ABOUT CKXU 88.3 FM
MISSION:
We are a volunteer-driven radio society that provides independent campus & community radio and opportunities through programming, tools, training and events in the Southern Alberta region.
VISION:
Through our care of the community, we cultivate an environment full of opportunities that foster an inclusive and diverse culture.
MANDATE:
To showcase and promote cultural diversity throughout the Southern Alberta region.
CKUL Radio Society
CKXU started off as good ol’ CKUL in 1972, when a public address system was set up in Section A of University Hall at the University of Lethbridge to broadcast musical content inside the building from mid-morning to early afternoon.
The CKUL Radio Society was incorporated in October 1977, to govern the affairs of the station, and a year later the CRTC granted the society a licence to broadcast at 530 AM! Even this early on in CKXU’s history, the Board of Directors was exploring the possibilities of a move to the FM dial.
At the time, broadcasting at a mere 25W, the AM transmitter was of such low power that it was drowned out by the time it reached the parking lot of the university. However, the move to AM still represented a major step forward in the development of the station. CKUL was now a bona fide radio station, broadcasting 65 hours per week with 25 DJs.
FM Transition
Although the station began broadcasting on cable FM in 1988, a switch to FM was considered ideal and the CKUL Radio Society began this process. In 2003, the CRTC approved the application to operate a new English-language community-based campus FM radio station in Lethbridge. CKUL’s call letters were changed to CKXU, and on April 8, 2004, the station began to broadcast at 88.3 FM to the city of Lethbridge and the surrounding area from a 125W transmitter located on top of the Students’ Union Building at the University of Lethbridge. CKXU 88.3 FM now broadcasts for more than 168 hours per week, year-round, with a volunteer core of over 100 members.
In November 2017, CKXU 88.3 FM received approval from the CRTC to start broadcasting at 2,900 watts, rather than the current 125 watts. This increase means that the CKXU signal will be broadcast within a 125km radius of the city! The Signal Increase project was listener-funded and developed over the course of 5 years to better support and increase listenership opportunities across Southern Alberta.
In June 2018, the project installation took place and by mid-December 2018 CKXU was officially broadcasting at 2,900 watts! A true signal upgrade to the stars!
MEET THE TEAM CKXU 88.3 FM Staff
Genna Bourchier (She/Her)
Executive Director
[email protected]
Mike Doherty (He/Him)
Program Director
[email protected]
Jeremy Collier (He/Him)
Music Director
[email protected]
Courtney McDermott (She/Her)
Operations Director
[email protected]CKXU 88.3 FM Board of Directors
The CKXU Radio Society is governed by an elected Board of Directors comprised of four BOD Executives, four Directors at Large, a ULSU Representative, a GSA Representative, and a Faculty Representative. The Board meets on a monthly basis on the last Tuesday of each month at 6:30PM.
CKXU BOD Executives:
CKXU BOD Directors:
Kassidy Hatfield (She/Her)
Director at Large, Student
Matthew Baird (He/Him)
Director at Large, Community
Matthew Hammer (He/Him)
Director at Large, Student
Will Kellett (They/He/She)
Director at Large, Community
CKXU BOD Representatives:
Emily Gale (she/they)
U of L Faculty Representative
Yewoe Sackey-Forson (She/Her)
U of L Students Union Representative
VACANT – Recruiting
U of L GSA Representative
CKXU 88.3 FM Committees
To get involved with one of CKXU’s Committees, please contact [email protected] or [email protected]
Finance Committee
The CKXU Finance Committee’s primary role is to provide financial recommendations to the Board of Directors, and is the working group for all financial matters of the Society.
Finance Committee Terms of Reference
2022/23 Committee Members:
- Mickey Hayward, Treasurer
- Oluwadamilola Idowu, President
- Genna Bourchier, Executive Director
- Dai Hewison, Community Content Curator / Friends Coordinator
- Jackson Hooper, Student Volunteer
Governance Committee
The CKXU Governance Committee’s primary role is to oversee all governance-related matters of the Society and to provide governance-related recommendations to the Board.
Governance Committee Terms of Reference
2022/23 Committee Members:
- Richard Amery, Vice President
- Oluwadamilola Idowu, President
- Genna Bourchier, Executive Director
- Dai Hewison, Community Content Curator / Friends Coordinator
HR-1 Committee
The CKXU HR-1 Committee’s primary role is to ensure that the Society is providing an appropriate environment for all staff members and volunteers, and to conduct annual staff reviews.
HR-1 Committee Terms of Reference
2022/23 Committee Members:
- Oluwadamilola Idowu, President
- Richard Amery, Vice President
- Genna Bourchier, Executive Director
HR-2 Committee
The CKXU HR-2 Committee’s primary role is to investigate all complaints that fall under the Society’s Harassment & Violence Prevention Policy, and to provide support to the Executive Director as needed with matters of Society discipline and general complaints.
