The longtime leader of Bayshore Broadcasting and 560 CFOS is retiring.
General manager Ross Kentner, 76, will work his last day on Friday, April 27, after 56 years at CFOS.
“They do say when the time comes you’ll know and all of a sudden I knew that the time was right,” Ross says.
Ross started in 1961 with CFOS originally as a staff announcer and then became news director in the late 1960s. In the early 1970s he took on the role of assistant general manager under Bill Hawkins.
560 CFOS sold to Doug Caldwell in 1985 and since then Ross has sat at his desk as general manager of Bayshore Broadcasting.
Ross oversaw the expansion of Bayshore Broadcasting from one radio station and a repeater, to currently eight radio stations in Owen Sound, Port Elgin, Goderich, Collingwood, Orillia and Shelburne — with a ninth set to sign-on this summer in Muskoka.
Ross was on Open Line Monday morning with host Dave Carr to officially announce his retirement. He was joined by past colleagues, friends, neighbours and listeners through the hour-long show — all wishing our longtime GM the best in his next chapter.
Bayshore Broadcasting owner Doug Caldwell called the Open Line to congratulate Ross and thank him for the years of service.
“It’s been a great ride, a great journey,” Caldwell says.
Among the many others who called Open Line to congratulate Ross was Rick Moss, a former DJ, program director and operations manager with Bayshore Broadcasting who went on to become general manager of CFPL London.
“I think I can confidently say the experience I had and many others had there, we were just fortunate to have worked with such great people led by Ross,” Moss says.
Manny Paiva, a longtime news director for Bayshore Broadcasting who worked with the company for 20 years before moving on to CTV Windsor, also commended Ross on his storied tenure in broadcasting.
“Congratulations on a tremendous career,” Paiva says. “I appreciate you for the patience you did show in me … and allowing me to grow my career under your watch.”
Ross offered many thanks to past and current colleagues, clients and the community as he moves on.
“The alumni and the staff, you just couldn’t have a greater group of people to work with,” Ross says. “And clients, clients are actually partners with private broadcasters in their communities.
“They are greatly underrated in terms of their contribution to the success we have in communities through radio.”
Ross remains in good health and says after enjoying some time on holidays, he plans to find some sort of job to keep him occupied.
“I think it’s really important I do go to work,” Ross says. “And I will.”
