Irene Madoche - 50 Years at CIRK/CJCA-FM

[jon]

Irene Madoche will be celebrating 50 years with CIRK-FM (which used to be CJCA-FM) about this time next month.

I wanted to start this thread to allow those of you who know or knew Irene in the past, to offer your comments, stories, etc. A wonderful lady whose company I've enjoyed at Edmonton Broadcasters Club luncheons. And who has helped me on occasional visits to Newcap in West Edmonton Mall.

Irene began at CJCA AM & FM in 1959 as Receptionist. And still holds that position at Newcap today, for CFCW-AM, CIRK-FM and CKRA-FM. As you may or may not know, CJCA-AM was signed off the air and later sold to newly-formed Touch Communications in the early 1990s.

Receptionists are invaluable employees. When allowed to do so, they create that very important first impression for anyone phoning or visiting. These days, Receptionists usually answer the general e-mail address mail. And have always opened, forwarded and sometimes answered the mail that stations get that is addressed to no one in particular.

ref. - http://edmontonbroadcasters.com/ebc/mem ... che-irene/

[Mike Cleaver]

Irene was the first person I met when I walked through the doors of 10230 108th Street in '76.
She is one of the great receptionists who knows everything that is going on and is discreet enough not to pass on gossip.
I never knew her to have a bad day in the 7 years I spent at CJCA-CIRK-FM.
She always seemed to know where everyone was and how to get in touch with them.
The newsroom was right around the corner from her desk but unlike CHUM, where we often would get called to the lobby to deal with nutbars, that never happened while I was on shift.
Irene just had a way of dealing with everyone.
Nice to hear she's still working!
Happy Anniversary, Irene!

[EX-BOSSJOCK]

In the 60's CJCA was running a promotion that required the jocks to do a shift in the station cruiser, giving away stuff. Fine with me, but the problem was I didn't have a drivers licence. Irene kindly let me use her Volkswagen to take the drivers test . The VW has a slightly different manual shift deal than North American cars . Irene tried to explain it to me as we were going to the motor vehicle branch . I'm not a quick study , but I managed to pass the test after giving her and the instructor the ride they'll never forget . I'm sure it was her charm that got me the licence , not my skill at the wheel . Nobody could resist her . She was and always will be a sweetheart . Luv ya Irene. J.H.

[Promotions Guy]

Irene you probably don't remember me, but I remember you. Back in the mid 60's I was a wet behind the ears high school student at Jasper Place Composite High School, but had visions of stardom (ok radio) in my eyes. You would often greet me when I can by the Birks Building to see Gary McDonell in the library, or visit with Dale Partridge. You always had a good word and smile. You made me feel like I was important. Then later when I came by the 108 Street building, as an adult working at one of the competitors, you were still there and still making people feel happy and important.

I learned an important lesson from you. The receptionist is the most important person in the station. She is a friend. She is a source of knowledge and she knows when the boss is hiding around the teletype machine waiting to pounce on an unsuspecting rookie. The receptionist has power. Always treat the receptionist right and the rewards will be many. Some 30 years later I still remember the receptionist on special occasions, or just as a thank you.

I have worked with a number of recptionists over the years (both in and out of broadcasting) but none stack up to you Irene.

Here's to the next 50 years.

[jon]

From this morning's Hicks on Six column:

HAPPY 50TH, IRENE!

She was truly surprised.

From the look on her face, the world's best receptionist had no idea.

Irene Matoche currently answers the phones with a cheery voice and a good word for three sister stations, CFCW, K-97 and Capital FM. Owned by Newcap Radio, the stations are under one roof in West Edmonton Mall with the same support services, i.e. Irene on the phones and at the front desk.

The surprise party was to celebrate Irene's 50th year as a receptionist (and den mother) in radio. All with one continuous employer.

Irene started in 1959 with CJCA, which then opened FM station K-97, which kept operating after CJCA was shut down, which was sold to Newcap Radio after Newcap purchased CFCW and today's Capital FM.

Through it all, Irene answered phones and manned the front desk, cheering up EVERYBODY who crossed her path.

Some 200 radio people, past and present, many from non-Newcap stations, showed up for Irene's surprise 50th yesterday at the Old Pioneers' Cabin.