HR-2 Committee Terms of Reference
2022/23 Committee Members:
- Oluwadamilola Idowu, President
- Genna Bourchier, Executive Director
Safer & Brave Spaces
CKXU 88.3 FM (CKXU) is committed to maintaining a safer and brave space for all individuals who contribute, participate, or who are involved with the station including staff, volunteers, members, listeners, and general supporters.
For the station, this means that we strive to maintain a harassment-free and supportive environment where everyone has the right to feel comfortable, free, in possession of their own privacy, and included regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, age, language, body size, race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, socioeconomic standing, or otherwise. The organization and staff will make every effort to validate, respect, and accommodate reasonable requests received in relation to these values.
These values contribute to CKXU’s dedication to maintaining a space that will not contribute to the erasure of any identity or expression, and will actively provide a space and attitude that seeks to enthusiastically support and accommodate any person with any identity or needs, within reason. Our organization will treat every individual with respect, dignity, and an approach that recognizes their identity, if they would like that identity to be recognized.
CKXU strives to be actively engaged and present in the feedback process and ongoing development of our approaches. In doing so, we aim to cultivate and maintain an environment where all individuals can feel safe, considered, and free to communicate their needs, knowing they will be heard, taken seriously, and will not face judgement. CKXU is also dedicated to ongoing training and education opportunities that further organizational knowledge and understanding of safe, inclusive and trauma informed practices, active bystander techniques, responding to disclosures, active listening, and consensus-based decision making. If you have or know of training that would further benefit our organization, please feel free to share these resources via email to [email protected].
Reporting an Occurrence
CKXU believes all individuals who come forward with a notice of an occurrence and does not tolerate abusive or discriminatory behaviour. The organization’s Governance and Human Resources-2 (HR-2) Committees have worked hard to develop and maintain a policy and reporting process that is equitable, simple to follow, and based in trauma-informed practices.
Reports can be submitted anonymously, and can be reported verbally or in written form to any of the following:
Once the Occurrence has been reported, the following steps will be taken:
1. Within 48hrs of receiving the report, any individual(s) who are implicated and/or responsible for the occurrence will receive a Letter of Warning from the organization. This letter will include disciplinary action, including barring access to the organization’s spaces, privileges, and events while the report is being reviewed
2. Within 72hrs of receiving the report, the individual(s) who submitted the report and/or who are the object of the occurrence will be contacted by a CKXU Representative to book a meeting with the HR-2 Committee. This meeting should take place within 1 week of receiving the report
From here, there are 3 potential options to assist in finding a resolution and building recommendations moving forward:
The first meeting after the report has been received is considered a Negotiated Resolution. The goal is to determine whether the occurrence falls into the official definitions of harassment/violence, review the occurrence, clarify details, and discuss the steps involved to reach resolution from the perspective of the individual who has experienced harm. This can include continuing negotiated resolutions, or moving into Conciliation or Investigation.
Lethbridge Community Resources
YWCA Lethbridge
Check out their resources here
Chinook Sexual Assault Centre
Check out their resources here
Canadian Mental Health Association
Check out their resources here
Blackfoot Family Lodge
Check out their resources here
Pro-Choice Society of Lethbridge & Southern AB
Check out their resources here
24Hour Sexual Assault Crisis Line
Service for individuals affected by sexual violence or for individuals supporting someone affected by sexual violence.
Lethbridge Indigenous Sharing Network
Check out their resources here
Lethbridge Family Services
Check out their resources here
Chinook Regional Hospital
Check out their resources here
OUTreach Southern Alberta
Check out their resources here
Lethbridge Pride
Check out their resources here
Womanspace
Check out their resources here
University of Lethbridge Campus Resources
Health Centre
Check out their resources here
Counselling Services
Check out their resources here
Sexual Violence Prevention Educator
Check out their resources here
Campus Collective Centre
Check out their resources here
Indigenous Student Centre
Check out their resources here
LGBTQ2S+ Resources
Check out their resources here
University of Lethbridge Students’ Union
Check out their resources here
Graduate Students’ Association
Check out their resources here
University of Lethbridge Security
Check out their resources here
Q-Space
Check out their resources here
CKXUNews
Welcome to the CKX-News Blog! Check-in below for station updates, opportunities, events, and more.
CKXU 88.3 FM is a licensed FM Campus-Community radio station broadcasting from the Traditional Territories of the Niitsitapi, Tsuut’ina, Stoney Nakoda and Métis people in what is currently Lethbridge, AB.