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Right in the heart of North Campus, in the basement of SUB, lives CJSR, the campus-based radio station that has been around and broadcasting on 88.5 AM since 1984. When I walked in, the little office was like nothing I was expecting, with rooms and hallways stacked from floor to ceiling with shelves of old CDs and vinyls and old fan-made jackets on display serving as relics of the past. This place seems to exist as a time capsule. I interviewed Matthew Gooding, who works at CJSR as a music librarian, and Chad Brunet, the program director and volunteer coordinator. He reviews music submissions to add to their ever-growing library, including everything from local submissions and playlists that exist in their digital libraries. Their office includes two studios, an on-air booth (which actually originally used to be an old bank vault) and a massive collection of old records.
CJSR originally got its start as CKUA. Does that name sound familiar? Well, that’s because it still exists now off campus as a “provincially run entity,” though it started on campus in 1927, hence the UA in their name. It’s also one of the oldest radio stations in Canada!
Once CKUA left campus, “the people who were left here were just radio enthusiasts— nerds who wanted to start their own little radio club. So for decades on campus, there were, like, radio clubs and radio societies,” Chad says.
These little clubs were only able to broadcast in SUB through hard-wired, direct-line speakers, which you could access in student lounges. “It was like a direct line radio station.” In the 70s, the name was changed to CKSR, and then eventually CJSR (and fun fact: you can find a lot of their old stuff under the name CKSR). In 1984, CJSR officially became an FM radio station. Their motto remains “to enlighten and entertain our audience through high quality and diverse programming that constantly challenges the status quo.”
“I think if you look back at the history of the last forty years at least, the DJs will change, the music will change, but the core idea will be the same. We’re trying to be something different that appeals to the people that may be tired of the rest of the radio dials. We’re not playing top 40 music, we’re playing everything else,” Chad says.
So what is CJSR all about? It’s a student volunteer-based charity organization with a governing board that has representation from the SU and the Graduate Students’ Association. They broadcast 24/7 and have about 60 shows on the schedule currently, but they have plenty of room for openings. “There’s room for 30 more hours for anyone who is interested in volunteering,” Matthew says. Most of the shows are music shows but also include podcasts of all sorts. “It's people who are just really interested in music in general, so they find different stuff that you don’t hear on the radio, independent releases and things like that.” They also get many submissions from independent labels and try to highlight and focus on smaller Canadian acts.
They also have a FunDrive every year at the end of October, which goes on for about a week and a half. Here, they have some of their DJs promote the station, really focusing on the value they give to the community and the university and what they do for local music. They’re also involved with a program called Friends of CJSR, which are partnerships with local businesses. Each year, if you donate $30 or more during the FunDrive, you get a discount card for these local businesses. Keep an eye out for it next October!
If this all sounds right up your alley, there are plenty of ways to get involved. Anyone can come in and volunteer and host shows or contribute to one of the news programs; it’s all based on your personal interest! They also offer training for on-air hosting in their fancy booths, so you need not worry if you’re walking in with an idea and no experience – the folks at CJSR have got your back! They also offer news and journalism training, which is a great experience for you aspiring journalists out there! They already have over 200 volunteers who come in and host unique shows, including metal shows like The Heavy Metal Lunch Box which airs every Friday at 12 to 2 p.m. and Nasze Radio Canada, a Polish language show for Polish Canadians, airing every Sunday at 6 to 8 p.m.. If you’re looking for something a little more permanent, they have paid positions on Canada Summer Jobs and opportunities to do student internships.
They’re always looking for new hosts, and on March 8 and 9, you will be able to find them at the Edmonton Craft Beer Festival happening at the EXPO centre. Check them out there, or for more information, you can check out the CJSR website or feel free to visit them in the SUB basement!
Take your own tour of the CJSR studio in the basement of SUB this Saturday, March 2 for an Open House. Enjoy free coffee, snacks, button making and witness the magic of live radio in person! Ask the CJSR team how you can get involved, and be entered to win some sweet radio station swag!