Members of the University of Windsor's campus radio station are making a last-ditch effort to save it.
CJAM, founded in 1977, is a not-for-profit station governed by the Student Media and University of Windsor Corporation that broadcasts to Windsor and Detroit on 99.1 FM.
Things had been running smoothly for the station until January 2019, when the Ontario Government announced the Student Choice Initiative, a change in the post-secondary school system that allows students to opt-out of any ancillary fees deemed non-essential, which included campus media.
According to Station Manager Brady Holek, anywhere from 40 to 70 per cent of the station's annual operating budget is dependant on these fees. Money that the station gets goes to day-to-day operations including paying bills and staff salary. Since the announcement, CJAM has made several internal cuts to make up for the losses, including eliminating the paid music director position, resulting in about $20,000 in savings.
Holek said the cuts were completely unexpected and right now the big issue is uncertainty.
"We generally get about $55,000 per semester, so it does end up being about $110,000 a year," he explained. "Depending on how many students opt out, and that's kind of where the major trouble lies, is we have no idea how many students will opt out."
According to Holek, the team sent a petition to the Provincial Government with thousands of signatures, requesting that fees for their operations be deemed essential. However, Holek said they wouldn't budge. Now the station is planning an emergency 'Save CJAM' campaign from May 31 to June 7 where people can offer up donations online, in person or by telephone to help the station stay functional as they try to figure out other sources of revenue.
"I don't want to set a full goal because I think at this point we're just happy to get whatever people are ready to donate but we are hoping to get at least 20,30 maybe even $40,000," said Holek.
In the meantime, Holek said the station is figuring out other ways to make up for the funding loss, including new low-rate advertising opportunities and renting out studio space.
“We are trying to avoid a full shutdown, or becoming a shell station with one part-time staff, few volunteers and a much smaller voice in the community," he said. "I do not want to see that happen here and CJAM is going to do all it can to survive so we can continue to provide students and the public opportunities to gain experience and skills that lead to job opportunities in broadcasting, journalism and the music industry.”
Learn more about the station's fundraising drive by clicking here.