About Reviving Kanehsata:ke Radio -RKR-

                  —- Reviving Kanehsatà:ke Radio —-

    April 2nd, 2021 is our 1st anniversary of being officially on the air as RKR! It was also exactly 3 years ago that the ball began to roll to Revive Kanehsatà:ke Radio. In November 2018, a meeting was called at the United Church Hall to discuss some important matters involving our beloved CKHQ Radio station. Our frequency signal 101.7fm had been threatened by a station in Lachute who wanted to take our frequency for their gain. The absence and dead air compromised the survival of our neglected station. Over 50 community members gathered that night.

    It was clear everyone present wanted the same thing, to keep CKHQ on the air. Thus, “Reviving Kanehsatà:ke Radio” was born. That night we ended the meeting having identified a working group comprised of community members who would begin the leg work for getting CKHQ 101.7FM back on the air.

    Shortly thereafter a new federally registered not-for-profit corporation Tsik Nonwéhson Nitkontewenní:ne’s – Mohawk MultiMedia was formed with an elected board of directors. Its goals and objectives are governed by the community-created by-laws. At the time we were working with documents that were well over 30 years old, policies needed to be redeveloped, ethics needed to be identified, on air content needed to be created based on community needs, and more.

    Logistics needed to be assessed. The old station was condemned, the wood was rotting, the building was rodent infested, water damaged ceilings, not to mention the walls were crumbling. It was pretty clear a new building was needed as well as a new transmission tower and antenna, if we wanted to increase our wattage to secure our frequency.

    To our advantage we have Karahkó:hare Syd Gaspe at the helm of this ship, along with some radio veteran experts, such as Mike Mathieu and talented key people willing to lend their knowledge and skills. A stronger team was forming and the resources were becoming available.

    Our first step was to eliminate the threat of the Lachute station. They were given a dose of the Mohawk flex and the CRTC denied their application. We moved forward knowing that to get back on the air, we needed more power. We needed to get our antenna to higher ground. This would increase our wattage and would send our signal out further.

    We therefore needed to secure an alternate broadcasting site in order to be able to increase our wattage and never again encounter a threat to our 101.7FM frequency. This is a lengthy process with several steps and hurdles. We are still to this day awaiting confirmation from the CRTC that our license is approved, which would allow us to broadcast at a higher wattage, which means a secured frequency.

    Then the floods happened! In the Spring of 2019, moral was low, people worried of their loss, homes were damaged, and we wanted to be there for our community. “Flood Watch Radio” was hastily set up to provide vital information to the community and to demonstrate the importance of radio in emergency situations. A neighbour’s fishing shack (and electricity) was used as a remote studio beside the existing antenna tower. Borrowed equipment, several volunteers and a lot of work completed the mission, and “Flood Watch Radio” was on the air within a day and a half. But after six weeks, it was no longer viable to pursue broadcasting in those conditions.

    Finally in early 2020, we were able to provide Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada the technical parameters in order to establish a new temporary broadcasting site. CKHQ-FM returned to the airwaves on April 2nd, 2020 amidst the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, with only a donated house trailer as a building and mostly borrowed equipment.

    In order to broadcast we are currently operating remotely. Programming is done from Syd’s home, while the transmission site is temporarily held in a community member’s yard. During all this time, we have been seeking a new permanent broadcasting site in order to improve and protect the 101.7 Mhz signal to provide an essential service to the community of Kanehsatà:ke.

    The ideal location for the radio station has been identified! We are looking to establishing CKHQ 101.7KM on the right-hand side of the driveway that leads to Riverside Elders Home Kaniatarák’ta, which is band land. We are currently working with a community member on blueprints and building plans for the new station. Bingo!

    We know everyone is looking forward to the return of Radio Bingo. We are too! We successfully held our first radio bingo last Fall, and it was a blast! Niá:wen to K1037 for donating the cards, use of their verification software and studio. However, we are still a few steps away from being able to hold Radio Bingo on a weekly basis, consistently and in a sustainable way. But don’t worry, it’s coming!

    Reviving Kanehsatà:ke Radio is a costly endeavour and we knew from the get-go that we would need all the financial support we could get to at least get the ball rolling. It is also key to make RKR a sustainable organization. Thanks to the generosity of community members and community organizations we were able to raise about 10% of the total cost of the project, which is currently estimated at $900,000. CKHQ United Voices Radio donated the remainder of the useful assets to Mohawk MultiMedia and for that we thank them.

    We would also like to say niawenhkó:wa to Chase the Ace, Kanehsatake Health Center, The Eastern Door, K1037 and to everyone who has generously donated and helped fundraise.

    We are also thankful to have Kanesatake Economic Development supporting our efforts in accessing funding and Mohawk Council of Kanesatake who has provided a BCR to confirm their support. And to KETSC /Kanesatake Employment and Training Service Center for providing employment and skill development for some of our collaborators.

    The pandemic has definitely slowed things down, but we want all community members to know that our group of volunteers are still working very hard at moving the ball forward. And we are definitely still committed to our mission, which is to promote our Mohawk identity, including language, art, history, values and traditions and to share these elements with both our community and neighboring communities, through original multimedia content.

    Here is what RKR accomplished in 2020: – Established and secured temporary broadcasting site with ISED – Submitted CRTC application for license – Completed digitizing Kanien’kéha lessons and other archives retrieved from the old station. These efforts were sponsored by Le Ministère de la Culture et Communications and MCK. – Officially back on the air April 2nd 2020 – KETSC provided ITC skills training to Tiorihwaié:ri Megan Harding allowing RKR to also develop her announcing skills and in Kanien’kéha! – Created our first Kanien’kéha on air content with daily weather reports, weather word lessons and home-produced tags and station IDs. And now since March 2021 we have a new weekly All Kanien’kéha talk show!

    Programming also includes 50s at 5(am), Oldies in the morning, and Classics and Country all day. Mary Tylah Mohawk features an Indigenous artist each hour during the day and evening. – Retained services of lawyer for all corporate matters as well as board training – Secured first advertising contract through a national ad agency which is generating revenue – Partnered with ERU to broadcast daily Covid 19 briefings as well as interviews and special announcements – Held our first Radio Bingo – Developed financial strategy with Ec.Dev – Created a business plan – Created floor plans and blueprints for new building through KETSC who provided funding for Christine Gabriel who recently graduated from Industrial Design. – Establishing collaborations with other Indigenous Radio stations to exchange programming. – CRTC decision approving transfer of ownership – May 2021 – CRTC decision approving new class of licence protecting 101.7 FM and power increase to 51 watts. And coming soon: ONLINE STREAMING !

    In conclusion, the board would like to thank the entire community for their patience. We would also like to acknowledge and thank Syd for his dedication and for the full-time free contribution of his services. Without Syd at the helm RKR would not be on the air right now.