CJSW-FM

Infobox Radio station
name = CJSW


city = Calgary, Alberta
area =
branding =
slogan =
airdate = 1955-10-17 campus only 1985-01-15 FM
frequency = 90.9 MHz
format = Campus and community radio
power = 4000 watts
erp =
class =
callsign_meaning =
former_callsigns =
owner = University of Calgary Student Radio Society
sister_stations =
webcast =
website = [http://www.cjsw.com/ www.cjsw.com]
affiliations =

CJSW is a Canadian radio station, broadcasting at 90.9 FM, from the University of Calgary, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. CJSW is a member of the National Campus and Community Radio Association [http://www.ncra.ca/business/stations.cfm] .

History

The campus station has a long and colourful history, first going to air before the University of Calgary was officially formed.

1955–1966

On 1955-10-17 the Calgary branch of the University of Alberta ran a 15 minute program, "Varsity Vista", on CFAC radio. The show, directed by student Bruce Northam, aimed to give the community an inside view of campus life. The show would eventually grow into programs such as "Meet the Professors", and "Hit Tunes DJ Series" along with drama club presentations of radio plays such as "Sorry Wrong Number".

With the new campus opening in 1960, the University of Alberta in Calgary radio club (UACR), headed by Doug MacDonald, built a radio studio in the small basement of the arts and administration building. Using home-built and donated equipment they produced shows such as "Varsity 62" and "A Dimes Worth" for broadcast on other stations. On-campus broadcasts began with a closed circuit PA system built under the direction of engineering student Wayne Harvey. Classical and easy listening music was piped into student lounges and common areas while the station itself became a popular gathering place, hosting several concerts.

In February 1963, UACR hosted the Western Association of Broadcasters convention. This era saw the beginning of the careers of several broadcasters such as CBC’s Bill Paul ("Marketplace") and Colin McLeod who started "As It Happens".

1966–1973

When MacEwan Hall was built in 1967, the radio club negotiated space and financing from the student union to build a state of the art studio in the basement. The newly formed University of Calgary Radio (UCR) broadcasted a varied selection of music and notable interviews at 1580 AM.

A cable radio broadcast began in 1972 on 101.5 FM as part of a government project. Employing ten students the station ran 24 hours per day under the name Calgary Student Radio (CSR). The project coordinator at the time Mark Sikstrom, who now does CTV news in Edmonton, called the station’s format "Progressive Middle of the Road," which would eventually become the FM commercial radio standard. Calgary's first female music disc jockey, Deborah Lamb worked the 4 to 8 p.m. slot in the summer of 1973. She would eventually go off to CBC Radio and then join "Venture".

1973–1980

In an attempt to alleviate financial difficulties the station applied to the CRTC for a commercial FM license with the call letters CJSW. This was denied in 1974 because the commission felt campus stations should not be commercial ventures. With the campus station being questioned as a viable expenditure by the Student's Council, then Station Manager Keith Roman had phone lines installed in McMahon Stadium and the campus hockey rink in order to broadcast Calgary Dinos sports - giving the station credibility on campus.

Throughout the late 70’s the station held a varied format with Punk played alongside Jazz, blues, and reggae. But after years of conflict with the Students' Union over programming policy and budget, the SU voted to shut the station down. Allen Baekeland, the station manager at the time, was tipped off and slept in the office and locked himself in the booth, much to the dismay of campus officials and the locksmiths sent to the station. That morning he got up and turned on the station as usual, making a point to turn the roof speakers atop MacEwan Hall to on full while he blared the Pete Seeger song "We Shall Overcome." After two days of peaceful protest with community and media support, the new SU executive re-examined the station and eventually increased the station’s budget.

1980–Present

After the station reopened, the process of a new CRTC application was put into the works and the station forged a course for financial independence from the student union. A levy of $2 per full-time student was started in December of 1982. After several failed attempts to gain an FM broadcasting license, CJSW became Calgary's 13th FM station on 1985-01-15, broadcasting the Talking Heads song "Once In A Lifetime". However, differing reports indicate that the station had turned on their FM transmitter the week prior and one of the first songs was a jazz track. "Once In A Lifetime", however, was the first official song.

The new independent station earns its capital expenditures budget through a funding drive held every October. Raising $15,000 in its first run in 1985 and $21,000 the following year, the totals have steadily increased since then. Since 2001, funding drive pledge totals have been consistently above $150,000. In 2006, the station reached and surpassed its goal of $200,000.

In 2003 the CRTC agreed to allow the station to move its broadcast from the SAIT tower at 1,900 watts to a CBC tower at 4,000 watts. Where once those in south Calgary had difficulty receiving the station now the market includes coverage of Okotoks, Airdrie and Cochrane.

The station is currently run by a small paid staff of four and well over 200 campus and community volunteers. Besides the traditional FM broadcast, the station can be heard on 106.9 cable FM, streamed with Ogg Vorbis and specific shows are available for podcast download.

"VOX"

In September 1983 the station printed and distributed the first issue of "VOX" magazine, a weekly publication containing a program guide and features on local and independent bands. Former "VOX" editor Bill Reynolds later went on to publish "eye weekly" in Toronto. "VOX" would eventually become Calgary’s longest running arts and entertainment magazine until its final printing in 1998, when it was purchased by the now defunct "Calgary Straight" magazine.

There have been two special editions published. One was to celebrate the 20th anniversary on the FM dial and more recently, "VOX" was published for the 2005 funding drive to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the station.

Trivia

The rooftop speakers that were installed in 1967 were removed in 1985 when the lyrics by the group Romeo Void proved too offensive for those in the third floor Chaplain's office.

External links

* [http://www.cjsw.com/ CJSW]
* [http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/2003/db2003-89.htm CRTC Approval for transmitter change]
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