And it really is a happy day with some wonderful news; did you know that cjmp.ca now gets 1,500 visitors each month? Or that we have a tremendous listener base in Vancouver?

Neither did we! Until yestersday, when our team cracked the vault to over two years of data showing the traffic behaviour of our website. (You can thank Giovanni Spezzacatena for his foresight in installing this tool What we found was an absolute wealth of inspiring and wonderful information.

For example, since the website came online in late 2010, we’ve had over 20,000 unique visitors to cjmp.ca – from libraries and laptops throughout the country. 9,000 of these individuals are based right here in Powell River; and of the traffic that comes in each day 40% of them are new people!

The site’s popularity has risen dramatically over the months. The Naomi Klein event back in early 2011 pushed our average up from 600 monthly visitors to 1,100; and our showing at Blackberry Festival and other summer events saw a rise from 1,100 – 1,500. But most satisfying of all is that these numbers never drop afterwards: people like what they see, and they stay.

The vast majority of you check in each day to see what’s new, and half of all visitors jump straight to our online streaming service to catch the day’s broadcast.

If you ever doubted whether or not you were reaching an audience with community radio – or that being the audience made you a group of one – I hope this news comes as a booster shot.

In the coming weeks we will continue to dredge and sift through this information, analyzing it and recording it for future volunteers; and of course, communicating it!

There are two more batches of data for yours truly to go through – and then the depth that comes with putting it all together and finding new patterns and lessons therein. This news was certainly a shot in the arm for the Board, and we – like you – are eager to hear more.

I’ve been your post Dan Zynski, allow me to play you out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FODNjHgCc0

Actually that couldn’t be further from the truth – because I love doing my show – but there are some changes being made and you, sir and/or madam, are in the equation.

This Saturday and for all of May, Open Mic will be scaled to a 2-hour show (Noon-2pm.) I am heartily seeking a co-host to run the show beside me and extend Open Mic back to a 3hr slot, with content preparation split 50/50 and friendly banter throughout.

The reason for this program haircut is both front-end and back-end, by which I mean I want to produce more on-air material (Radio Theatre) outside of Open Mic, and work harder behind the scenes as well (Brooks Secondary liaising, production team work, Secretarial stuff.) But! It’s also because the show’s format really demands two hosts – for casual conversation and discussions – that make a less intimidating atmosphere to call or drop in on.

If you are unfamiliar with Open Mic, you can link here http://www.cjmp.ca/podcast/get.php?web=j154.mp3 to get a taste.

Please consider joining me on-air and earn +5 charisma.

dan.zynski@gmail.com

Big deal; big cheque. (L-R: Angela, Diana, Kyran, Caitlin, Zoë, Suzan, Brownie, Bad Karen, Meghan. Photo by Lowell Boran)

On Thursday, April 19th at CJMP’s springtime public gathering, Powell River Community Radio Society graciously accepted a $9,000 donation from the Cranberry Community Hall Association. Director Pam Brown (Brownie) spoke about how the hall is a legacy of Olive Devaud, who had donated the money to the Unitarians when they operated the space, as a contribution to the community. The Cranhall is a community resource offering low cost space rental for meetings or events. As PRCRS president Tony Colton told the group collected at this gathering, CJMP will use part of the donation to pay for a new audio console, with the remainder going toward research and development in ways to increase CJMP’s signal to at least 50 watts.

More detailed minutes to follow, but here is a snapshot of the meeting:

First of all, many thanks to those who attended (including at least three brand new people!) and to those who generously brought the delicious snacks and those who set up/attended to the CJMP t-shirt/sweatshirt (yes!) and membership table!

Other news at the gathering included some news from the Promotions-Outreach-Membership (POM-POM) Working Group, where team  leader Caitlin Bryant announced that she will need to step down from leading the committee, but will be as active as she can. Caitlin, who has been instrumental to CJMP’s success over the past two years or so as a former director of PRCRS and as POM-POM leader, encourages anyone interested in fronting the team to contact the board of directors. There was also a sign-up sheet for various coming events including Prawn Festival (Sat. June 16), Diversity, Seafair, Blackberry Fest, and a series of shows in May at the Carlson Club held by The Music Room. If you are interested in helping with any of these events, please contact us.

