K1037 wins trio of awards

The Community Radio Broadcasting and Online (CRABO) Awards recognized K1037’s Kanien’kéha language programming as well as its news director Paul Graif.

Along with Graif’s award for his news coverage, the station won the Neskie Manuel Award for Aboriginal Affairs and Culture Programming for its All Kanien’kéha Talk Show and the Third Language award for its overall Kanien’kéha language programming.

“It’s nice to be recognized. Obviously, Paul winning that news award is a big deal. It’s his second time winning an award for news, and rightfully so. He’s an excellent news broadcaster,” said Dennis Stacey, K1037’s station manager.

“I’m very excited for him, excited for the station, and excited about my team, because that’s what it is. At K1037, we’re a team, and everybody goes that extra mile.”

Stacey said that it was programming director Chris Reiser who submitted nominations for the awards.

For Graif, who has covered news for the station for almost two decades across two stints, getting to cover community news in an environment like K1037 as the media landscape continues to shift is incredibly meaningful for him.

“I worked in big media - CBC, Global, CTV - and while I loved my time there and my experience there, I always kind of was looking over my shoulder, wondering when the shoe would drop,” said Graif.

“I remember hearing years ago that it’s much more important to do community stuff, because people are invested. And so, I feel like at K1037, we’re perfectly positioned for exactly that: everything we do is community-based, and related, and supported. And there’s a real satisfaction to that.”

Having experienced both worlds, he said that local news comes with different challenges than the corporate world.

“When you’re doing local stories, it’s not like covering it in the city. There’s the respect factor and the fact that you’ve got to go back to the source over and over and over again,” said Graif.

“There’s a fine line in reporting in a community, but it has its rewards, because you’re known, and it makes it easier to talk to people, and they’re willing to talk to you, even though you’re an outsider.”

There are, of course, times when the story is negative, or he faces criticism for his reporting, and he said it weighs on him.

“I’m really fortunate that I have the trust and respect of my colleagues here and their support. I couldn’t have done this without them,” said Graif.

On Saturday, while Graif was acting as the emcee of Sylvain Leduc’s Elvis Presley show at the Knights of Columbus, Mouchie Goodleaf announced to the crowd that Graif had won the news award.

“All I could think of was, ‘Oh no,’” said Graif. “And then people applauded. And I was like, ‘Really? Okay, I guess I’m doing something okay.’ So that did feel nice.”

Graif also noted how meaningful it was for the station to win two awards for its language programming; he himself starts his news broadcasts and bulletins with an introduction in Kanien’kéha.

“It’s really cool that it’s being recognized outside the community. And there has been such a major push in the last decade, especially in Kahnawake, for revitalizing the language, and we play a role in that,” said Graif.

“The station getting those awards is exactly what community radio is all about, and it’s a sense of pride for everybody that works here, myself included, but also for the community, because they could turn on the radio, and there are some of the words that they are learning.”

He said that the station’s 45th anniversary celebration earlier this year helped him reflect on his career at K1037 - the early 90s working alongside the station’s founder; his return decades later in his current, almost 16-year stint; his time broadcasting lacrosse games; producing and hosting the noon talk shows; and even being the one to deliver bingo packages.

“There’s just so many aspects about this place that I love,” said Graif.

“I wear a lot of different hats, and that’s also what community radio is about.”

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