Vernon radio legend passes

The man who said “Good Morning” to Vernon for more than 35 years on CJIB/KISS FM, now 107.5 Beach Radio, has died after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer.

Frank Martina passed away Tuesday, Oct. 3, at the age of 76.

He was known for his bombastic style, raucous humour and his love of all things North Okanagan, and became the longest consecutive morning show host on radio in British Columbia.

Fiercely loyal to his listeners, community and live radio, the quick-witted Martina carved out an unparalleled record of success. Tributes began pouring in Tuesday evening from colleagues from around the world.

“He was the primary reason for number one ratings year after year,” former CJIB program manager Don Weglo said. “I think his example of consistency was showing up every single morning at three a.m. to prepare for his morning show. People said “Frank said this” and everyone knew who you were talking about. Frank was an icon, a personality, as opposed to a voice-tracked show, and people loved him, by the thousands.”

Martina grew up in Southern Saskatchewan listening to CKCK Regina from his family home in Big Beaver near the Canadian border, something he never let his listeners forget. He entered CKCK’s high school radio contest and won it for the province.

Jobs at prairie stations in Weyburn, Moose Jaw and Regina followed before his parents moved to Vancouver. He had a short part-time stint at now defunct CJOR before a trip to the Okanagan changed everything. Like so many others, he fell in love with the area and soon landed at job at 94-CJIB AM, initially reading news, but he wanted to be Mr. Fun and he moved to the morning show where he would delight listeners for 35 plus years in that time slot, retiring in 2007, but continuing for several more years doing the Saturday afternoon KISS Classics show.

Businesses across Vernon posted retirement messages on signs and reader boards on his retirement announcement.

Sandman Hotel sign on Frank Martina’s retirement (Facebook photo)

Martina raised his two children in Vernon, volunteered in a number of ways including as an auxiliary RCMP officer.

He had ambitions to return to the airways with Vernon’s fledgling community radio station which has yet to broadcast.

His family members say there will be no service as per Martina’s wishes, but in his honour, people are asked to “turn up a good song, raise your glass, and remember Frank in whatever capacity you knew him.”

Click here to read the obituary of  Frank Stewart Martina.