Thank you to all of the stations and associations who submitted funding applications this year. An independent selection committee is currently reviewing the applications. We plan to announce the successful applicants during the week of May 10, 2010. For more information, please see Review Process.

CRFC to once again provide funding to campus and community radio

Ottawa - The Community Radio Fund of Canada (CRFC) is pleased to launch its second call for applications for Canada’s campus and community radio sector.

Contributions are available to the sector under two programs: the Radio Talent Development Program and the Youth Internship Program. The goal of both programs is to develop innovative local interest programming while providing mentorship, education, and or training for broadcasters.

The deadline for each program is March 19, 2010. There is $80,000 available under each program, with a maximum $10,000 for each applicant. The applications will be assessed in April by an independent jury. The final results will be announced in mid-May. Guidelines and forms are available on the CRFC’s website.

“The CRFC had a highly successful first year in running these two programs,” says CRFC President Ian Pringle. “Last year we gave out nearly $160,000 to the sector. The initiatives we funded were as diverse as the stations themselves, but in all cases, the end result was that we helped the stations better serve their communities.”

Both of these programs are made possible by a financial partnership with Astral Media Radio through a CRTC contribution mechanism totalling $1.4 million over seven years. “We appreciate this partnership with Astral Media. The CRFC looks forward to working with other partners to help build a stronger community media sector in Canada,” says Pringle. As the CRFC is certified as an eligible recipient of Canadian content development (CCD) contributions, it is open to work with all of Canada’s private broadcasters.

For details on eligibility, the programs, and how to apply please visit our website: www.communityradiofund.org

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Contact:
Melissa Kaestner, CRFC Executive Director, (613) 321-3513, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

The Community Radio Fund of Canada is the national not-for-profit funding body for the growth and sustainability of campus and community radio. More than 140 community-based radio stations across Canada make up the community-owned, volunteer-driven sector of Canadian broadcasting. The CRFC helps develop and enrich this vital broadcasting sector to ensure local, public-access radio for Canadian communities.

On January 28-29, the CRFC held its second annual in-person board retreat. Directors travelled form across the country to discuss the coming year, short and long term objectives, and developing a new outcomes-based approach to distributing funding to the sector.

The Board also elected its new president, Ian Pringle. Jean Léger will continue as vice-president, Serge Quinty remains as Secretary/Treasurer, and Jean-François Côté will still carry on as chair of our program committee. The CRFC thanks Victoria Fenner as outgoing president, who will now undertake a newly-created communications portfolio. One of our ex officio directors, Martin Bougie from l’ARCQ, will be the internal point-person for areas related to resource development. He, along with ex officio directors François Coté (ARC du Canada) and Kevin Matthews (NCRA), will continue to provide advice and perspectives from the campus and community radio sector.

Jean Léger, Jean-François Côté, Melissa Kaestner, Shelley Robinson,
Serge Quinty, Victoria Fenner, François Coté, Martin Bougie, Ian Pringle
More photos on Flickr

We are pleased to announce that Astral Media Inc. has made a $300,000 contribution to the CRFC as part of a CRTC application involving an amended CCD Benefits package. The CRTC approved this contribution on December 22, 2009.

When Astral Media extended their original offer, they proposed that the CRFC use this funding to address administrative and operational needs. So, the CRFC filed a request in October 2009 to lift certain administration restrictions. In its December decision, the CRTC stated that it would consider all issues related to funding during the campus and community radio policy review.

During its presentation at the hearing, the CRFC discussed this issue. Other participants, including the sector’s representative associations, noted that there is a need for flexibility regarding this funding, as well as with other contributions the CRFC receives. With this flexibility, the CRFC will be in a better position to fulfil its mandate in supporting the sector.

The decision regarding this request is still pending. And while the CRFC has requested to use the bulk of this contribution to provide support and stability to our own operations, we will distribute the remainder to the sector. We will post more information once the CRTC makes its decision.

On January 18, 2010, the CRTC began its hearing regarding the review of the Campus and Community Radio Policies. Directors Jean Léger and Ian Pringle along with Executive Director Melissa Kaestner appeared on January 20. You can view the transcript here (our presentation begins at line 3589). Also, here is our final response to the public hearing.

