As an educator with an insatiable passion for music, Ted Hasiuk first discovered smooth jazz during a trip to the U.S. in the late 1980s. He then dedicated several years to building what has become the largest smooth jazz library in Canada.

In September 1997, Hasiuk took to the airwaves, launching his show, Café Jazz, on CKXL in Winnipeg. The show was initially broadcast in French for two years. A year later, it expanded to CJUM in Winnipeg, where it aired on Sunday mornings for four years. For one year, it held the unique distinction of being broadcast in both of Canada's official languages.