Do you (or someone you know) have a 200-300 word story about you and CKUA that you’d like to share with us? Please let us know by writing us. We’d love to feature it! What do such stories look like?
Well, here’s one by the host of Roundabout, Oskar Zybart!
I’ve worn numerous hats for CKUA over the years, but then it seems I’ve always worn many hats. Life is filled with hats.
Before I joined CKUA, I was a musician, bartender, concert promoter, translator, archivist, and amateur broadcaster. My post-secondary education was in languages and literature, and in the management of arts and cultural organizations. The one thing I didn’t study in school was broadcasting. Maybe that’s why I still enjoy it.
I entered CKUA in 2012, as a student intern during a very hectic and festival-filled summer. As the season concluded, and with CKUA’s big move to the Alberta Hotel on the horizon, I continued as a volunteer. A rare opportunity appeared at year’s end to replace CKUA’s exiting Creative Writer. Lucky timing. I was rehired.
In 2015, my role shifted from being the station’s writer to being a stay-at-home father and occasional on-air presenter. I hosted my own CKUA overnight program for a year, and then began filling-in for my daytime colleagues during holidays or illness. That pattern continued until 2020, when my program Roundabout joined the regular daytime schedule.
There are two persons in particular I continue to thank for the opportunities I’ve had at the station: former Volunteer Coordinator Susan Campbell, who first hired me into CKUA; and current Content Director David Ward, who has given me the chance and the space to host CKUA programming since 2015.
I’ve always struggled to give a satisfactory answer to the question “what do you want to be when you grow up?” Nevertheless, being a radio host for CKUA is the closest I’ve come to answering it honestly, and it remains a job I hope to continue doing for a long time to come. As always, thanks for listening.
Thanks again for sharing this story about you and CKUA, Oskar!
Listen to Oskar Zybart host Roundabout every Monday from 4:00 to 6:00 PM (MST) on CKUA!
Please email us if you would like to share your own 200-300 word CKUA story with our community! And tell a friend too! We’d love to hear from listeners of all generations and backgrounds!