The CRFC would like to congratulate l’Alliance des radios communautaires du Canada (ARC du Canada), l’Association des radiodiffuseurs communautaires du Québec (ARCQ), the National Campus and Community Radio Association (NCRA/ANREC), and all of the campus and community radio stations that appeared in person as by video conference, as well as those who submitted comments last October. It was an inspiring week, to say the least!

All of the CRTC-related documents can be found here:

• Public Notice
• Comments
• Agenda
• Transcripts
• Final submissions

The CRFC originally intended to launch the second call for proposals for the Radio Talent Development and Youth Internship programs. However, as our energies are currently being committed to the CRTC hearings next week dealing with the review of community radio, the CRFC is going to postpone the call until the week of February 8. The call will follow the second annual board in-person meeting taking place in Ottawa on January 28 and 29.

Once announced, stations will still have approximately 6 weeks to send in their applications. We will try to shorten the decision process so that applicants will still have the results for April 2010.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us.

Here's to a successful hearing next week for all of campus and community radio in Canada!

The CRFC has created the following timeline for the coming application year. (These dates are subject to change.)

December: Finalize new application documents
January 11: Launch call for applications
March 2: Deadline for Applications
March 15: Orientation of the Selection Committee
March 25: Deadline for Jury to request information from applicants
April 1: Deadline for applicants to submit additional info
April 12: Selection Committee Decisions
April 19: Announce decisions

The Community Radio Fund of Canada (CRFC) will hold it's next Annual General Meeting (AGM) on November 26, 2009, at the Arts Court Library, 2 Daly Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario, at 2:00 PM.

A public luncheon will be held at Noon at the same location.

Members can view all of the related information (agenda, elections, by-law amendments) on the Members’ website.

In July 2009, the CRTC launched a review of its Campus and Community Radio Policies. The CRFC filed its comments today outlining the funding reality of the sector and some possible solutions to help lessen its financial stresses. The CRFC is recommending a funding model for both the campus and community radio stations and the CRFC that includes funding from the federal government as well as Canada’s private broadcasters and distributors.

You can read the CRFC's comments here as well as view other comments submitted here.

The CRTC hearing for this process will begin on January 18, 2010.

To help spread the word about the inner workings of the CRFC to its members, we have created a newsletter called "InfoFund". In our first issue, InfoFund features information about the selection process, upcoming board elections, the next AGM, and more. But of course, if you have questions or comments, you don’t have to wait to read InfoFund. Feel free to get in touch with us anytime.

On May 20, we announced the first-ever CRFC funding recipients and their projects. Now you can read more about each project by visiting Current Recipients.

The Community Radio Fund of Canada (CRFC) is extremely pleased to announce its first group of funding recipients through two programs launched earlier this year:

Radio Talent Development Program:
CFAD 92.1 FM, Salmo BC: “Salmo Community Radio Local News/Public Affairs Forum” $4,700
CFUV 101.9 FM, Victoria BC: “Women's Collective Coordinator - Summer Position” $2,970
CHLS 100.5 FM, Lillooet BC: “Radio Legends” $9,750
CHOQ 105.1 FM, Toronto ON: “Dossiers Choq” $7,350
CIVR 103.5 FM, Yellowknife NT: “Recueillir et diffuser l'information locale, territorial” $10,000
CJAI 92.1 FM, Stella ON: “Local Oral History Broadcast Project” $2,320
CKBN 90.5 FM, Wôlinak QC: “Culture rurale” $9,600
CKOA 89.7 FM, Glace Bay NS: “The Celtic Connection Documentary Series” $10,000
CKUT 90.3 FM, Montréal QC: “Training Track at June 2009 NCRC” $8,650
CKUW 95.9 FM, Winnipeg MB: “The Winnipeg Files training/production module of Green Planet Monitor” $5,000
NCRA (national): “GroundWire Community News Network Capacity Improvement” $8,500

Youth Internship Program:
CFRG 93.1 FM, Gravelbourg SK: “Stage radiophonique pour un jeune” $8,000
CFRO 102.7 FM, Vancouver BC: “Aboriginal Language Learning Programming Mentorship” $10,000
CHES 101.5 FM, Erin ON: “EDHS Partnership” $10,000
CHLI 101.1 FM, Rossland BC: “Be The Voice” $9,960
CJBE 90.5 FM, Port-Menier QC: “Stage en production” $10,000
CJPN 90.5 FM, Fredericton NB: “Jeunesse radiophonique” $7,500
CJRG 94.5 FM, Gaspé QC: “La tournée régionale” $9,160
CKDU 88.1 FM, Halifax NS: “Youth Now Radio” $10,000
CKJM 106.1 FM, Chéticamp NS: “Formation de jeunes pour la relève” $5,000

The Radio Talent Development Program and the Youth Internship Program are made possible by a contribution of Astral Media Radio through a CRTC contribution mechanism totalling $1.4 million over seven years. The goal of both programs is to develop innovative local interest programming while providing mentorship, education, and/or training for broadcasters.

