All your support is needed & much appreciated!!
Confirmed pickets for the month of September:
Sunday, September 7 @ 12 noon
Sunday, September 14 @ 12 noon
Sunday, September 21 @ 12 noon
Sunday, September 27 @ 12 noon
Location:
Outside the Ryerson Student Campus Centre (SCC)
55 Gould Street
Toronto, Ontario
(Near Yonge and Dundas)
Map
*CHECK BACK FOR UPDATES*
Bring along placards, noisemakers, drums, whistles, friends and family!
For more info contact: takebackourradio@gmail.com
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Friday, August 29, 2008
We Need Your Help!
Please join us in our struggle to reclaim CKLN and all it stands for!
Organizing meetings are ongoing every Wednesday at the Imperial Pub (2nd floor), 54 Dundas St. @ Victoria (just East of Yonge). The next meeting is Wednesday, September 3 at 7:00 pm. Please attend if possible.
Map
Organizing meetings are ongoing every Wednesday at the Imperial Pub (2nd floor), 54 Dundas St. @ Victoria (just East of Yonge). The next meeting is Wednesday, September 3 at 7:00 pm. Please attend if possible.
Map
Letter of Support from CKUT in Montreal
August 28th, 2008
Dear colleagues in community radio:
This letter has been signed by numerous volunteer and staff members of CKUT 90.3fm in Montreal who are deeply disturbed by the recent events that have changed the programming as well as staff and volunteer make-up of CKLN 88.1fm, one of Toronto's oldest and boldest campus-community radio station. We are writing to support of the work of Kristin Schwartz and the recently banned members of CKLN.
We hope that our experience as a sister-station in the campus-community radio sector can assist you in evaluating some of the concerns that have led most recently to the firing of Kristin.
CKUT Radio in Montreal has been greatly inspired by the work of CKLN's News Department over the last decade. We have collaborated on numerous occasions to produce and share content that amplifies progressive perspectives on critical issues, including regular reports as well as special focus programming around International Women's Day, LGBTQ Pride, and Prisoner Justice Day (all of which Kristin helped to coordinate for years).
Since 2003, CKLN has also collaborated with CKUT, to host the national Homelessness Marathon, a talk radio show that takes place in the middle of winter and is hosted outside from the frozen streets of Montreal. CKLN volunteers have not only contributed airtime to this marathon, but also provided local content in addition to broadcasting the marathon live locally on the streets of Toronto, ensuring that poor people have access to this important national platform. CKUT's news department has also relied on reports from CKLN on numerous issues that provide our listeners the opportunity to hear from Toronto's poor and working people, racialized people, women, queer and trans people, youth, disAbled people, and others who are underrepresented or misrepresented in mainstream media.
Kristin and CKLN volunteers have also played a key role in the development of GroundWire, a national news programming currently airing monthly across Canada. Kristin's rich experience in the community news sector has been invaluable to the development of this important vehicle for community news producers across Canada. Her time on the board of the National Campus and Community Radio Association (NCRA) helped to create space for GroundWire to grow. Today, GroundWire is produced collectively by stations across Canada, with more than 30 contributing producers (including some of the banned volunteers of CKLN). One of the goals of GroundWire is to develop news departments across Canada and create space for students, youth and community members to learn about broadcasting to air their news productions nationally. Much of the mandate of GroundWire has been influenced by Kristin's decade of experience at CKLN with its volunteers and listeners.
Finally, the firing of Kristin is a grave violation of her rights as a unionized worker with a 10-year history as a paid-staff person at CKLN. We understand that there are concerns about Kristin's working relationship with the current board of directors and for this reason she was terminated, effective immediately. Kristin is a leader and her history with CKLN should be a vital asset to the current situation at CKLN, not the opposite. Our sector deserves to have committed, experienced people like Kristin who are firmly rooted in the mandate of campus-community radio. We all owe it to ourselves and to our sector to work through whatever problems exist, on the basis of sound information and respect for a person's contributions and rights.
