Ken Davis
bookmark@ckua.com
Books and broadcasting
are the motifs woven through my life. As a child, books were magic carpet rides
to exotic lands and wild adventures. The books changed, but they remained powerful
doors to transformed perception. As for broadcasting, I progressed from those
little rocket radios to a short-wave set, which got me hooked. At 17, I was thrilled
to host the Sunday-morning jazz program on CJSR Radio at the University of Alberta.
Starting as a reporter with CFCW Radio in Camrose, I had a 25-year career in
broadcasting. During CKUA's turbulent transition from a publicly funded enterprise
in 1995, I became its news and public affairs director, then program director.
After the station went off the air and was reborn, I became general manager with
the obvious assignment of keeping it going. Two more wild, challenging, infuriating
and immensely rewarding years later, I packed it in. I had helped birth The Folkways
Collection, The Celtic Show, Mulligan Stew, Lionel's Vinyls, Bel Canto, EcoFile
and other wonderful shows. In 1999, I returned to books as marketing director
of Lone Pine Publishing, one of the largest trade book publishers in western Canada's
tough market. I learned that Alberta has a marvellous community of writers and
publishers, but they operated largely under most Albertans' radar. This led me
to approach CKUA in 2008 to create Bookmark, which I now host while co-producing
with Brenda Finley. Since Bookmark has been on-air, I have met many of Alberta's
accomplished authors, poets, publishers, editors and enduring, independent booksellers.
Many writers express deep appreciation for their new voice through CKUA, and listeners
share their delight in discovering new writers and books through Bookmark.
I hope that we can do this for awhile; I know it will make a positive difference
over time. Books and broadcasting. Who knew?
Brenda Finley
brenda.finley@ckua.com
I have spent over 30 years as a
broadcast journalist in both radio and television. In radio, I have worked at
CBC Radio (Alberta), CFRB Radio (Toronto), CHQR Radio (Calgary), CKLC Radio (Kingston)
and CKUA Radio. In television, I spent many years with CBC Alberta News, CBC Newsworld,
CTV NewsNet and Global Television (Calgary), picking up three national awards
along the way. Tours of duty as a foreign correspondent took me to the UK and
Ireland, and the Middle and Far East, and I have reported from four war zones,
including Israel and the Occupied Territory, Kuwait and Iraq, and Northern Ireland.
I teach the Television News Presentation course at the Southern Alberta Institute
of Technology in Calgary. I am also a professional theatre director and actor,
with a BA (honours) from Queen's University, a MFA (directing) from the University
of Alberta and performance diplomas from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and
the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (both in London). Selected credits
in theatre include (as director) the world premiere of Rapunzel with Michael
Burgess (Westben Arts Festival Theatre, Ontario), the Canadian premiere of Jenny
(Broad Minds Theatre, Calgary), The Unexpected Guest (Vertigo Mystery Theatre,
Calgary) and A Doll's House (Studio Theatre, Edmonton). Selected credits
as an Equity actor include Shirley Valentine (Big Secret Theatre, Calgary),
Misery (Pleiades Theatre, Calgary) and Henry IV Part I (Theatre
Junction, Calgary). I am thrilled to be working with old friends at CKUA News
(for which I worked as a reporter in my early days in Medicine Hat), and with
new friends on CKUA's Bookmark.
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