Thanks for the Memories, Dan

Dan McLean, long time CHCH news anchorman was let go by Canwest/Global last week after 37 years. And if you were like me, and grew up in the Golden Horseshoe area, you will know exactly who Dan McLean was. I didn't watch CHCH news growing up, but I was well aware of Dan McLean. It was hard not to be if you watched Channel 11 and grew up in the greater Toronto area during the late 70's and 80's. Dan McLean would be forever popping into your living room during commercial breaks with the latest news update or promo. Back then we didn't have the 300 channel universe we do now, so personalities like Dan in the 19 or so channel universe stood out.

And why Am I telling you this? Because I actually have a Dan McLean story for you.

Back in the day when I was a hard working TV student, I went to an annual end of year party at one of my college professors place. It was a cool experience for two reasons. One because she lived on a farm and you could set up at tent and party all night long. And two, because former students and teachers would attend, a lot of who were then working in the TV industry at the time.

And who should be there, but none other then Dan McLean. I was honoured to meet the man, he was a legend even then. I'm not sure what got into me, (OK, I do know. It was called alcohol) but every time I ran into him after that at the party I would call him Irv. (As in Irv Weinstein, another TV legend of that time from the US market, in Buffalo).

Now at the time both Irv and Dan worked in different markets, but they were both news anchors and were competitors of sorts. The first time I called him Irv, he laughed. The 100 or so other times after that, only I seemed to be laughing.

Sorry about that Dan, but you did make me laugh that night.

You will be missed.

Just another casualty of the new world economy and that sucks.