In solidarity,
CKUT's Community News Collective
-Christian and Charlotte, producers of Travel Against Canada
-Evan Light, former NCRA board member
-Tariq Jeeroburkhan, host and producer of the Friday Morning After
-Jaggi Singh, No One Is Illegal Radio
-Beza Seife
-Aaron Lakoff
-Sarah Mangle
-Caitlyn Chappell
-Shayla Chilliak
-David Koch
-Courtney Kirkby
-David Parker
-Anabel Khoo
-Stefan Christoff
-Melody Lotfi
-Laurin Lui
-Noel Thomas
-Charlie O'Connor
CKUT's Steering Committee
-Marc Montanchez, Technical and Production Coordinator
-Gretchen King, Community News and Production Coordinator
-Julie Delorme, Financial Coordinator
-Joanne Penhale, Volunteer Rep
-Andrea-Jane Cornell & Alex Moskos, Music Resources Coordinators
-Charlotte Scott, Spoken Word Coordinator
-Louise Burns, Sales Coordinator
CKUT's Board of Directors
-Dr. Darin Barney
-Allan Youster
-Don Wilkie
-Alexander Deguise
-Lawerence Joseph
Dear colleagues in community radio:
This letter has been signed by numerous volunteer and staff members of CKUT 90.3fm in Montreal who are deeply disturbed by the recent events that have changed the programming as well as staff and volunteer make-up of CKLN 88.1fm, one of Toronto's oldest and boldest campus-community radio station. We are writing to support of the work of Kristin Schwartz and the recently banned members of CKLN.
We hope that our experience as a sister-station in the campus-community radio sector can assist you in evaluating some of the concerns that have led most recently to the firing of Kristin.
CKUT Radio in Montreal has been greatly inspired by the work of CKLN's News Department over the last decade. We have collaborated on numerous occasions to produce and share content that amplifies progressive perspectives on critical issues, including regular reports as well as special focus programming around International Women's Day, LGBTQ Pride, and Prisoner Justice Day (all of which Kristin helped to coordinate for years).
Since 2003, CKLN has also collaborated with CKUT, to host the national Homelessness Marathon, a talk radio show that takes place in the middle of winter and is hosted outside from the frozen streets of Montreal. CKLN volunteers have not only contributed airtime to this marathon, but also provided local content in addition to broadcasting the marathon live locally on the streets of Toronto, ensuring that poor people have access to this important national platform. CKUT's news department has also relied on reports from CKLN on numerous issues that provide our listeners the opportunity to hear from Toronto's poor and working people, racialized people, women, queer and trans people, youth, disAbled people, and others who are underrepresented or misrepresented in mainstream media.
Kristin and CKLN volunteers have also played a key role in the development of GroundWire, a national news programming currently airing monthly across Canada. Kristin's rich experience in the community news sector has been invaluable to the development of this important vehicle for community news producers across Canada. Her time on the board of the National Campus and Community Radio Association (NCRA) helped to create space for GroundWire to grow. Today, GroundWire is produced collectively by stations across Canada, with more than 30 contributing producers (including some of the banned volunteers of CKLN). One of the goals of GroundWire is to develop news departments across Canada and create space for students, youth and community members to learn about broadcasting to air their news productions nationally. Much of the mandate of GroundWire has been influenced by Kristin's decade of experience at CKLN with its volunteers and listeners.
Finally, the firing of Kristin is a grave violation of her rights as a unionized worker with a 10-year history as a paid-staff person at CKLN. We understand that there are concerns about Kristin's working relationship with the current board of directors and for this reason she was terminated, effective immediately. Kristin is a leader and her history with CKLN should be a vital asset to the current situation at CKLN, not the opposite. Our sector deserves to have committed, experienced people like Kristin who are firmly rooted in the mandate of campus-community radio. We all owe it to ourselves and to our sector to work through whatever problems exist, on the basis of sound information and respect for a person's contributions and rights.
