Pleasant Good Evening chronicles three wild decades behind the microphone of Sportstalk, the groundbreaking B.C. sports radio show that became a nightly ritual for thousands of fans. What started in 1984 as a short filler segment evolved into Canada’s longest-running and most listened-to sports talk program of its kind.
Across thirty years of weekday-evening broadcasts, Sportstalk became the unofficial gathering place for Vancouver Canucks fans, especially during the dramatic 1994 and 2011 Stanley Cup runs. Along the way, the host interviewed more than 25,000 guests, including icons such as Bobby Orr, Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky, George Foreman, Vin Scully and Pelé.
The memoir revisits unforgettable moments on air, from the fiery weekly segments with Brian Burke that helped define the show to the unique presence of callers like Paul Lafleur, known as "The Pauser," a legend in Vancouver radio history. It also follows the author’s determined pursuit of a lifelong dream: to become a full-time NHL play-by-play broadcaster.
At its heart, this is a story about innovation and perseverance in the rapidly changing world of sports media. Long before 24/7 sports channels became standard, Sportstalk pioneered a format that many would later imitate, while navigating the shifting politics and pressures of the radio business.
Highlights
- Inside stories from 30 years of live sports talk radio
- Behind-the-scenes look at Canucks Cup Final coverage
- Interviews with some of the biggest names in sports
- A candid account of the realities of the radio industry
