Jack Hagerman a.k.a. John Worthington was a legendary figure at CKUA. Known in his later years for his radio show, The Old-Disc Jockey, he was also an incredible leader and a crucial part of CKUA’s history.
His impact on CKUA had many facets but one was his work helping talented young people succeed in radio. Though Hagerman passed away in 2019, his legacy continues.
Each year, a Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) broadcasting student is awarded the John Worthington Hagerman Radio Bursary, provided by CKUA.
The recipient for the 2024-2025 academic year was Lameese Smaili, who was then a student in the radio and television program at NAIT.
“I was thrilled, I was so happy” she says, of the moment she heard the news.
Smaili says she was drawn to radio journalism after working as a teacher in Lebanon for 12 years. She grew up in Edmonton and her family is Lebanese. She taught English to everyone from kindergarteners to Syrian refugee students.
When she came back to Canada, three years ago, she wanted to move away from teaching, to something new.
“I do a lot of writing,” she says, “I love creative nonfiction. I decided to pursue something more along the lines of journalism, in the radio field.”
She’s interested in telling all kinds of stories, she says. “But I think what fascinated me the most was gathering stories from the Syrian refugee students that I was teaching overseas.”
She even made a trip to Syria during the revolution to collect stories which she published in blog posts.
It’s an incredible story. It’s one Jack Hagerman probably would have loved.
Hagerman was only 21 when was hired at CKUA in 1949. He had an unbelievable 70 years with the station, as host, sports announcer, program manager and station manager. In his later years, he was known best as John Worthington, the “Old-Disc Jockey,” from his show of the same name.
His CKUA story is one of mentorship, loyalty, hard work and incredible leadership. And it’s a story that lives on.
Winning the bursary meant more than just financial support, Smaili says.
“I went through a really difficult time overseas in Lebanon,” she says, noting that the 2019 financial crisis in the country had a big impact. “I came here to Edmonton with not too much so this bursary really meant a lot to me. It came at the right time and it’s definitely been helpful.”
Emma Foose, the winner in 2024/2025 was also pleased to hear she’d been chosen.
“It was a sigh of relief,” she says. She’s currently doing an unpaid practicum at a radio station in Ft. St. John. “It felt like all the work I’d put into my education and my practicum had paid off, in a way.”
During the pandemic, Foose was roped into working in radio. She had family members in the industry who usually hired students to help out. But no students were available, so they asked her. “I said no. I was supposed to go to Carleton [University] to study Government and Policy Analysis,” Foose says. “They kept asking so I said ‘fine, I’ll do it for one summer.’ And I fell in love with it and now I’ve been doing it for five years.’
She’s been offered a job at Moose FM, where she is serving her practicum. Smaili is now a freelance news anchor with 880 CHED/Global News in Edmonton. They’re both on their way, two more young people whose radio careers are being impacted by Jack Hagerman’s legacy.
It’s meaningful to CKUA staff. “Supporting emerging broadcasters is just one of the many ways CKUA invests in the future of arts and culture in Alberta,” says CKUA Chief Operating Officer Adam Mitchell.
“We know how powerful it can be to have someone believe in you early on, and we’re proud to offer this annual bursary to a NAIT student. It’s a small gesture with a big heart, honouring our roots in radio while helping launch the voices of tomorrow.”
The sentiment was echoed by NAIT.
“We are incredibly grateful to see these NAIT Radio students receive the John Worthington Hagerman Radio Bursary,” says Dave Albright, NAIT Radio Instructor.
“Jack Hagerman’s remarkable 70-year career at CKUA is a testament to the profound impact one individual can have on the world of radio. This award not only recognizes our students’ creative potential but also connects them to a legacy of passion and leadership that Mr. Hagerman so powerfully embodied.”
Hagerman’s legacy certainly lives on.
“Getting the bursary, I’m very, very grateful for it, it’s something that came at the right time and it added that extra boost that I can do this and I can succeed,” says Smaili.
