The little radio station that could, CJLO 1690AM, has made strides since hitting the AM airwaves a mere three years ago—but they’re not finished dreaming yet. They hit the ground running with their first annual fundraising drive from March 5 to March 11, with the goal of raising $5,000.
“Essentially, [the money from the drive] is going to help sustain the station while we apply to broadcast on a low-power FM frequency,” explained station manager Stephanie Saretsky, adding that while students might remember a fee levy being approved in the fall to help with the station’s goal of going live on FM, the process is a little more complicated and takes a little more time and money than they originally anticipated.
Because of this, the money received from the fundraiser will not only help with the station’s day-to-day operating costs, but it will also go towards replacing copper that was stolen from the station’s downtown transmitter, paying an AM consultant to survey downtown to find out how far their frequency will travel and its effects on other frequencies including the Dorval airport radio communication. The fundraiser will also pay for their FM application to the CRTC and develop other programs to reach as many students as possible.
Once their application is approved by the CRTC—which Saretsky said is very likely since it will be a low-power signal—the station will need to pay to assess where the best location for an antenna should be, as well as other set-up costs.
“The cost could go up depending on the survey,” Saretsky admitted, which is why it’s important for CJLO to get financial support from the community.
The station doesn’t only serve as a voice for Concordia news, but it also provides services for students and the community.
“The station is open to anyone and provides a great experience,” said Tariq Sattaur of Rex’s Barn Sessions, which airs every Tuesday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. “They’ll teach you how to use the equipment and they give free air time to broadcast student meetings, concerts or shows. A lot of students could really benefit from the station if they knew it was here for them.”
And that’s the problem—with CJLO’s current antenna, the downtown campus’ reception is shoddy at best.
“The signal fades in and out downtown now because of the buildings absorbing the signal,” Saretsky said. “We stream online and have an app for the iPhone. We want to develop one for the Android, but we want to make [CJLO] as listenable as possible. We want to reach as many people as possible.”
CJLO held four fundraising events last week, including a Mix Swap Club and concert at Divan Orange, a live broadcast at Café X, and Caribbean-style party with hosts from Beat The World and Caribbean Callaloo broadcasting live from the Caribbean Curry House.
So far they’ve received over $3,000 in pledges and will continue to accept pledges until March 28. Depending on the size of your donation you can get some pretty sweet swag, including being entered in their grand prize draw on March 30.
Donations can be made via snail mail (7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Suite CC-430, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H4B 1R6), in person at the station (Loyola campus, room CC-430), or online at www.cjlo.com/fundingdrive.
