Max Ferguson’s broadcasting career began just a year after RCI or the CBC International Service as it was then known, went on the air.
As a junior announcer on the domestic public service (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation), he found shortly after his arrival that he was assigned to host a show of “cowboy music”, which was not a genre he was particularly fond of.
Deciding to show some disdain, and not have his name associated with the style, he lowered his voice and faked a cowboy-like drawl beginning the show with ““Well howdy and welcome to After Breakfast Breakdown. This is your old pal, Rawhide.”
Throughout the show he made somewhat ridiculous and slightly insulting comments about the music, but to his dismay, everyone liked it. Thus, in spite of his efforts to avoid the show, he ended up hosting it for 17 years, six days a week. It was aslo the beginning of a 52 year career, first as Rawhide until 1962, then with Rawhide interventions and a cast of other characters he made up, who would appear occasionally on the Max Ferguson show. This including a mix of comedy skits, parodies of politicians, obscure novelty songs, orchestral, military and a wide variety of highly eclectic music from countries around the world. In fact he was introducing “world music” decades before the term would become common.
On the occasion of the 15th anniversary of RCI, Rawhide, decided to parody the International Service as announced by staff announcer “Marvin Mellowbell”
Max Ferguson retired from radio in 1998, and died in March of 2013.
RCI 70th anniversary stories HERE
The “Rawhide” radio show (sudio) will appear after the commercials
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