Kevin Shaw

Build. Lead. Inspire.

opinion

In Memorium – Sean David Morton

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My first encounter with Sean David Morton Was on March 13, 1997. I’d been listening to Coast to Coast AM ever since I withdrew from my first year of broadcasting school. At the time, I was slowly going blind—losing the low vision I’d been blessed with since birth to my congenital eye condition. I’d been waiting for over six months for surgery that could have potentially saved my vision, but a doctor’s strike was keeping me at home, out of school and up all night listening to Coast to Coast Am with Art Bell—the number one rated overnight radio show in North America at that time.

 

By this time, , I had fallen into depression, hopelessness and despair about my own life, the future and the world around me. I had prayed, but it didn’t feel like God was listening to anything I was saying. Then Sean came on the radio—guns blazing about the Phoenix lights, the Area 51 interview with Victor, the prophecies of the Great Pyramid, the Bible, the future and so much more. I was hooked and I didn’t want the ride to end. Back in those days, I had to tune in to Art’s AM affiliate in Cleveland which I could only get at night and if the radio conditions were just right in Toronto.

 

Sean’s message about a plan for humanity and our future restored that hope within me and began to lift me out of the funk I’d been in for months. Within a week, my surgery was scheduled and I began to feel better. About nine months later, I finally lost all of my sight, just before Christmas of 1997—truly the nadir of my existence. Sean was on with Art again soon after giving predictions about the coming year and I took his message of hope for humanity to heart, vowing to push through long enough to see some of the amazing things he was talking about. 

 

I rebuilt my life, returning to school, becoming a DJ and falling in love with sound and radio. Over the next five years, I’d listen to Sean’s radio shows, read his Vajra Chronicles and subscribe to the Delphi Associates Newsletter… many of which I kept in protective plastic sleeves like Spiderman comics. 

 

I never thought I’d get the chance to meet Sean, but I decided to face the unknown and travel down to a seminar in Chicago on my own to meet him in 2002. Attending a Sean David Morton seminar was part tent revival, part X-Files episode and part yoga retreat. We were all on the edge of our seats the entire weekend as Sean dove deep into the topics he couldn’t talk about on the Art Bell show. 

 

Sean, his wife Melissa and I pose together in a Chicago hotel.

 

We met again a couple of years later when I flew down to California to attend another retreat in Santa Barbara. Sean and his adorable wife Melissa took me to a comedy show at the legendary Comedy magic Club on Hermosa Beach before we hung out at his house.

 

Over the years, we stayed in touch while Sean moved his radio show online to Revolution Radio. He was gracious enough to come on and do my radio show several times while I worked at CHRY community radio in Toronto. He was certainly the most interesting person I’d ever met.

 

I’ll cherish our time hanging out and joking around in Montreal and when he came to Toronto to visit. It was truly a glorious honour to break bread with him and have some one on one face time. 

 

After countless years of friendship from both near and far, Sean had one of the deepest impacts on my thinking, my spiritual growth, my attitude and my life. I would not have the hope-filled perspective I do today had it not been for his kindness, wisdom, humour, brilliant insights and all of that Irish folk knowledge he delivered with style and a smile. Even when the chips were down and he was at his lowest points, I stuck by him as a friend and brother ready to help any way I could. 

 

 

May Sean’s long sleep be peaceful.

 

Obituary for Sean David Morton

Sean David Morton, PhD, left this mortal realm on December 18, 2024, after a long, valiant fight against cancer. He was born on October 1, 1958 in Santa Monica, CA. 

 

Sean was a writer most of his life, having won national competitions for writing and poetry while at Woodside High in Woodside, CA. He went on to study in Canada, India, Nepal, Egypt, and England’s Oxford University. He traveled the Middle East while in his teens and attended school in Egypt, Stanford Univ. in CA, and then earned degrees in Political Science and Fine Arts at the University of Southern California. He additionally earned advance degrees in Theology and a PhD in Psychology. He lived at a Tibetan Sangha and worked at the children’s orphanage in Dharmsala, India, where he studied with the Dalai Lama, and lived as a novitiate monk at the Black Hat Karma Kagyu monastery in T’ang Boyche, Nepal. He has taught and lectured in Japan, Sweden, Holland, Canada, England, Ireland, and Turkey, and he has spoken at conferences across America and around the world.