Each year, $80,000 is available under each program to the campus and community radio sector. This year, the CRFC received a total of fifty-four applications.

The CRFC would also like to thank the Selection Committee for their work in assessing the applications. It was not an easy task as all of the applications were deserving. None of these committee members are affiliated with any potential recipient, including as volunteers:
-> Carolyn Brown, Manager, Journals Program of the National Research Council Canada
-> Jonathan Browns, Cultural Planner, Arts Collections of the Public Arts Program of the City of Ottawa
-> Annabelle Cloutier, Directrice générale of l'Association des producteurs francophones du Canada

Jonathan Browns, Annabelle Cloutier, Carolyn Brown

The Community Radio Fund of Canada (CRFC) is pleased to see that the CRTC is considering very seriously the issue of funding for community radio stations in its report on English- and French-language broadcasting services in linguistic minority communities. The CRFC is confident that the CRTC will take positive action on this issue.

During the CRTC hearing held in January pertaining to this issue, l'Alliance des radios communautaires du Canada (ARC du Canada), one of the CRFC’s three member associations, recommended to the CRTC that a percentage of all contributions by private broadcasters to Canadian Content Development (CCD) be reserved for the Fund, in order to support community radio stations. This recommendation was supported by several organizations, including the Ministerial Conference on Canadian Francophonie.

In its follow-up report released on March 30, the CRTC recognized the funding challenges facing community radio stations and their need for steady and reliable funding, and notes l’ARC du Canada’s recommendation and that the CRFC exists. The Commission states that it will use its campus and community radio policy review, scheduled this fall, as an opportunity to "evaluate various scenarios and possible funding formulas, including ARC du Canada's proposal to require commercial broadcasters to make annual contributions to the Community Radio Fund of  Canada."

"We share l’ARC du Canada’s belief that reserving a percentage of private broadcasters’ CCD contributions for the CRFC is an efficient way to support the community radio sector in Canada," points out CRFC President Victoria Fenner. "We are looking forward to a favourable decision and we fully intend to participate in the upcoming community and campus policy reviews this fall."

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Media contact:
Melissa Kaestner, Executive Director, (613) 321-3513, m.kaestner (@) communityradiofund (.) org

The Community Radio Fund of Canada (CRFC) has recently received a couple of requests regarding support of individual community radio applications. In both cases, private broadcasters have been seeking to provide monetary support community groups in the process of filing their community radio licence applications to the CRTC. Due to the current CRTC policies and definitions regarding Canadian Content Development (CCD) Contributions, these community groups are not eligible recipients for this kind of funding.

As the CRFC is an eligible recipient, eyes have turned towards us to see if we are able to help. Applicants have submitted requests for the CRFC to receive and distribute funding from the private broadcasters with the purpose of distributing it to the two relevant community groups.

The CRFC Board has discussed this issue, and has determined that it is unable to offer its help at this time. The mandate of the CRFC is to provide support to the community broadcasting sector as a whole. Any funding that the CRFC receives should be available to all stations and associations it serves. As well, the funding needs and priorities of the community sector are diverse and subject to change along with the changes in the broadcasting industry. As we begin to work with new funders, the CRFC must have the ability to determine the best use of that new funding, rather than having funding earmarked for specific initiatives and/or recipients.

While the CRFC is not able to work with these applicants in this capacity at this time, there is room for growth and development, especially as more funding comes available to us. For more information or to share your thoughts and ideas, please do not hesitate to contact the CRFC. We value your input. Please contact Melissa Kaestner, CRFC Executive Director at (613) 321-3513 or by email at m.kaestner (@) communityradiofund (.) org.

Funding now available to campus and community radio sector in Canada

Ottawa, February 2, 2009 - The Community Radio Fund of Canada (CRFC) is pleased to launch its first call for proposals for Canadian community-oriented broadcasters and associations.

