SHOWS
CKWR is a station like no other, broadcasting music across many genres, shows in multiple languages, and diverse specialty programming.
Learn about our shows & hosts below:
Adult Alternative – Monday to Friday (6 am – 6 pm)
The other 80’s and 90’s you’re not hearing anywhere else. Great artists like The Cure, New Order, David Bowie, The Clash, The Smiths, U2, The Tragically Hip, The Spoons, and more.
Glenn Pelletier brings 40 years of broadcasting experience to 98.5 CKWR.
Described in media reports as a “beloved radio icon” after he announced his retirement from radio in 2021, Glenn is thrilled and honoured to join the CKWR team. “I have listened to CKWR for many years. I have seen it grow. I have seen it gain a strong foothold in the community. It has always been relevant. It is a true reflection of the community it serves.”
Glenn’s lengthy and successful career includes 16 years as the morning radio news anchor at 570 News (where he also co-hosted The Glenn & Gary radio talk show), 12 years as an on-air personality at 96.7 CHYM-FM, copy editor at CBC Radio National News and stops as news anchor in Barrie and Winnipeg. He also spent time as a television news reporter at CKCO-TV (now CTV Kitchener) in the early 1980s. One of his most memorable career highlights was working in the Toronto Blue Jays radio broadcast booth with the legendary Tom Cheek and Jerry Howarth for the 1999 season.
Glenn has deep roots in the community. His mother was born at St. Mary’s General Hospital in 1931. His great-aunt Rhoda lived in Kitchener for most of her life and his maternal grandfather worked for Seagram’s Distillery in the 1930s. “I love this city. I came here when I was 21 years old and it has a special place in my heart. I am proud to live here. It is vibrant. It has a renewed energy. It is exciting to watch it grow.”
Glenn is the proud father of two lovely women in their 20s. He is also proud to be the lead singer in The Beggars Banquet – the Rolling Stones Songbook – one of North America’s leading tribute bands.
Contact: glenn@ckwr.com
Pete’s love of music started very young while growing up in the K-W area; at the age of 10, the musically precocious boy started making mixed tapes for his classmates in order to share his enthusiasm for new bands with others. By his late teens, Pete had begun to DJ in local nightclubs. In order to gain experience in bringing the music to a larger audience. Never satisfied, he sought further exposure for the sound by developing an alternative music community radio show at CKWR.
This community radio show provided Pete with the experience and technical ability that led to his employment by Canada’s biggest (and one of North America’s oldest and respected) alternative radio stations. As a popular on-air personality, Pete met and interviewed numerous musical icons. These included Marilyn Manson, Pete Shelley, Soundgarden, The Ramones, Bob Mould, and Catherine Wheel, among other well-known artists.
Pete is a graduate of Bluevale Collegiate, Conestoga College, The Ontario Police College & University of Waterloo and enjoys yoga, eating, breathing, kindness & anything on two wheels.
Contact: pete@ckwr.com
Coral Andrews is a Kitchener, Ontario based writer whose byline has appeared in many publications for over four decades including national magazines – Saturday Night, Take One, Graffiti, The New Quarterly, Canplay, Performing Arts and Entertainment in Canada, and Harrowsmith Magazine.
Coral has been doing campus/ community radio for over 40 years! She started late-night at CKWR in the mid-eighties. Coral also co-hosted a weekly arts show called “Admit Two.” In 2015, she was asked back to CKWR. The rest is Vrooom Vrooooom!
Regional Publications include Waterloo Regional Record, Grand Magazine, Music Express and many others, in addition to digital publications – Start Arts and Culture, and OpenFile.ca.
Favourite interviews – actors Lynn Redgrave, Seana McKenna, and Colm Feore, (John Lennon’s first wife) Cynthia Lennon, singers – Lene Lovich, Tony Levin of Peter Gabriel, Bernard Fowler of The Rolling Stones, Peter Ulrich of the Peter Ulrich Collaboration, comics – Phyllis Diller, Billy Connolly, and Graham Chapman from Monty Python.
