'Incredibly optimistic time' for Regina's CJTR after community station purchased by cable company
A Regina community radio station that was facing a financial crisis has been purchased by another well-known Saskatchewan-owned telecommunications company.
CJTR 91.3 FM has many volunteer hosts that bring a diverse range of programs — from polka to punk to an LGBTQ+ talk show.
But its future had been in question — until Tuesday night, when its membership voted nearly unanimously in favour of selling the station to Access Communications.
People who work at the grassroots station say it is a relief to have their programming and format protected.
"Our mandate of community programming and providing a voice to the community … we can refocus on those goals rather than just desperately trying to keep the wheels on and desperately keeping the rent paid," said CJTR station manager Neil Adams.
After the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Adams said the station had to explore new ownership as it was unable to generate enough revenue needed to keep the lights on.
"We've been closer to the ground for the last few years than we would have liked to have been," he said.
He said Access Communications was a good fit for CJTR, with its 40-year history as a community broadcaster.
"It's an incredibly optimistic time for CJTR. This is a time where we can be a voice for local culture," he said.
Neil Adams says Access Communications is a great fit because of it's history of community programming in Regina. (Laura Sciarpelletti/CBC)
Meanwhile Access, which is a not-for-profit co-operative, expects a symbiotic relationship.
"We're excited by the opportunity to include radio in our operation," said Mark Rathwell, manager of corporate communications for Access.
He said the co-operative is looking forward to integrating radio with its community-produced TV shows, and also growing the radio station's listenership.
But he added that no changes will be made to CJTR's staff, volunteers or its programming.
"We want to rely on their expertise to ensure we're working together to help the station grow and really become sustainable," he said.
Mark Rathwell, manager of corporate communications at Access, says it's a great opportunity for both organizations. (Laura Sciarpelletti/CBC)
Zohra Zahir says diverse programming is essential to the community.
She is the co-host of Navaye Ashena, a Persian-language radio show and one of the five foreign language programs on CJTR.
"I wanted to connect with my people [and] at the same time, talk to other people about other music, other languages and what we can bring from other countries to [Canada]," she said.
Zohra Zahir is the co-host of Navaye Ashena, a Persian language radio show on CJTR. (Laura Sciarpelletti/CBC)
Zahir says the station has been focused on fundraising for a while, but now, she hopes to reach out to the community and talk to them about what more they would like from her show.
"We want to reach out in a different capacity. 'Hey, we don't want money anymore, but we want your voice, we want your opinion about all these shows that we have,'" she said.
CJTR will move its operations into Access Communications' headquarters on Park Street in the summer.
