Kootenay Co-op Radio

Date of Incorporation:June 1998

Membership:492 members

Organisational Form:Non-profit service co-operative

Area Served:Nelson

Activity:Operate a community radio station by providing members with training and access to the airways

Mission Statement

"Kootenay Cooperative Radio uses its facilities and the initiative and skills of its membership to create a medium for balanced expression of the varied perspectives of our community. KCR aims to entertain and inform listeners through its commitment to innovative broadcast journalism and high-quality programming."

Beginnings

Kootenay Cooperative Radio (KCR) is an eclectic, informative, and entertaining community radio station that was established in Nelson, British Columbia in 1998. Many people had expressed a desire for an innovative grass roots radio station -an alternative to the three existing radio stations that were already broadcasting out of Nelson -for many years before any planning for this station commenced. The community was looking for an opportunity to voice opinions, share information, and listen to programs that would not otherwise be heard.

Planning meetings began in a loosely organized fashion in 1996 and eventually the idea spread and meetings grew larger and more focused. People were serious about starting a community radio station and they dedicated a great deal of time, energy and passion to the process. When the Kootenay Co-op Radio incorporated in June 1998 the founding members were Zoe Creighton, Sharon Butler, Guy Lapointe, Wade Porter, Jocelyn Carver, David MacKinnon, and Anne Degrace.

Challenges

Securing a broadcasting license through the Canadian Radio Television Communications Commission (CRTCC) was the biggest challenge the co-operative encountered in its early development. As part of its application for a license KCR collected submissions from community members in an effort to produce six pilot programs for broadcast on community radio stations across Canada. It received its CRTCC licence at the end of August 2000 and began broadcasting on November 6, 2000. Up until this point, KCR, had been dependent on 28 day broadcasting licenses, which they received intermittently. KCR has always had community support but the inconsistency of their broadcasting license has made it difficult to maintain the level of support and to convince listeners that the community radio station would have a permanent place on the airwaves.

Community Awareness

To help promote the co-operative's development, the members organised various events both to fundraise and to raise awareness in the community. One of the largest events was the "Almost On-Air Premiere," a five-hour extravaganza showcasing the type of programming that members would do once the co-op secured a permanent broadcasting license. This event was a huge success in terms of outreach and generating enthusiasm in the community. Shortly after this event, KCR received its first 28-day broadcasting license. The most financially lucrative event for KCR was a garage sale, which raised over $700. Community awareness and fundraising continue to be focal points of the co-operative. KCR publishes a quarterly newsletter and program guide to keep the community informed about new programs and upcoming events. KCR has also encouraged community input by distributing a programming survey to determine what listeners want to hear.

In the course of developing the community radio station, the developers found that "people in Canadian radio are just vibrating with excitement and they just want to share their knowledge." Ian Pringle of Vancouver Co­op Radio, in particular, was a great help, providing a wealth of information as well as his organisation's statement of incorporation and funding documents. In seeking ideas and models for community radio KCR founders discovered that the Vancouver Co-op Radio was using a framework workable. One member describes how "the Co-op Model just reinforced the founding principles of the whole organisation. When we were talking about whether to incorporate as a society or a co-op right at the beginning it seemed like every single one of the principles that we all shared were the same as the co-op principles."

A community radio station is nothing with out a community of listeners. It is critical for the co-op to stay in touch with the needs of the community. As one member put it, "it becomes a means for the community to transfer its cultural knowledge." Community outreach is an important part of the radio stations activities. The radio station allocates airtime to community events and activities that might not reach the more conventional radio stations. They actively involve themselves in community events and are the host of many community celebrations. A significant portion of what the radio does both on and off the air contributes to community development in the Nelson area.

Organizational Structure

The board consists of six members, with specific positions of chair, vice-chair, secretary, and treasurer, which are appointed at the first meeting of each new board. The membership elects directors on an annual basis for a term of two years. The board uses a modified form of consensus in decision-making; if consensus is not reached after three meetings, the majority decides the outcome. The role of the board is to oversee the financial affairs of the co-op, determine wage rates for employees, provide the organisation with direction, establish and maintain policies and procedures, and have ultimate responsibility for the management of the co­op. Up until November 2000, the board was a management board, very active in the day-to-day operations of the co-op.

