CKUT TIME CAPSULE

In 1969 a group of students occupied the 9th floor computer center of Sir George Williams University (currently known as Concordia University) to object to racial bias in academic grading.  50 Years later we revisit this page in Montreal history through an event called Protest & Pedagogy.  Khalid M'Seffar of Funky Revolutions interviews Kaie Kellough, spoken word artist,  (& Soul Perspective Allum) one of the event organizers to discuss the events that shaped this incident. This piece explores racial tensions, student activism, Montreal Black history through the music of the era, through documentation of the event, personal connection and historic legacy .

Sunday Aug 19th The Goods Radio show went live from Casa Del Popolo for a  live interview with Andy Williams conducted by Doug Miller (co-host of Amandla, CKUT's African News Programme since 1987). They go through Andy's musical origins in  Derby, England, Jamaica, Toronto, Lennoxville  and now Montreal. He speaks of the music he listened to growing up and his insatiable hunt for sounds that are sweet to his ears.

As part of CKUT's 30th Anniversary Oral History project, we interviewed Martha Marie Kleinhans who was one of the key driving forces behind CKUT's fm licence application and move to FM. She says that Concordia University was expected to get the licence because of their active ties to the local scene however, CKUT's (McGill) application put a strong focus on community programming and she believes this is what worked in the end. She also said there was some internal resistance as programmers knew that they would be evolving to a different kind of radio station. She volunteered prior to the license and ran for station manager on the basis of delivering the fm licence. She was the first station manager at CKUT 1986-87.  She said she worked closely with Don Rossiter and had the help of McGill Legal Professor Dr. F.H. Buckley who said "they rejected my idea that they go All-Monkees, All the time." She and Donnie went around to various cultural communities with a large hypothetical grid and said "should we get the licence would you be interested in producing radio". "We got the licence based on a promise." The rest is histor

Andrea Jane Cornell began listening to the radio show AACK as a teen, soon after she volunteered, subbed for Where's the Beat and then became CKUT's Music Resource Coordinator and Music Department Coordinator (2006-2011). In this interview she talks about her passion for the Music Library, the massive toolbox of skills she acquired and some of the more unusual challenges she faced while at CKUT.

Ian Pringle was a Bookkeeper, then Spoken Word Coordinator from 1987-1991. He discovered CKUT when he was a McGill student, assigned to do a piece on CKUT getting our FM license for the student newspaper The Tribune. Taken with the diversity and excitement of the station he became a volunteer and ultimately staff member.   In this interview he talks about the passion and commitment to diversity and the democratization of media. He also talks about the profound impact people like Martha Marie Kleinhans, Lisa Vinebaum, Christof Migone and especially hosts of the Homo Show, David Shannon and Donnie Rossiter had on him. He also recollects the infamous and historic turning points in the Queer Community, the death of Joe Rose and the Sex Garage raid, police brutality and community uproar.   He went on to work internationally in communications and radio, and now resides in Ottawa.

Stuart volunteered and worked at CKUT from 1991-95.  He worked in the Spoken Word and News Department.  He describes arriving at a time that spawned a lot of activism as it just followed the Oka Crisis and infamous Sex Garage also just following the Gulf War.  He describes what news gathering looked like during this period, receiving communiques in the mail, making cold calls  and organizing broadcasts on a bulletin board.  A time when people smoked a lot, right in the station, and embraced the misfits.  Stuart went on to cover news with Global News, CBS, SKY and is currently residing in Prague working for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 

Bryan Zuraw was at Radio McGill/CKUT from 1983-1997 as a volunteer, music librarian and music coordiantor.  He recounts was was going on musically at the time, musique actuelle, (the beginnings of Ambience Magnetique), college indie rock (pre-Nirvana), hip hop, dancehall reggae (when these genres really started to bloom)  . . . The interest in community members to do radio (given that there isn't an Urban radio station in Montreal)- Establishing an identity and mandate for the station, maintaining a diversity of perspectives  and benefiting from this process both personally and intellectually. All pre-internet, thus writing to labels, researching magazines such as the Village Voice, OP (Option) Sound Choice, The Wire,  newsletters and tape trading networks.  He also speaks of picking up the habit of waking up at 3am to make sure that someone is On Air, because if not, he would make his way to the station in the middle of the night - and of conducting all station business (ie Steering, Programming, Committee meetings) in the hallway as there was no room to do so at CKUT.  Bryan now lives in Los Angeles with his wife (and ex CKUT programmer Kie Ross Zuraw) and is still finding strange music to vibe to. 