 

Sean’s investigations into military Black Ops, Top Secret government programs, the Dulce Mesa, Area 51, and his stunningly accurate predictions of coming events brought him international recognition as America’s premier futurist. He broke the stories on The Phoenix Lights, the Chupacabra, stunning revelations about flights TWA 800, MH 370, and MH 17, the deaths of Princess Diana and JFK, Jr. A pioneer of Remote Viewing (which he also taught), he was called “America’s Prophet” by Coast-to-Coast AM’s Art Bell (where he was the #1 guest – to global audiences of over 26 million). His stunning predictions included 9/11 (predicted in 1994), plus the 1987 Loma Prieta (S.F. Bay Area), Northridge, CA and Kobe, Japan earthquakes. 

 

Sean was also an award-winning independent filmmaker. He wrote and directed documentaries such as UFO Contactees, The Prophecy of the Pyramids, plus he wrote and directed the hit cult comedy movie, Joe Killionaire. He worked as a TV reporter, writer, producer and consultant for Sightings, Hard Copy, Strange Universe, Geraldo, Ancient Aliens and Unsolved Mysteries, in addition to appearing as an expert on countless TV and radio shows. He co-founded the Sci-Fi Channel and UPN/CW with shows like Declassified and Mysteries From Beyond the Other Dominion. 

 

For 17 years Sean published the award-winning Delphi Associates Newsletter and ran The Prophecy Research Institute, to warn the world of all the dire times that still lie ahead. His beloved Strange Universe Radio program was the Internet’s #1 talk show, listened to by millions worldwide. Author of the Vatican spy thrillers The Black Seraph Chronicles, The Dark Prophet, and his Sands of Times series is his third amazing, bestselling five-star reviewed novel series. 

 

Sean worked on a tireless lifelong quest to work for the enlightenment of all sentient beings and bring the light of world media to the Ascension of mankind, never losing sight of the fact that the best way to enlighten is to entertain. His visions, intensity of information, encyclopedic recall and sense of humor brought him sold out crowds, making him the #1 most popular speaker of his time.

 

Sean wrote the groundbreaking and acclaimed 9-book “Sands of Time” series with the final two books to be published soon.

Sean is survived by his wife Melissa (Thomson), brother Gerard Thomas Morton III (Mercedes), and sister Colleen Morton Anderson (Grant). As a last act of service, he has donated his body for research. Celebrations of Life will be held in connection with Expos — dates to be announced..

How Toronto Spawned the Best Mix DJs in the World

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I absolutely love a great DJ mix, especially one that seamlessly blends disparate genres into a cohesive mix the creates a vibe. Growing up in Toronto and hearing DJs spin at events and on the radio, it’s my opinion that Toronto DJs are the best in the world when it comes to mixing with diversity and skill—driving a party vibe in the club, at events and on the air.

Toronto’s global status as a DJ powerhouse didn’t happen by chance. The city, a vibrant mix of cultures and histories, mirrors both New York and England in its eclecticism and influence from colonial and cultural tides. Like New York, Toronto has long embraced diversity in music; like England, it has remained a cultural melting pot, with a sound shaped by Caribbean, European, African, and South Asian roots. This mix gave birth to an exceptional set of DJs who could blend genres in a way that transcends typical radio format boundaries and resonates across communities.

Defining the Best: Juggling and Selecting

What sets Toronto’s DJs apart from others is a balanced mastery of both juggling and selecting.

Juggling is the technical prowess—the skill of effortlessly cutting, scratching, beat matching, and transitioning from song to song. Today, this is accomplished with sophisticated DJ software running on a laptop holding thousands of songs. Back in the day however, DJs built their skills with two variable speed record turntables, a DJ mixer and hundreds of records carried around in milk crates..

Selecting is the artistic side of knowing exactly which song to play to get the crowd to feel and respond, whether that’s filling a dance floor or lighting up radio station phone lines. A stellar DJ was skilled at both.