The co-operative employs two full-time staff: a station manager, responsible for the day-to-day operations of the station and a sponsorship coordinator, responsible for selling and producing station as well as program sponsorships. All other positions within the co-operative, including the board of directors, are on a volunteer basis. Any community member can join the co-operative by paying a membership fee of $40, two dollars of which goes towards a lifetime share in the co-operative. Memberships must be renewed annually and there are special rates for low-income, family, and organisation memberships. Members can be involved in anything from running their own radio program, to holding a coordinator position, to sitting on one of the various planning committees. Members have access to any of KCR's training programs, which include: station orientation; on-air performance; how to operate the sound board; program structure; pacing and flow; pre-recording studio; field recording, and interviewing skills. After some training, members can make a demo tape and submit it to the co-op's selection committee, along with a proposal explaining the purpose and importance of their program. KCR has a program in place to monitor new programs for quality, content, and the programmer's technical skill. It was put in place to ensure that the co-op's standards are met, to avoid potential complaints from listeners, and to deal with problems in a fair an equitable manner.

Benefits

Members benefit directly from the co-op structure by gaining access to the airwaves and from the training that is provided. According to Zoe Creighton, co-operative values and practices such as mutual aid and solidarity, support the values that make a community radio station work. The goals of a community radio station are determined and supported by the listeners. KCR members convey the importance of passing the diverse tastes and ideas of the listeners back out to the community as part of a broader public discourse. The co-op structure allows this kind of many-voiced approach.

Another benefit is the collective energy and creativity that working co-operatively cultivates. One member explains, "we are a bunch of people without a whole lot of money but who have a huge amount of energy for things that we care about, you don't just need one person with some seed money to start a business you need a lot of people who have the willingness to volunteer directed passion and that energy." There is a real sense that members have a feeling of ownership and pride as a result of their affiliation with KCR.

Development Funding

KCR received an $8,000 start-up grant from the Ministry of Community Development, Co-operatives and Volunteers, but further government funding has been limited. When KCR went on-air full-time, the town council provided the co-op with a $1500 grant-in-aid. The co-operative relies heavily on sponsorship from community organisations and businesses, as well as annual membership fees. Currently, KCR holds annual membership drives to encourage members to renew their memberships. The co-operative hopes to make this a biannual event. KCR was involved in a millennium CD project, funded by the Millennium Board of Canada. This project was entitled "Kootenay Artists and Craftspeople - A Celebration to Mark the Millennium," and KCR hopes that it will be "the first in a series of programs to bring the voices of local artists, and their stories, into the living-rooms of Canadians." Most recently, KCR received funding from the Ministry of Community Development, Co-operatives and Volunteers for strategic planning, which the co-op intends to use for a two-day board retreat, followed by a partnership building and strategic community alliance-building workshop with a local facilitator.

Future Plans

In the future, KCR hopes to be a mentor for other community radio stations. The co-operative would like to put together a manual and photo documentation that outlines how to set up a community radio station in BC. Fred Rosenburg, a professional photographer, has archived the development of the co-op in still photographs. The co-operative anticipates being involved in further community education to emphasize and promote the value of community radio.

The Kootenay Co-op Radio provides listeners with a connection to their community by showcasing the people, businesses, and events of Nelson. KCR's wide variety of programs has introduced listeners to music, ideas, cultures, and personalities that they wouldn't have had the opportunity to hear on mainstream radio. "Community radio gives you an in to parts of culture that you would normally only be an observer to. All of a sudden you can listen to the guy, who you would never meet on the corner, playing his reggae music or the people talking about art and the festivals who are actually doing it and you might never otherwise have contact with, and then there you are, sharing their intimate space just like that," one member explains.

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