"The establishment of the fund, and this first call for proposals, is a historic event in the development of community radio in Canada," says Victoria Fenner, CRFC President. "Our first two programs will provide training and production resources that are aimed at strengthening programming while contributing to the capacity of the sector. It’s a great first step for us, and we are excited to see the impact these programs will have in the coming years."

Contributions are available to the sector under two programs: the Radio Talent Development Program and the Youth Internship Program. The goal of both programs is to develop innovative local interest programming while providing mentorship, education, and or training for broadcasters.

The deadline for each program is March 27, 2009. The proposals will be assessed in April through a peer review process, with no jury member being affiliated with any potential recipient. The final results will be announced in May. Application guidelines and forms are available on the CRFC’s website.

Both of these programs are made possible by a financial partnership with Astral Media Radio through a CRTC contribution mechanism totalling $1.4 million over seven years. "We thank Astral Media for becoming our first private sector partner, and look forward to working with all who share our goal of bringing the wonderful diversity of voices in our communities to the Canadian airwaves," says Fenner.

As the CRFC is certified as an eligible recipient of Canadian content development (CCD) contributions, it is open to work with all private broadcasters through similar funding partnerships.

For details on eligibility, the programs, and how to apply, as well as information about the CRFC, please visit our new website: www.communityradiofund.org

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Contact:
Melissa Kaestner, CRFC Executive Director, (613) 321-3513, m.kaestner (@) communityradiofund (.) org

The Community Radio Fund of Canada (CRFC) is an not-for-profit funding organization that solicits and distributes funds geared toward the development and sustainability of local community radio broadcasting in urban and rural Canada. Its goal is to provide the sector with the resources needed to continue providing local programming and community access, as well as for the development and enrichment of this vital component of the Canadian broadcasting system.

The CRFC has filed its annual report with the CRTC and other stakeholders, including Astral Media.

• Overview
• Development Consultant Report
• Financial Report (to October 31, 2008)

The Community Radio Fund of Canada held its first Board of Directors meeting on October 28 and 29 in Ottawa. The directors learned about the mandate and history of the CRFC, which set the stage for establishing officers, committees, policy needs, budget approval, staffing, and a one-year strategic plan. It was a great first step for the CRFC Board, and all are excited and enthusiastic about moving forward.

Officers and Portfolios:
President – Victoria Fenner
Vice-president – Jean Léger
Secretary/Treasurer – Serge Quinty
Programming Committee Chair – Jean-François Côté
Director – Ian Pringle
Ex officio ARCC - François Coté
Ex officio ARCQ - Martin Bougie
Ex officio NCRA - Kevin Matthews

Melissa Kaestner was appointed as Executive Director. This is an interim appointment, with a full public hiring process planned for Summer 2009.

The first call for proposals for our two current programs is planned for January 2009. With a one-month application process, the CRFC Board intends to distribute funding by April 2009.

More information will be available in the new year.

On June 5, 2008, The CRFC supported two radio applications in Edmonton as part of Broadcasting Notice of Public Hearing CRTC 2008-2.

• Rogers Broadcasting included support to the CRFC for the creation of the Rogers News Access Program. This program will help develop and increase local news and public affairs programming. Campus and community radio stations in Alberta as well as across the country will be able to apply for funding for activities and initiatives that lead to high-quality spoken word radio programming. Total funding: $75,000 for 7 years, for a total of $525,000. See our presentation here.
• CTVglobemedia/CHUM included support to the CRFC for the creation of the CTV Alberta Cultural Diversity Program as part of its Canadian Content Develop plan. This program will increase local and relevant programming geared towards Alberta’s current and growing multicultural communities. Campus and community radio stations in Alberta will be able to apply for funding for activities and initiatives that lead to a wider range of high-quality culturally-diverse radio programming. Total funding: $100,000 for 7 years, for a total of $700,000. See our presentation here.

