The Harasen Line
A Broadcaster's Memoir
by Lorne Harasen

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The book is about a Saskatchewan broadcaster and his experiences and the people he met as an open line commentator. A program conducted by Lorne Harasen and known as The HARASEN LINE was just 25 minutes long when it began and grew to four and a half hours in length. It recorded some of the highest audience ratings in Saskatchewan radio history. PIERRE ELLIOT TRUDEAU, BING CROSBY, COLIN THATCHER, BEN WICKS and WAYNE & SHUSTER were just some of his guests. It was carried on CKCK radio and then CKRM radio in Regina. Topics ranged from sex to sports, medical questions to agriculture. Listeners were rarely impartial on the topic of Lorne Harasen. Most either loved him or hated him but as broadcaster, Doug Alexander once said, you couldn’t ignore him.

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Lorne Harasen was a career broadcaster of almost 60 years. He began his career as a staff announcer at CJGX Yorkton but soon moved to the journalistic side of radio at CFQC Saskatoon and then CKCK and CKRM Regina. He also did considerable work at CKCK Television He was the first broadcaster elected President of the Saskatchewan Legislative Press Gallery Association. In the first televised and radio debate in the 1986 Saskatchewan General Election Harasen was the unanimous choice of all parties to act as moderator. When the Radio Television News Directors Association of Canada first presented their Lifetime Achievement Award Lorne Harasen was among the first to be a recipient. In addition to his broadcast work he was instrumental in raising millions of dollars around Saskatchewan for charitable and community betterment causes. Ralph Goodale, Regina MP, said, "For years he dominated the airwaves with his provocative style, unafraid to tackle any topic or personality, always fair but tough as nails."

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Contributors

Author

Lorne Harasen

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