David Marsden, the architect of CFNY and the Spirit of Radio, has died
David Marsden, the man who built the original CFNY and guided the station through its Spirit of Radio years, has died. He was 85.
David suffered a fall about a week ago and apparently died from some underlying injuries.
David Marsden was one of radio’s most influential program directors. When he assumed the role of PD at CFNY in 1979, he turned a struggling album rock station broadcasting from a little yellow house in Brampton using an underpowered transmitter into a cultural juggernaut whose impact is still being felt.
David guided the station through to 1988 when he left to pursue other things. Meanwhile, what he built has endured.
I will be forever grateful to David for hiring me back in the fall of 1986. I think I can speak on behalf of dozens or not hundreds of other CFNY employees. His work through the station affected the lives untold millions of music fans.
Here’s the obituary.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Canadian Broadcasting Pioneer and NYthespirit.com Co-Founder David Marsden Passes Away at 85
Toronto (September 28, 2026) Canada has lost a brilliant, innovative broadcaster and steadfast champion of new and independent Canadian music. It is with profound sadness that NYthespirit.com announces that on Friday, September 25th David Marsden, as he himself would say, ‘has put on his wings’.
David was born on March 2nd, 1941, in Toronto, Ontario. He was raised as David Michie in Stratford, where at a young age his fascination with music and radio began. As a teenager he produced ‘sock hops’ and became manager for local band, The Revols.
His radio career was extensive. David knocked on the door of at least 30 radio stations, and then got his start at CFCO-AM in Chatham, Ontario. After another short stint at CHLO in St. Thomas, David quickly jumped to evenings at CKEY-AM Toronto, now known as Dave Mickie. His outrageous presentation style there earned him a mention in media guru Marshall McLuhan’s Understanding Media. He also appeared on CBC-TV’s Music Hop and CHCH-TV’s Mickie A Go Go.
In the late 1960’s, David moved to Montreal and became David Marsden. He worked first at CKGM-AM, then moved to progressive rocker CHOM-FM. From there he returned to Toronto and joined the then free-form CHUM-FM. It was at CHUM-FM that David convinced promoters to book Pink Floyd in Toronto for the first time.
David moved to Brampton’s CFNY-FM in 1977 and became the station’s Program Director two years later. As “The Spirit of Radio”, the ground-breaking station began a journey as a free-form alternative outlet that would influence both the format and new music itself for the next decade and beyond. Rush penned “The Spirit of Radio” about the station, its people and programming philosophy. In cooperation with CBC Television, David brought CFNY-FM’s U-Know Awards to the national stage as the CASBY Music Awards in the mid-1980’s.
David also brought “The Spirit of Radio” to Vancouver’s CKST-AM for 3 years in the early 1990’s. He returned to Toronto to launch Canada’s first online radio hub at Iceberg Media in 1999. He hosted “The Marsden Theatre” at Oshawa’s CKGE-FM for over a decade in the 2000’s. From there, David returned online to create NYthespirit.com, continuing the free-form tradition of presenting music he became famous for.
David is a member of the CAB’s Hall of Fame, is one of only two Canadians in the “Dear Mr. DJ” exhibit at the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio and was Canada’s voice for the international radio broadcast of Live Aid in 1985.
David will be remembered as a kind, introspective and passionate leader. His commitment to new ideas and supporting new Canadian talent will be sorely missed. The team at NYthespirit.com remains entirely committed to keeping David’s vision alive, and the station will continue to broadcast in his honour, maintaining the independent musical ethos he championed his entire life.
Details regarding a public Celebration of Life will be announced in the coming months.
We invite listeners, musicians, and friends to share their reactions, favourite stories, and photos by leaving a comment at https://www.facebook.com/nythespirit or by emailing our dedicated tribute archive at memories@nythespirit.com.
Media Kit & Assets: High-resolution press photos and official brand assets are cleared for media publication and can be downloaded directly at: https://www.nythespirit.com/media/
Media Contact: Ivar Hamilton 416-318-3915 Ivarham@icloud.com
