University of Waterloo votes “no” to radio station

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After losing their student fee in 2008, the University of Waterlooโ€™s (UW) radio station, CKMS Sound FM, lost another referendum to regain funding.

โ€œWe thought we had a good shot with it,โ€ said Steve Krysak, president of Sound FM.
The referendum on Nov. 13, asked students to add a $2.50 per semester fee to their tuition to support the station, much lower than the $5.50 per semester fee that existed prior to Sept. 2008.

With a total voter turnout representing nearly 18 per cent of the student body at this referendum, 2,005 students voted in favour of the station fee while 2,460 voted against it.

โ€œOriginally when they lost their fee, a big complaint of the students was that there was way too much community involvement and not enough student involvement,โ€ said Sarah Cook, vice-president internal of the Federation of Students.

Since funding from the student fees made up for approximately 90 per cent of the stationโ€™s operating budget, concerns were voiced about its financial management and student representation.

After losing the first referendum in Feb. 2008, CKMS underwent a process of reform to rebrand the station.

Krysak expressed that they have implemented more student involvement in the new structure.
โ€œWeโ€™ve simplified out management and become more transparent,โ€ he said.

Cook noted that there was a good deal of support from the student body in favour of independent media.

However, the sense of disconnectedness between the students and radio station remained an issue. โ€œThey didnโ€™t personally listen to the radio station so they didnโ€™t personally want to contribute $2.50,โ€ said Cook.

Sound FM has continued to air despite a lack of funding in between the two referendums.
โ€œIt was kind of a shoe-string budget we were going by because we didnโ€™t have anything sustainable coming through,โ€ said Krysak.

The organization will not be able to continue broadcasting without some means of funding. Currently Dec. 4 has been declared as the tentative final airing date if an alternative source is not found.

โ€œIn the next couple of days weโ€™ll be seeing some concrete plans,โ€ said Krysak.
Krysak remains optimistic in finding a solution for the station, noting a strong base of community support as well as interest from student groups.

โ€œTheyโ€™re determined to stay alive,โ€ said Cook.


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