As part of CKUT's 30th Anniversary festivities we hosted a panel on the evolution of CKUT's News Department.  CKUT has covered issues from street level emphasizing the voices of those not heard in mainstream media, namely those affected by the policies, regulations and political decisions.  In this panel past Community News Coordinators, Gretchen King, Aaron Lakoff and Courtney Kirkby recount the numerous ways their department covered the prevalent news items of the times.  The panel took place at the Anarchist Bookfair in Montreal.  

Today marks the 50th Anniversary of the death of Martin Luther King.  In commemoration of this historic event, Christopher Heron, host of Mind Soul & Spirit conducted an interview with Reverend Jesse Jackson.   Rev Jackson speaks of his love for gospel music (he grew up with Aretha Franklin).  Christopher asks him to contrast today's "State of America" with that of the past.  Rev Jackson speaks of the humiliation of racism, the current "tug of war for the soul of america", the dangers of "spending more money on militarism than on human rights leading to morally and spiritually bankrupting the nation".  The importance of globalism - labor, capital, technology and human rights and states in the end it  is "character and caring - caring is the key - not limited to race, gender or religious persuasion.

CKUT intern Eve Fiertag looks at experimenting with the radio on the radio for this time capsule installment.  She speaks to ex CKUT Music Coordinator and Production Coordinator Christof Migone who participated at CKUT from 1987 - 92.  He also hosted the radio show "Dangers In Paradise" which he described as anything other than college rock.  He collaborated with Julia Loktev on a show called Body Map where they took the island of Montreal and imagined it as a reclining body and got people to call in so they could let them know what part of the body they were situated in. As production coordinator he trained and motivated volunteers to create with sound and open up the possibilities of radio

The Montreal Sessions dug into this CKUT Time Capsule for the Month of March 2018.  In this episode we look at 30 Years of feminist radio.  Your hosts, Alex Moskos and Louise Burns interview Penny Patterson who hosted the radio shows CUTS, Thread the Needle and Beach Blanket Bingo on CKUT and who speaks about her experience interviewing Riot Grrrl bands in the 90s (many of those interviews are in this time capsule).  We also broadcast the origin story of  Venus Radio and interview Anna Leventhal about her experience hosting Venus and being the chair of CKUT's Board of Directors.  We also play a bit of an interview with tUnE-yArdS (the entire interview is available in this time capsule). 

As part of the 30th Anniversary Oral History special programming we interview Pat Dillon Moore aka The Dreadhead aka The Empress aka Sistah P, former host of Positive Vibes, former station manager of CKUT and current co-host of Bhum Bhum Time.  Pat tells us what it was like growing up in Montreal in the 70s.  We discuss race relations at CKUT, money, moving the station from McTavish Street to University street we recount the story of when our turntables got stolen and play lots of reggae music. 

Eve Parker Finley Celebrates International Women's Day in the Transiest way possible.  She profiles women such as  Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson gay activist in the time of Stonewall and co-founders of STAR (Street Transvestite Action Revolution) and educates us on other women we should know including Miss Major Griffin-Gracy executive Director of the Transgender Gender Variant Intersex Justice Project. Real radical radio and some music by Erica from the Bay Area - and Jess Manniquin-Head of Lonely Boa

Throughout the month of March, the Montreal Sessions is being devoted to cracking open the time capsule and exploring what 30 Years of free form, independent, underground radio sounds like.  This episode includes an interview with longtime CKUT volunteer Margo Lane, Roots Rock Reggae listeners calling in with their shout outs and greetings, an interview with Joan LaBarbara, Free Styling during Off The Hook Radio, an excerpt of the Sun Ra interview and much more. 