Contact: coral@ckwr.com
Specialty – Evenings & Weekends
Match your mood with shows exclusively found on CKWR. From blues, jazz, indie, and classical, to talk, religious, and vintage, there’s something to suit every interest.
Music
Host: Stan Hillborn
Overnight with a harder edge.
Past and present alternative, industrial, gothic and associated club tracks. For people who love alternative music.
Host: Claude McDonald
Wind down your day with classical music and poetry.
Host: Coral Andrews
Kickstart your Saturday with Coral Rocks, an eclectic mix of music and interviews. Lotsa Music. Little Chats. Lotsa $#@! coffee.
Host: Lori Thompson
A unique mix of real country music and storytelling from across North America. Most importantly, Countryside shares and celebrates the hard work and success of artists from right here at home in Waterloo Region.
Host: James Jordan
Rock And Roll has a special place for some of us deep in our soul and it is important to continue that love and knowledge for generations to come. We also provide a platform for up and coming Canadian musicians to be heard by the masses!
Host: Chris djc4 Fournier
Old and new dance tracks from both underground and commercial venues.
Host: RJ Johnston
A great array of local and international jazz performances across a wide cross- section of styles and eras. We’re happy to feature local artists and to share your local events.
Host: Dean Clarke
All Newfoundland music program supporting the music and culture of Newfoundland and Labrador. Playing the best in Newfoundland music this side of the St Lawrence.
Host: Peter Beacock
Our show is dedicated to the celebration of the human voice. We visit choirs from around the world with a focus on the many wonderful choirs right here in our Region. Join us each Sunday as we explore compositions and performances which may be new to you.
Host: DJ Slykiz
Hip Hop, afrobeat, & rap.
Host: Willy A
All the Blues you can use.
Host: Jeremy Weedon
Oldies and the best of British music.
Host: Ralph Doyle
Waterloo Region’s only oldies radio program, covering the very best in rock and soul and top 40 from the 1950s to the 1980s.
Host: Mike Thurnell
Stress free, meditative music that will help you relax and unwind. Mike Thurnell presents serene, peaceful music from artists like Enya, Secret Garden and Loreena McKennitt.
Host: Doug Gibson
Shaking folk right down to its roots.
Host: Zyg Janecki
A variety of theme shows spotlighting or commemorating the anniversaries of the births and deaths of composers and artists and their musical career. Interviews with local guest artists, conductors, soloists and musicians performing in the local churches to international performers at the Centre in the Square with the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Orchestra.
Host: Madame Ravencroft
Gothic radio with bite!
Host: John Brenner
Find a unique groove in the vast music mosaic.
Host: Cora Kuehl
Dive into the electric world of pop culture fandoms with ‘The Fangirl Frequency.’ This show takes you on an exhilarating journey through music, and all things pop culture, offering deep insights, and fan perspectives. Join us as we celebrate the passion, creativity, and camaraderie of fans worldwide, one frequency at a time.
Hosts: Pete Fowler & Greg Secord
40 years of alternative music spanning multiple genres.
Host: Aubrey Brawley
Transporting you back to a time of neon, big shoulders, and even bigger hair! You’ll embark on a musical journey through the era of synth-pop, post-punk, and alternative rock. A curated playlist featuring not only New Wave classics but also hidden gems, rarities, remixes, b-sides, and imports that defined the underground music scene of that era. Rediscover the music that soundtracked your youth and uncover some hidden treasures you might have missed the first time around.
Hosts: Pete & Katelyn
The greatest music you’ve never heard.
Host: Mike Thurnell
Each week Mike Thurnell is your tour guide as each he travels back in time to play early cuts from Progressive Rock giants like Genesis, Pink Floyd, Yes and The Moody Blues.
Host: Rob Daniels
Visions In Sound, hosted by Rob Daniels, brings you the best in Movie, TV and Video Game soundtracks. Join Rob as he brings you the known and unknown of this unique genre of music including composer features, anniversary shows and general interest programs each week.
