FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 30, 2025
Community Radio Shines with Coast-to-Coast Coverage on Election Night
OTTAWA, ON — The National Campus and Community Radio Association (NCRA/ANREC) is proud to announce the success of the #AltElxn 2025 national election night broadcast, which delivered six hours of live, alternative coverage from coast to coast on April 28, 2025. This unprecedented project brought together over 25 campus & community, stations and dozens of journalists and volunteers to amplify community voices during Canada’s federal election.
Supported by the Covering Canada: Election 2025 Fund, in partnership with the Public Policy Forum, Rideau Hall Foundation, and the Michener Awards Foundation, the initiative not only provided critical funding but empowered community-based media to offer diverse, inclusive, and locally grounded election journalism.
“From local debates to national panels, this program brought forward stories and analysis you simply couldn’t find anywhere else,” said Barry Rooke, Executive Director of the NCRA/ANREC and Executive Producer of the program. “It’s an example of how non-profit media can fill gaps in democratic coverage, particularly for underrepresented communities and issues.”
Throughout the evening, hosts, analysts, and local contributors explored topics ranging from voter access and Indigenous engagement to press freedom, electoral reform, and shifting regional dynamics. Over 30 contributors supported the production through journalism, hosting, technical coordination, and social media. A copy of the election night coverage, plus all content produced, is at altelxn.ca
The coverage featured real-time updates, expert interviews, and community voices that captured the pulse of the nation’s democratic process. The program was also a training ground for emerging journalists, providing hands-on experience in civic media production.
The NCRA/ANREC extends its deepest thanks to all participating stations, producers, reporters, and community partners, especially the funding partners at The Public Policy Forum, Rideau Hall Foundation, and the Michener Awards Foundation. Plans are already underway to continue this model for future elections across Canada.
Appendix A: Station Participation (East to West)
29 Participating Stations
NL: CHMR (St. John’s), CKVB (Corner Brook)
NS: CJQC (Liverpool)
NB: CHMR (Fredericton), CJPN (Fredericton), CKMA (Miramichi), CHMA (Sackville)
QC: CKUT (Montreal), CJLO (Montreal), CJAS (Saint-Augustin)
ON: CJMT (Toronto), Luvbay Radio (Toronto), CFRC (Kingston), CJLX (Belleville), CJPE (Prince Edward County), CFWN (Cobourg), CHUO (Ottawa), CKMS (Waterloo), CJAM (Windsor), CJBU (St. Catharines)
MB: CHEB (Winnipeg)
AB: CKXU (Lethbridge)
BC: CJLY (Nelson), CICK (Smithers), CFIS (Prince George), CHLY (Nanaimo), CFUZ (Penticton), CJSF (Burnaby), Radio Sidney (Sidney)
Appendix B: Election Night Team & Contributors
Executive Producers
Barry Rooke & Catherine Fisher
Producers
Baylie Adams & Kinza Zafar
East Canada Hosts
Mia Johnson
West Canada Hosts
Bill Collins
Peter Wainwright
Technical Coordinator
Anthony Sanna
Social Media Coordinator
Ken Zakreski
🎙️ Election Night On-Air Contributors
- Owen Thompson
- Amber Ranson
- Natalie Vilkoff
- Arbie Fru
- Jesse Wentzloff
- Ken Zakreski
- Daniel Nesvaderani
- Quenton Bradshaw
- Alan Gates
- Barry Rooke
- Stephenie Hendricks
- Kim Bater
🧠 Working Committee
- Barry Rooke
- Arbie Fru
- Taya Rtichsheva
- Bob Jonkman
- Mickey Akarasewi
- Rob Hailman
- Catherine Fisher
- Scotty Hertz
Appendix C: Pre-Election Coverage Contributors
The following stations provided pre-election stories, interviews, or features that were used during the election night broadcast, or contributed stories to the program:
| Episode | Station | Community | Pro | Ridings | Time | YouTube |
| Bonus #1 | CFUZ | Penticton | BC | Similkameen–South Okanagan–West Kootenay | 27:59:00 | https://youtu.be/qKDO_2ZYjrY |
| Bonus #2 | CHMR | Saint John’s | NL | St John’s ridings | 58:01:00 | https://youtu.be/LB8cTJrrNgw |
| Bonus #3 | CICK | Smithers | BC | Skeena–Bulkley Valley | 31:16:00 | https://youtu.be/ghdgy98eFZI |
| Bonus #4 | CJLO | Montreal | QC | Montreal ridings | 59:25:00 | https://youtu.be/EdQkr1EdoJM |
| Bonus #5 (FRENCH) | CJPN | Fredericton | NB | Fredericton ridings | 28:43:00 | https://youtu.be/2qec2VeFSHQ |
| Bonus #6 | CJAS | Saint Augustine | QC | Côte-Nord–Kawawachikamach–Nitassinan | 46:50:00 | https://youtu.be/NDbEQXxvEt0 |
| Bonus #7 | CJQC | Liverpool | NS | South Shore–St. Margarets | 28:23:00 | https://youtu.be/iRnlhR8amfs |
| Bonus #8 | CKUT | Montreal | QC | Montreal ridings | 30:16:00 | https://youtu.be/2VfPZQSkw3Q |
| Bonus #9 | CHSR | Fredericton | NB | Fredericton ridings | 27:28:00 | https://youtu.be/pCXP_7qCZGo |
| Bonus #10 (FRENCH) | CKMA | Miramichi | NB | Miramichi—Grand Lake | 28:20:00 | https://youtu.be/8AOdfRErb-g |
| Bonus #11 | CFRC | Kingston | ON | Kingston and the Islands | 17:28:00 | https://youtu.be/yd2cwevU54M |
| Bonus #12 | CHUO | Ottawa | ON | Ottawa ridings | 24:47:00 | https://youtu.be/ghdgy98eFZI |
| Bonus #13 | CHEB | Winnipeg | MB | Winnipeg ridings (includes Ukrainian language content) | 28:00:00 | https://youtu.be/h7B9z6qf85A |
These contributions included local riding interviews, community-focused news segments, regional candidate profiles, and features on voting access, youth engagement, and policy issues from underrepresented voices.
For media inquiries, interviews, or rebroadcasting permissions, please contact:
Barry Rooke
Executive Director, NCRA/ANREC
📧 barry@ncra.ca | 🌐 www.ncra.ca
About the NCRA/ANREC
The National Campus and Community Radio Association / l’Association nationale des radios étudiantes et communautaires (NCRA/ANREC) is a non-profit national organization working to support, represent, and advocate for campus, community, and Indigenous radio stations across Canada.
Founded in 1986, the NCRA/ANREC provides training, regulatory support, sector coordination, and public advocacy to a network of non-profit radio broadcasters who deliver diverse, locally relevant programming to their communities. The association is committed to amplifying marginalized voices, fostering media literacy, supporting volunteer-driven media, and promoting accessible, community-rooted journalism.
With over 120 member stations, the NCRA/ANREC champions the role of community media in strengthening democratic participation, cultural expression, and public dialogue, particularly in underserved and remote areas. Learn more at www.ncra.ca.
