Concordia Journal Home > Archives > September 27, 2007 issue >

CJLO ready to take to the airways 

By Sarah Ryeland

Surfing your radio’s AM dial has suddenly become more appealing. Concordia’s campus/community radio station, CJLO, is preparing to take to the airwaves this fall – something it has been anticipating for the past five years.

The process began in 2002, with CJLO submitting an application to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunica-tions Commission (CRTC) in an effort to broadcast programs on-air. The application was put on hold by the CRTC, but Concordia’s station persevered and re-submitted the document in 2005. Approval came the following year, and CJLO began organizing their debut on Montreal’s airwaves.

Although there is no fixed date for the first broadcast, Station Manager Chris Quinnell assures listeners that it will happen this fall. CJLO has bought a plot of land in Lachine where the antenna is scheduled to go up, and according to Quinnell, ‘It takes about three weeks for the cement foundation to cure. Once that has happened, the antenna goes up and we’re in business.’ The CRTC has given the go-ahead to begin broadcasting as soon as the antenna is functioning. Once the cement has been poured, CJLO will begin promoting the big launch party and prepare for its maiden voyage on the AM dial.

CJLO currently broadcasts over the internet and has been technically prepared to go on-air for years, so right now the focus is on promoting the station. Music charts will be posted in various local publications, with students in the Hall Building seeing CJLO news teams and reporters conducting interviews.

The launch party will reflect the Indie Rock spirit of CJLO. With a campus/community classification the station will stay away from Top 40 hits, promoting local artists instead. Programming reflects different genres, from Hip Hop to Punk, Metal to Blues, but the overall tone of the station is Rock, with talk making up about 20% of programming.

The journey up to this point has had its share of snags, but to Quinnell, it has all been worth it. Soon, CJLO will be broadcasting its more than 60 shows to listeners all over the city of Montreal, representing Concordia and the 100 volunteers that make up the station.

CJLO is always looking for more volunteers and show suggestions. Visit www.cjlo.com/ for more details.