Fred Wallace has left the building.
It’s the end of an era for the most prominent, well-known sports voice in Grey Bruce.
Longtime CFOS morning show co-host, sports director and many other things radio and community Fred Wallace is “semi-retiring” from Bayshore Broadcasting after nearly 39 years.
Fred will be stepping away from his full-time duties at CFOS, but still intends to be involved with some broadcasting and community activities moving forward.
“I’m retiring from the newsroom, but not from the community,” he says.
Fred arrived in Owen Sound in December 1984 from CKMP, a former radio station in Midland. He spent his first few years at 560 CFOS as a disc jockey, before taking over sports in 1988. Fred thrilled Ontario Hockey League fans for decades as the play-by-play voice of the Platers and the Attack, starting in the inaugural season for the franchise in 1989.
Bayshore Broadcasting operations director Ian Solecki, who grew up in Owen Sound, says Fred has always held an incredible connection to the sports community.
“And particularly to the Attack, the OHL franchise, and the Platers before they were the Attack,” Solecki says. “And I think about when we celebrated Hockey Day in Canada earlier in the year, all of these big names in hockey like Ron MacLean and people coming to town and talking about how really, truly that franchise and the hockey community in Owen Sound would not be what it is today if it wasn’t for Fred Wallace.”
“There’s so many things Fred has done in the community and they’re not all sports-related,” continues Solecki. “He’s connected to so many different things.”
From everyone at Bayshore Broadcasting, congratulations Fred on your next chapter!
Announcers come…& Announcers go…& today it’s my turn, my time to go.
After 40+ years @BayshoreFred is no longer a full time broadcaster, heading into semi-retirement as we speak.
Thanks for listening.#NotWorking pic.twitter.com/SKCgDup96V
— Fred Wallace (@BayshoreFred) August 18, 2023