UCalgary Desi Diaries: Rishi Nagar and RedFM 106.7
By Gurshaan Kaur Rai, January 8 2025—
Rishi Nagar is a man who wears several hats — he’s the voice behind Calgary’s radio show, RedFM 106.7, and a former member of the University of Calgary’s senate. But most importantly, he has established himself as a voice for the voiceless.
Through RedFM 106.7, Nagar conveys local news to Calgarians in Punjabi and Hindi. For members of Canada’s South Asian population who are not fluent in English, Rishi Nagar shares local news in their native languages, ensuring they stay informed about community events, issues and developments that directly affect their lives.
What many people do not know is Rishi Nagar’s journey to becoming the relentless journalist he has established himself as today. In 2009, Rishi Nagar arrived in Toronto, and by 2010 in Vancouver at RedFM he was given a job as a newsreader. However, between these events, Nagar worked as a security guard at the Vancouver International Airport.
Before arriving in Canada, Nagar had worked as a newsreader for nine years in India on national television, and prior to that he worked at a college teaching English Linguistics, alongside serving as a principal at the college.
However, Nagar’s journey to Canada was not an easy one, because of language limitations he could not find a job despite his qualifications in India as a principal and journalist.
“When I came here it was a shock that I was not eligible for anywhere, I came as a skilled teacher because I had taught at the university there in India for about fifteen years and they said my education equivalency was not up to the mark as per their standards so I was refused,” said Nagar in an interview with the Gauntlet.
“I couldn’t get a job as a teacher or journalist or anywhere because of my language limitations. The security guard was the only option I could take at the Vancouver International Airport,” Nagar continued.
His time as a security guard at CBC in Vancouver was crucial as well, where Nagar would observe interviewing. This experience would prove meaningful in years to come.
“Somehow when I was on duty, interestingly it was night shift and I heard an advertisement on my phone where I was listening to RedFM that time … they advertised that they need a Punjabi and Hindi news reader and I was qualified for that,” said Nagar.
This is where his journey with RedFM began and soon in 2013, Nagar would be appointed as a news director for RedFM 106.7 in Calgary.
In later years in Calgary, Nagar would go on to be appointed as a U of C Senate member because of his work as a journalist, mentoring students in the world of journalism and addressing issues such as tuition.
But while Nagar may be a voice for many South Asians, RedFM faces issues even today.
“We are a non English speaking radio station … since we are a small community we are ignored by the mainstream,” said Nagar.
Many people also fail to understand the dedication that is put behind the scenes at RedFM as a radio show. Nagar states that RedFM shows involve extensive planning and outline, featuring discussions on current events, ideas and interviews with various guests. As such, this requires careful preparation beforehand from the team at RedFM.
“You should be speaking to the minds of the people,” says Nagar, adding insights on how understanding the demographics and creating a fusion of South Asian languages is important in today’s society.
“You incorporate some words from the Urdu language, Hindi language, or Punjabi language and make it comfortable for them to understand,” states Nagar and how it contributes to a fusion of languages in a diverse country like Canada.
This story can resonate with students at the University of Calgary in unprecedented times, where it has become increasingly difficult to secure employment upon graduation, especially those with language limitations. Rishi Nagar exemplifies that through resilience and staying true to one’s passion it is possible to prevail amidst uncertain times.
For these reasons, Nagar is not only just a public figure in the South Asian community here in Calgary but he is a living example of resiliency in the face of adversity in his professional journey.
October 2024 exemplified Nagar’s dedication to journalism, where he was punched in the eye at an event because of his reporting on RedFM. He stated, “I will not be silenced”, in response to this. This event exemplified Rishi Nagar’s passion to communicate the truth and how he is the epitome of being a voice for the voiceless.
Nagar has united Calgarians time and time again, not only symbolizing what it means to be living under the red flag of Canada but the red at RedFM 106.7, a diverse radio station that continues to bridge cultural gaps in Calgary.
This article is a part of our Voices section and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Gauntlet editorial board.