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PRINCE GEORGE — Very sad day for us here at the Broadcast Centre for 99.3 The drive, 101.3 the River and CKPG-TV.
As we learned yesterday of the passing of legendary broadcaster and friend to all of us, Mike Benny.
Mike started as the afternoon guy on 550 CKPG Radio 35 years ago, he quickly moved to mornings, then went on to be the morning voice of 101.3 Hits FM that later became The River.
After going through a ton of co-hosts we joked, what are you doing to these people? The truth is Mike was fantastic to work with and consistently great. Always funny and topical like the morning decades ago when a picture on the front page of The Prince George Citizen newspaper showed a police cruiser had rear-ended another car in a fender bender. Mike went on the air and warned drivers of the slippery roads and to keep the proper distance between them and the cruiser behind them.
His joke of the day ran for years and he ended up getting them published in a book titled ‘World’s Punniest Joke Book.’
He was on the air for 35 years in Prince George, married the love of his life and was a great dad to four great kids!
A couple of generations grew up listening to Mike on the radio in the morning. I don’t have to tell you how good Mike Benny was on the air. You’ve heard him.
Mike was a mentor for many young broadcasters that came through the door. If you wanted advice for anything radio or anything in life, you went to Mike. With his insight and big picture view of our little world he’d really listen to you and tell you what he thought. It was always great advice. He truly is a great guy.
In the fall of 2019 Mike was diagnosed with lung cancer and was off work getting treatment. He passed away.
He left us with some great ‘Mike-isms’. Like when funny things happened here at the station or things were falling apart behind the scenes Mike would say ‘I love this show.’
For 35 years every day was a ‘mad cap comedy’ with Mike around. Today is the sad episode.
I’ll miss coming into my studio after Mike had been there and see the word ‘BEER’ typed at the end of the last sentence of a document I had open. I’ll miss our Christmas and birthday beer exchanges with bottles and cans used to make all sorts of sculptures we gifted to each other. We’ll all miss Mike in our own way.
I don’t know yet what will be done in Mike’s memory to honour him but The Drive and The River will let you know. In lieu of flowers, Mike’s family asks that you donate to the Canadian Cancer Society.
One last thought…As he left the studio after visiting Mike would often say ‘I’ll be right out here in the hall.’
