Background
CJSF is the campus radio station of Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia. It broadcasts to most of Greater Vancouver, and can be heard on 90.1 FM, on the web using Shoutcast (http://www.cjsf.bc.ca/listen.pls) and 93.9 cable FM. The transmitter is on the top of Burnaby Mountain, so the clarity of the reception depends a lot on the weather.
Run mainly by volunteers, CJSF is a non profit organization. Since there are no commercials, the station can maintain complete editorial freedom, allowing it to act as the voice of the alternative media.

History
In the infancy of SFU in the sixties, CJSF began as a music listening club that broadcast to speakers placed around campus. In 1974, a nonprofit society called the Simon Fraser Campus Radio Society was formed to turn this club into a full-fledged radio station.
In 1980, the Canadian Radio and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) gave CJSF an AM radio license which gave it enough range to broadcast to the campus dorms. In 1985, CJSF received a cable radio license that increased its range to cover the Lower Mainland. In 1999, CJSF began to broadcast on the web. Finally, the CRTC gave CJSF an FM radio license.

The Station
CJSF is located physically in the centre of SFU below the rotunda. It is a very well equipped facility, but you will find everything to be completely covered by stickers touting bands and activist slogans.
Every week, the station receives many new CDs from hopeful producers. Those that are seen as worthy make it into the massive CD library, which is now approaching 50,000 discs!
There are two studios and a production room.

Programming
Since CJSF is governed by the rules of the CRTC, and as such it must dedicate a certain amount of time to Canadian content every hour. This is enforced strictly, and the station must keep logs of all its programming, both written and recorded on huge reel to reel tapes in case of surprise inspection.

Talk
CJSF serves as the voice of the local community, providing a valuable outlet for editorialization and opinion on current issues:
  • Monday at 10:00 is "Native Solidarity News"
  • Wednesday at 10:30 is "This Way Out," a show exclusively about issues facing the homosexual community. CJSF recently hosted an entire day of programming related to the gay community called "Homophono." SFU has an excellent and active support community in the form of the Out on Campus society.
  • Monday to Friday at 11:00 is "Democracy Now!", a news show dealing with progressive issues. This is an NPR show, but CJSF is the only place Vancouverites can hear it.
  • Wednesday at 4:00 is "Radio P!RG," the show of the SFU Public Interest Research Group (SFP!RG). This is a non-profit activist volunteer organization on campus that deals with everything from environmental to women's issues.
CJSF also offers a plethora of other topical programming on many different issues facing not only students, but the community at large.

Music
The main objective of CJSF music programming is to provide an alternative to Vancouver's homogenous local radio programming of Beat 94.5, Fox 99.3, and Z95.3. If a song is on the Top 40, you will not hear it on CJSF. From indie rock to electronic music, CJSF offers a spectrum of music across the board: This is just a small sampling of the programming offered by CJSF. For a comprehensive listing, a schedule can be picked up outside the station, or on the CJSF website at http://www.cjsf.bc.ca/guide.html/index.html.

Volunteer opportunities
Anyone can come and volunteer at the station, you do not have to be an SFU student. If you have a good enough idea for a show, you can even be a DJ (though the schedule is pretty full now).
CJSF hosts volunteer orientations in the station the first Thursday of every month at 7PM, the second Friday of every month at 3PM, and the third Tuesday of every month at 4PM.

Event promotion
Recently, CJSF has begun promoting events and local bands and is always looking for more opportunities to contribute to the local scene.

External Links
CJSF - http://www.cjsf.bc.ca/
CRTC - httP://www.crtc.gc.ca/