This is the first year CFRC has been without its $48,000 annual fee from the University, and the station is looking for ways to fill the money gap in their operating costs. In order to make up the difference, CFRC kicks off its second annual funding drive today. Last year, CFRC ran a similar fundraising campaign that raised $11,000, and the station’s operations officer, Eric Duncan, followed through on his vow to get the CFRC logo tattooed onto his back if the station made more than $5,000.
CFRC Business Manager Joanne Williams said this year, CFRC volunteer programmer and host of 6 Degrees of Appreciation Dinah Jansen will be continuing the tattoo tradition herself. This year, Incoming Operations Officer Eric Beers said the station hopes to go further and raise $15,000.
“We don’t expect to make the whole $48,000, but it’s one step in our transition,” he said. “It’s a way to engage the community and get students involved.” Beers said he’s optimistic the drive will raise awareness about CFRC and what it does. Sayyida Jaffer, the station’s outgoing operations officer, said
the money is needed for CFRC’s basic expenses. “We were using the money for operating costs—that includes equipment, maintenance and purchase, our promotional stuff … even salaries and office supplies,” she said. Beers said he isn’t sure what CFRC’s financial future will hold. “We can speculate, but we don’t know. … All we can commit to is doing all we can to decrease thedeficit until we can get to zero, so we can ourselves,” he said. “We’re working all the time.” Williams said it’s possible some of the money the station got in last year’s fundraiser will be a one-time thing, but the station’s
higher profile should still bring in funds. “It’s hard to tell but there were a couple gifts last year that were because it was our first-ever drive,” she said. “[But] more people are starting to know that we need the money, so that’ll just grow as the years go on. … We also know that not as many people realized we really needed it last year.” As well, Williams said this is the first year they’ve asked businesses for their , and this is proving fruitful. As of yesterday afternoon, Williams said they had raised more than $1,000 from businesses and private donors.
CFRC put forward a referendum question proposing an increase of $0.75 to their annual student fee, from $3.75 to $4.50, during last fall’s referendum period. 52.81 per cent of students who voted were in favour of the increase, but low voter turnout precvented the proposed increase from ing: less than 12 per cent of the student body voted, which meant that a 60 per cent majority was required for a question to . Williams said they have to renew their current fee during this year’s fall referendum, and will try for an increase during the winter referendum. The amount of the increase will be up to next year’s managers, but Williams said it might be the same as last year’s proposed increase to $4.50.
The station also plans to focus on advertising to increase student awareness, and find ways to interact with faculty, for instance by interviewing them for CBC. “Our station is one of the best-equipped campus radio stations in the country,” Jaffer said.
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