This morning our community was saddened to learn of the passing of a true PBS legend. Ron Dickinson had been a PBS volunteer since the 1980s and a regular on-air presence since he first hit the airwaves in the wee small hours and became completely addicted to live radio. It didn’t take long before Ron secured his own weekly program, and over the ensuing decades Ron hosted regular shows from breakfast to late night, eventually becoming the smiling face of PBS’ Sunday breakfast show Magic Carpet Ride from 2014 to 2024.
Listen back to Ron's farewell show of Magic Carpet Ride after over four decades on air at PBS here:
Ron was deeply committed to our radio station. A true ‘radio tragic’ Ron just loved the medium, and even had a large notebook of hand-written playlists across all genres just in case he was needed for a last-minute fill. There were countless times when Ron grabbed his notebook, packed a pile of records and CDs, and rushed into the station to help out – day or night.
Ron was always generous in spirit, and derived joy in sharing music. His taste closed generation gaps, and he made an effort to impart his wisdom gained from years of experience. His pro-tip for picking a track that qualified for on-air selection, was that the song needed to "connect with your audience". He repeated this over the years. In his weekly Sunday morning slot Ron would also be the first to congratulate new PBS announcers as they completed their first New Noise shifts.
Last weekend Ron was admitted to St Vincent’s hospital with a serious case of pneumonia and sadly he passed away overnight.
PBS extends our sincere condolences to Ron’s family and his close friends.
This is a very sad day for our station, but also a day when we should celebrate the legacy of one of our most committed volunteers.