Graph titled 'Ideal DJ Skillset' showing a 2x2 grid with labeled axes. The X-axis is labeled 'Juggling' with a positive sign (+) on the right and a negative sign (-) on the left. The Y-axis is labeled 'Selecting' with a positive sign (+) at the top and a negative sign (-) at the bottom. A green checkmark is placed in the upper right quadrant, representing DJs who excel in both juggling and selecting. The graph has a slight 3D effect with soft shadows, thin black grid lines, and a subtle gradient background.

In a city that values a great party vibe over technical wizardry alone, Toronto leans towards DJs who can mix as well as they can cut.

In this context, mixing is when a DJ beat matches two songs and creates a flowing, smooth transition between them. This is often done over 4 or 8 bars where both songs are playing simultaneously until the crossfade is complete. Sometimes, this overlap can create a remix where the vocals of one song are heard over the instrumental of another.

Cutting is when a DJ will sometimes beat match two songs and rapidly transition from one to the other without an overlap.

While global DJ icons like DJ Jazzy Jeff represent the “cut” style of DJing, Toronto’s party DJs have long emphasized a mixing style that flows from song to song, creating a show that’s inventive, cohesive and immersive.  Unlike pure scratch DJs, who focus on the intricacies of sound manipulation, Toronto DJs blend various genres and beats to keep crowds moving.

The Spirit of Toronto Radio

Toronto’s radio scene in the 80s and 90s played a pivotal role in creating the fertile ground for its DJ scene to emerge. The city’s AM and FM dials were among the most diverse in North America, offering top 100 hits, jazz, dance, community, rock, country, oldies and easy-listening stations. Community radio stations like CHRY, CKLN and CIUT were essential in amplifying styles like hip-hop, reggae, soca, bhangra, Bollywood, jungle, and other genres not heard on their commercial counterparts. Ethnic stations like CHIN FM and CIAO broadened musical and cultural awareness to the average Torontonian in the home of a friend or getting into a cab. The music from these radio shows became cultural threads that wove through neighbourhoods, parties, and public spaces, connecting the city’s diverse groups and building recognition.

The influence of radio brought Toronto’s culturally diverse neighbourhoods together in a way that was rare in North America. Areas like Jane-Finch, North Scarborough, Flemingdon, Malvern, Brampton, Mississauga and Eglinton West became vibrant communities where cultures and music mixed freely at school dances, house parties, family weddings, and festivals. This is where many DJs began their craft, often using home equipment—sometimes building their own speaker boxes. This gave rise to the first mobile sound systems. Basement and rent parties for extended families in various diasporas also allowed DJs to hone their craft. The children of first generation immigrants would often sleep in the coat room as adults played and mixed music in the basement or backyard late into the night.

These children grew up, learning DJ skills at home. This new generation of young DJs pooled their record collections, often made of rare records bought out of town in US cities like Detroit, NYC and Buffalo. This established the first “sound crews” and cross-cultural playlists that shaped Toronto’s unique DJ sound.

Experimentation and Innovation

Club DJs provided the hits and high-energy rhythms that defined nights out. Radio stations often broadcasted these DJ sets live from the clubs, exposing the listener to these club bangers. During the day however, Toronto radio became a playground for innovation. Daytime radio DJs mixed genres that weren’t heard in clubs or mixed together on radio. A lunch time radio set might include genres as disparate as Motown, disco, funk, yacht rock, AM classics, Bollywood, reggae, hip-hop, and soca. DJs like DJ Starting from Scratch, The Juiceman Jonathan Shaw, Jester and DJ Clymaxxx emerged, spinning genre-crossing sets that defined the unique sound of Toronto mix DJs—placing many of them in high esteem among others in their craft.

New Formats, New Audiences

Toronto’s DJ culture went beyond being heard in clubs and on-air. It evolved into a DJ community marked by innovation, with new outlets for new business models and methods of engagement.

This included Scratch Lab—one of Canada’s first DJ schools, Raina Music—an environmental music service providing mixed music for the hospitality sector and Xtendamix—a video remixing service for DJs.

