Richard Alan Diespecker (1907-1973) See Pictures Section

Dick Diespecker was many things to many people. Son, husband, father, poet, school teacher, radio program producer, veteran, newspaperman and public relations practitioner and even that description may not suffice to describe this man’s life.

As to radio, Diespecker spent almost twenty years at CJOR in a variety of positions in news, current affairs and drama. His broadcast career started in 1937 – the highlight – a hair raising jaunt up a cat walk on the newly constructed Lions Gate Bridge by doing a live broadcast to his radio audience.

He received the following awards for his work:

1. 1947 Beaver award - distinguished service to Canadian radio

2. 1948 University of Ohio “Columbus” award for cultural programs

3. 1949 Canadian radio award for documentaries – ‘Battle of the Fraser’ - coverage of valley flooding of 1948.

He wrote over 400 radio dramas that aired on the CBC, BBC, South Africa SABC produced at home base CJOR.

Dick was born March 1, 1907 in Adstock, England and received some of his education there, in South Africa and inVictoria.

He attended both Victoria College and the University of BC. He tried teaching but moved quickly to newspapers with Vancouver Star in 1927, Vancouver News in 1932, and the Victoria Colonist in 1934.

The Second World War saw a brief radio career put on hold as Dick was off to the army ending that part of his life as a Major seconded to the radio bureau in Ottawa. Best known to veterans for his “Prayer for Victory”. Once the conflict was concluded it was back to CJOR and drama production and current affairs reporting. Later he was hired by The Vancouver Province as radio columnist and commentator. As a writer he produced “Between Two Furious Oceans” 1944, Elizabeth, an ode to his mother in 1950, ‘Rebound’ 1953 and Three Windows West 1956.

Radio and audiences were changing… Rock and Roll was on its way.

Diespecker left for the USA in 1958 to start new jobs in advertising and public relations. He became an American citizen in 1964 and died in San Francisco nine years later. He was 65.

BC Radio History