HANOVER – On Friday, May 6, Andrew McBride, a.k.a. Andy Mack, will host his 1,000th edition of The Sounds of Scotland Show.
Starting the weekly radio show at Bluewater Radio back in November 2002, McBridge says, “I never thought it would be so popular and that I would still be hosting the show almost 20 years later.”
McBride came to Canada in 1989, and like Scots immigrants, he missed the music, culture and humour of home. After retiring from Dairy Farming in Scotland, Canada and the USA, he chose to settle in Grey-Bruce. With a background in TV, agribusiness and broadcasting, he volunteered to host a Scottish music show at the newly founded 91.3FM Bluewater Radio. After five months of hosting the show, he offered his knowledge and vision for the future development of the station; he was given lots of encouragement from fellow Scotsman, Ernie Duncan and station founder Duncan McCallum, and was appointed station manager in April 2003.
The Sounds of Scotland show is broadcast live every Friday on 91.3 FM Bluewater Radio from 7-9 p.m. The show is repeated on Sunday morning from 10 a.m. to noon. It is archived on thesoundsofscotland.com, and for the past 10 years has been internationally syndicated by numerous stations around the world, including nine stations in Scotland.
“No other country has the wealth of music Scotland has,” McBride says. “With its great diversity from Folk, Pipe Tunes to Scottish Dance Music.”
He always injects some cheery chat and humour, entertaining a wide public of Scottish and non-Scottish fans. And as a live emissary of Scottish culture, he has also been the announcer and MC at the annual Kincardine Scottish Festival and Highland Games for the past 20 years.
“Andrew’s Sounds of Scotland Show and his leadership have really put Bluewater Radio on the international map amongst broadcasters,” says Alan Emerson, Bluewater Radio board chair.
Many folks both near and far have come away from McBride’s show not just entertained, but heart-warmed for over 20 years. And his weekly sign-off has been spoken now 1,000 times.
“Thanks so much for your company for the last two hours, I hope you’ve had and as much fun as I’ve had, and I’ve left you a little cheerier than I found you.”
