Campus radio may return to U of M
First steps to resurrection of CJUM FM underway

Gord Reid, Toban Staff

Steps are now underway to revive the U of M's radio station, CJUM FM, which operated out of University Centre's third floor between 1975 and 1980.

The Students' Union has been informally approached by a party interested in starting up a new campus radio station, funded partially through the students' union and mainly through advertising and donations.

CJUM FM grew from the closed-circuit radio broadcasts that permeated the university's cafeteria, then later to lounges and hallways, from the early 1950s on. The station received its license as a non-commercial, non-profit radio station in the fall of 1975 along with CJCU FM at Carleton University in Ottawa.

Financial problems led to UMSU business manager Mike Crutch's February 1979 decision to take control of CJUM. The station had accumulated a deficit of over $100,000 in four years and was unable to meet its payroll obligations. UMSU then shut down the station that summer and liquidated any assets it could.

A referendum was held in 1986 in order to try to revive CJUM. The vote, held over two days in late October of that year, resulted in only 45 per cent of the voting students agreeing to the proposed $11 hike in student fees.

CRTC regulations have also changed to accommodate campus radio's needs. Now, over 30 campus stations, including CJCU FM, thrive across Canada.

"The U of M is one of the only universities without a campus radio station," stated Students' Union president David Gratzer.

To begin the process of reviving the station, a referendum must be called and won with a two-thirds majority. If won, the CRTC has to re-license the station -- a process which may take upwards of two years.

With a new campus pub and several thriving campus businesses, selling advertising space to fund the continuing operation of a radio station would not be difficult. However, the major cost lies in the acquisition of a transmitter, studio equipment and music.

"The biggest problem will be cost," noted Gratzer, "but wee will look into fundraising." Gratzer added that once a proposal was finalized, various organizations would be approached for financial aid.

This article first ran in The Manitoban, Vol. 83, No. 10 (October 18, 1995). I consider this to be my first authentic news story. Authentic in the manner that it reads like a reasonably hand-drawn facsimile of a news story. This was also the first story that ran where I had "Toban Staff" added to my by-line, awarded after three published articles.

I had to do a bit of research for this article, which led to my first few quotes from UMSU president David Gratzer. David turned out to be a near-limitless source for well-worded (although sometimes ponderously formed, as David did not want to sound awkward) sound-bites on nearly every matter of importance in university governance. Trust me, you'll see more of him on these pages. David completed medical school a few years ago, and is now an award-winning author and pundit. Visit his site for details.

Some three years after writing this article, I was hosting my own show on CJUM, now known as 101.5 UMFM.