Accession UAA-1974-128 - UAA-1974-128

CJSR made its first FM broadcast on January 7, 1984. They debuted their first song across the FM broadcast with “You Turn Me On, I’m a Radio” by Joni Mitchell. But its roots stretch to the founding of CKUA on November 21, 1927. That station - which was owned by the university until 1944 and whose studios were located at the Power Plant - provided the foundation and infrastructure for the creation of the University of Alberta Student Radio Directorate, the direct progenitor of CJSR. The Radio Directorate (which changed its name to the Radio Society in 1948) broadcasted over a closed PA system all over campus and weathered funding cuts, format changes, and a temporary shutdown due to lack of funds. By the ‘70s it had built an AM antenna—that could only broadcast as far as Lister Hall—and gained the call letters CKSR. In 1978, the station was renamed CJSR when a television station in Chilliwack wanted the call sign and the CRTC granted the request. In 1983, after more than a decade of work, CJSR was granted an FM license at 88.5 FM, the furthest left the dial could go, and focused its attention beyond the university campus from where it still broadcasts.
For the past 30 years, CJSR has been a voice for diverse communities not represented on radio anywhere else in the city: it broadcasts alternative news, cultural programming and underground music that cannot be heard anywhere else, with a strong focus on local culture. CJSR has also long been a place of inclusion, where people of any age and background can learn the various aspects of broadcasting. CJSR continues to be a volunteer-run radio dedicated to pushing the status quo.
First Alberta Campus Radio Association (FACRA) is a non-profit organization and registered charity that holds the broadcast license for CJSR-FM 88.5. FACRA governs the station bylaws and provides oversight to CJSR operations. The FACRA Board consists of up to 12 elected and appointed members, including the requisite 2 SU and 1 GSA representatives. CJSR has a volunteer base of approximately 200 volunteers, with a small staff to manage and support them all.
CJSR’s mandate is “to enlighten and entertain our audience through high quality and diverse programming that constantly challenges the status quo”. CJSR broadcasts eclectic programming in 8 different languages that enriches the lives of U of A students as well as the broader Edmonton community. In addition to their wide selection of music programming, CJSR also produces a dozen news and spoken word programs to present a side of the story not always found in mainstream media. CJSR student volunteers won the NCRA Excellence in Student Programming award in 2017 and 2018 and were runners up for the 2019 award.