By Terry Tinkess
Eighty-seven George St. in the Byward Market is a beehive of activity. It houses not only the television studios of The New RO, but also broadcast facilities for CHUM Entertainment’s four Ottawa radio stations: KOOL FM, Majic 100, CFRA and The Team 1200 Sports Radio.
Most of the people in the building could be described as young, healthy, ambitious or contemporary.
You wouldn’t expect to find someone who has been doing the same job for almost 29 years. But there is at least one.
Dave Schreiber is in his 29th year of reaching out to radio listeners in the Ottawa Valley, 21 of those years with CFRA/The Team 1200 and eight with CKBY (the current Y105).
He currently is a sports anchor for The Team 1200 and does the play-by-play for the Ottawa Senators, 67’s and Renegades.
Schreiber was born in Windsor, but got the ‘bug’ for radio while attending high school in Leamington.
“At the time disc jockeys used to do remotes at different locations throughout the city. I’d hang around, get them a coffee or a coke if they wanted, and in return they started letting me hang around the station.”
At the end of the broadcasting day, Schreiber would practice reading scripts and playing music. Finally he made a demo tape which he thought was good enough to send to prospective employers. He landed his first radio job in northern Ontario, but it didn’t last long.
“The boss’s son wanted to get on the air, so after two weeks I was gone,” says Schreiber. “I headed home and planned to go to school to be a teacher.”
That plan, however, wasn’t meant to be. He soon had another job offer, this time in the eastern Ontario town of Smiths Falls.
“My first question was ‘Where the hell is Smiths Falls?’ but I got a map out and found it. I spent two years there, and ended up doing the play-by-play for the Smiths Falls Bears hockey team. It gave me a good grounding in radio.”
Then came the big break. CFRA’s Ernie Calcutt contacted Schreiber and enticed him to move to the big city.
“Initially I did the Sports at Six show and play-by-play for the 67’s,” says Schreiber. “Ernie said they’d gradually work me in with the football. I became the third man in the booth, doing things like the coach’s show, post game interviews, that kind of thing.”
Schreiber wasn’t the only new guy in the building the first night he did the play-by-play for the 67’s. The team had a new coach by the name of Brian Kilrea.
“I’ve been riding Killer’s coattails ever since,” says Schreiber.
As he sits in the food court at 87 George St., Schreiber works on a bowl of soup, a bottle of water and a healthy looking club sandwich. The ease with which he spouts out stats between bites and the clarity and number of events he describes is impressive.
“I did the play-by-play for the Lynx in the beginning. I also did the last Rough Rider game and the first Renegades game as well as the Senators first play-off game,” says Schreiber.
“I used to call the races out at Rideau-Carleton, and I’ve done boxing too.
“I’ve called matches with Sean O’Sullivan, Gaetan Hart, and I did a Canadian and Commonwealth heavyweight championship match between Trevor Berbick and Conroy Nelson, who was from Ottawa.
“Berbick knocked him out in the third or fourth round. It was a bit of a phantom punch though,” muses Schreiber.
Schreiber says there are two people who are responsible for giving him the opportunity to succeed. One is the late Ernie Calcutt. The other is Don Holtby, vice president of sales for CHUM’s Ottawa radio stations.
But Holtby says Schreiber has earned his position because he works very hard, but also because he enjoys what he does.
“He loves his job, he’d probably do it for free,” says Holtby. “How many people would travel with one team, fly home, and rush to get to the rink in time to do the play-by-play for the other? There have been stretches when he’s done five games in five nights. He could take a night off and someone would cover for him, but he won’t.”
Even with the demands of covering both a professional and junior “A” hockey team, Schreiber continues to make that long walk up to the broadcast booth at Frank Clair Stadium where he acts as play-by-play commentator for the CFL’s Ottawa Renegades.
His partner in the broadcast booth is former Ottawa Rough Rider receiver Jeff Avery. He says Schreiber is well suited for his role.
“He’s not called ‘The Voice’ for nothing,” says Avery. “His voice lends itself to doing the play-by-play. He definitely instils an enthusiasm for the game.”
According to Avery, there is no secret to the success and longevity Schreiber has enjoyed. “He always works very hard,” says Avery.
“No matter what, he’s always got the numbers ready. He works hard at preparing for every game.”
Avery and Schreiber also worked together during the dismal final days of the Rough Riders. Of all the games they have done together, there is one in which a particular sense of pride is attached.
In 2001, after five years on the sidelines, the Schreiber and Avery duo were chosen to handle the play-by-play and colour commentary for the Grey Cup game.
“It was very exciting,” says Avery. “I was nervous, but after a few minutes it felt like we’d never been away.”
Schreiber says he has seen many changes in the City of Ottawa in the time he has lived here. He vehemently disputes the notion that Ottawa is not a sports town.
“I don’t agree with that,” says Schreiber. “Ottawa sports fans are passionate about their teams. I mean, look at the Renegades. After no football in the city for six years. And earlier this season, on the same night there were almost 18,000 fans at a Sens game and 8,000 to 9,000 at a 67’s game. I don’t know how people can say this isn’t a sports town.”
Sitting with Schreiber, I sense he feels he’s been sitting in one spot too long. Lunch is over, and enough stories have been told for one day. It’s time to move on. Finally, I ask him how much he enjoys what he does.
“I’ve got my dream job,” says Schreiber. “How many guys get to do the play-by-play for two first-place teams? I’m the luckiest guy in the world.”
Great call Schribes, as always.