Melfort radio station engineer Bayne Opseth retires after 51-year career

Bayne first joined the radio station as a teenager and went from doing on-air shifts to being the technical head. When he first started, the station had a staff of 13 people and signed off at midnight.

A collage of photos of Bayne throughout the years at 105 CJVR and 750 Beach Radio. (Image Credit: 105 CJVR)

Through the years he has seen many things change, including formats, frequencies, and owners. Opseth said it’s been a great career.

“I enjoyed every minute of it, and after becoming involved with Pattison [Media] I got to meet and work with some great people,” said Opseth. “I really enjoyed the career.”

Technology has changed by leaps and bounds since he first started at the radio station, evolving from records and reel-to-reel to digital broadcasting. However, he said some things have remained the same.

“We’re running FM and we’re running AM, and AM has been around for well over 100 years, so it’s still old technology, it’s still out there, and it still goes everywhere.”

Among his many accomplishments was the addition of an FM station in Melfort in 2002, but Opseth said they also had to expand the studios for that change, which was a separate project on its own. Opseth was also instrumental in putting CIXM in Whitecourt and CHWK in Chilliwack. He said the switch of CJVR from 1420 to 750 on the AM dial was also a major project, and while the local broadcast improved with the new location on the dial, he said the signal going north through the arctic was no longer as strong.

With so many years under his belt it is no surprise that Opseth worked with a lot of people. He estimated that he worked alongside more than 340 full-time employees, and that doesn’t even include part-time employees or interns.

“Some of them became life-long friends,” Opseth said.

Bayne said it’s not just radio station staff that he became close with during his many years in the area.

“Being part of Melfort and northeast Saskatchewan and getting to know an awful lot of people [is a highlight],” he said. “We think that the northeast is a great place to be from.”

Those that know Bayne are familiar with his love of a good pun or quip, and that came about as the interview wrapped up. When asked what he’d do during his retirement, his answer was very much in character.

“I think my first plan is not going to happen until next spring,” Bayne said. “That would be to sit back and enjoy a prairie thunderstorm without having to worry about the phone ringing.”

On behalf of Pattison Media: Bayne, thank you for 51 great years.

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cam.lee@pattisonmedia.com

by Cam Lee

Melfort radio station engineer Bayne Opseth retires after 51-year career

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