On October 17, 2008, the CRTC released its decision: Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2008-288:Various applicants - Edmonton and various locations in Alberta - Licensing of new radio stations to serve Edmonton, Alberta

• "The Commission approves in part the applications by CTV Limited and Harvard Broadcasting Inc. for broadcasting licences to operate new English-language commercial FM radio stations to serve Edmonton. Within 90 days of the date of this decision, each of these applicants must submit an amendment to their respective applications proposing the use of an FM frequency other than 107.1 MHz (channel 296C1) that is acceptable to both the Commission and the Department of Industry."
• "The Commission denies the remaining applications for broadcasting licences to operate radio stations to serve Edmonton."
• Conditions of licence for CTVgm/CHUM Limited: "3. In addition to the required basic annual contribution to Canadian content development (CCD), . . . the licensee shall, upon commencement of operations, make an annual contribution of $1,428,571 ($10,000,000 over seven consecutive broadcast years) to the promotion and development of Canadian content. Of this amount, the licensee shall allocate no less than $285,714 (20%) per broadcast year to FACTOR and $100,000 per broadcast year to the Community Radio Fund of Canada."(emphasis added)

MEMBERS ELECT THE FIRST BOARD OF DIRECTORS

On September 30, 2008, the Community Radio Fund of Canada (CRFC) held its first Annual General Membership Meeting and board elections in Ottawa. The first CRFC Board of Directors is: Jean-Francois Côté, Victoria Fenner, Jean Léger, Ian Pringle, and Serge Quinty. Joining the elected directors are three ex officio non-voting members from each of the founding community radio associations: Martin Bougie (Association des radiodiffuseurs communautaires du Québec), François Coté (Alliance des radios communautaires du Canada), and Kevin Matthews (National Campus and Community Radio Association).

The new directors are excited to begin working with the CRFC and believe strongly in its value and potential. "Community radio in Canada punches far above its weight. Despite being under-resourced, the sector makes unique and vital contributions to culture and pluralism," says Ian Pringle. "The establishment of the Community Radio Fund will translate into a stronger, more vibrant broadcast system in Canada. It is long overdue and much needed."

This month, the new Board will be gathering in Ottawa for an orientation and planning session. Once they have reviewed and finalized policies and application criteria, the CRFC will then be ready to launch its first call for proposals for two granting programs that could see funding distributed to community-oriented stations in the beginning of the new year.

With funding from Astral Media amounting to $1.4 million over seven years, the fund will launch this first year with the "Astral Media Radio Talent Development Program" and the "Astral Media Youth Internship Program". Full program descriptions and application criteria will be available once the call goes out to the community radio sector.

Now that the CRFC is certified by the CRTC as an eligible recipient for Canadian Content Development (CCD) Contribution, the Fund will work with other private broadcasters to create other granting programs in the areas of: sustainability and capacity building, changing technology, music and talent development programming; and news and public affairs programming.

We held our first Annual General Meeting (AGM) and board elections on September 30, 2008 in Ottawa. It was a great success! The minutes and reports will be coming soon.

It is our pleasure to announce the first Board of Directors of the Community Radio Fund of Canada:

Jean-Francois Côté (New Richmond, Quebec)
Victoria Fenner (Hamilton, Ontario)
Jean Léger (Halifax, Nova Scotia)
Ian Pringle (Vancouver, British Columbia)
Serge Quinty (Ottawa, Ontario)
Ex officio non-voting: François Coté of ARC du Canada
Ex officio non-voting: Martin Bougie of ARCQ
Ex officio non-voting: Kevin Matthews of the NCRA/ANREC

More information and details will be coming soon.

The Community Radio Fund of Canada will hold it's first Annual General Meeting on Tuesday, September 30, 2008 in Ottawa (previously scheduled for August, explanation below).

To those who received our AGM announcement on July 15: Last month, we sent out an email announcing that the first AGM would be held on August 29. According to our by-laws, the Fund must give 45 days notice for any membership meeting. Originally, we planned to have the meeting by the end of August so that it would be by the end of our fiscal year. By sending out the message on July 15, this would have allowed us to have the meeting as intended. However, after further research, it has been discovered that the Fund does not have to have the meeting by the end of the fiscal year. And so, the Fund is able to hold its AGM on September 29. We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused.

Aside from presenting reports, the main agenda item for the AGM is to elect the first Board of Directors. For those of you who cannot come to Ottawa for this meeting, you will be able to submit your vote by fax and email. Ballots and more information will be available next week.

Following our written support for two radio applications in Edmonton as part of Broadcasting Notice of Public Hearing CRTC 2008-2, CRFC Development Consultant Melissa Kaestner and CJSR FM Program Manager Jay Hannley appeared before the Commission today. They were there to discuss the Fund and the potential management of two funding programs: the Rogers News Access Program and the CHUM Radio Alberta Cultural Diversity Program. You can view the presentations here:

• For Rogers Broadcasting (includes three appendices: Summary of Governance, Program Priorities Breakdown, and Selection Committee Terms of Reference)
• For CHUM Radio (CTVglobemedia)

The Fund is now recruiting members. Membership is open to all community-based licenced stations in Canada, as well as their associations (with at least 20 members). Fees are $20/year. Please see the following PDF documents for more information. Let us know if you have any questions.