Operations Director Angela LaFortune spoke about some aspects of her job, and asked if anyone was interested in being her “first mate”; Operations oversees the studio and technologies. If Interested, please contact us; you may also leave a message at the station (ph. 604.485.0088).

Two new directors were introduced: Dan Adaszynski (Secretary) and Lowell Boran (Communications Director) were introduced and each spoke briefly about some of the advancements they plan. Dan asked that folks email him at feedback(at)cjmp(dot)com, or click here; and Lowell said he will revamp the website to make it easier to navigate and to obtain memberships online.

Zoë Ludski, Programming Manager and programmer at CJMP, then took the stage to discuss various topics like the new volunteer and programmer contracts, the security of the station, content requirements and logging procedures. A programmers meeting was tentatively set at 6PM on May 23rd, 2012 (at the studio).

Join us on Thurs. April 19 at 6PM at the CRC

You are invited to CJMP’s Springtime Public Gathering (“Your Radio Is Blooming!”) on Thursday April 19, 2012 at 6PM at the Powell River Community Resource Centre (4752 Joyce Ave).

Since October, 2010 The Powell River Community Radio Society (PRCRS) has been periodically holding Public Gatherings as yet another way to stay in touch with our fellow members and to give the general public access to information and the real-life peeps behind the scenes. The Board and Team Leaders will give us some important updates on what has been moving and shaking since our January gathering, plus what’s in store for the Spring/Summer 2012.

You can even renew your membership (if it ain’t blue, it ain’t new− CJMP membership card, that is) right there and then.

So, get your radio-face on and meet and greet your fellow DJs, programmers, team leaders and members, technicians, Board members past and present, and our amazing fanbase, plus some new faces. Bring a friend!

And ‘finger food’ is always welcome too! Man does not live on radio alone (although sometimes I wonder…)

On another happy note or two, PRCRS welcomes two new directors (see who they all are here) to the fold:

• Lowell Boran as new CJMP Communications Director
• Daniel Adaszynski (“Zynski” of Open Mic fame) as the new PRCRS Secretary

In case you’re not aware,  CJMP FM has recently started podcasting some of its locally-produced programs. You can see the list of recent programs at http://www.cjmp.ca/podcast/. Down the right side of that page are the links to RSS feeds for all podcasts or to the RSS feeds for individual programs. You can use these RSS feeds to subscribe in iTunes or other media software, so that whenever a new program has been posted you will automatically download it.

The beauty of podcasts is that you do not need to be within the range of the FM signal; and you can listen to programs after they have gone out live,  in case you miss them when they air.

The newest one to go up there is “What’s Up Down In Victoria?”, which is the segment from Bad Karen Skadsheim‘s weekly program (Every Day Is Like Sunday) during which she talks to MLA Nicholas Simons. The first episode to go up is from last Friday, when Bad Karen and Nicholas discussed the NDP leadership race, smart meters, seniors’ driving tests, the Patricia Theatre, the public library, the second Poetry Slam, and more.

You can listen here, or subscribe to this specific podcast using this link.

If you are not already a member or supporter of our local community-run, non-profit media hub, become a sustaining member today. There’s never been a better time to join in and get your voice heard! Time slots are available for your own program as well– get your own (or shared) program on air; click here to find out how.

The 'Cranhall'

Big news on the programming front includes the immanent arrival of the ARC-15 broadcast console, made possible by a very generous gift from the Cranberry Community Hall Association(CCHA).  The CCHA’s substantial gift of $9,000 will pay for the broadcast console with the remainder earmarked to help us increase our signal.  Watch this space for more information and photos of large novelty cheque!!

