Larry Delaney is a builder, but don’t think bricks and mortar house construction. For over 32 years, the long-time New Edinburgh resident has been instrumental in helping to “build” the careers of hundreds of Canadian country musicians as the former editor/publisher of Country Music News . Launched on a shoestring budget (with local musician Neville Wells) in 1980, the CMM was the only country music publication with a national focus, ceasing publication in 2012. Delaney’s incalculable contribution to the country music industry was most recently recognized in May 2022 when he was awarded the “Impact Award” from the Country Music Association of Ontario as a “Builder”.

But that represents only a fraction of the numerous accolades he’s acquired over the years. Larry is an 11-time recipient of the CCMA’s Country Music Person of the Year award, an inductee into the Canadian County Music Hall of Fame in 1989, and the Hall of Honour in 1996. For a guy who never played an instrument, (“other than a turntable” he jokes), these are impressive accomplishments for the long-time resident of New Edinburgh.

Dave Watts has had a long career on the Ottawa radio scene. In addition to being an on-air announcer, his career at CFRA included Music Director (CFRA) and Assistant to the Program Director (1976-1989) and Promotion Director (CFRA, CFMO and later KOOL FM).1989 to 1996.

In January 2025, John Leefe of the HSO’s Memory Project interviewed Dave about his career at CFRA, with a focus on the various well-known personalities he worked with and his observations on the transformations in the radio industry over the past 60 years. Below is an edited transcript of the interview.

1. How did your involvement in Ottawa radio begin?

To go right back to the beginning, in the fall of 1963 we had a high school project in our business class to find a company and learn about it to do a report. So I thought, I like radio and CFRA is the station I listen to, so I’ll write to them. I explained the project in a letter to the managers and they invited me down for a tour of the station. It was a great idea so I went down with a buddy of mine and in that tour, we met Gord Atkinson, who was probably my earliest connection to the radio station. Just before he was to go on air with his “Showbill” program that afternoon, we chatted a bit and subsequently stayed in touch from that point forward. In the coming days Gord invited me to join him on his “Campus Club” show to report on the latest Ottawa high school activities.