By Jeremy Zhao
After many announcements made over the past two decades, CJSW is finally moving and beginning a new chapter in its history. The campus/community radio station will be broadcasting from the third floor of the MacEwan Student Centre starting Friday.
Station manager Chad Saunders has been extremely busy the past few weeks trying to get everything ready for the move, on top of the station’s annual October fundraiser.
For Saunders, the move was inevitable, it was just a matter of when.
“CJSW has been in the space for over 42 years,” he said.
He stressed there is still a lot to be done and the work will be split into different phases. Construction and wiring are the most important, followed by moving the offices, library collection and studios.
Saunders said the offices hold a lot of nostalgia for him. The current space has had many high profile guests, including former prime minister Pierre Trudeau and Duran Duran.
“It’s kind of sad to leave it all behind,” he said. “But it’s a relief that it’s finally over.”
Saunders said he even asks himself at times whether he’s doing the right thing, as the studio brings back a lot of memories.
Program director Mark Shields said he’s excited about the move. Shields noted there should be no disruption to programming apart from a couple minutes of dead air during the transition from the old place to the new one.
Radio hosts, who are mostly volunteers, will have the opportunity to work with entirely new equipment.
“Overall there will be minor differences [for programming],” said Shields.
Volunteer co-ordinator Katie Duhamel said much of the regular volunteer work has been put on hold to help with the move.
“It’s been constant work throughout the whole move,” said Duhamel, noting she anticipates new volunteers will join with the new space and layout.
The overall transition has been smooth, said news director Joe Burima.
“It’s a memorable moment,” he said, adding that the expansion will mean new spaces for meetings and more production rooms for volunteers.
Joey Brocke, Students’ Union vice-president operations and finance, is happy to see CJSW finally move into their new space after years of negotiation and consultation between the two organizations.
“It’s a win-win for both sides,” said Brocke.
The SU already has a plan in place for the old CJSW space. Brocke said that the station area of CJSW will be converted into club space, while the office side will be used for storage.
Brocke explained that most of the funding for the CJSW expansion came from the radio station’s savings over the years, while a Quality Money grant last year topped off the amount.
After the move is complete, CJSW will be hosting open houses for people to take at the look at the new space.