Pegasus Publications Inc. and Lifestyles 55 is pleased to donate these 2 pages to support CJNU and community radio. Transmissions Dispatches from community powered radio 93.7 FM CJNU CJNU Personality Corner


shows of the day was a constant and daily activity. World War II was happening and every day my father and I, even at the early age of 3 and 4, would listen daily to the CBC National News reported by Lorne Green and other CBC announcers. And then there were the great radio shows I heard on the CBC Dominion Network from the CBC affiliate in Regina, CKCK. My favorites included the CBC’s Happy


My life and love of radio... and television too! G


Ernie Nairn


rowing up in three small towns in Saskatchewan during the 1940s, listening to the popular radio


many of the powerful American radio sta- tion such as WCCO in Minneapolis and listened to Franklin Hobbs and his great music show, “Hobbs House”. Or I would listed to KOA in Denver, or WLS in Chi- cago, as their signals were beamed north in the overnight hours. I also bought a short-wave radio and loved listening to the Brooklyn Dodgers baseball games on Armed Forces Radio with the great and talented sports broadcaster, Vin Scully. Obviously, all of these local and net-


Gang, with Bert Pearl, every weekday at the lunch hour, and on Sunday afternoons, Maggie Muggings and Alan Mills. Then, in the evening, there were the wonderful American shows that CBC also carried such as Lux Radio Theatre, Jack Benny, the Red Skelton Show, Fibber McGee and Molly, Suspense Theatre and Amos and Andy. I listened to all of them and enjoyed the miracle of radio which provided me and my family with the entertainment and news from the outside world. And I never missed listening to Foster Hewitt every Saturday night as he broadcast the Maple Leafs games on CBC Radio. When my family moved to Winnipeg


in 1953, radio was still my main source of information and entertainment. I was introduced to stations such as CKY 58, CKRC Radio 63 and CJOB, and contin- ued to listen to all the disc jockeys that were on the air. I recall listening to Red Alex, George McCloy, and Cliff Gardner on CJOB. Over at CKY, Peter Jackson “PJ the DJ” was one of my favorite announc- ers along with Doug Burrows, who did the “Man about Midnight Show” from the Paddock Restaurant. Keith Ruth- erford did the CKY all night show. And late at night, I would tune my radio to


work shows and the announcers featured on those powerful 50,000-watt Ameri- can stations, piqued my interest in radio even more. When CBC Television came to Winnipeg in 1954, and I was finally able to see and hear the Maple Leaf hockey games with the legendary Foster Hewitt, I was hooked. I knew I wanted to pursue a career in broadcasting. I attended both Gordon Bell High


School (Grades 9 to 11) and United Col- lege for Grade 12. After my second year at the University of Manitoba, I transferred to the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks to pursue a degree in Radio/ Television Broadcasting and Journalism. I was lucky to have some former CBS radio announcers as my instructors, and over the next two years not only enjoyed my education there. I was also able to go “on the air” for the very first time on the Uni- versity radio station, KFJM. My on-air announcing on the Univer- sity radio station prompted the General Manager at KILO Radio, the CBS affiliate in Grand Forks, to offer me a full-time an- nouncer’s position. I worked evenings and did a live music show from 10 to midnight called After Hours for the next two years until I graduated in the spring of 1960. Returning to Winnipeg, I was unable to


find any announcer positions in the city but was hired by CFCN Radio and Televi- sion in Calgary, and enjoyed announcing on both radio and television. I did some


Ernie Nairn


television audio production work from September 1960 to July of 1962, as well. Wanting to be closer to my family in


Winnipeg, I applied for and was hired as a staff announcer at CKX Radio and Televi- sion, the CBC affiliate Brandon. I spent the next two years there (1962-64), doing a number of radio shows on both AM and FM radio and hosting a weekly television noon show on CKX TV. Then in the spring of 1964, the op- portunity of a lifetime came calling. I was hired by the CBC in Winnipeg. I initially started as an audio technician in radio, but the following summer was offered a sum- mer relief announcer position and subse- quently moved to CBC Radio in Regina as an announce/operator. For the next two years, I hosted the morning show “Sunrise in Saskatchewan”. I returned to Winnipeg, in 1968, for another summer relief an- nouncer opportunity which transitioned into a full-time staff announcer position in the fall of 1968. From then until my retirement in Oc- tober of 1992, I enjoyed a great 30-year broadcast career at CBC Winnipeg, with assignments on both AM and FM radio and television. This included reading news


Red River Ex: Cotton Candy and Ferris Wheels Helen Harper


place to spend a day or two. This year we will have the Ferris Wheel humming from June 15 to 24. To me, The Red River Ex always meant the freedom from school and the lazy days of summer were right


T


he Red River Ex is a ten day festival that has been visiting Winnipeg every June since 1952. With the midway, concerts and stage shows it’s a great


and doing weather on both radio and tele- vision and hosting the popular high school quiz show “Reach For the Top” with mod- erator Bill Guest. In 1972, knowing I en- joyed sports, local sports producer George Kent, invited me to join the television sports department full-time and work with great sportscasters such as Don Wittman, Bob Moir and Bob Picken, and later on with Scott Oake and Mark Lee who had transferred to Winnipeg from Toronto. I covered the Winnipeg Jets and Blue Bombers, along with Grey Cup Games, National Curling Championships, World Junior Hockey Championships, Canada Sumer and Winter Games, and Western Canada Summer and Winter Games and Manitoba Provincial Summer and winter games, along with many more amateur and professional sporting events in Win- nipeg and Canada. Little did I know, back then, that I


would go on to be nominated and win the 1986 ACTRA Foster Hewitt Award as the top sportscaster in Canada for my stories on amateur athletes, featured on 24 Hours and 24 Hours Late Night. I was induct- ed into the Manitoba Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association “Wall of Fame” in 1992. I was also inducted in to the CBC Manitoba” Wall of Fame” in 2013, for my many contributions


to broadcasting at


CBC Winnipeg. And to bring things full circle, I was en- couraged by my Gordon Bell school mate, Bill Stewart and former CBC announcers Lee Major and Dennis McVarish to join the volunteer announce staff at CJNU- FM. That was well over a decade ago. I thoroughly enjoy doing my regular


Friday afternoon shift from 3:30 to 6:00 pm. Why don’t you join me and listen in sometime. I promise you a lot of big bands and great music and songs from the years gone by, on our great community orientated Nostalgia Station in Winnipeg, CJNU 93.7 FM.


around the corner. I’ve been known to eat my way along the midway, then enjoy a slow raise over the crowd on the Ferris wheel. You can see for miles from up there. This year CJNU is the presenting sponsor for the Senior Star contest on June 19th. John Einarson (our music Professor), Maureen Scurfield and Frank “Brecky with Stecky” will be judging those talented seniors. Great Fun. So get out and enjoy this Winnipeg ritual. Have a hot dog or two and don’t forget the cotton candy!


CJNU in the community


CJNU radio works closely with community groups to provide public service announcements throughout the broadcast day. We help promote numerous events at nonprofit and charitable organizations, in addition to providing personal CJNU representation, time permitting. Here’s just a sample of these activities.


Bill Stewart and John Einarson as


guests at Friends of Winnipeg Library author presentation May 5


CJNU Annual General Meeting at St. Paul the Apostle Church on May 8 Attendance was excellent!


St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church Mother’s Day Tea on May 11 The theme was polka dots!


Sell out crowd at the Good Neighbours Fashion Show on May 15


12 www.lifestyles55.net


June 2019


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