REGINA — It was a night of laughter and memories Saturday to mark a momentous occasion for the radio station known as the “voice of Saskatchewan".
It was the “100 Years in One Night” gala at the Conexus Arts Centre to mark a century on the air for 620 CKRM, which officially marks 100 years on the air on July 27.
The sold-out audience heard stories from and about the nine CKRM Icons who were major parts of the on air history of the station.
Former Saskatchewan Roughriders play-by-play announcer Geoff Currier was unable to attend live and appeared by video message; the late announcer Fred King was represented by his son Jeff King and the late newsman James Allyn by his daughter Bobbi Allyn. The other Icons — Willy Cole, Lorne Harasen, Jim Smalley, Colin Lovequist, Rod Pedersen and Perry Nyhus — were on stage to share their memories.
They reflected on the iconic programming and initiatives such as the ag reports, the Harasen Line, the Flea Market, the Country Cookouts, the sports coverage, and of course the country music.
Cole paid particular tribute to his time working with King.
“People don't realize that Fred and I lived separate lives ‘together’,” said Cole. “We did everything. And I mean everything. When someone says, I've been to that town and that town and that town. No, we've been to every town. We've been to shake their hands. To talk to them. To dine with them… But we had the times of our life. And that doggone Flea Market is something else.”
“I just really, really enjoyed the job. It was fun,” said Pedersen of his time as Voice of the Roughriders. He spoke of the decision to keep broadcasting from Taylor Field during the legendary blackout game of 2007.
“I said, I kind of think we need to stay on the air here. Because I don't know how long this is going to last, or people don't know what to do. So I had a BlackBerry, and I pulled that up and went on the air for an hour. And brought in, you know, Ritchie Hall…. it was, you know, probably you all were there. And I just felt like it was a service to people. Calling these games was more for them than us.”
“My legacy I want that I was honest and fair,” Smalley said of his time in ag news.
“I loved radio, I love Saskatchewan and I want my legacy to be that I was honest and fair. I tried to tell both sides of the story — there’s always two sides to every story, and you learn that.”
“I’m going to wind up by stealing some words from the mortally-ill baseball player, Lou Gehrig, many years ago in his farewell speech at Yankee Stadium,” said Harasen. “Who said: ‘I am the luckiest man on the face of the Earth.’”
In addition to the CKRM Icons, also revealed Saturday evening were the 10 builders of CKRM who were leaders behind the scenes, including in ownership or various managerial capacities at the station.
Those were George Gallagher, John Huschi, Les Schuster, Tom Staseson, Ron Ulmer, Bob Paulowich, Jason Huschi, Karen Broderick, Bruce Cowie and Paul Hill — president of the Hill Group of Companies who has owned the station since 1981. Both Paul and Carol Hill brought greetings in a video message.
“Well, this is an exciting day,” he said. "I can't believe it's 100 years since CKRM went on the air. And all of you have participated and enhanced our connection with the audiences. And that's what you're really good at. You're basically good at not only connecting, but responding to the needs of the audiences.
“So, it's really been a tremendous history. And then the acquisition of the Roughriders broadcasting, becoming the radio of the ‘Riders in the 80s, it was an incredible change. That put the radio station at the centre of sports for the province.”
There was a strong Saskatchewan Roughriders component to the evening. The night included a video message of congratulation from team president Craig Reynolds, and a performance from the 620 CKRM Saskatchewan Roughriders Pep Band to play “Celebration".
The emcees were Cody Glydon and Gloria Evans from Good Morning Saskatchewan, and they were just as excited as the audience to hear from the legendary broadcasters that evening.
“There's so many tremendous icons here,” said Glydon, “that it's just so nice to see everybody coming together and remembering the legacy of this station and celebrating the future of it, too.”
Not only was it a celebration of the programming, but of the loyal listeners and devoted advertisers including many who were in the audience that night.
Evans said the evening was also about “getting reacquainted with some of the listeners from a long time ago, and getting to meet some of those people that have followed the station and really are strong supporters of radio in a time where, you know, things are very interesting in the media.”
“And, you know, it's really interesting to see where people come from who have listened to 620 CKRM and where they have gone,” Glydon said.
In particular, Glydon was referring to Lt.-Gov. Bernadette McIntyre, who shared a story of her own about her own connection to CKRM.
In her remarks, McIntyre spoke of how she rode in the same school bus as Evans for three years on the way to and from school.
“She grew up around Findlater, I grew up around Bethune. She rode that school bus for 12 years,” said McIntyre, who pointed out that their school bus driver “never listened to anything but CKRM.”
“After 12 years of that, Gloria was destined to be part of CKRM,” McIntyre said.
During their remarks to the audience, other dignitaries had their own stories about listening to CKRM.
“Whether it's sharing local news or supporting community organizations, celebrating Saskatchewan agriculture or just bringing Rider football games into homes, vehicles and workplaces across the province, CKRM has always understood the people that it serves,” said Minister of Trade and Export Development Warren Kaeding.
“For me, listening in my hometown of Churchbridge, over 250 kilometres from here, it was listening to the Pats games or the Rider games with Willy Cole or Geoff Currier or Rod Pedersen, or the Ag show with Jim Smalley from my tractor or combine or at the kitchen table. Really, my interest in politics, I believe, was stimulated by listening to Lorne Harasen.”
“For a hundred years, people have started their days with CKRM,” said Regina Mayor Chad Bachynski. “On a personal note, I can tell you when you when listening to the Saskatchewan Roughriders, we'd watch on TV, but we always had the tried-and-true, always reliable 620 CKRM running in the background, because for some reason, when the kids were playing in the living room, all the adults would migrate to somewhere they could actually hear the game play.
“This station is connected to urban and rural Saskatchewan in:a way few organizations ever could. Long before social media, long before smartphones, and before anyone was arguing in the Facebook comments, CKRM was bringing people together around a shared conversation. And that legacy continues today. A lot has changed in the last hundred years, but one thing has remained the same: the consistent voice of Saskatchewan.”
Moose Jaw Mayor James Murdock noted the role Moose Jaw played in the early history of CKRM.
“Before CKRM became known across the province as the voice of Saskatchewan, its story began in our friendly city, where 665 CJRM first took to the airwaves on July 27, 1926,” Murdock said.
“It is fitting that the city where the team that would become the Saskatchewan Roughriders played its first game, and where the Canadian Forces Snowbirds later found both their home and their name, is also where CKRM began a century of connecting Saskatchewan people and sharing their stories. A great deal has changed since then … But through all that change, the purpose of great radio has remained the same. To connect people, keep them informed and tell their stories.”
