FFWD Weekly
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News by FFWD Staff When CJSW 90.9 FM tallied the final pledges from its annual funding drive, which wrapped up October 27, the University of Calgary’s campus/community radio station exceeded its goal of $100,000 by raising a total of $151,625 in dontions – more than $15,000 over last year’s total of $135,000. "We are overwhelmed and overjoyed," says program director Alex Di Ninno. "Listener support was fantastic." All of the money raised by the funding drive goes towards the station’s capital expenditures budget, which provides them with the ability to purchase new equipment and to plan for the future. The funding drive’s goal has been set at $100,000 for three years in a row, and now that the station has surpassed it again, Di Ninno was asked if it will be raised. "We may raise it modestly," she says, "but we don’t want to be presumptuous." Di Ninno says CJSW – run by three staff members and over 200 volunteers – is an important radio alternative in Calgary, broadcasting a mix of music, arts, spoken word, multicultural and political programming. It became Calgary's 13th FM station on January 15, 1985. Live events and donations from loyal listeners make this year’s fund-raising total the most raised by any campus station in Canada. Di Ninno believes this is a great indication that Calgarians appreciate an independent alternative to mainstream radio. "We owe a lot of thanks to the Calgary community." To encourage donations, CJSW offers incentives such as "Friends" cards for discounts at local businesses, T-shirts, tuques, baseball caps and bucket hats. This year, there were also a record eight events held at various venues around the city. "We had a lot more live events this year than any other year," adds Di Ninno. An ongoing topic during the on-air funding drive was the fact that CJSW must find a new location for its transmitter by January 31, 2001, when it will lose its current site on the SAIT campus. This money raised will help the station either upgrade the former transmitter or buy a new one. Di Ninno says CJSW may have to go on a standby transmitter while waiting for a licence for the new one. She adds that the transition would be more costly, but worthwhile in the end.

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