Remember that Sesame Street song, “These are the people in your neighbourhood?” Well, here’s a new feature about the people at your community radio station!  You like to party, and we like to party, so why don’t we party together?  Join us for...

GET TO KNOW A CFCR VOLUNTEER!

This month, we’re getting to know host Paul Pybus, the longtime host of Fake Headlines, an outstanding Open Music program on Wednesday nights from 7:30-9pm. And when we say "longtime host," we're not joking. June 10th, 2015 marks the 777th episode of the show! That's almost 15 years! Sure, Paul has taken the odd week off to go see an MLB ballgame or rock n' roll concert, but he has been here the vast majority of those 777 weeks (many of them along with his former co-host Krista Hayes), bringing you his special brand of excited, excitable and engaging programming full of rock, pop, punk, new wave and whatever else he can get his hands on. Paul has contributed to CFCR in a variety of off-air aspects as well, from bingos and events, to participating as part of CFCR's "Aritsts For Alternative Radio" Art Auction. Paul even painted a beautiful picture of CFCR's HQ building to mark the 25th anniversary of our parent non-profit, the Community Radio Society of Saskatoon (CRSS). A print of the painting is now on display at the top of the stairs in our office. But maybe Paul's most indelible mark on the station has been made as one of our most prolific and willing trainers, showing the ropes to countless new volunteer hosts over the years.


How did you first come to learn about CFCR? 

I moved to Saskatoon in the winter of 1988. I was watching television and came across CFCR audio that was playing over the Shaw cable tele-type news channel. If you had cable you could hear local radio hosts Friday and Saturday nights as unrelated news items were being typed onto a blue TV screen. I was into punk and new wave bands before moving to Saskatoon.  Some older guys judged my music tastes from my t-shirts and asked me to co-host Gardening at Night the odd Saturday. A typical show would include pre-major label Dinosaur Jr, Sonic Youth, and The Smiths. I spent a lot of time working bingos for the station. It's cool to see how far CFCR has come since those early days.

Why do you volunteer? Why is CFCR important to the community?

I moved away for University and got re-involved with CFCR when I moved back to Saskatoon through my friend Krista Hayes.  I do believe the value of the outsider perspective is needed more now than anytime I can remember. Non-mainstream artists and dissenting opinions are essential to combat the crap pile that passes for a lot of politics and media today. CFCR gives a voice to those viewpoints. 

There's a selfish reason as well. I remember as a kid growing up in Ontario and using antenna ears to get Toronto FM rock stations where the DJ decided what was played. As a teenager, it was skating to the right part of town to be able to hear CJSW in Calgary. So I get to relive that feeling a bit each Wednesday.

What’s the craziest thing that’s happened to you on the air? 

Several years ago i was talking about the up-coming Ness Creek Festival on air.  I got a violent call in the studio from a mad man who said he didn't appreciate Ness Creek and he knew where I was, and who I was, and he had a knife. I freaked out and made everyone lock the station doors and I looked fearfully over my shoulder for days. At that time there was a CFCR softball team and a couple weeks later, following a game drinking pints, I told the story of my death threat. The team captain started laughing and said that it was him and he thought I had got the joke. The softball team existed for one season and never scored a single run. 

What’s your favourite CFCR show(s)?

I think Radio Book Club (Wednesdays, 7-7:30pm (right before Fake Headlines)) has really found its legs. Great interviews, and sometimes I even learn something.  And Theo and Pat still rock Comic Chat (Fridays, 6-6:30pm).

Who is your favourite local band? 

I've never been good at picking favourites but I can say I'm looking forward to hearing the new Slow Down Molasses. 

Non-local band?

Perhaps the hardest question ever, but I'd have to say Teenage Fanclub. Runner-ups would include Husker Du, Animal Collective, Parquet Courts and Ariel Pink… As for CanCon I'd mention Teenanger, White Lung and Young Guv. 

Aside from radio, what else do you like to do?

I paint. Gardening takes up more time these days. I try to do both with a cold beer nearby. I spoil my two cats and two dogs daily…and baseball, this is the year the Blue Jays win it all!

What’s your favourite/least favourite pizza topping?

Well, it must be vegetarian, as no pizza is worth killing for, but I can't stand pineapple. 

What’s the best book you’ve read/movie you’ve seen recently?

I first read it over 20 years ago but I still recommend Geek Love by Katherine Dunn to people and they always ask what's wrong with me after they finish it. A moving family story of self-mutilating freak show cultists. This year, it's been books by China Mievelle, Alistair Reynolds, and Chris Beckett. I just realized they're all British. Check them out! 

I still haven't untangled what Only God Forgives by Nicolas Refn is trying to say but a it's a heck of a film experience. 


And now, enjoy a playlist hand-picked by Paul:

Mew - "Satellites"

Sonny & The Sunsets - "Happy Carrot Health Food Store"

Menace Beach - "Tastes Like Medicine"

Helio Sequence - "Upward Mobility"

White Lung - "Face Down"

Who should we feature next time on "Get To Know A CFCR Volunteer?" Let us know who your favourite CFCR host or volunteer is and you could win some great prizes! Just email us at info@cfcr.ca and we'll take it from there.