93.3 Beach Radio Morning host Nic Fransoo discovered he had a loyal listener tuning in all the way from London, England (File Photo/battlefordsNOWstaff).

By Austin Mattes

Catching airwaves

Listening from London: Local radio station finds unexpected fan from across the pond

Apr 18, 2025 | 6:00 AM

What began as a simple contest for Beach Boys tickets turned into a heartwarming surprise for North Battleford’s 93.3 Beach Radio when they discovered they had a devoted listener for the past year tuning in from more than 6,000 kilometres away.

Morning host Nic Fransoo was answering calls for the contest, and when one of the participants claimed to be from halfway around the world, he was a bit skeptical.

“I picked up the phone and it turned out to be a fellow with an accent, and he says ‘Hey, this is Mark calling from London.’ I was a little bit suspicious myself because this is just small-town North Battleford, I thought, who’s playing a prank on me?” said Fransoo.

As it turns out, it wasn’t a prank.

The caller, Mark Uddin, really was phoning in from Ealing, England, a small borough just outside of London. He said he discovered the station while on vacation in Canada last summer.

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“I loved the place. I thought what great people and what a great country, and I didn’t want to forget about it when I went home, so I thought, ‘Why not listen to a Canadian radio station?’ I went to the Radio Canada app, saw the logo, and it said 80s and 90s music, and I really love 80s music, so I started listening,” said Uddin.

Since then, Uddin has become a daily listener, usually tuning in during his evenings, which line up with North Battleford’s mornings.

While it was the music that first caught his ear, Uddin said it’s the charm of the local community that keeps bringing him back.

“It’s amazing that I found it, but what’s more amazing is that I’ve actually carried on every single day. I enjoy listening to Nic and to the news and I don’t know why but I’ve got a keen interest in what’s going on in Battlefords. It’s just interesting to find out about a place so far away,” he said.

Surprisingly enough, something else that really captured Uddin’s attention was… the weather.

“Your weather fascinated me. I find it intriguing how normal folk go about their daily business when it’s -40. It’s like wow, I just can’t imagine how people can do that,” said Uddin.

Since that first call, Fransoo and Uddin have built an unexpected and uplifting connection. Uddin has even become a regular caller on the show.

Though he was simply doing his job, Fransoo shared how thankful he is for this newfound acquaintance from across the pond.

“It’s exciting and I’m really happy to have him as a listener, and he’s been chiming in on the show every now and then, and I’m just lucky to be here. It feels nice to know that we’re doing something that somebody likes, and to know that we have lots of listeners who really enjoy our radio station, I am truly grateful,” said Fransoo.

Uddin now hopes one day to return to Canada with a special stop in North Battleford to visit his favourite Canadian radio station, 93.3 Beach Radio.

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Austin.mattes@pattisonmedia.com

On X: @AustinMattes