Toronto DJs developed unique business models, and the profession became a mainstay in Toronto’s entertainment sector, branching out into streaming on platforms like Twitch and performing in new spaces. As Toronto DJ culture continues to evolve, the DJs are connecting audiences in fresh and inventive ways. One example is Grocery Store Hits, a Saturday morning mix show on Twitch featuring DJ Jay Online, who dons a Walmart vest to mix and remix soft rock and pop classics that are the staple in grocery stores. Another is Mista Jiggz who has crafted unique remixes for charity fundraisers and other events in the city.

Toronto remains a DJ powerhouse, giving rise to talent who can both juggle and select with remarkable skill, capturing the city’s unique pulse and channeling it into a blend that’s as rich and diverse as the city itself. With each performance, Toronto DJs continue to set a high standard, representing the unique power of music to bring people together across backgrounds, preferences, and generations.

GR

If Screen Readers Were Airlines

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Based on an old Internet post from 1995 comparing operating systems to airlines, I revived the analogy to screen readers.

 

JAWS Air

 When you get to the airport, you’re given extra bags to bring with you whether you want them or not. The planes are old, clunky and way bigger than last year’s planes, but at least there’s leg room. You can fly to all of the popular spots, but by bringing your own avionics engineer, you can   get your plane to fly almost anywhere. 
You’re constantly told that turbulence and crashing into the ground in a giant fireball can be avoided if you fly a plane with a faster engine.

Instead of windows, passengers look at screens that show the outside world

 

Window-Eyes Air

Just like JAWS Air, however you must board the plane from the rear. All of the seats face backward. Everyone who flew with them fondly reminisces about how much better Window-eyes Air is when compared to JAWS Air.

 

NVDA Airlines:

A few passengers who were fed up with JAWS Air decide to start their own airline. The planes look like JaWS planes, only smaller. Passengers are generally treated well and the planes fly to lots of great places. The only catch is that it’s recommended you bring your own flight attendant as the one provided has their jaw wired shut after a brawl in the JAWS Air lounge.

After a quick tutorial, yOu install your own flight attendant and the flight is very efficient and comfortable. When you tell your friends about your  great NVDA airlines experience, they ask “You have to do what with the flight attendant?”

 

Narrator Airlines

You see the planes all the time, but don’t know anyone who has flown on one for longer than an hour.
When a JAWS Air plane stalls, you parachute out of your plane, run to the nearest airport, hop on  Narrator Airlines, circle the airport and wait until you see a JAWS Air plane appear on the runway.

 

VoiceOver Airways

The futuristic, spaceship-like  planes are everywhere. Unlike JAWS or NVDA Airlines, VoiceOver Airways flies out of a totally separate, sleek, state-of-the-art airport. The all white planes fly to tons of destinations, but each one must build special all white runways and terminals for VoiceOver Airways planes.
Check-in, boarding, flying, disembarking and baggage claim all go effortlessly and the flight is smooth and comfortable. the in-flight meal is tasty, the flight attendants are all very friendly and the entertainment system is out of this world. You find yourself relaxing and enjoying your flight. For no reason whatsoever, your plane explodes mid-flight. As you fall towards the ground, another airplane suddenly materializes around you and you continue flying as if nothing happened.

 

Talkback Airlines

Passengers run onto the runway, form a giant square around the plane and then hop on. For some reason, the plane flies straight, then right, straight then right until you reach your destination.

 

System access Airlines

Passengers push the airplane, hop on and fly until the airplane stops. They all get out, push the plane again and repeat the process until they get to their destination.

 

ChromeVox Airlines

Like narrator Airlines, you don’t know anyone who has flown with them, but their TV advertising looks cool. The flight attendants all seem very nice, but they ask lots of prying questions about your personal life. While your flight is okay, you can’t help but feel as if you’re being stared at.

4 Ways I’d Change the Way Radio is Taught in College

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I worked in radio for nearly 8 years at CHRY Radio (now Vibe 105) in Toronto. During that time, I worked with many interns from the local college radio program. Many of them were bright, serious and engaged students who worked hard at mastering the nuances of the medium. Many still work in broadcasting currently and I consider it a privilege to have mentored and worked alongside many of these people.

