Gzowski, Peter

▪ 2003

      Canadian broadcaster (b. July 13, 1934, Toronto, Ont.—d. Jan. 24, 2002, Toronto), was the inimitable gravelly voiced host of the national radio show This Country in the Morning (1971–74) and the three-hour radio program Morningside (1982–97); he infused warmth, intimacy, and passion into his programs, which featured an eclectic blend of interviews and commentary. Gzowski was a household name in English-speaking Canada and was beloved among listeners for the genuine regard that he showed them when they talked over the airwaves. Though he left the University of Toronto before graduation, he launched a successful journalistic career, serving as entertainment editor of the Toronto Star, editor of the Star Weekly, and editor (briefly in 1970) of Maclean's magazine. His foray into television on the CBC-TV show 90 Minutes Live (1976–78) was unsuccessful, but he remained a popular radio personality and was the author of a number of compilations, including The New Morningside Papers (1987) and A Peter Gzowski Reader (2001), and a personal essay, “How to Quit Smoking in 50 Years or Less,” which appeared in Addicted: Notes from the Belly of the Beast (2001).

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