Ottawa’s airwaves will soon grow a little quieter, and that merits reflection in the Carleton University community.
After five decades of broadcasting, CHUO 89.1 FM — the University of Ottawa’s campus radio station — is set to air its final live programming on Monday. Pre-recorded content will continue to air until March 2026.
For those of us at Carleton, the idea of losing CKCU-FM might seem irrelevant, but this is nonetheless cause for concern.
CHUO has amplified music, perspectives and cultures that mainstream media has often overlooked.
Shows like Black on Black, Radio Irava, the Ethiopian Show, the Somali Show and Caribbean Flavour were spaces where students and community members could share identity, history and connection with each other.
The reasons for the shutdown are complex. A student referendum in 2023 ended a levy that funded the station’s operations, pulling the bulk of CHUO’s budget. This year, concerted fundraising efforts fell far short of the campaign’s goals, and financial realities have forced the board’s hand.
When the levy was in effect, the station was required to pay $1 monthly to the university for studio space in the Morisset library basement.
But once the levy ended and the station became an independent non-profit, the university informed CHUO that the cost of using the same studio would rise to $27,000 per year.
Universities have a duty to protect student voices, and this includes independent student media, something uOttawa has failed to accommodate and look after.
Student budgets are tight. Tuition, food, housing and other essentials understandably tend to be top of mind.
But the fact that a service that brought so many students information and joy could suddenly disappear speaks to a broader shift in how we value community and creativity on our campuses.
Campus radio stations are a training ground for future journalists, and alumni of CHUO have gone on to careers in national media and beyond.
CHUO has also been a rare institution in Ottawa: inclusive and rooted in underrepresented voices and volunteer passion.
Think about those who have found their stride and a community thanks to the radio show. This move is taking away that space from them.
Community media matters because it is beloved, human and irreplaceable once it’s gone.
Campus culture will endure without this station.
But we should stop and think alongside students at uOttawa, and ask ourselves: in times like this, what voices are we failing to hear? And how can we make sure the next generation still has the space to speak?
