It’s been decades since CKUA host Holger Petersen studied at Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT). He’s a 1970 graduate of the Radio and Television Arts program.
This past week, he was celebrated by that same institution. Holger Petersen accepted an Honorary Bachelor of Technology on June 23. We asked him about this tribute, and about his time at NAIT.
“I was finishing Grade 12 at Bonnie Doon High School,” he says, “and I did not know where I should go after that. The guidance counselor there gave me a booklet on all the programs that were available at NAIT.”
Radio and Television Arts was a program in its second year at that time. “I saw that, and I knew it was perfect. I thought, this is what I want to do.”
Although Petersen wasn’t sure where the path would lead, he knew that he loved music and loved radio. “I was able to get into the program with some help from some people who were kind in supporting my application, because the program was over-subscribed.”
Petersen knew quickly that the program was a great fit for his interests, and says, “Within the first few months of the program, I realized that the instructors were wonderful, and the program was well-conceived. The first year was radio and the second year was television. And part of the radio program was that you could volunteer to do a radio show at NAIT.”
These student radio programs were broadcast into the lunchroom over the lunch hour. “So that was where I got my very first exposure to broadcasting.”
Petersen says he’s not sure whether the lunch crowd cared, or whether they could even hear him, but he adds, “It was so much fun for me. It really opened that door.”
His first programs consisted of spinning 45s. “There used to be a couple of places on Jasper Avenue that serviced the jukebox business of Alberta,” says Petersen, “and you could go in there and get five 45s for a dollar. If records were too obscure to make it onto the jukebox, they were for sale, and I would pick out interesting stuff. Those were the singles I shared at NAIT.”
More doors opened after that, including weekend programming on CKUA that led to other broadcasts and eventually starting as the host of Natch’l Blues in January of 1969. Numerous accolades have come Petersen’s way since those early days; his career and work have been illustrious. He’s a Member of the Order of Canada, and has received honorary doctorates from both the University of Alberta and Athabasca University. He’s a Member of the Alberta Order of Excellence, and he’s in the Edmonton Blues Hall of Fame. He’s won numerous awards for his work as a broadcaster, writer, and community builder.
And what does he think of adding an honorary degree from NAIT to that list of accomplishments? “That was such a nice phone call to get, absolutely,” he says. “It’s wonderful news.”
Congratulations, Holger! All of us at CKUA congratulate you on this well-deserved accolade.
You can read more about this honor for Holger Petersen here.
Natch’l Blues airs every Saturday from 3pm – 5pm MT.
