Great Moments: Student-run radio hits the airwaves

Student-run campus radio got its first start at UVic in September of 1965—broadcasting, appropriately enough, from Y hut, the former home of the Maritime Naval Communications Centre in the Gordon Head campus’ former military days, with programming beamed to the Student Union Building (SUB) and two student residences on a closed circuit broadcast. This modest initiative fell silent in the early 1970s, disappearing from the airwaves altogether, but came roaring back a decade later when students formed a radio club and, through a fee referendum, convinced their colleagues to support a full-fledged radio station. A joint administration and student society, working with financial support from the university, received a broadcasting license from the CRTC in 1984 for the new campus-community station, CFUV, at a relatively gentle 49.4 watts on 105.1 FM, broadcasting from the SUB. The station’s first managers, Robert Osborne and Steve Lebitsching, led the effort to gather equipment, train staff, and found a music library, relying on help from community members, student volunteers, and guidance from the board of directors. In 1989, CFUV increased its transmission to over 2,000 watts and began broadcasting on 101.9 FM. Approximately 28 years after its first FM broadcast, CFUV is still going strong as a diverse, vibrant community member and a welcoming home for students—winning a 2009 College Music Journal award for its support of the local music scene. The station’s broadcast strength was increased 50 per cent in 2011, and programming including live on-air performances by touring bands is available online as well.