One of the reasons I’ve been hanging out more in the physical world is that I was working on the submission of the Community Radio Fund of Canada (CRFC) to the CRTC Policy Review for our sector. One month and 22 pages later, here we are. And more than 100 stations, organizations, private broadcasters, governement agencies, and individuals submitted their thoughts as well. More information in the CRFC posting below.

CRFC Participates in Review of Campus and Community Radio
Friday, 16 October 2009

In July 2009, the CRTC launched a review of its Campus and Community Radio Policies. The CRFC filed its comments today outlining the funding reality of the sector and some possible solutions to help lessen its financial stresses. The CRFC is recommending a funding model for both the campus and community radio stations and the CRFC that includes funding from the federal government as well as Canada’s private broadcasters and distributors.

You can read the CRFC’s comments here as well as view other comments submitted here.

The CRTC hearing for this process will begin on January 18, 2010.

GroundWire is a twice-monthly dose of grassroots, independent journalism from the campus-community radio sector of Canada. It is a project of the National Campus and Community Radio Association (NCRA). This edition of GroundWire was supported by a grant from the Community Radio Fund of Canada and produced by volunteers in the studios of CJLY in Nelson, BC. Visit the GroundWire website or download it through the NCRA’s Program Exchange.

The HEADLINES:

• Omme Salma Rahemtullah (CHRY Toronto) speaks with Stephen Moses, a striking employee and the Bargaining Unit Chairperson of Canadian Auto Workers 1000, about the Zellers/HBC strike in Scarborough, Ontario
• Catherine Fisher (CJLY Nelson) talks with Alexis Allen, President of the Nova Scotia Teachers Union about the September 22 strike vote by Nova Scotia Community College employees.

This edition includes two STATION REPORTS:

• Vivian Park (CJSF Burnaby) asks NCRA Vice President External Stephanie Kepman a few questions about the CRTC’s upcoming Campus and Community Radio Policy Review.
• The 2010 National Campus and Community Radio Conference will be held on Gabriola Island, BC. Kelly Price (CKGI Gabriola) chats with Gabriola Radio Society Board Member Kathy Ramsay about how the conference is shaping up. She also speaks with GRS Board President Ken Zakreski about Rogers Media’s application to the CRTC for the last available frequency in the region.

The FEATURES:

• The Vanrad Collective talk with Paulina Walton, who, along with other residents of the Golden Crown Hotel, has recently been served an eviction notice. Kim Kerr, executive director of the  Downtown Eastside Residents Association suggests this eviction has much to do with the upcoming 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver.
• Amber Hieb (CHLY Nanaimo) speaks with Paul Manly, a Nanaimo-based independent filmmaker about the SPP, and North American integration. Manly’s new film is ‘You, Me and The Spp: Trading Democracy for Corporate Rule’.

The MUSIC:

• The September 25th Edition of GroundWire features music by Kathleen Yearwood, The Sinuses, Rabnett 5, and Tamara.

This edition of GroundWire (September 1-14) is a Special Labour Day Edition, bringing you a series of features on workers’ rights in Canada. Visit groundwire.ncra.ca or download it through the NCRA’s Program Exchange.

GroundWire is a twice-monthly dose of grassroots, independent journalism from the campus-community radio sector of Canada. It is a project of the National Campus and Community Radio Association. This edition of GroundWire was supported by a grant from the Community Radio Fund of Canada and hosted by Gianna Lauren at CKDU in Halifax.

Headlines:

• Environmentalists oppose Hanlan Creek development as it threatens Guelph’s old growth forest and protected species: Libby Drew (CFRC Kingston)
• Camp Out discusses LBGTQ Activism in the Maritimes: David Parker (CKDU Halifax)

In Campus and Community Radio Station News:

• Bill C-61 Update: As parliament resumes, consider writing your MP on the Digital Copyright fight: Charlotte Bourne (CJSF Burnaby)

Labour-Focused Features for Labour Day:

• Labour History takes Comic Form: Megan Turcato (CJSF Burnaby)
• CUPW supports union drive for Dynamax Couriers: Aaron Chubb and Alex Calderaro (CJSR Edmonton)
• Drop Fees campaign has anti-poverty message for student workers: Candace Mooers (CHRY Toronto)
• Conservatives’ expansion of Canada’s Temporary Worker Program means restrictions for refugees and fewer rights for racialized workers: Omme Rahemtullah (CHRY Toronto)
• “Scrap the Live in Caregiver Program” Voices of the Filipino Community in Canada: Produced by Candace Mooers and Ashkon Hobooti (CHRY Toronto)

The August 14, 2009 Edition of GroundWire is available for listening online! Visit groundwire.ncra.ca.

