Andrea Langlois et al - Islands of Resistance - Pirate Radio in Canada

58 • islands of resistance
rating adrenaline rush, yet it paled in comparison to the hyper-intense
energy output demanded during the frantic frenzy of the annual live,
on-air fundraising drive. Along with what was then an annual $5 levy
from full-time undergraduate students at the University of Toronto,
and money collected through the sale of community-based advertising,
these marathons provided the core funding for the station’s
operating budget. During the fundraising drives, it was necessary to
sustain a heightened level of excitement as we interrupted songs to
remind people of what it takes to keep such a radio station on air and
to lure listeners to pledge a specific amount of money by offering them
various products, donated by individuals and small businesses in the
community, such as tickets to an upcoming concert or theatre production,
CDs, books and various artistic items. The programmers were
also encouraged to at least attempt to solicit some of these enticing
items ourselves prior to “the drive.” Many volunteers, whether program
hosts, technicians or administrative staff, also offered support
to programmers by joining them on air to hype their show and the
station.
While in some ways this collaborative method of acquiring funds
helped to unify the volunteers as we worked toward the common goal
of keeping the station — and our shows — on air, its downside was
that it tended, however inadvertently, to become a popularity contest
based on which shows tallied up the most money. For a popular show
like reggae riddims, the atmosphere felt like a party with listeners frequently
calling to offer pledges and express their appreciation for the
show. Even though it was exhausting, it was also invigorating and a
lot of fun. However, I had only been broadcasting witches brew for a
month when I was subjected to the somewhat humiliating experience
of relentlessly begging for pledges when I had not yet established a regular
audience for my show, which was not much fun at all.
Most of the Time the Honey Was Sweet
I still have many cherished memories from my seven-year relationship
with CIUT. It was the place that offered me the opportunity to fulfill
my dream of producing a radio documentary. With free access to the
station’s analog recording and editing equipment (we were approaching,
but not yet on the verge of the digital revolution), I learned how to
cut and splice ¼-inch reel-to-reel tape and subsequently taught myself