CJLO to Campaign for Fee Levy Increase Again
Concordia’s Student-Run Radio Station Seeks to Grow
Having been declined at the March 2011 referendum, Concordia’s radio station CJLO will have another go for a fee levy increase during the Concordia Student Union by-election in November.
Voted “Station of the Year” in 2010 at the College Radio Awards given by the College Music Journal, CJLO is seeking to expand its reach by boosting their AM transmitter and by becoming less dependent on paid advertising.
“Last year, during the [CSU] Election, CJLO asked for a fee levy increase of 9 cents [per credit],” said Brian Joseph, CJLO’s Station Manager. “We had a huge team of volunteers who went out in droves to speak to as many students on both campuses as possible.”
Joseph said that they received a lot of positive feedback from the students they spoke to and that both slates endorsed them during the election.
Last year, former Chief Electoral Officer Oliver Cohen had requested that CJLO provide a brief for students to read at the polling station, which never materialized. According to Joseph, this might have contributed to the students’ refusal.
“I know that the voting station that I went to on Loyola Campus, the information was not available,” said Joseph. “Students who were volunteering for CJLO radio told us that the information wasn’t available.”
When CJLO heard the news last semester, they became concerned.
“All groups at Concordia University have a C at the beginning of their [acronym],” said Joseph. “When you are a student and you’re not informed about something and you just see ‘C-something’ and it’s asking for an increase and you don’t know why, then you’re more likely to say no.”
Joseph said that CJLO will be more visible this year and they are thinking of doing remote broadcasts so students can see their activity.
The Link originally reported that CJLO was working to improve their FM signal, when they in fact broadcast on an AM signal. The Link regrets the error.
