By: Andrea Renney, Arts Editor
Tucked away in the Rotunda, where the sound of local music can be heard faintly over speakers installed outside its doors, CJSF Radio (90.1 FM) has been serving SFU in various formats since 1974. The station offers a diverse list of programs, hosted by your fellow SFU students and other members of our community. CJSF aims to “provide points of view that are rarely expressed in mainstream media,” and they endeavor to be a platform for music that is underrepresented on commercial radio stations.
For the second year in a row, the station is running its Fundrive on-air during October 4–11. What’s a Fundrive, you may ask? “[A] fundrive is an on-air fundraising campaign that is fashioned like a telethon, but for radio — so it’s a radiothon,” explains CJSF Programming Coordinator Robin Erikkson via email to The Peak. This year’s fundraising goal is $12,000.
During the Fundrive, CJSF DJs create special themed programming for their regular shows.
“Programmers make appeals to our listeners for financial support, and our listeners call in to make a pledge or donate online,” Erikkson explains.
She says a lot of their programmers will produce a “best of the best” type show for the Fundrive, while others will create something “a little more novel for the occasion.” This year’s Fundrive theme is space, so we can likely expect some diverse interpretations of what that means to each DJ.
CJSF’s budget comes primarily from a portion of the activity fee that all SFU students pay along with their tuition each semester. However, Erikkson explains that the rising costs of doing business mean this amount doesn’t stretch quite far enough to cover the station’s daily operational expenses. This is where the Fundrive comes in.
“Last year’s Fundrive increased our budget by 4%, and this year our goal [of $12,000] will increase our budget by 5%,” says Erikkson. In addition to helping offset operational costs, Erikkson says a portion of the Fundrive funds will also be set aside for the station’s pending relocation on campus due to space issues.
Last year’s Fundrive also allowed CJSF to embark on a unique new project: their Studio 6 live sessions, which are live musical performances recorded at the station’s satellite studio in the 312 Main shared co-working space. Some of the 2018 Fundrive funds were used to outfit the space, and Erikkson says that a portion of the 2019 funds will be used to maintain the project.
So what’s the best way for SFU students to support CJSF? Get involved with the station!
“CJSF depends on member participation and people power,” says Erikkson. There are many ways students can volunteer with CJSF: hosting a radio show is the obvious choice, but the station also has opportunities in its music reviewing, public relations, writing, and production departments.
Another simple way to spread the word about the station involves carsharing services such as car2go, Evo, and Modo. After rocking out to their favorite CJSF show, students can leave the car tuned to 90.1 FM for the next driver to enjoy.
Keep your dial tuned to 90.1 FM October 4–11 for special Fundrive programming. You can help CJSF reach their $12,000 goal by calling in to the station at (778) 782-CJSF each day during the Fundrive, or by donating online at cjsf.ca/donate.
