All About Audie Lynds by Cam Tait

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All About Audie Lynds by Cam Tait

Postby jon » Sun Aug 07, 2016 1:02 pm

Tait: Co-host of Rob and Audie on 96.3 Capital FM Audie Lynds signs off after 40 years in radio
Cam Tait
Edmonton Sun
August 7, 2016

On his first Friday night out of the radio business, Audie Lynds enjoyed a bowl of chili and was about to light a campfire somewhere near Rocky Mountain House.

He summed things up by saying, “It’s all good.”

Audie was a fixture in Edmonton radio since 1981, and was the co-host of Rob and Audie in the mornings on 96.3 Capital FM. But when he signed off Wednesday in the station’s West Edmonton Mall studio, it was his last day on the air.

NewCap Radio made seven job cuts in Edmonton. Audie was one of them.

“After 40 years, was it a surprise?” Audie emailed from his campsite. “Maybe not a surprise, but a bit of a shock to a guy who has dedicated 40 years of his life to a business he loves.”

Thirty-five of those years were shared with Edmonton listeners. Audie moved from his native Moose Jaw, Sask. in 1981 to work at 630 CHED as assistant program director and announcer. In 1986, he teamed up with Rob Christie to co-host CHED’s morning show.

The successful duo flipped to FM — Power 92 — and worked together until 1994 when Christie left for Toronto.

Audie stayed in Edmonton at Power 92, which became JOE-FM. In 2005, he was re-united with Christie at Capital FM.

“I may be wrong, but I believe the majority of people probably don’t really like their job and dread going to work every day,” he said, adding his alarm went off at 3 a.m. to get to work.

“Me? I loved my job. Loved making people laugh. Loved giving them an escape from reality and all the stress in their life.

“And loved all the amazing experiences it brought me.”

Christie, who is now on his own at Capital FM, feels the loss.

“I’ve lost a guy who brought a lot to the the table every morning,” Christie said Saturday. “A guy who has amazing production skills, an encyclopedic knowledge of music and artists- especially The Beatles - and a guy with a quirky sense of humour, and an eye for the offbeat and the bizarre. Did I mention that irreplaceable maniacal laugh?

“The morning show lifestyle is very demanding and we probably spent more time with each other than with our wives.”

While working with Christie at Power 92, the team won a gold medal at the International Radio Festival of New York.

Audie says if he wasn’t in the radio business he would be involved in music some way.

“It’s why 99.9 per cent of us get into radio is music — our passion for the business,” said Audie.

Now at 58, he has his life in front of him.

“I want to say thank you to all those who tuned in over the years. That laughed with me, laughed at me, and I look forward to sharing a laugh with you again soon,” he said.

When a familiar voice is gone, we feel a personal loss because they have become a part of our day.

But life moves on for all of us. Perhaps when a well-known person moves on, we realize it more than ever.

So, put another log on the fire, Audie. Stay up as long as you want and enjoy your sleep in.

You’ve earned it.

(Cam Tait is the special projects advisor for Challenge Insurance.)
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