Tamayugé perform live on CKUT 90.3 fm radio show Chaud Pour Le Mont Stone – Collaboration with Tamara Filyavich (electronics) and Maya Kuroki (vocals).  Show hosted by Francois Letourneau     https://archive.org/download/TamayugeLiveOnChaudPourLeMontStoneJan112018/Tamayuge%CC%81%20Live%20on%20Chaud%20Pour%20Le%20Mont%20Stone%20Jan%2011%202018.mp3

Interview with Samaa Elibyari member of the Canadian Council of Muslim Women and host of Caravan on CKUT. 30th Anniversary Oral History interviewed by Tamara Filyavich

Special hour long episode of the International Radio Report in honor of 30 year on the air. Hosts Sheldon Harvey and David Asselin, are joined by past contributors Janice Laws, Gilles Letourneau, CKUT culture Coordinator Tamara Filyavich,  Alan Roberts and Zack Rynar. Clips from the very first broadcast and discussions about their shared fascination with RADIO. 

Margo Lane has volunteered at CKUT 90.3fm in Montreal since 1987. She was our weather girl, eco-environmental receptionist, and host of the radio show Adventures in Music. Margo is infamous. Most of us who have been part of the CKUT community have a Margo story. This is her story in her words.

In celebration of CKUT's 30th Anniversary on the fm dial, we will be exploring our past through a series of podcasts,  time capsule posts and live events such as this first one.  Sun Oct 15th 2017 we sat down with Rickey D, host of Sound of Soul since 1988 and hip hop promoter and influencer for 32 years! Rickey was interviewed at Art Gang by Malik Shaheed - music by DJ Pro-V. Thanks to Heritage Canada and Arcmtl for their help in making this happen

Manchilde formally of the hip hop group The Butta Babees and past host of Ill Groove Garden swung by CKUT, Ill Groove Garden after opening for Mos Def and dropped this free-style.  June 21 2012 

XX files celebrates 20 years of feminist radio on CKUT 90.3fm. In this clip Valerie Walker who has contributed to this show for 19 years speaks of the origins. Keeping it real cause "we have the power to learn and teach each other."

Montreal musicians, Sam Shalabi and Alexander Moskos hosted the radio show If You Got Ears in the month of December 2015. They played a game of free association, here is a sample.

West Indian Rhythm's Howard 'Stretch' Carr and Faithlyn Sankar talk to Lady Saw about infidelity, infertility and staying strong.  This was taken from the August 2015 live broadcast from the Montreal International Reggae Festival. Only CKUT can get interviews like this from renowned artists, its like they are talking to family. 

osh Marquis host of the radio show QueerCorps interviews ex CKUT staff and  former host of QueerCorps and Schmoozing, Puelo Dier and photographer Linda Dawn Hammond about the infamous event known as Sex Garage  that galvanized the queer community in July 1990.   Sex Garage was a loft party put on by Nicholas Jenkins.  The event was raided by policeman who took off their badges and proceeded to arrest and beat participants.  Linda Dawn Hammond took pictures of the raid and managed to get them to the La Presse and the Montreal Gazette.  An incredible story of homophobia and fighting back

Duke Eatmon mega Prince fan will get to the concert no matter what!. Filling in for Butcher T's Noon Time Cuts May 22nd 2015, Duke played 2 hours of Prince music and told us this story.

So we did it. CKUT brought ‹The Genius› to McGill Campus and packed the house with more than 600 fans. Thanks to SSMU Equity Fund, Rickey D Events, Escape Montreal - all the student groups and fans that helped us spread the word. Truly a unique event. Thanks to Pro-V for spinning the joints and warming up the crowd. Thanks to Zip Loks for m’cing. And of course, thanks to the GZA himself for connecting the dots - chess - physics - hip hop - relevance - love - the meaning of life … Every lecture should have a dj. This is a review by Zip Lox - host of Ill Groove Garden and co host Ms. Benn

Local avant-garde duo Les Momies de Palerme (Xarah Dion and Marie Davidson) reunited for a special live performance on CKUT's If You Got Ears in May 2013. On "Quebec," the pair create a synth soundscape that is somehow both calming and unsettling.

