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Around the world to the prairie: New KSJB program director worked in Finland, Russia

Pete Cato is the voice behind the Morning Beat with Cowboy Pete. Cato started Monday as the new program director and on-air host of KSJB 600AM and Mix 93.3FM. His 7 to 11 a.m. morning show consists of news and agriculture reports along with amusi...

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Pete Cato at his post Thursday morning as program director and onair host at KSJB 600AM and Mix 93.3FM. John M. Steiner

Pete Cato is the voice behind the Morning Beat with Cowboy Pete.

Cato started Monday as the new program director and on-air host of KSJB 600AM and Mix 93.3FM. His 7 to 11 a.m. morning show consists of news and agriculture reports along with amusing anecdotes, music and stories.

The goal is to help people start the day with positive energy and it’s good to hear that it sometimes makes a difference for someone, Cato said. He broadcasts the texting and phone information for people to make music requests, comments or observations.

“Is there a greater calling in life than to be in the media?” Cato said. “I work a lot but I love what I do, and I go home satisfied every day.”

With 10 years in radio, Cato steps in for Bobby Gaye, who retired as KSJB general manager and radio personality recently but plans to fill in when needed. Cato looks forward to helping the 81-year-old radio station continue a proud tradition.

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“Bobby is definitely a very upbeat and positive guy and I have some big shoes to fill,” Cato said.

Raised in the Washington, D.C., area and in Florida, Cato said he wanted to see the world and most recently worked for English language radio stations Spirit FM in Helsinki, Finland and FM 105.2 in Moscow, Russia.

“This is a big and interesting world so why not go see some of it?” Cato said.

The American format stations were initially started to serve millions of English-speaking expatriates and visitors abroad, Cato said. The Finns and Russians also enjoy listening to American music and immersing themselves in the English language, he said.

“It’s like a language exercise all day outside of class,” he said.

During his five years in Moscow, Cato won best radio DJ of the year in Russia in 2013 from Radio Mania, as well as best musical radio show of the year in 2014 and 2015.

“I won without speaking Russian,” Cato said.

Finland has converted completely to digital radio and there are no more directional broadcast radio towers beaming a signal over the airways, Cato said. That is not the case in Russia, especially with Moscow’s 20 million people and 8 million cars keeping over-the-air radio popular, he said.

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“Radio is a really big deal in Russia because they spend so much time in the cars every day,” Cato said.

North Dakota is among a few states where broadcast radio is still more popular than digital media, he said. He often gets calls for music requests from people who are at home listening.

“This is a part of the world where radio is still important,” Cato said.

When Cato decided to move back to the United States, he applied at several radio stations including KSJB. He said Rick Pfeiffer, general manager, was concerned that he might experience culture shock coming from cities of 20 million people to the prairies of North Dakota.

“He invited me to come check out Jamestown in July 2017,” Cato said. “One thing that really stuck out to me was that everybody here is so nice.”

The rental car attendant at the airport and the hotel clerk at Gladstone Inn & Suites seemed intent on providing him with a great experience, Cato said. When walking downtown, the people he encountered seemed to go out of their way to greet him and engage in friendly conversation.

“Jamestown is fantastic,” Cato said.

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