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Camp Radio!

This year was the twenty-ninth anniversary of the National Campus and Community Radio Conference (NCRC) and what better place to celebrate how far community radio reaches than by gathering at the rocks at Berry Point on Gabriola Island, BC.

group on rocks

More than 40 delegates from across the country came together at panels, in workshops, during live performances and around a campfire.

They were from established campus stations like CKCU-FM, soon celebrating their 35th anniversary; newer internet-only stations like Radio Laurier and CIVL in Abbotsford; urban community stations like CFRO-FM in Vancouver and CJTR-FM in Regina; smaller community stations like CFBS from Blanc Sablon on Quebec's Lower North Shore and stations just licensed, like CICK-FM from Smithers, BC as well as those hoping to be licensed soon, like Gabriola Radio Society and Cortes Community Radio.

For more information click on the title of this post.

This year's National Campus and Community Radio Conference featured live performances every night, including Carolyn Mark, Sweatshop Union and locals Myles Black and the Pearly Whites. There was even a radio station set-up just for the occasion....

local radio

New member: CFIS-FM

CFISThe Prince George Community Radio Society is dedicated to bringing locally-produced radio content to residents of the greater Prince George area. Their slogan is "Boomer Radio".

They launched July 3, 2007 at 9:31am with a 5-watt developmental license and now have almost 40 volunteers producing local morning news, covering local lacrosse, baseball and their local British Columbia Hockey League team the Spruce Kings, and a heap of live talk shows and music programs. 

Station highlights also include short weekly updates "Our Night Sky" from the astronomical society and "Life Through A Broken Windshield" a 90-second commentary about the life of a 72-year old retired truck driver who first moved to Prince George when he was three years old.

They join current NCRA member CFUR-FM in making Prince George a haven for local voices and community radio. Welcome to CFIS-FM!

Abilities Handbook

Abilities volunteers At last year's NCRC in Montreal, CKUT-FM programmer Stephane Bertrand had an amazing idea.

He wanted to help campus and community stations across the country become more accessible. He wanted to encourage more stations to start shows done by people with physical and intellectual disabilities. And he wanted to encourage more people with disabilities to get involved with community radio. (Okay, so he had lots of good ideas.)

But here's the biggest idea: he wanted to create a handbook (with an accompanying CD) that would help support all these things.

For the last few months some dedicated volunteers from across the country have been working on this task. We're nearing the finish line and plan to launch the "Abilities Handbook" at this year's coming National Conference in June!

But we're not done yet and there's still lots of room for more people to contribute. For more information or to get involved email shelley@ncra.ca.

CFRO is 35!!

CFRO35In 1974, the first 231 shareholders of Vancouver Co-operative Radio got their licence and set up the station in the former Mercantile Bank in Vancouver's Pigeon Park (at the corner of Carrall and Hastings). The building had been empty for 15 years and they had to shovel two inches of pigeon droppings from the floors of the building.

On April 15, 1975 they went on-air  -- carrying the tapes up to the transmitter on Burnaby Mountain.

For the last 35 years Co-op Radio has continued to thrive as a non-commercial, co-operatively-owned, listener-supported, community radio station that strives to provide a space for under-represented and marginalized communities. Congratulations Co-op! Here's to another post like this in 2045!

Go to www.coopradio.org for more information and to check out special anniversary events.

New members!

VOBB

CHBB-FM, "the Voice of Bonne Bay" is in Norris Point, on the west coast of Newfoundland. 

CKVI-FM, "The Cave" is in Kingston, Ontario. It was the first licensed high school radio station in Canada, broadcasting since September 1997.

Welcome to both! For more information, click on the title of this post. 

The NCRA has two new members:

CHBB-FM, "the Voice of Bonne Bay" is in Norris Point, on the west coast of Newfoundland.

They just got licensed by the CRTC this past November but have had annual specialty broadcasts since 2007 for their local Trails, Tales and Tunes festival and the Community University Research for Recovery Alliance.

Number 66: CFBS-FM in Blanc Sablon, Quebec

The station, on the Lower North Shore, also reaches parts of Labrador. They’ve been
operating for 26 years and their daily schedule from 8am till 4pm is divided between the
three staff: Station Manager Melva Flynn is on mornings till 11. Then Odette Letemplier,
comes in till 1pm to play traditional Newfoundland music. And Patrick Bérubé is on till
4pm playing a mix of French Canadian music.
Their website has a for sale section where people in the area list everything from mobile
homes to hockey skates.