In solidarity,
CKUT's Community News Collective
-Christian and Charlotte, producers of Travel Against Canada
-Evan Light, former NCRA board member
-Tariq Jeeroburkhan, host and producer of the Friday Morning After
-Jaggi Singh, No One Is Illegal Radio
-Beza Seife
-Aaron Lakoff
-Sarah Mangle
-Caitlyn Chappell
-Shayla Chilliak
-David Koch
-Courtney Kirkby
-David Parker
-Anabel Khoo
-Stefan Christoff
-Melody Lotfi
-Laurin Lui
-Noel Thomas
-Charlie O'Connor
CKUT's Steering Committee
-Marc Montanchez, Technical and Production Coordinator
-Gretchen King, Community News and Production Coordinator
-Julie Delorme, Financial Coordinator
-Joanne Penhale, Volunteer Rep
-Andrea-Jane Cornell & Alex Moskos, Music Resources Coordinators
-Charlotte Scott, Spoken Word Coordinator
-Louise Burns, Sales Coordinator
CKUT's Board of Directors
-Dr. Darin Barney
-Allan Youster
-Don Wilkie
-Alexander Deguise
-Lawerence Joseph
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
More Dismissals at CKLN - Press Release
Dissenting Voices Continue to be Silenced at CKLN
Illegitimate Management Boots Staff and Volunteers
TORONTO, ON, Aug 19, 2008 --- Longtime news director Kristin Schwartz and at least five more volunteer hosts have been unjustly booted from CKLN community radio station without reason. “After 10 years of service to CKLN, and only six weeks after returning from a year-long parental leave, I was told that the current board of directors and I ‘do not see eye to eye’. For that reason I was terminated, effective immediately,” says Schwartz. She was fired last Monday and will be fighting the seemingly arbitrary dismissal with the backing of CUPE 1281.
Also last week, five volunteers with years of service received letters from Mike Phillips (former interim station manager dismissed by a 90 per cent vote of non-confidence in February) saying their services were no longer needed. This brings the number of dismissed volunteer programmers to over 30 since the Special General Meeting in February saw the membership vote to dismiss management and impeach the Board of Directors. Management continue, however, to occupy the station and control its funds.
Denise Benson of Mental Chatter, Nik Red of Afrotransit, Francis Yee Loy (DJ San Fran) fill-in for Afrotransit and former Full Moon host, Mano Narayanan (DJ Dialect) and Cheldon Paterson (DJ Vision) of Bruckbeat Radio have joined the long list of LGBT, racialized, First Nations, and psychiatric survivor voices silenced from the airwaves. Some of these volunteers have been at 88.1 FM for over 10 years and are a large part of the CKLN community, often holding events attended by frequent listeners.
The dismissals came after a July meeting where volunteer staff were once again successful in wrestling control from Phillips and illegitimate program director Tony Barnes when it seemed former management wished to dictate the manner in which participation was to occur. Some of the recently dismissed volunteers played a key role in holding the illegitimate management and board accountable for the inexcusable dismissals of 25 volunteers earlier this spring. At the meeting’s conclusion the membership voted not to hold elections until a resolution was reached with the dismissed programmers. Instead, Phillips has continued with these undue dismissals.
The unjustly dismissed volunteer programmers and their community supporters will continue to fight to restore CKLN as a voice for marginalized community voices, social justice and independent local music.
Contacts:
Nik Red (locked out volunteer, Afrotransit): 647 234 7333, musnik@yahoo.com
Susy Alvarez (locked out volunteer, Word of Mouth): 416-996-5540, susy.pocasangre@gmail.com
Lisa Skeete West (locked out volunteer, Reggaemania): lisantaij@hotmail.com
WEBSITE: takebackourradio.blogspot.com
EMAIL: takebackourradio@gmail.com
Volunteers on the Following Programs Have Been Silenced:
AFROTRANSIT
ANTI-PSYCHIATRY RADIO
BRUCKBEAT RADIO
DAT DERE
FRAMELINE
FREQUENCY FEMINISMS
HONOUR THE EARTH
LIMIN' IN DE AFRICAN DIASPORA
LOWDOWN 2 UPTOWN
MENTAL CHATTER
MIXTAPE MASSACRE
NO ONE IS ILLEGAL RADIO
OCAP RADIO
RADIO CLITERACY
REGGAEMANIA
SATURDAY MORNING LIVE
SOUNDS OF AFRICA
UPSURGENCE
WORD OF MOUTH NEWS
EMAIL: takebackourradio@gmail.com
Volunteers on the Following Programs Have Been Silenced:
AFROTRANSIT
ANTI-PSYCHIATRY RADIO
BRUCKBEAT RADIO
DAT DERE
FRAMELINE
FREQUENCY FEMINISMS
HONOUR THE EARTH
LIMIN' IN DE AFRICAN DIASPORA
LOWDOWN 2 UPTOWN
MENTAL CHATTER
MIXTAPE MASSACRE
NO ONE IS ILLEGAL RADIO
OCAP RADIO
RADIO CLITERACY
REGGAEMANIA
SATURDAY MORNING LIVE
SOUNDS OF AFRICA
UPSURGENCE
WORD OF MOUTH NEWS
Letter from CKLN News Director Kristin Schwartz
August 18, 2008
Dear friends, colleagues, comrades:
I am writing to seek your support. On August 11 I was fired from my position as News Director at CKLN 88.1fm, without warning and without cause. After 10 years of service to CKLN, and only six weeks after returning from a year-long parental leave, I was told that the current board of directors and I "do not see eye to eye". For that reason I was terminated, effective immediately.