The past and current hosts of the radio show Dykes On Mykes dug up the mysterious origins to the their theme show and performed it live at CKUT's 25th Anniversary Party. The theme is in fact from a 70s Italian opera La Gatta Cenerentola by Roberto De Simon -re-mixed into a house music club banger by DJ Perry “Wizzard” Lamarre and then becoming the iconic intro to the Dykes on Mykes radio show.

As you may have heard, CKUT had a pretty great party to celebrate our 25 years on air. One of the highlights was a unique rap written & performed live by Logic Johnson, host of Listen You Smell Something. It was a one-time only performance but it's too good to not share. Check it out

Venus Radio started in 1996 by Laura MacNeil, Delphine Foo and Erin MacLeod. The show is run by a collective of hosts and "explores women's impact on music and the impact of music on women in various jobs, stations and positions in life" (show proposal Nov 1996). The show went on to win many #1 Best Radio Show in the Montreal Mirror/Cult Montreal readers poll and is well known for its infamous Radiokee where Montreal musician came to the station to sing their hearts out and raise funds for CKUT. Below is a bit of oral history - the story of the origins of Venus radio. It is a chat with the founders of Venus which aired for Venus's Sweet 16 May 2013

While imprisoned in the 1960s, Dorothy Proctor was experimented on and forced to electric shock, sensory deprivation, and even LSD-25. Many years after being released, Proctor began her investigation on the experiments that were done to her and countless others in the 1960s and 70s. She later went on to sue the Canadian government for their support of such experiments and won her case in 2002. This clip reveals Proctor’s views on the case, Correctional Service of Canada, and the stigma female prisoners receive. The interview was conducted by Dee LeCompte host of the radio show Prison Radio which began airing on CKUT 2006 (and is still on the air).

Skater Dykes - MTL Skateboarding Group Produced by: Ronit & Melanie Turn up your volume 'cause this audio's O-L-D! In this clip two women, part of an all-dyke Montreal skating crew, talk about what it means to be a female skater. What do you do when you love the hardcore scene and skateboarding, but are totally sick of standing on the sidelines and watching the boys skate? What do you do when a man walks by you skateboarding and tells you a real woman should be wearing red lipstick and standing by her boyfriend's side? Start a skateboarding crew of your own!  As a result of Skater Dykes, these skateboarding ladies feel empowered even when faced with discrimination from passersby and male skaters. WARNING: featuring some delicious sonic gems from X-Ray Spex + spreading love for thrash, punk & hardcore Turn up your volume 'cause this audio's O-L-D! In this clip two women, part of an all-dyke Montreal skating crew, talk about what it means to be a female skater. What do you do when you love the hardcore scene and skateboarding, but are totally sick of standing on the sidelines and watching the boys skate? What do you do when a man walks by you skateboarding and tells you a real woman should be wearing red lipstick and standing by her boyfriend's s

Former sex worker, Valeria Scott, discusses the obsession the public has with sex while still being reluctant to speak about the need to educate on safe sex practices. She rebukes the stigma that prostitutes spread STD’s. Scott explains why apprehending all sex-workers or making prostitution legal while requiring weekly health checks would not stop the spread of STD’s.

Montreal Reggae artist Sampaloo being interviewed by CKUT's Skills Link Crew.  Sampaloo talks about coming to Montreal from  Jamaica - being an illegal immigrant and starting to get into music.  Skills Link was a programme CKUT ran with the Cote Des Neige Black Community Center empowering youth through media skills in April 2013. The radio show they hosted was called Speak Your Mind Radio.

Interview with The Sugarcubes Produced by: Lorrie Edmonds Members Einar Benediktsson and Magga Örnólfsdóttir talk with Lorrie about their uncertainty as The Sugarcubes, their publishing company Bad Taste, the music scene in Iceland. Their life on tour is one that amuses them - everything from the hotel rooms to the limousines! They also explain how money has become the drive for the band. Listen to find out more what they truly mean.

If you happened to tune in to CKUT in the middle of a Monday night in late 2012 you may have stumbled upon Craigslist Confidential, a short-lived but fascinating delve into the world of Craigslist. Only two episodes have survived, but you can listen to them here.

