Pat Cochrane

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Pat Cochrane is a former Canadian morning radio personality (disc jockey) on CHOG (AM 640 The Hog) in Toronto, CJSB (54 Rock) in Ottawa, CFBR-FM] in Edmonton, CKIK-FM in Calgary, CHIQ in Winnipeg, CHEC in Lethbridge, CKSO in Sudbury and CJOK in Fort McMurray.

Born in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario on June 25, 1961, Cochrane moved with his family to Fort McMurray, Alberta in 1966. He began his broadcasting career in high school in 1978, playing K-Tel records over the P.A. system out of the school's library during lunch hour, and working part-time at CJOK, where he was fired for playing "Squeeze Box" by The Who during Sunday morning religious programming.

Initially hired for evenings and weekends by Q-94, Winnipeg, in 1981, Cochrane was quickly promoted to morning drive, becoming the youngest morning personality in a Canadian major market at age 20. Highlights included a raunchy, live on-air bachelor party for Joe Poplawski of the Canadian Football League's Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

At CJSB (54 Rock) from 1987-1990, Cochrane honed his insouciant brand of "suggestive shock radio," a style somewhere between Mad magazine and Monty Python's Flying Circus, delivered with quick, razor-sharp, cynical wit and relentless parody and satire that kept his audience off balance--and loyally tuned in. It has been rumoured that a young Tom Green was a fan and drew inspiration from the show. Whether touring the "Garages and Cars of the Rich and Famous" (including legendary local newscaster Max Keeping), chasing Members of Parliament through the corridors of the House of Commons in protest of the dreaded impending Goods and Services Tax, or offering his listeners a chance to win a raw rump roast on "Wheel of Meat", Cochrane delivered an irreverent, refreshing wakeup call to Canada's ultra-conservative "Nation's Crapital," eventually becoming a favorite target of the satirical Frank Magazine.

In 1990, Cochrane arrived at Toronto's CHOG (AM 640 The Hog), which had just changed format from legendary country station CFGM to a high-octane rock format. He made an instant impression by reporting for his first day of work disguised as a deranged trucker/disgruntled country music lover, terrorizing the staff, including the program director who hired him. Despite early ratings success, within a year, the station was turned over to a consultant who switched to a dance format, and Cochrane asked to be bought out of his contract. Exiting as flamboyantly as he entered, Cochrane hired male and female strippers (posing as his neighbours) to entertain the office staff at his farewell party.

CHOG (and Cochrane's penchant for sound effects) were hilariously satirized by Toronto native and former Saturday Night Live cast member Mike Myers in the movie Wayne's World 2.

After brief stops at CKIK, Calgary, and CFBR (The Bear), Edmonton, tiring of the transience of radio, Cochrane migrated south to San Diego, California in 1994, where he is a published author and entrepreneur.