Not Your Grandma’s Radio Station

Guest post by Jess Harvey

Radio is not dead, quite the contrary. The University of Victoria’s very own radio station, CFUV (101.9 FM), is breathing life into campus and community members alike who hold passion for local music and alternative broadcasting. Producing original programming every day from 6 a.m. to midnight, CFUV is a station that provides an evolving platform for those whose voices otherwise may not be heard.

The main objective of the station is to give the university and the Greater Victoria community access to the world of broadcast radio. One of Johnnie Regalado’s personal objectives in his first year as station manager is to make an impact on Greater Victoria’s arts and music community.

“We have such a diverse group of volunteers,” says Regalado. “It will be a second or third-year undergrad student whose radio show is right beside somebody who was here since the first day the radio station turned on in 1984 and they become pals and share music. […] It’s the community building [that matters].”

CFUV is a three-party partnership between UVic administration, students, and the community at large. All play a role in keeping the station going. Half of all volunteers are community members and the other half students. This union has made the station a great asset for the relationship between UVic and Greater Victoria.

One of the main purposes of the radio station is to give students and community members an opportunity to develop and use their creative talents on the air. I caught up with student DJ Siobhan Clancy to understand just how important the radio station is to both listeners and volunteers like her who help run the station.

“I feel as though I have been able to make a difference through the station,” said Clancy, who started off volunteering around the station before getting her own radio show this fall. “I have been able to volunteer all around Victoria and see how much of an impact our connection with the community has. […] I am a huge advocate for providing alternative Canadian musicians a platform to have their music heard.” She ends by stating, “The opportunity to be a volunteer DJ has helped me figure out what I want to do in the future.”

The station has been a solid foundation of community radio for listeners across Vancouver Island for many years. 101.9 FM relies on your donations to continue providing the university campus and community at large with a fresh and alternative form of radio broadcasting.

You can stop looking for radio in the obituaries. It’s alive and thriving at CFUV.