Off The Hook Radio airing every Wednesday from midnight to 2am - for multiple years - tune in and listen to them discuss just how many years each week -but definitely upwards of 20.  The infamous, Rap Hour Half Hour has rappers dropping in the station or calling up to rap.  Take a listen to this one featuring House Shoes on the phone and Penzo Gritty Stem, Logik Johnson, Mehdi Cee and Urban Logix in studio Sept 5th 2012 - Warning : profane language is spit. 

Howard "Stretch" Carr and Faithlyn Sankar interview the one and only Jimmy Cliff.  This interview took place July 28th 2012 for CKUT radio show West Indian Rhythms. They cover the inspiration behind The Harder They Come and Many Rivers to Cross, riots in Brixton, and his commitment to uplifting his audience.

The Montreal Mirror was a weekly, anglo,  alternative newspaper founded in 1985. It focused on Arts & Culture, entertainment listings, and local politics.  It was bought by Quebecor in 1997 and subsequently sold in June 2012 much to the shock and dismay of its employees and numerous readers.  This clip is from interviews with Mirror writers Chris Barry and Jonathon Cummings. 

Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars dropped by BasabasaSoukous Soundz July 10 2012 to perform live.  They were in town to perform at Festival Nuits D'Afrique. Performing Big Fat Dog.

This experimental rock duo stopped by CKUT's Montreal Sessions in June 2012 as part of the station's Suoni Per Il Popolo coverage. Maica Mia may not be together anymore, but their dark, slow-burning songs still resonate.

Isle of Pine (Tim Darcy of Ought's previous band) live performance on CKUT's Underground Sounds (Mondays 8pm - midnight) Produced by Caroline Dutka 

This clip, from Bhum Bhum Time is a discussion about racial profiling in Montreal. Sadly the “hoodie march” spoken of was cancelled because of concerns about the safety of participants. In this clip Pat Dillon aka Sistah P is speaking to Reverend Gray. They discuss the student strike, Trevor Martin, and being ticketed for being black in Montreal.

  On Tuesday February 8th 2012 a group of approximately 25 McGill students occupied the 6th floor of the McGill Administration Building.  This was done as a result of the decision by McGill Administration to not recognize the results of a referenda questions posed by CKUT 90.3fm and QPIRG McGill.  The occupation lasted six days. […]

Tonstartssbandht's Andy and Edwin White know their way around CKUT - Andy was the station's music librarian in 2010, and the two have performed on air many times over the years. In town for POP Montreal 2011, the brothers stopped by CKUT's If You Got Ears, treating listeners to a live rendition of their entrancing psychedelia.

The King of Latin Soul Joe Bataan is interviewed by Andy Williams of CKUT Radio Show The Goods September 6th 2011.  The Goods is hosted by DJs Andy Williams and Scott C.  The show began in August 2002 and is still on the airwaves.

Lantern passed by New Shit June 2011 and performed live.  They were in town for a performance at Weird Fest Montreal. Hometown Philadelphia. Engineered by Joe Winer produced by A.J Cornell

Local musician and sound artist Nick Kuepfer is a longtime favourite studio guest here at CKUT. In June 2011, he stopped by Montreal Sessions for a particularly captivating and chilling experimental set. 

This radio art “Rock Story” was produced by Louise Burns in 2010. The text is from a letter she intercepted while working at PolyGram Records in the early 80s. It is based on a piece of fan mail to the group Kiss, written at the time when the group decided to perform without their traditional makeup (1983 – a decision the eventual went back on). This decision upset much of the Kiss Army. This fan mail is the basis for the text. It is performed by Tia Ouimet, Louisa Sage, Detroit Burns and Fortner Anderson as the voice of God. It aired on If You Got Ears and is intro’ed by Alex Moskos.

Bernardino Femminielli is a Montreal dance musician whose persona precedes him. For June 2010 edition of Montreal Sessions, he brought his synths down to the CKUT studio and performed this long-form instrumental electronic track. 22 minutes very well spent.

Solo Performance by Rebecca Foon on cello, effects pedals and voice recorded and mixed by erin Weisgerber and Andrea-Jane Cornell at CKUT for broadcast on the June 8, 2010 edition of the Montreal Sessions.