This June, CKDU 88.1FM will host the 30th annual National Campus and Community Radio Conference in Halifax. Community radio practitioners from across Canada will come together to exchange ideas on radio and grassroots media. Workshops will cover production skills, media training, social and cultural issues awareness, technical radio know-how, community outreach and organization, and a variety of topics of value to Canada’s community radio workers and volunteers.

Click on the title of this post for more information and to download the registration form.

More details on the NCRC website: http://ncrc.ckdu.ca/

CKLN-FM has been granted a stay of the recent CRTC decision to revoke their license.

The campus/community station based at Ryerson University in downtown Toronto was originally ordered to stop broadcasting February 12th, but the stay of the decision will allow them to be on-air until the Federal Court of Appeal considers their request for leave to appeal the CRTC’s decision under Canada’s Broadcasting Act.

"We're thrilled CKLN will continue its diverse mix of local volunteer-produced programming while showing that they are responsible broadcasters," said NCRA/ANREC executive director Shelley Robinson. "They had problems but worked hard to get back on track and we believe they belong on-air."

Joeita Gupta is the station's staff representative and one of the hosts of the show Frequency Feminisms. “CKLN’s history, role and mandate are crucial to this city’s non-mainstream artists, journalists and to several different communities,“ she said.

The NCRA/ANREC agreed with CRTC Commissioner Louise Poirier's dissent to this decision when she stated that it was "premature, disproportionate and inequitable".

To help CKLN in the coming days go to the stations' website at www.ckln.fm for details about writing the CRTC and your MP and sign the online petition here: www.petitiononline.com/ckln881

The NCRA/ANREC is shocked by today's decision by the CRTC to revoke CKLN's licence, as the Commission could have taken other reasonable steps to ensure regulatory compliance while allowing CKLN to continue serving the community.

The NCRA/ANREC agrees with CRTC Commissioner Poirier's dissent to this decision when she states that it was "premature, disproportionate and inequitable". Poirier also states that as far as she can tell "the Commission has never revoked a license without first issuing a mandatory order or reducing the license term."

"This is a huge loss not just for the city of Toronto, but also for community media across the country," said NCRA executive director Shelley Robinson.

"We need places where people can speak for themselves, to their own communities. This is as important in big cities with crowded spectrum as it is in small towns with no other local radio."

The full decision is here: http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2011/2011-56.htm

For more information click on the title of this post.

Welcome to CFTH 97.7 FM in Harrington Harbour, Quebec!

This island station was first incorporated in 1985, but it took another six years of hard work and fundraising by local volunteers for CFTH to officially start broadcasting on January 21st, 1991. They now reach six communities (five English and one French) and approximately 1000-1500 people. In summer the station is only accessible by boat and in the winter, snowmobile.

The station is run by three staff, Station Manager Kate Nadeau, Program Director Nancy Bobbitt and On-air Host Lois Jones. In the summer, they broadcast live every weekday 7am-3:30pm. (Fall and Winter they start an hour later.)

Probably the most popular show is "Harbourside" which airs every weekday from the open of broadcasting till noon. Hosted by Nancy Bobbitt it features local news, trivia, contests and music requests.

For more information, click on the title of this post.