Seattle’s Scandinavian Hour Radio Show

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In 1959, twenty-year-old Doug Warne and Ron Olsen agreed to produce the Scandinavian Hour, in order to keep this cherished radio program going. Olsen chose the music and Doug handled the guest list and sold the advertising. Thus began this remarkable story lasting for 48 years, and when Olsen passed away in 2008, Warne continued on himself. But in 2017, he solicited additional cohosts to share responsibility for the program.  No one would be paid, and to remain a co-host, you had to demonstrate you could sell commercials to area businesses. Yours truly, Eric Stavney, was a co-host for a couple years, and eventually Warne sought to retire after the program suffered through the dark years of COVID, when businesses withdrew their ads.  Now, in July 2023, the program continues with renewed vigor every weekend (as it has for the last 64 years) with host Seth Tufteland and Doug Warne as “co-host emeritus”.  Tune in to hear this remarkable journey of the Scandinavian radio show in Seattle. Continue listening after the closing song to hear bonus content! Check out the links to a Norwegian TV broadcast and see images of the production crew at https://nordicontap.com/seattles-scandinavian-hour-radio-show/.

Links

Lørdagskveld NRK episode with Erik Bye in Seattle, which aired in August of 1975, and excerpted in this podcast episode, features Doug Warne and Ron Olsen, and others from the greater Seattle (Washington, USA) Area. The segment with Doug and Ron begins around 11 minutes into the program. Those familiar with Washington State will recognize the Smokey Point Rest Area’s “Giant Arborvitae” (Western red cedar) stump (see the very beginning), which has a history linked to local Scandinavians. The show is almost entirely in Norwegian, and Doug demonstrates his grip on the language (including how to say “Rikskringkasting” or National Broadcasting). Other performers include Stan Boreson and the Everett Mannskor.

Some short bios of Seth and Doug can be found on their website at thescandinavianhour.org/about us. They also have a short video of producing a show, and some audio from interviews and book reviews on their site. Finally, you can launch the radio station feed at KKNW from the Scandinavian Hour’s home page by clicking Listen Live at 6am and 9am Saturdays (PT) and 6am Sundays (PT). On weekends, the same show plays three times.

Who was Ron Olsen? Some obituaries (2008) on Legacy and in the Seattle Times.

I (Eric Stavney) wrote a news article in the Norwegian American on my first experiences co-hosting the Scandinavian Hour with Doug. It describes how Doug recruited 5-6 people interested in taking turns co-hosting the show from 2018 onwards. My language was perhaps was a little smug, as I felt I landed “in the catbird seat”. I’ve been doing some form of broadcasting ever since.

I wrote a follow-up article in the Norwegian American when Doug was awarded the St. Olav Medal by the King Harald IV of Norway for a reward for “services in advancing knowledge of Norway abroad and for strengthening the bonds between expatriate Norwegians and their descendants and [his] country of residence”.

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Images

At left, above: Dougs checks his notes before announcing another song. At right, above: Doug hired a caricature artist to refresh the one he’d been using for many years. Photos by Eric Stavney.

For a couple years starting in 2018, Doug recruited additional hosts and asked me to make this caricature, before shrinking the staff down to two around 2019. From left to right: Bjorn Ruud, Eric Stavney, Doug Warne, and Seth Tufteland. Illustration by Eric Stavney.

Seth Tufteland (current host), Doug Warne (host “emeritus”), and Eric Burris (Operations Manager at KKNW) inside the recording studio, checking over the notes for a show . Photo: Eric Stavney (circa 2020)

Doug used to run the ads above, in newsletters of Leif Erikson and Bothell Sons of Norway Lodges. If you watch the Lørdagskveld broadcast in the link above from 1975, you’ll see he has “big glasses” (which were very popular then – I wore them too) just like those drawn in his “Scandinavian Music Machine” ad. Plus, I believe that’s a vinyl turntable (what I called a ‘record player’ back then), which could play all of Ron’s LP albums in the seventies – their whole colllection. Unless they had some 8 track tapes (ugh). On the right, above, is a cropped version of a caricature ad Doug used with the (mostly cut off) steaming cup of coffee. When Seth became the host he asked me to draw a caricature of him, which is used in his current ad underneath, above. Wed don’t know who Doug’s caricature artist(s) were.

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Eric Stavney stands with Seth Tufteland in front of their decorated car for the 17th of May parade 2022, with Nordic on Tap and Scandinavian Hour banners and 5 flags (and a tiny Ukranian one on the aerial).