CKUT is made up of hundreds of volunteers (working with a staff of coordinators), not just to make creative and insightful radio programming, but also to manage the station.
The station operates on a non-hierarchical collective management system that includes volunteers in decision-making.
CKUT's Mandate
CKUT is a non–profit, member-owned and -operated corporation, whose primary purpose is to operate a licensed FM radio station.
As a campus/community radio station, CKUT’s mandate is to provide an essential service to those in the Montreal community whose needs are not met by mainstream commercial radio.
CKUT functions not only as an alternative to the status quo, but also as a viable community resource. CKUT serves as a training ground for the community and student populations, and in doing so, provides an essential educational and information service to the greater Montreal community.
We are located at 3647 University Street just below ave des Pins. Our studios are on the ground floor with offices on the second floor. The studios and ground floor facilities are wheelchair-accessible.
Land Acknowledgement and Resources
CKUT is located on and transmits from unceded Indigenous territory in Tiohtià:ke, the original name for Montreal in Kanien’kéha, the language of the Kanien’kehà:ka (Mohawk), which is also known as Mooniyang, the Anishinaabeg name given to the city by the Algonquin. We are committed to amplifying Indigenous voices and calls for justice on our airwaves.
There is a pronunciation guide for these Indigenous words here.
We encourage all our members and listeners to familiarize themselves with the 94 Calls to Action (2015) from the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation and to inform themselves about the Indigenous histories of the land where they live, as well as ongoing struggles for sovereignty, decolonization, and land back.
To learn more about the Indigenous nations that have inhabited different regions of the Americas, check out native-land.ca.
Links
Station Governance (CKUT’s Policy and Procedures Manual, the Blue Book)
You can learn more about CKUT’s history in the Time Capsule.
Departments
Our dedicated staff keeps the station & volunteers in check, providing resources, guidance & support. Here are the different departments at CKUT:
Music Department
CKUT’s music programming emphasizes the uncommon, the new, and the daring.
Our music department coordinates 73 music shows, curates a specialized music library and archive featuring excellent music selections and also helps manage a variety of CKUT special projects.
We have a variety of specialized music programs as well as open format programs that span many musical genres. DJs make their own musical selections, without the aid of a playlist, choosing from recordings sent to CKUT by artists and record companies around the world as well as from their own private collections.
Check out the Music Department’s blog here for more information.
Spoken Word Department
CKUT’s Spoken Word Department is responsible for all of our non-music programming.
Arts & Culture-focused programming is produced and coordinated by individuals and groups of the community-at-large, McGill University communities, Montreal-based artists, activists and more. The content is created by and for the community of programmers involved and with constant aim to reach out to more audiences and groups in Montreal and beyond. This programming represents creative or cultural groups that are not represented in mainstream media.
News-focused programming covers the local and hyper-local goings-on in the Milton-Parc and McGill neighbourhoods, in Montreal more widely, in Canada, and in the world. CKUT News reporters cover a variety of essential topics and perspectives that are underrepresented in Montreal’s mainstream media outlets. Like all CKUT programming, our Community News reporting is free of corporate influence and reflects our community because it is made by our community.
Tune in to OFF THE HOUR Monday to Friday from 5-6 pm to hear the daily news. The show’s team is made up of station volunteers and representatives from various community groups.
Check out the Spoken Word Department’s blog here.
Production Department
The production department creates CKUT’s unique sound. It takes an idea and transforms it into a sonic masterpiece. The department produces most of the station’s ads and provides technical assistance on-air and in the studio for recording interviews as well as in-studio performances.
The production department trains aspiring voices and tape heads and also has the daunting task of keeping all of the station’s equipment working.
Partnerships Department
The partnerships department handles all station advertising, partnerships, co-presentations and more. CKUT specializes in getting a client’s message to specific, attentive audiences at very reasonable rates. The department is plugged in to many different communities and knows how to access them on a client’s behalf.
Click here for more information and rates.
Funding and Outreach Department
The funding and outreach department is all about tapping into community support and finding creative ways of keeping the station not only running, but constantly improving itself. It coordinates the station’s annual funding drive: a 10 day, on-air effort which invites listeners to call in and support CKUT by pledging money towards their favourite shows.
The department also coordinates year-round benefit events and other station fundraising activities such as grant applications, general promotions, etc. and works closely with McGill students, coordinates events and workshops on McGill campus, etc.
Volunteers
CKUT volunteers program shows, announce, produce documentaries, conduct interviews, participate on committees, raise money, write radio dramas, solicit music and generally make CKUT what it is. The station wouldn’t exist without the energy and talent of volunteers from across Montreal’s and McGill’s communities.
Becoming a volunteer can be a life-altering experience. The station holds regular tours to introduce newcomers to the possibilities of campus-community radio. CKUT offers training and experience in everything you need to know about radio production and beyond.