GroundWire is a twice-monthly dose of grassroots, independent journalism from the campus-community radio sector of Canada. It is a project of the National Campus and Community Radio Association. This edition of GroundWire was supported by a grant from the Community Radio Fund of Canada and produced by CJSR in Edmonton.

In this week’s Edition of GroundWire, hosts Steve and Zoe from CJSR in Edmonton deliver community radio news, with contributions from campus-community stations and volunteers across Canada.

Headlines include:

• One-year commemoration of Fredy Villeneuva’s death at the hands of Montreal police| Aaron Lakoff CKUT
• The case against Carleton Professor Hassan Diab| Omme Rahemtullah CHRY
• International action against performing artists in Israel|Tariq Jeeroburkhan CKUT

Features:

• IWW organizing against Starbucks in Quebec| Aaron Chubb CJSR
• the case against Palestinian activist Mohammad Khatib| Chris Albinati CKUT
• Legal aid for sex workers in Alberta| CJSR

Produced by Sam Power and the CJSR newsteam.

The July 31-August 13 2009 Edition of GroundWire is available for listening online! Visit groundwire.ncra.ca.

GroundWire is a twice-monthly dose of grassroots, independent journalism from the campus-community radio sector of Canada. It is a project of the National Campus and Community Radio Association. This is edition of GroundWire was supported by a grant from the Community Radio Fund of Canada.

Would you like to be added to the GroundWire mailing list? You will receive one email per month when the new edition of GroundWire is released. You can sign up online at groundwire.ncra.ca in the right hand column, or send an email to groundwireprod[at]gmail.com.

*Presenting the July 31-August 13, 2009 Headlines*

• Winnipeg worried over Privatized Water| Michael Elves UMFM
• Defining Sexual Assault in Winnipeg| Michael Elves UMFM

*Presenting the July 31-August 13, 2009 Features:*

• Mohammad Mahjoub’s Hunger Strike at Kingston Penitentiary | Usman Mushtaak CFRC
• Olympic Update: Charter Battles for Women’s Ski Jumpers | Sam Krevia CJSR
• Simon Fraser University Funding Mircomanaged by Government| Nina Halliday-Thompson CJSF

The July 31-August 13, 2009 edition of GroundWire was produced by UMFM in Winnipeg.

GroundWire is a twice-monthly dose of grassroots independent journalism from the campus community radio sector of Canada and is a project of the National Campus and Community Radio Association. This is the second bi-weekly edition of GroundWire, thanks to a grant from the Community Radio Fund of Canada (on a personal note, woohoo!).

The June 27, 2009 edition of GroundWire was produced by CHRY 105.5 FM in Toronto. Listen online

Presenting the June 27, 2009 Headlines: With Narration from the Women’s News Collective at CHRY 105.5 FM

• Abousfian Abdelrazik Returns to Canada | David Koch (CKUT)
• Adil Charkaoui’s Cross Canada Tour | David Parker (CKDU)
• CSIS Security Certificate Update and the Case of Mohamed Harkat | Tariq Jeeroburkhan (CKUT)
• Toronto City Workers’ Strike | Candace Mooers (CHRY)
• Ontario Labour Actions Increase | Omme Rahemtullah (CHRY)
• Canadian Companies Sued by Palestinian Community of Bil’in | Libby Drew (CHSR) and Chris Albinati (CKUT)

Presenting the June 27, 2009 Features:

• The National Community Radio Conference in Montreal: A Year in Community Radio. CHRY’s Jacky Tuinstra Harrison talks with volunteers, speakers and organizers about the future of community radio in Canada and the spirit of volunteerism at this year’s annual conference.
• On Friday, June 19th, the National Association of Friendship Centres hosted a forum on Urban First Nations issues in Ottawa, with three candidates for the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations: Shawn Atleo, John Beaucage and Perry Bellegarde. Lisa Abel CHUO
• With threats to form a Caledonia militia aimed against Aboriginal activists, Jesse Zimmerman of CHRY brings us voices from a counter-protest, re-asserting territorial rights for six nations indigenous peoples.

I’ve been maintaining a list of these kinds of shows that are aired on campus and community radio stations for a while now. I recently re-designed the listings, which can now be found at  http://sites.google.com/site/rootsradiolist/.