Folks like retired CHED newsman Glen Yost, who loves driving transit part-time for Sherwood Park -- "I tell them to 'move to the back of the bus' in my best radio voice." -- or the famous Professor Emeritus Dr. John Paterson whose CJCA show dispensed much commonsense counselling wisdom. Plus dozens of present-day on-air and back-stage radio folks who consider Irene, as Newcap's Randy Lemay said, "a living angel who walks among us."

Happy 50th, Irene!

Keep answering those phones. Don't ever let them replace you with "press one".

[DirkSteele]

Working in that shop in the late 90's and Irene was "kind" enough to say that I had the worst hand writing on winner envelopes that she had ever seen. High praise considering the years in the buisness. Wonder if I still have the prize?

When Newcap moved K-Rock into the 99st building, Irene came along and we were all glad to see her.

[Michael Morgan]

I began my radio career in1965 operating Saturday remotes on CJCA AM and weeknights operating CJCA-FM. I was known as Michael Couchman in those days of Jim Hault, Bob Gibbons, Bob Stagg George Payne and Charles P Rodney Chandler but my immediate superior was Andre Picard and Mike Grant (driving his Wols
ley) was my mentor. Irene was the face of the station in the old Birks building, I can see her now smiling with such a light in her eyes. What wonderful memories.

Michael Morgan (my legal name)

[jon]

One piece of information for anyone who gets a chance to meet Irene in the future, perhaps on a visit to West Edmonton Mall:
it is MAY-DOSH, not MAY-DOCK.

Be nice to her. Get her name right. She deserves it!

On a related note, another Edmonton broadcaster who was also a Receptionist at CJCA, Peggy Miller(-Day), is still going strong, through retired. She began her duties as Receptionist in, wait for it, 1945!

And there is a Vancouver connection: Peggy was transferred to CKWX in 1968 as Manager of Station Promotion. CJCA and CKWX were both owned by Selkirk at that time.

[jon]

The voice behind the talent
Edmonton Journal – October 24, 2009
by Cam Tait

Irene Madoche knows how to make a good first impression last 50 years.

The soft-spoken Edmonton woman celebrated a half-century of answering telephones and greeting visitors for local radio stations.


Irene Madoche is all smiles wearing her crown, sash and funny glasses at a surprise party in honor of her at the Old Timers Cabin.

Madoche started working for 930 CJCA in 1959. She’s still directing calls these days for Capital FM, K-97 and 790 CFCW in West Edmonton Mall.

“For someone to answer phones at a radio station for 50 years is simply amazing,” says Gord Whitehead, now the morning man at 630 CHED.

Whitehead met Madoche in the late 1970s at CJCA and notes her ability to memorize names and voices.

“I remember, I started working with a client in 1979, named Bob Sproule,” says Whitehead. “By the third time Bob called the station, Irene knew his name, and still does today.”

Likewise, Madoche is pretty memorable, too. In 1995, she told The Journal that whenever former prime minister Brian Mulroney came to the CJCA studio on 108th Street, he would call her by her first name.

Radio personality and voice-over talent Charlee Redmen remembers how Madoche calmed her nerves before a job interview with the late Gary McGowan, who was a program director back in 1990.

“I had to wait some time before Gary came out to get me, and Irene went out of her way to make me feel comfortable and to let me know how nice a man Gary was,” says Redman. “I not only went on to a wonderful tenure with K-97, but also to an incredible marriage with Gary.

“Although neither one of us had worked with her for some time, Irene was at Gary’s funeral service. She will never know how much that means to me.”

Whitehead says Madoche worked without voice mail for most of her career.

“I remember how well she wrote down everyone’s messages on those little pink pieces of paper,” he says.

Madoche has met thousands of people at the reception desk.

“Day in and day out, she always greeted both our staff and clients with a warm welcome and a beautiful smile as they came into our building at CJCA,” says Peter Wilkes, who worked with Madoche.

There was a surprise party for Madoche Thursday evening at the Oldtimers Cabin on 99th Street, with more than 200 people on the guest list.

[jon]

As reported in Today in Canadian Broadcast History, today marks 51 years at CJCA-FM (now CIRK-FM) for Irene Madoche as Receptionist. Congratulations!

A few weeks ago, I was extremely pleased to see, in the lobby of the Newcap West Edmonton Mall facilities, a large poster from Irene's 50th. Very hard to get a photograph, as it is behind glass, and it is almost impossible to eliminate reflections.