 

As I spent more time at CHRY, I noticed that our younger interns enjoyed working at the radio station, but didn’t engage with the medium outside of their job. It wasn’t their fault; by the end of the first decade of this century, podcasting, satellite radio, Internet radio and on-demand music streaming had displaced terrestrial radio. It had become the media your parents consumed in the car. The result of this shift was a group of students that were checked out of what they ere at school to study. Students suffered, the industry suffered and the medium suffered because schools hadn’t caught up to the new reality.

 

College radio courses need an overhaul. Here are 4 ways I’d change the way radio is taught in schools to yield more engaged college radio grads that are smarter and more competitive. 

 

1. Teach Musicology and Music Appreciation

In preparing this post, I did some research on four large college radio programs around the Greater Toronto Area. Not a single college teaches basic musicology as part of its media programs. I began realizing this was a problem when I was teaching interns how to edit bars and beats to cut music tracks. Many college students couldn’t identify the downbeat, the backbeat or the post in a song to line up a VoiceOver track. I couldn’t really blame the students; this was a generation that grew up with gutted music programs in public schools, the ubiquity of software like Garage Band and no collective experience of having to learn an instrument in junior high whether they had an aptitude for it or not.

 

Graduate better students by providing one mandatory course in popular musicology where students are trained to recognize and identify basic musical concepts such as tempo, meter, key, rhythm, pitch, dynamics, timbre, texture and form. Students should also know how to recognize and identify the studio techniques that accompany pop music production including: reverb, echo, delay, compression, gating, EQ and so on. Students should be able to apply this musical knowledge to any genre and understand how these elements can be programmed on air to create musical flow. 

 

2. Teach Music History

Out of the four colleges I researched in or near the GTA—Humber College, Seneca College, Durham College and Fanshawe College—only one, Fanshawe, had a music history course for its radio students.

Students today are taught to front sell and back sell their announcing with the ubiquitous music scheduler that serves up a station’s tracks for the day based on rules. Many of the students I worked with were not invested in the music they played out in the commercial world, but came alive when they were the ones responsible for selecting the music for a show at CHRY.

Radio schools can make better graduates by teaching the history of pop music starting with the blues and working their way forward through rock ’n’ roll, rhythm and blues, pop and all of the other genres that exploded onto the airwaves over the past 70 years—including international genres. In addition to the music, students should be exposed to the role of—and advances in—technology, social, commercial and economic factors as well as political factors that affected and changed music  history. Radio itself played an important role in shaping the sounds that were the backdrop to generations of people. Students should complete the course and be able to apply this knowledge to music programming and on air delivery. 

 

3. Teach Entrepreneurship

Today’s media landscape is very different from the one I entered after I left high school in the 90s. While terrestrial radio struggles to stay relevant amidst audience segmentation and a variety of offerings, there are unprecedented opportunities for innovation, growth and new ideas for programming both mainstream and alternative content.

Colleges like Fanshawe College teach students how to generate new programming ideas, but I propose going further by developing techniques for pitching sustainable ideas including content for syndication, monetized Internet content, audio architecture and branded content as well as other types of audio programming. Each of these can have a terrestrial broadcast component or blaze new trails. Tied into this, students should be taught how to pitch and the role of sales beyond filling avails with 30s and adjacencies.

 

4. Graduate Smaller Classes

I was shocked to hear radio colleges graduated classes of around 50 to 60 students, depending on the college. Multiply this by the number of colleges offering radio programs across Canada and the US. Then, look at the current job openings in radio.

 

Today’s music radio station can run with less than 10 staff, not including salespeople who are usually out hustling up leads. Combine this reality with diminishing revenues, automation and local management arrangements (LMAs) and a lack of opportunity will make perfect sense. Reducing class size is one way to ensure only the best make it out of radio college and that there are opportunities in the industry. 

 

Having said this, there are opportunities as mentioned in the third point. Students who leave college with the ability to do new things with new media are the ones who will be rewarded in the future while legacy media looks on and wonders how they did it.