James entered radio broadcasting in 1956 as an engineer at CKCK, Regina, later moving, for a long tenure, to CBXT (CBC) Radio and TV in Edmonton.

His career as an on-site engineer covered many varied events. The highlight was working EXPO 67 in Montreal where he joined technicians from all over the world. During this time the Jazz Festival was featured, attracting many of the world’s great artists whom James met and recorded. He recalls the whole scene as “the wildest experience of my life”!

Much of James’s career as a Broadcast Engineer involved working such sports events as the 1978 Commonwealth Games, and later, Universiade.

He was the audio engineer for the first NHL game in Edmonton’s Coliseum. He was involved in the first two-way satellite production out of Inuvik, broadcasting the results of the Berger Commission. He also worked Canada Day celebrations out of Yellowknife and Frobisher Bay.

James retired in 1991, to lead a busy and active life in retirement.

filed 2006