It is true that I "don't see eye to eye" with the current board as they have taken many steps that I disagree with, including interfering in news programming in ways that are totally unprecedented, and expelling 30 volunteers who have produced excellent, community-based, progressive programming at CKLN, without giving any reasons or opportunity to appeal. This course of action is shameful and demonstrates a complete lack of responsible leadership, in my view.
But "not seeing eye to eye" is not a lawful reason for firing employees. Thankfully, I now have some protection from this board's arbitrary behavior because our workplace is unionized with the largest labour union in the country, the Canadian Union of Public Employees. CUPE Local 1281 is fighting my termination on my behalf.
Please, take a few moments to write a letter in support of my work at CKLN. You may want to highlight these points:
- the importance of CKLN's news department for broadcasting progressive perspectives on the critical issues of our time - war, poverty, violence, ecological devastation - and for providing access to the airwaves to poor and working people, racialized people, women, queer and trans people, youth, disAbled people, and others who are underrepresented or misrepresented in mainstream media
- the opportunities our news department has created for students, youth and community members to learn about broadcasting
- my work as a journalist and producer of programming which has aired across Canada and the United States
- my excellent record of supporting annual special programming for International Women's Day, LGBTQ Pride, and Prisoner Justice Day
- my contributions to the National Campus/Community Radio Association, and
- the outrageous violation of my rights as a unionized worker, in the midst of bargaining for a first contract.
You may send a copy to me at kristin.schwartz2008@gmail.com, our union at office@cupe1281.ca, and to Toby Whitfield, a member of CKLN's board of directors representing the Ryerson Students Union, at vp.finance@rsuonline.ca. The RSU is CKLN's largest funder.
Thanks for your support.
Sincerely,
Kristin Schwartz
Dear friends, colleagues, comrades:
I am writing to seek your support. On August 11 I was fired from my position as News Director at CKLN 88.1fm, without warning and without cause. After 10 years of service to CKLN, and only six weeks after returning from a year-long parental leave, I was told that the current board of directors and I "do not see eye to eye". For that reason I was terminated, effective immediately.
It is true that I "don't see eye to eye" with the current board as they have taken many steps that I disagree with, including interfering in news programming in ways that are totally unprecedented, and expelling 30 volunteers who have produced excellent, community-based, progressive programming at CKLN, without giving any reasons or opportunity to appeal. This course of action is shameful and demonstrates a complete lack of responsible leadership, in my view.
But "not seeing eye to eye" is not a lawful reason for firing employees. Thankfully, I now have some protection from this board's arbitrary behavior because our workplace is unionized with the largest labour union in the country, the Canadian Union of Public Employees. CUPE Local 1281 is fighting my termination on my behalf.
Please, take a few moments to write a letter in support of my work at CKLN. You may want to highlight these points:
- the importance of CKLN's news department for broadcasting progressive perspectives on the critical issues of our time - war, poverty, violence, ecological devastation - and for providing access to the airwaves to poor and working people, racialized people, women, queer and trans people, youth, disAbled people, and others who are underrepresented or misrepresented in mainstream media
- the opportunities our news department has created for students, youth and community members to learn about broadcasting
- my work as a journalist and producer of programming which has aired across Canada and the United States
- my excellent record of supporting annual special programming for International Women's Day, LGBTQ Pride, and Prisoner Justice Day
- my contributions to the National Campus/Community Radio Association, and
- the outrageous violation of my rights as a unionized worker, in the midst of bargaining for a first contract.
You may send a copy to me at kristin.schwartz2008@gmail.com, our union at office@cupe1281.ca, and to Toby Whitfield, a member of CKLN's board of directors representing the Ryerson Students Union, at vp.finance@rsuonline.ca. The RSU is CKLN's largest funder.
Thanks for your support.
Sincerely,
Kristin Schwartz
Friday, August 8, 2008
PICKET UPDATE - August 2008
All your support is needed & much appreciated!!
