“Good Afternoon, and good farming!”
A simple enough phrase that has been the wrap up of “Saskatchewan Agriculture Today” Monday to Friday on 620CKRM for 40 years.
Jim Smalley has been hosting “Saskatchewan Agriculture Today” for four decades. While everything seemed to change over that time, the people who listen to his hour long agriculture show could count on Jim to deliver important stories about agriculture and how it impacts them each and every day.
Smalley was born and raised in Saskatchewan is proud of his roots around the community of Corning, in the RM of Golden West, south east of Regina.
Smalley grew up listening to the radio, enthralled with the music, the talk, and the radio stars of the day.
Jim Smalley’s broadcasting career began in Dryden, Ontario, at what is known now as CKDR 92.7 Dryden. After working there for six months, Smalley would move 188 kilometres to Fort Frances, Ontario. After five months, Smalley was presented with an opportunity to head back to the Land of Living Skies. He admitted he was a little hesitant, but the idea of working close to home was a powerful magnet. He spent 14 months in Weyburn, before really finding his calling. Smalley would move on to become the first farm news director at CKCK Radio and Television in 1975. A position he would hold until 1982 when he would become the farm news director for 620 CKRM.
From that time, Jim has been a powerful voice for agriculture in Saskatchewan covering countless “Canadian Western Agribition” and “Canadian Farm Progress” shows.
“It was just time” Smalley said. “I have been thinking about this for a long time, and it just feels like now is the time for me to focus on my wife and the things I like to do outside of radio”
“It’s very unusual, even unheard of for someone to work in the same career for so long, let alone 40 years in one place” according to 620 CKRM’s news director Andrew Dawson. “Jim has been a fixture at the radio station. Day in day out, Jim was there. Like the wooden grain elevators around the province, Jim has stood while time changed all around him.”
Apart from his loving wife Penny and his family Jim has another passion. Coin Collecting.
An avid, some would say rabid collector, Jim loves the stories behind the coins in his collection, some of which are hundreds of years old. It’s no wonder. Jim loves history, and he loves telling stories. A perfect match for his love of collecting.
Smalley’s last day at 620 CKRM will be Friday, October 28th. Jim will deliver his final “Saskatchewan Agriculture Today” between noon and 1:00 pm. Then, Harvard Media and CKRM will host a a two hour live special with Jim, between 2:00 and 4:00pm. The show will feature Jim’s friends and colleagues, some special guest stars, and of course, Jim himself.