Show archives and more available at visionsinsound.ca
Host: Gruesome Geddes
Since 2005, Host Gruesome Geddes spins the most adrenaline-fueled, hard-hitting New Metal, Metalcore, Deathcore, and Heavy Alternative Metal. Today’s New Metal, a few classic headbangers, and of course a few bad puns along the way.
Talk
Host: Gehan Sabry
Cross Cultures has been promoting mutual respect and transcending barriers since 1991 as a print magazine and online. Gehan Sabry is the founder, editor, publisher, and now radio show host on CKWR.
Host: Martin de Groot
Interviews and features exploring our community.
Host: Alfonso Espinos
Talking about movies, TV Shows, comic books, and other aspects of pop culture.
Religious
Host: Al Smith
Bishop Sheen has been referred to as one of the greatest communicators of the faith in our time. For over 50 years Bishop Sheen captivated a worldwide audience in the millions with his weekly television show, lectures and radio addresses. Come join Al Smith as he shares some of Bishop Sheen’s timely messages with us each week.
Live broadcast of the Morning Service.
Host: Rev. Stretch T
Host: Al Smith
Come and join us for an hour of prayer and reflections from the rich storehouse of Roman Catholic tradition. Each week the Holy Rosary and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy are prayed along with some other traditional devotions. Each week Al Smith will share a reflection or two about the Sunday readings, the lives of the Saints or whatever the Holy Spirit puts on his heart.
Host: Pat Murphy
An hour and a half of inspirational Christian Country, Southern Gospel and Bluegrass music, along with our weekly “Hymn Feature,” local church and concert announcements, and more!
Live broadcast of the Knox Waterloo Worship Service.
Host: Constantin Burghelea
Serving the Romanian community for more than 44 years, it is a praise, music and worship, Romanian religious program with an emphasis on praise and music.
Bringing Christ to the Nations — and the Nations to the Church.
Host: Constantin Burghelea
Serving the Romanian community for more than 44 years, it is a praise and worship, Romanian religious program with the emphasis is on the spoken Word, catering to the Romanian Christian community.
Reflection on the Gospel – the Word of God – and its relevance in today’s world. Word on Fire uses all of today’s media to proclaim Christ in the Culture, reaching millions each week and growing!
Visit wordonfire.org
Multicultural – Evenings & Weekends
Programming in over 14 languages including Hindi, Punjabi, Mandarin, Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese, German & more, with new shows always added!
Host: Kosta Tsatsaris
Host: Grace Chen
You are never too far away from home. Chinese Radio on 98.5 CKWR is always here. Tune in for the voices you miss the most from home.
Host: Henning Grumme
A great way to start your weekend listening to a smorgasbord of “Light Classics” from around Continental Europe and right here at home…featuring the likes of Andre Rieu, Arthur Fiedler, Erich Kunzel, James Last and many Canadian Artists!
Host: Daniel Mesesan
Hosts: Ivan & Antonio
One of the oldest programs on 98.5 CKWR with a geographically dispersed listenership throughout the world connecting us via the internet. We inform our listeners about any local community news as well as news and information from our homeland Croatia and Bosnia & Herzegovina.
Host: Gehan Sabry
Linking all Arabic speakers, discussing diaspora concerns, highlighting prominent personalities and community accomplishments, sharing news, culture, art, music, poetry, etc.
Host: Hans Gaensler
We do Musik Melodies for our German-speaking listeners from Austria, Switzerland, and Germany, locally and also over the internet as well. Our program is the cultural link to the homeland which many left in the 50’s, 60’s, and later, and as a host it’s rewarding to hear that our listeners like it and are looking always forward to the next show!
Host: Irek Milczarczyk
The show’s creators deliver content covering a variety of subjects such as commentary and current events in Poland and Canada, religious topics, musical events, local Polish community and historical analysis. Polish Late Night is always pleased to present plenty of good music to its guests.
Host: Yasin Dewji
Host: Tony Brito
Host: Jimmy Martinez
Host: Mario
Radio Italia the best of Italian music and corner dedicated to poetry and sports / Radio Italia la bellissima musica Italiana e angolo riservato alla poesia e lo sport.