Cal Gratton with Gord Bamford (Photo courtesy/Cal Gratton, Facebook)

By Ben Tompkins

Radio Legend

Cal Gratton: A life in radio

Jul 4, 2022 | 5:00 PM

It was 36 years ago, back in 1986, when Cal Gratton graduated from Western Academy Broadcasting College in Saskatoon and began his radio career.

Since then, he’s made stops in Estevan, Whitecourt and his hometown of Melfort, winning many awards along the way (too many to count). This includes Saskatchewan Music Director of the Year, On-Air Personality of the Year, and Country Music Person of the Year, each more than a handful of times.

Now, he’s officially retired (as of last week), still residing in Melfort, and looking to spend more time with his family.

And while the radio business typically isn’t one where people go to get rich quick, according to the man himself, there’s more than one way to be wealthy that doesn’t involve money when you love what you do… every, single, day.

“My father told me many years ago, that you’re going to spend at least a third of your life working, so you have to make sure that you enjoy your job and that’s exactly what I did. I thought it was terrific. I met a lot of people and had a lot of fun doing it. A lot of my friends that I made, would never have been without radio… It’s a lifestyle.”

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And for Cal, who didn’t chase millions himself, he still knew the importance of the money it took to get into the country music business and the impact he could have on amplifying local artists by doing one simple act.

“The struggles of artists getting air time is really tough and I know that there’s a lot of money involved in getting a recording. I always thought that especially Saskatchewan artists, they really deserve a chance because they’re going out there and they’re spending the money and they want to get heard. The least we could do is either interview them or play their music, which we did for a number of years.”

It’s safe to say Cal and his always welcoming voice will be missed on the airwaves by many across the province.

“Everybody wants to help everybody and know they’re there to give you a pat on the back and say job well done. That’s the country music industry and really, that’s the radio industry as well. Everybody just wants everybody to succeed.”

“Getting on the air and wondering sometimes if people are actually listening to me and then you do get comments on the streets… I just want to say thank you for being a part of my life for 36 years, it won’t go unnoticed and I greatly appreciate it for sure.”

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Ben.Tompkins@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter @BenTompkins_8