The Origins of Venus Radio

Venus Radio started in 1996 by Laura MacNeil, Delphine Foo and Erin MacLeod. The show is run by a collective of hosts and "explores women's impact on music and the impact of music on women in various jobs, stations and positions in life" (show proposal Nov 1996).

The show went on to win many #1 Best Radio Show in the Montreal Mirror/Cult Montreal readers poll and is well known for its infamous Radiokee where Montreal musician came to the station to sing their hearts out and raise funds for CKUT. Above is a bit of oral history – the story of the origins of Venus radio. It is a chat with the founders of Venus which aired for Venus’s Sweet 16 in May 2013.

Former Music Coordinator Joni Sadler with some Venus gear

The 2013 Venus crew

Venus ink

Venus in a 1998 issue of The McGill Daily

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Featured Archives

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May 2, 2024 2024 Palestinian Coverage

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May 1, 2024 2024 Palestinian Coverage

Live from the Popular University Encampment – Wednesday Evening

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May 1, 2024 2024 ffiles Palestinian Coverage

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An hour of live coverage from the Popular University Encampment.

April 30, 2024 2024 Off The Hour Palestinian Coverage

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Live and direct in the rain - an audio sit-in with the sounds of the people.

April 30, 2024 2024 Soul Perspectives

Soul Perspectives – Teen Talk Live

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April 29, 2024 2024 Off The Hour Palestinian Coverage

CKUT in Solidarity with the Popular University Encampment

An intergenerational discussion of the day's events at the Popular University Encampment on McGill campus.

April 25, 2024 2024 Hotel du Blues Palestinian Coverage

A journey through Palestinian music

A mix of Palestinian music and poetry hosted by CKUT volunteer extraordinaire Karla. First aired on Tuesday 16 April 2024 from 9-10pm on CKUT 90.3fm in Montreal and ckut.ca on the web.

April 17, 2024 2024 If You Got Ears

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World Skip The Beat – with Michelle

Michelle delivers a killer episode and tracklist featuring selections from around the globe.

March 27, 2024 If You Got Ears

If You Got Ears – with Zoë and Su

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February 6, 2024 2024 The Montreal Sessions

The Montreal Sessions – Heal Black Girl, Heal ep. 1

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February 5, 2024 2024 All Things McGill

All Things McGill – Poetry Reading and Student Strikes

Titouan hosts a great episode of ATM with audio from a poetry event at the Yellow Door and a report from the CKUT news collective on recent student strikes.

January 15, 2024 2024 Radio Is Dead

Radio Is Dead – Jam #2

Described by the hallway crew as "music in a submarine", episode 2 features Eve, Emily, and Evelyn at the controls for an improvised jam using 2 mixers, a drum machine, a tube overdrive pedal, a little YouTube, and the mixers' onboard effects.

January 15, 2024 World Skip The Beat

World Skip – with Kasen and Kayle

Snowflakes are spinning around in the sky while Kasen and Kayle play music from around the globe.

January 11, 2024 2024 Venus Radio

Venus Radio – with kp

Slushy afternoon sounds from kp live in the studio + a full tracklist ft. Sea Oleana, Men I Trust, Burs, The Cardigans, and more. Venus Radio has been working to bring you feminist, queer, female, trans, and gender non-conforming perspectives through music since 1999.

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January 8, 2024 2024 Radio Is Dead

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Tune in as a big batch of volunteers improvise and experiment with a contact mic, effects pedals, guitar amp, YouTube, vocal mic, mixer and effects. The first in a series of upcoming experiments. Email production@ckut.ca to get involved in future ones.

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No Borders Media – A look at the upcoming year of resisting the far-right & fascism in the USA

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Disaster Sources – Interview with Heather Ross (SKIN, High Grove)

Host Aaron has a conversation with Heather Ross, a Montreal experimental artist who records and performs as SKIN.