One Recognizable Voice- Dan MacDonald

Certain voices are immediately recognizable right when you hear them. The smooth voice of Morgan Freeman, Michael Jackson’s soft but powerful voice, Mariah Carey’s whistling and vocal range. For Windsor, one of these recognizable and iconic voices airs on AM800 CKLW every single day.
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Dan MacDonald, host of The Dan MacDonald Show on AM800, has quite the lengthy resume. From writing for different newspapers, to becoming a radio personality for 93.9 The River and now AM800, MacDonald's talents go above and beyond.

“I started working at 93.9 The River in 2007,” MacDonald shared. “It was very much the right place at the right time, I was in the building already off-air working as a copywriter for 89X, AM800, AM580 and I was even writing some album and live show reviews for the blog on 93.9 The River.”
MacDonald explained that when the position came up for an announcer, he didn’t think he had a chance at all.

“That’s just because I had that little voice of self doubt that’s been in my head since I can remember,” MacDonald said. “It’s important we tell the little voice to shut up sometimes and go with our gut.”
MacDonald was asked by the program director at the time to create a demo tape and three days after, was offered the position.

“It’s been a fun and challenging surreal roller coaster ride ever since,” MacDonald said.  “But the lesson I learned is to not doubt yourself. Believe in yourself and just be you. The things you may perceive as weakness, others often view as your strength, as your individuality.”
Currently MacDonald is the host of The Dan MacDonald Show on AM800.

“My favourite thing about being on the radio is talking to people and getting a different perspective on things,” MacDonald shared. “I think we are far too divided these days and it seems that if anybody has a different opinion than us, we immediately peg them as enemies, and it shouldn’t be that way.”

MacDonald explained that inclusivity is important.

“I love the conversations; I love the interaction and I love that it’s absolutely different every day. It keeps me on my toes, and I learn something as well.”

Defining himself as a music junkie, MacDonald shared that music allows him a soundtrack to his emotions.

“It can elevate my mood. It can make me think. I can put things into perspective,” MacDonald said. “Music has always been medicine for me. I don’t like a quiet house, so there is always music playing here. It has been this way for as long as I can remember.”

Since he was a kid, music has always just spoke to him.

“My parents will even say when I was a kid, I took a liking to music immediately,” MacDonald explained. “I had all the records that all the kids my age had, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Prince, but I really dove head first into my parent’s record collection and discovered lots of music from the 60's and 70's that was very emotional, very politically charged and it set my musical taste for the rest of my life. “
Currently, The Dan MacDonald Show on AM800 is weekdays from 9 a.m. to noon.