Regina radio staple CKRM celebrating 100 years

620 CKRM in Regina is marking 100 years on the air while adapting to a rapidly changing industry. Wayne Mantyka reports.

A mainstay of Regina’s radio scene is celebrating its centennial this month.

620 CKRM is one of the province’s original radio stations. It has been on the air since July 27, 1926.

“It was the Richardson and Sons that started CJRM, and it was a stock ticker station. So, they were just reporting about the stocks and the markets,” announcer Colin Lovequist told CTV News.

It has long been a city station with a country focus. Most of the staff grew up in rural areas, and that has shaped the on-air style.

Perry Nyhus has worked at CKRM the longest at 42 years.

“I fell in love with the idea of talking to one person on the other side of the radio, wherever that person was. So, I would never say good morning, Saskatchewan. I’d always say good morning,” he said.

Familiar voices have contributed to CKRM’s success during an era when other legacy Canadian stations on the AM dial have signed off the air.

“Everybody talks about community. Everybody talks about local, but if you actually don’t practice it, you’re not going to survive,” program director Brad Bazin explained.

“That’s just the reality of the business, and that’s something that’s been part of 620 CKRM success.”

CKRM attributes its longevity to three main pillars: country music, farm news and sports — a formula that it plans to carry through into the future.