Regina's CJTR-FM celebrates takeover by Access Communications

Volunteers and staff at Regina’s community radio station are voicing support for the takeover of CJTR-FM by Access Communications.

The struggling non-profit broadcaster will gain financial stability as the cable co-op assumes ownership.

CJTR Radio has been surviving month to month on donations and shrinking revenue from advertising sales. The station’s takeover comes as a relief to CJTR’s dedicated base of 80 volunteer programmers.

“Being able to continue to provide the service that this station has provided since 2001 is a very important thing,” volunteer programmer Eric Forbes explained.

This summer, Access Communications, a large non-profit cable television co-operative will assume responsibility for Regina’s community radio co-operative.

• Download the CTV News app to get breaking news alerts sent to your device

“We’re not assuming control of CJTR with the idea of a big revenue generator but we do want to make it self sustaining because we know it is a valuable asset that people in the community enjoy,” Access Communications spokesperson Mark Rathwell told CTV News.

The new operator will place a greater emphasis on advertising sales and realize overhead savings as CJTR moves into the Access Building this summer.

The move will bring financial stability.

“Our mandates are strikingly similar,” station manager Neil Adams said. “In that we provide voice to the community through the medium of radio and they do the same through the medium of television so aside from the difference of scale, we’re very similar organizations.”

The one thing that won’t change is the sound.

The 80 volunteer programmers and two staff members will all make the move, bringing with them, 5,000 hours of locally produced radio shows each year.