Longtime CBC radio producer Michael Finlay has died

 

 Longtime CBC radio producer Michael Finlay died Tuesday from medical complications following a random assault in Toronto's east end, his family has confirmed.

In an email to CBC staff, Cathy Perry, executive director of newsgathering and operations, said he will be remembered as an exceptional storyteller, documentary maker and editor.

Perry said Finlay travelled the world to produce radio documentaries for a number of programs, including Sunday Morning.

He was also a driving force behind Dispatches, a documentary program that featured the best of CBC's foreign correspondents and freelancers. The program, which aired every week for 12 seasons, promised listeners it would "bring you the world."

He was later an editor for World At Six, where he was famous for his knowledge of the news.

Finlay retired from CBC in 2010 after working at the public broadcaster for 31 years.

In the afternoon of Jan. 24, Finlay was assaulted by a stranger as he walked along Danforth Avenue, a busy thoroughfare known for its many shops and restaurants, Toronto police say.

Though they did not identify Finlay by name, police said in a news release that the victim in the attack fell to the ground and suffered serious injuries as a result. 

They described the suspect as a man in his 20s, about six feet tall with a slim build. He was last seen wearing a red paper mask with flames on it, according to police, as well as a black sweater and black pants. He left the area on foot following the attack. (CBC)