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Ontario provincial reforms make university radio funding even more crucial; CKCU’s drive starts Oct. 25

Ontario provincial reforms make university radio funding even more crucial; CKCU drive starts Oct. 25

It’s hard to imagine attending a university without having a campus radio station to tune into. But that’s exactly what students in Ontario will be facing after recent changes made by the provincial government.

With HipHopCanada’s head office based in Ottawa, we’ve listened to hours upon hours of great music courtesy of the local university campus radio stations. Two stations in particular have been instrumental in providing hip-hop content to its local viewers, with a large emphasis on Canadian content always at play. They are Carleton University-based CKCU 93.1 FM and University of Ottawa-based CHUO 89.1 FM.

Unfortunately, the recent reforms on the provincial level are threatening to prevent those stations from procuring the money needed to remain operational. The issue is impacting all colleges and universities across Ontario.

Basically, students attending post-secondary institutions now have the option to opt out of paying into services deemed not essential by the provincial government, which is actually the majority of services available to them. This change is making the radio stations rely much more on donations and funding drives.

“CHUO 89.1 FM bridges that gap and strengthens our city by bring people together.”

A press release by CHUO revealed that in recent years 80% of their funding has come from “a small levy that every student at the University of Ottawa paid into, along with a food bank, athletic programs, support for victims of sexual assault, and many others.” That funding can no longer be counted on.

CKCU has also issued statements acknowledging that the provincial changes “have put the future of the station at risk.”

So with that being said, CKCU and CHUO’s respective funding drives are more important than ever.

“There is no CKCU without you.”

CKCU’s drive runs from Oct. 25 to Nov. 17. You can donate online anytime (even now) to support CKCU to help them continue to be a strong voice in the community. The phone room opens Oct. 25 at 8 a.m. and will be ready to take your donations. At the time of this posting, the station has raised just over $1000 of their $250K target. Visit the official website for more information on how to donate.

We’re waiting on the exact dates of CHUO’s funding drive, but they’re also already accepting donations through their website, over the phone, via GoFundMe and on Patreon. Last year’s drive took place from Nov. 8 to Dec. 1.

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“Your support allows CHUO to continue exposing the region’s radio listeners to new music, working with meaningful causes in our city and giving a voice to cultural and community groups.”

Visit the official website for more information on how to donate.

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