and maybe even a few goats.
“I’ve been doing this too long. I’ve been thinking about (retiring) for quite some time. I felt like now is the right time to do it,” he said. “I’m going to slow down a bit and take a breath.”
Bell Media’s president of radio and local TV, Nikki Moffat, said Hodge remains a true staple in Canada’s radio industry, connecting with listeners in St. Catharines, Toronto and beyond.
“Though we will miss his thoughtful and inviting presence to kick off each day, I wish him the very best in his retirement and thank him for his contributions over four decades on the air,” she said.
With a career spanning more than four decades, Hodge said there are plenty of great memories to look back on. The sports fan in him recalls the times when he got to meet some of his heroes, including Muhammad Ali, and a day spent with Wilt Chamberlain.
“It gets really overwhelming after a while,” he said, adding that he was also happy to meet a lot of great radio personalities over the year, working alongside them and learning from them.
There were also some major news events he’ll never forget, such as Sept. 11, 2001. He was on-air at the time and he recalled his news director coming into the studio telling the morning team a plane had hit the World Trade Center.
“We all thought he was joking, it couldn’t have happened,” he recalled. “But we turned on the TV just as the second plane hit. We didn’t understand what was going on, I was shocked — just filled with shock. But we needed to recover, because we were on air and we had to report on it and try and make sense of what happened. It really was an incredible day, one of the most incredible days to be on the air,” he said.
Heading into retirement, Hodge said what he’s going to miss most is the people he works with; people who, in many ways, have become like family to him.
“There’s a real family feeling between the four us in the studio, you learn to lean on each other after a while. I came to realize, rather quickly, that it’s ‘us’ not just ‘me’ and you’re in it together,” he said. “It takes a while to develop that feeling, but it’s nice once get you there.”
Hodge said his team was shocked when he first announced his plans, but also in some ways, they knew it was coming. He, Love, Tami Jeanneret and producer Greg Campagna would often chat about retirement.
“We’d ask each other ‘when are you going to retire?’ and it was always ‘oh, someday’ but now, that day has come for one of us,” he said. “One of us went and did it.”
EZ Rock program director Lisa Vinc said Hodge added a brilliant energy to the morning show, offering a positive spirit and quality conversation alongside Love.
During his final broadcast Friday morning, coworkers past and present made their way into the studio to bid farewell to Hodge, maybe even roasting him a little.
Listeners also had a chance to share their farewell messages via social media and through text messages. The response from listeners, Hodge said, has been amazing.
“I’ve had so many people reach out with nice messages,” he said. “People I went to high school with, their children, students from Niagara College, and loyal listeners from over the years. It’s been great.”
During Friday’s final broadcast, it was his co-host, Love, who had the final word.
“You’re a good guy. Thank you for everything and thanks for putting up with me,” she said, showing off that playful banter between the two that helped the show to be Niagara’s No. 1 morning show. “And for the record,
I’m not the reason he’s retiring — so don’t send me texts.”
Her final words for Hodge? “Don’t get old.”