• Membership Letter (updated January 2009)
• Membership Application Form (updated January 2009)
• Astral Press Release
• Summary of Governance

Canada's community radio associations today announced the creation of the Community Radio Fund of Canada (CRFC), an organization mandated to support the development of not-for-profit, local radio. Seeded by a commitment of $1.4 million over seven years from Astral Media Inc., the CRFC will help community broadcasters respond to the increasing demands of their communities for independent, local programming.

"Canadians may have more media choices than ever, but there has been a clear decline in the amount of programming that reflects local communities and their concerns, from both commercial and public media," says Charles-Eugène Cyr, President of ARCQ, one of the Fund’s founding members. "The Community Radio Fund will help community broadcasting reach its full potential as an independent, diverse, and accessible part of Canadian media."

The funding from Astral Media is first of its kind for community radio. Through a CRTC contribution mechanism, this funding will see the creation of two granting programs that will support the development of innovative audio broadcasting talent, especially in the areas of spoken word programming – the Astral Media Radio Artist Development Assistance Program and the Astral Media Youth Internship Program. The CRFC is planning to distribute grants as early as this fall.

The creation of the CRFC is the result of a three year partnership among Canada's largest community radio associations: the National Campus and Community Radio Association (NCRA/ANREC), the Alliance des radios communautaires du Canada (ARC du Canada) and the Association des radiodiffuseurs communautaires du Québec (ARCQ).

The CRFC is certified by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), and efforts are being made towards securing funding from the Department of Canadian Heritage. Assistance from the Fund will be available to all of Canada's 140 non-profit community-oriented broadcasters, which exist in all regions of the country, serving urban and rural communities, university campuses, and distinct cultural and official languages communities.

"From town to town, most radio — whether it is CBC or commercial — sounds just like the radio you find in Montreal or Vancouver or Toronto. It doesn’t reflect unique regional and local diversity," says Roger Ouellette, President of ARC du Canada. "The programming of each community radio station is produced and hosted by staff and volunteers from vastly different backgrounds, all of whom make their own editorial decisions. We are grassroots local."

As funding is secured, the CRFC will support a variety of programming initiatives, with a focus on local news, public affairs programming, community access, and the work of emerging musical artists. Stations will also receive assistance in responding to community needs, with help in building capacity in volunteer support, governance, community relations, and new media technologies.

"This is an historic moment for community media in this country," says Candace Mooers, NCRA/ANREC President. "Canada has an amazingly large and diverse community radio sector, but we're one of the few industrialized countries with no national community media policy or program."

The CRFC received approval from the CRTC to manage two granting programs arising from the CRTC's decision to allow Astral Media Radio G.P.'s acquisition of 53 radio stations and 2 conventional television stations owned by Standard Radio Inc. (see Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2007-359).

Astral Media included support to the CRFC for the creation of the Astral Media Radio Artist Development Assistance Program and the Astral Media Youth Internship Program. (Descriptions coming soon). Campus and community radio stations across the country will be able to apply for funding for activities and initiatives under both of these programs. Total funding: $100,000 for each program for 7 years, for a total of $1.4 million.

The CRFC filed a letter of support for two radio applications in Edmonton as part of Broadcasting Notice of Public Hearing CRTC 2008-2.

CTVglobemedia has included support to the CRFC for the creation of the CTV Alberta Cultural Diversity Program as part of its Canadian Content Develop plan. This program will increase local and relevant programming geared towards Alberta’s current and growing multicultural communities. Campus and community radio stations in Alberta will be able to apply for funding for activities and initiatives that lead to a wider range of high-quality culturally-diverse radio programming. Total funding: $100,000 for 7 years, for a total of $700,000. See our letter here.

Rogers Broadcasting has included support to the CRFC for the creation of the Rogers News Access Program. This program will help develop and increase local news and public affairs programming. Campus and community radio stations in Alberta as well as across the country will be able to apply for funding for activities and initiatives that lead to high-quality spoken word radio programming. Total funding: $75,000 for 7 years, for a total of $525,000. See our letter here.