Canada’s first gay/lesbian radio show, the “Coming Out Radio Show” was started by a group of about twenty people called together in the fall of 1978 by Co-Op Radio member, Russell Wodell. Russell helped us make our proposal to Co-Op Radio (CFRO 102.7 FM), create our premiere broadcast, and form a collective to make the weekly broadcast an on - going reality. We premiered on Thursday, September 7, 1978 from 6:30 to 7:00 pm. The show became an hour program in January of 1979 and moved to the 7:30 to 8:30 pm time slot in November, 1983 - the time slot it remains in to this day, although under a new name (as of July, 2000) – “Fruit Punch” (currently co-ordinated by Skyy Powers).

The radio show included a large number of amazingly diverse contributors over the years, but for the first eight years it was co-ordinated by Bill Houghton and David Myers. In 1986 they decided to retire and placed an ad in Angles newspaper calling for a meeting of persons interested in getting involved and helping to continue the show. One of the people who responded to that ad, Rob Atkinson, went on to co-ordinated the show for the next ten years (1986-1996).

Rob Atkinson was recently interviewed and gives his account of his involvement during those ten years. This interview is in two parts, each about nine and three-quarter minutes long.

I’d like to thank Rob Atkinson for his time and help in preparing this interview, as well as his service to our community through his ten years of hosting and co-ordinating the “Coming Out Radio Show”.

Coming Out Radio Show Part A

Coming Out Radio Show Part B