Lyndsay Morrison: Randy Steinman, 40 years in broadcasting, more than 30 years at CKCO/CTV Kitchener and now, retirement. Congratulations!

Randy Steinman: Thank you, it's a little surreal, hours away hear now, I mean, talk about a home stretch. We're into the final bit.

LM: And we have a photo right here of your very first day at the station.

RS: This was a promo shot that was taken my very first day in 1989. A little bit younger, a lot more hair and a few less wrinkles, too.

It's been a nice ride—ever since I started day one at the station, I had this, my old high school football helmet from Preston High School that has sort of been with me. Illegal now, no one would ever wear this now anymore because it would be concussion city, but it stayed with me all this time, so that's pretty special.

LM: Pun intended, what are some of the highlights of your career here.

RS: Probably the night that Wilfrid Laurier (University) won the Vanier Cup in 2005 was the most fun night. It was in Hamilton, Darren Stevenson and I went down to cover it. They won, it was a Saturday night, we got back to Waterloo and Waterloo was just crazy with celebration.

Rangers winning their Memorial Cup in 2003, but that was in Quebec City so it was a little bit different. Those were the two real special nights for me. And other than that, just the highlights, I've been working with terrific, fantastic people all these years. Making some great friends that I'll have forever, too.

LM: Anchoring on the sports desk and being our sports director, no question a big part of your career, but you've also dabbled in weather from time to time.

RS: Well the weather was a little scary because when I first started I really didn't know much about weather but I got a chance to do some national weather on CTV News Channel which was great.

I mean obviously sports was my first real love, it was what I had really started in the industry in. I became a full-time sports radio newscaster for news radio back in the early 80s and had opportunities to cover just, big events all through those years which were always terrific.

LM: And I want to talk about the last couple of years because you moved into a little bit of a different role telling community stories and that's been special for you too.

RS: Yeah, it's been nice. It's been a retooling and retraining for myself in a lot of ways. I hadn't picked up a camera in about 20 years when that happened. So I had to relearn how to shoot with new equipment.

To have the chance to shoot my own stuff, edit my own stuff, write and report my own stuff is good, and it's been fun.

LM: You won some RTDNA awards for some of the stories you've told, Randy.

RS: And that's been really special. I mean I won three national awards in a row for a blind bowlers feature, the field of dreams, that baseball field from the corn field out near Bright (Ont.) and then the garbage truck boy in Drayton.

I've had so many nice compliments I want to mention here in the last couple of months since I sort of started telling people that this was happening. And the one real special one someone said to me was, 'Your stories have a real warmth to them, that I can't put my finger on but I feel it every time.' And that's the nicest compliment, because that's what I've tried to do.

LM: I think a lot of people watching right now have grown up watching you on their television set. This is going to be a change—what do you have to say to the viewers?

RS: Thank you for all these years. This community and this station is so special to me, and I have to tell you because I was born literally across the street. So in my life time, I've gone all of about 300 yards.

I'm very Waterloo Region—my grandparents' names are Steinman, Cressman, Lebold and Brubacher. You cannot get more Waterloo Region than that. My great uncle, Jake Hallman is the Hallman in Fischer-Hallman Road.

So I'm so engrained here, I'm so rooted here in the Region of Waterloo. And that's what's made working here for the last 30 years so special for me because it's been home all this time. Not many people get that opportunity to work in your home town.

LM: For everyone at our station when we say how much we're going to miss you, how much we value you being at the station. And if I can take just a personal moment, thank you for everything you've done for me. You were probably my first friend here in this region—thank you for taking me under your wing and for all your mentorship and career guidance. I'm really going to miss you, too.

RS: I mean I can tell this story now, I did have a big role in your coming here.

LM: And I'm very grateful!

RS: And so am I, and so are the viewers. I was just so thrilled that you were able to come here.

LM: What's next for you Randy?

RS: I'm going to move to Chatham, which is a city down near Windsor, for those who don't know. It's a city I lived for 11 years, it's a great little sports community for our son for baseball and hockey and I'm looking forward to that.

LM: Well we wish you all the best, we can't wait to see what you do next. Enjoy retirement, thank you for everything you've done for our station and for the community, too. Congratulations.

RS: Thanks Lyndsay.