Image credit: WHL

By Aaron Schulze

Earl Seitz

Kamloops broadcast legend Earl Seitz recognized by WHL for outstanding contributions to sports journalism

Mar 7, 2024 | 6:30 AM

KAMLOOPS — The former longtime sports director for CFJC received another honour for his hall of fame career.

Ahead of the Kamloops Blazers’ home game at Sandman Centre Wednesday (March 6), the Western Hockey League (WHL) announced Earl Seitz was the recipient of the Bob Ridley Award for Media Excellence for 2023-24.

The award is presented annually by the WHL to a distinguished member of the radio, television and print journalism industry in recognition of their outstanding contributions to sports journalism and the WHL.

“Over the course of his career, Earl has made incredible contributions to the sports community through his dedicated coverage of amateur athletics and more. For his dedication, integrity and professionalism, Earl Seitz is most deserving of this prestigious WHL award,” Dan Near, WHL commissioner says.

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In total, Seitz spent 54 years in broadcasting. After beginning his career as a DJ in Cranbrook in 1968, Earl made his way to Kamloops in 1974 to become CFJC’s sports director.

Seitz began covering the Kamloops Chiefs of the then Western Canada Hockey League, serving as the play-by-play voice of the Chiefs on 910 CFJC radio before eventually transitioning to become the face of CJFC Sports on TV. He witnessed the Chiefs depart in 1977 to become the Seattle Breakers, before the New Westminster Bruins relocated to Kamloops in 1981 and became the Kamloops Junior Oilers before rebranding as the Kamloops Blazers in 1984.

Outside of the WHL, Seitz covered high-profile sporting events such as the 1993 Canada Summer Games, the Brier and the Kamloops International Bantam Ice Hockey Tournament.

Seitz also received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Radio Television Digital News Association of Canada in 2011 and the Fred ‘Gus’ Collins Award in 2014-15 for his coverage of Canada West university athletics. He was inducted into the Kamloops Sports Hall of Fame in 2019.

Seitz retired from CFJC on Dec. 31, 2021. Following his retirement, he has remained active in the Kamloops sports community, including volunteering with the Blazers and during the 2023 Memorial Cup.