Byron MacGregor was a legend in broadcast newsrooms across Canada and the United States.

He was born Gary Lachlan Mack in Calgary in 1948. By the age of 22 he became the youngest news director at CKLW in Windsor. He oversaw a newsroom of two dozen reporters covering Windsor and Detroit and broadcasting in six provinces and 28 states. Under his leadership, CKLW – “The Big 8”, and Windsor/Detroit, the “20-20” style of radio news was born.

MacGregor later moved to WWJ Newsradio 950, the CBS Radio all-news station in Detroit, where he remained for 13 years working as morning and afternoon anchor. Byron also became the first reporter to simultaneously anchor the prime-time newscasts for WWJ Newsradio and WKBD-TV in Detroit.

MacGregor was known for his hard-hitting, colourful style along with a recording of a pro-American editorial written by Gordon Sinclair of CFRB. Byron’s version was recorded with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and topped the charts when it was released in 1973, and again when it was released during the Gulf War and a third time in 2001 following the 9-11 attacks on America. The recording sold more than three-and-a-half million copies. McGregor donated all the proceeds to the Red Cross.

Honoured with multiple awards including RTDNA, UP and API as well as recognition for his humanitarian work, Byron died in 1995 at age 46 from complications of pneumonia.