tranquileye free media papers

As essay by Tim McLaughlin on the 1990s campus radio crisis.

In April 1992, a referendum was held to decide if Ryerson's CKLN should continue to receive student funding. The referendum was the result of a petition signed by 131 students "who complained that most of Ryerson's 12,000 students don't listen to the music" (Globe and Mail, 31 March 1992). The petition was started by engineering student Bruce Avery who claimed that "They (CKLN) use our money to play stuff that a very select number of students listen to, like calypso and ska. Not a lot of students are into that" [Eyeopener, 20 Mar 91]. CKLN, however, sees the referendum as a reaction to its programming policies: "This situation facing CKLN is only one instance of the conservative backlash against progressively student-supported groups on campuses across Canada, and the backlash against all progressive communications both nationally and globally" [CKLN Program Guide, Jul-Sep 91.] On Dec. 19th, CBC's Prime Time correspondent Sue Gardner, listed stations that were feeling pressure similar to CKLN; among them were CJSR (Edmonton), CJAM (Windsor), and CHSR (Fredericton). CHRW (London) may also be added to this list. Mario Circelli, station manager for CHRW, comments:

If we start walking the path of CKLN in Toronto, we're dead. CKLN is almost dead. The students at CKLN are going to put out a referendum; they don't want their money going there any more. Advertisers don't want to advertise on that radio station any more. How do they expect to pay their bills? How do they expect to have equipment? [Personal communication.]

Alternative stations across Canada are under pressure to justify their position in the mediascape. In response to this pressure many have changed their program content and mode of operation. These changes are significant enough to mark a break from what has been formerly understood as alternative radio. This shift is best understood in relation to four primary models for radio broadcast.