On the same day Monica Lewinsky captured airwaves globally with the White House sex scandal, CBC radio host Rex Murphy was happily gabbing with callers about electoral reform in Prince George, B.C.
The personable, yet fiery critic from Newfoundland remains proud of that 1998 decision as he bids farewell to listeners after 21 years as host of CBC's Cross Country Checkup.
"I thought that was wonderful — and in a sense, defying the storm of the world's media — that a bunch of Canadians were chatting about whether recall in B.C. was the greatest thing of all," he said in an interview on Tuesday.
The 68-year-old closed the show on Sunday by announcing his retirement from the popular open-line program after spending far longer than he ever contemplated in the chair.
He decided to depart after the show's 50th anniversary program aired from Saskatoon in June.
"That solidified some of my own thinking and I said, 'Let's not keep doing this just because you're there,'" he said.
"Let's let people have a rest and have someone new." ....