Here’s a short list of other happenings:

• Our Signals Committee has been formed to pursue the necessary requirements for signal enhancement. Want to know more? Contact the PRCRS Board.
• An Operations Team continues to work closely with our Director of Operations Angela LaFortune.  Interested in joining?  Contact Angela.
• Grants season has sprung and our little elves will be working diligently creating proposals and filling in applications.  Wanna be an elf? Contact the PRCRS Board.
• Our schedule continues to blossom: check it out!
• Not to mention the work of the Policies Committee (want to join? Contact them at: http://blog.cjmp.ca/contact-us/contact-the-policies-team/)

It’s a great new development for CJMP, your very own Community Radio station in downtown Powell Riviera! Not only do we have close two dozen live programs on air, and not only can you:

• Listen in on your radio or mobile device at 90.1 FM
• Tune in via cable at 89.1 Shaw Cable
• Listen to us online via live streaming with six separate streams…

BUT now you can also catch an increasing number of our live shows via our new podcast page! The link will reside inside our “Listen” tab on our website.

What does this mean?

It means that you will are now able to download your favourite program and listen to it whenever you want! It’s a big step and it will take a little while to get the kinks out, and to get programmers on board, but it’s all the more reason to support CJMP! Obtain or Renew your membership, sponsor us or advertise on CJMP, or donate your skills, time, ideas, equipment — anything to help support the station and  this project spearheaded by our volunteer extraordinaire Terry Joyce, with the continued support of many of our hard-working volunteer programmers.

Check it out now!

Get ready for a wall of sound!

This week only, CJMP presents a special program during Bad Karen’s Everyday Is Like Sunday (EDILS) Friday, 5PM-7PM starring programmers David Parkinson (The Unending Subtleties of River Power Fri 3PM-5PM) and Kamandi (Cowbell Radio Fri 7-PM-8PM).

It’s a long-awaited and much-anticipated Shoegazer Special! Both David and Kamadi will have their own solo programs as well on either side of this 5-7PM slot. Don’t miss it!

From Wikipedia:

Shoegazing (also known as shoegaze) is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged from the United Kingdom in the late 1980s. It lasted there until the mid 1990s, with a critical zenith reached in 1990 and 1991. The British music press—particularly NME and Melody Maker—named this style shoegazing because the musicians in these bands stood relatively still during live performances in a detached, introspective, non-confrontational state, hence the idea that they were gazing at their shoes. The heavy use of effects pedals also contributed to the image of performers looking down at their feet during concerts.

The shoegazing sound is typified by significant use of guitar effects, and indistinguishable vocal melodies that blend into the creative noise of the guitars. ^[...] Recent times have seen a renewed interest in the genre among “nu-gaze” bands.

The Great Composers starts Tues. March 6 @ 4:00PM

Program Title: The Great Composers

Host: John Silver

Tuesdays 4 – 5 pm on CJMP 90.1 FM

FIRST SHOW MARCH 6, 2012 @ 4:00 pm

Our illustrious Program Director, Zöe Ludski, had been bugging me for some time to present a classical music show and, once I accepted, I then had to decide on a title.  Happily my fellow Board director, Angela La Fortune, came up with one that I felt was really terrific – THE GREAT COMPOSERS.

Some of you may know me as an ardent opera fan but THE GREAT COMPOSERS will not include opera.  Instead it will feature just about all other forms of classical music.  (A separate show devoted entirely to opera is in the works.)

I hope you will join me at four o’clock on Tuesday afternoons for symphonies, concertos, chamber music, solo instrumental music and who knows what else, all from the classical repertoire.  It should also be a good lead-in to the show that follows – “Art Matters” with Imtiaz Taj.

Luna

Program Title: Into the Ether with Luna

Host: Diana Patricia Pacheco

Thursdays from noon to 1 pm on CJMP 90.1 

FIRST SHOW MARCH 1, 2012 @ NOON

I decided to name the show “Into the Ether with Luna”, because the Ether represents to me the un-manifested infinity, the fifth element, allowing the space to talk and to bring up topics that would normally be classified as out of the box. We are going to be talking about holistic health sciences, metaphysics and New Age.

I will be giving an angel card reading every week. I would also like to share with you a useful Spanish expression that you can take with you at the end of the show – and because I am in love with love, I would like to open the phone line (call 604-485-0088) so that you can call me at the station to send a message to a loved one, to your partner, a secret lover, the girl behind the counter, whatever your heart calls you to do.

You can also send an email (onair@cjmp.ca) and I will read it on air. Please tune in. I hope you have fun. ~ Diana