Confirmed pickets for the month of August:
Friday, August 8 @ 7 pm
Sunday, August 10 @ 12 noon
Friday, August 15 @ 7 pm
Sunday, August 17 @ 12 noon
Friday, August 22 @ 7 pm
Sunday, August 24 @ 12 noon
Friday, August 29 @ 7 pm
Sunday, August 31 @ 12 noon
Location:
Outside the Ryerson Student Campus Centre (SCC)
55 Gould Street
Toronto, Ontario
(Near Yonge and Dundas)
Map
*CHECK BACK FOR UPDATES*
Bring along placards, noisemakers, drums, whistles, friends and family!
For more info contact: takebackourradio@gmail.com
Confirmed pickets for the month of August:
Friday, August 8 @ 7 pm
Sunday, August 10 @ 12 noon
Friday, August 15 @ 7 pm
Sunday, August 17 @ 12 noon
Friday, August 22 @ 7 pm
Sunday, August 24 @ 12 noon
Friday, August 29 @ 7 pm
Sunday, August 31 @ 12 noon
Location:
Outside the Ryerson Student Campus Centre (SCC)
55 Gould Street
Toronto, Ontario
(Near Yonge and Dundas)
Map
*CHECK BACK FOR UPDATES*
Bring along placards, noisemakers, drums, whistles, friends and family!
For more info contact: takebackourradio@gmail.com
Broken Social Scene's Brendan Canning Names Dat Dere as His Favourite Show
Favorite Radio Show at the Moment
I just found out my DJ got fired! The local college station here, CKLN-FM, this older African woman named Chloe Onari, who had a show called "Dat Dere". There's some weird changes going on at the station, and she got canned, I guess for expressing certain views on the radio station. I have to find out about this; I have to get to the bottom of this. The replacement DJ just fucking blows. I don't mind the odd soca tune, but she would play...like, she loves Cecil Taylor, you know, she would play the most far-out jazz, and then play some schmaltzy, soulful R&B. And then just go everywhere, all over the map kind of thing...
I just found out my DJ got fired! The local college station here, CKLN-FM, this older African woman named Chloe Onari, who had a show called "Dat Dere". There's some weird changes going on at the station, and she got canned, I guess for expressing certain views on the radio station. I have to find out about this; I have to get to the bottom of this. The replacement DJ just fucking blows. I don't mind the odd soca tune, but she would play...like, she loves Cecil Taylor, you know, she would play the most far-out jazz, and then play some schmaltzy, soulful R&B. And then just go everywhere, all over the map kind of thing...
- Brendan Canning of Broken Social Scene
Read the rest of the article at Pitchfork Media.
Missing from the Grid: Archived audio from locked out hosts and producers
Here are some links to audio archived at Radio 4 All that showcases some of the programs, content, hosts and producers which have been unjustly removed from the airwaves by Mike Phillips and Tony Barnes (with the consent and approval of the illegal board which now controls CKLN). Enjoy and please keep on signing the petition and participating at pickets! Your support and solidarity means a lot!!
OCAP News coverage of Day of Action Against Poverty
http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/program/24747
Stef Gude for OCAP News focuses on Six Nations land reclamation efforts
http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/program/17559
Friday WOM Interview exploring the racism underlying Mel Gibson’s Apocalypto
http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/program/21025
Susy Alvarez feature piece on singer/artist Lila Downs for Ventana Al Barrio
http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/program/9831
Susy Alvarez contribution to the series “Free Thought Area of the Airwaves”
http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/program/3011
Heather Douglas assists on “Deconstructing Dinner”, an indie show about the politics of food
http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/program/22616
http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/program/22373
OCAP News coverage of Day of Action Against Poverty
http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/program/24747
Stef Gude for OCAP News focuses on Six Nations land reclamation efforts
http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/program/17559
Friday WOM Interview exploring the racism underlying Mel Gibson’s Apocalypto
http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/program/21025
Susy Alvarez feature piece on singer/artist Lila Downs for Ventana Al Barrio
http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/program/9831
Susy Alvarez contribution to the series “Free Thought Area of the Airwaves”
http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/program/3011
Heather Douglas assists on “Deconstructing Dinner”, an indie show about the politics of food
http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/program/22616
http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/program/22373
Statement by Legitimate CKLN Board of Directors
This statement was first published in July of 2008. It contains relevant info regarding the current state of affairs outside and inside CKLN. Please read it here.
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