One of the longest radio careers in southwestern Saskatchewan's history came to an end last week.

After 43 years in the business, CJSN 1490's Penny Schreiner retired from Golden West Broadcasting.

"A person doesn't stay at a job unless they don't love it," she said. "If you love something, time isn't an issue as far as I'm concerned. Forty-three years went by very quickly." 

Schreiner began work at the Shaunavon radio station on August 1, 1979, for Frontier City Broadcasting. Her job entailed; reception work, commercial writing, and log producing. 

In 1994, CJSN 1490 was acquired by Golden West Broadcasting and she made the transition to joining a new team. 

Her roles and responsibilities began to evolve as well, spending time working on production, as a morning show host, and in sales.

"It just kind of snowballed and it was so gradual that you really didn't have a major shift, the only really major shift, I would say I had was going from Trading Post [and morning show hosting] to sales," she explained.

The last position Schreiner was tasked with by Golden West Broadcasting was a shift into the Swift Current Online newsroom working out of the Shaunavon centre. She spent the last decade-plus in this role where she could be heard on the airwaves across southwestern Saskatchewan sharing local stories and major events on CKSW 570, CJSN 1490, Eagle 94.1, and Magic 97.1.

"For one thing, editing is everything nowadays [but] it didn't use to be because at one time we did everything live," she shared. "I proofread everything. If there is a spelling mistake or anything, I change it so I don't stumble when I get to it. And then I just read it."

Swift Current Online's bylines are filled with Schreiner's name over the years, something the radio veteran will miss, especially when it comes to sharing impactful Shaunavon stories with the rest of the southwest.

"I'll miss the people that I talk to every day," she said. "There are some of them that the interviews were once a week, pretty regular because they were involved in a lot of things. I'll miss the people and events. I'll still be able to go to the events but just in a different capacity."

Family will become a larger focus for her in retirement with more frequent excursions to see some in Calgary and Edmonton.