Abbotsford – CIVL-FM is humbled to accept the inaugural recognition of campus and community radio stations by the Canadian Radio Awards from Broadcast Dialogue, in the medium market campus station category for 2021.

The award was presented in partnership between Canada’s professional broadcast industry trade publication of record, and the National Community and Campus Radio Association, who represents over 100 of 200 c/c licensees in the nation, adjudicated by a dozen industry veterans, including CAB Canadian broadcast Hall of Famers Erin Davis and Chuck McCoy.

CIVL’s written submission can be viewed below, while it’s audio submission can be accessed here, and features musical performances from Fraser Valley Music Awards nominees, hip hop artists including Mission’s Known., Saint Soldier and Rozsa from Cultus Lake, Abbotsford’s V1nce Black, rock band Loans and Rebecca Sichon from Abbotsford and Mission, respectively.

The winning audio edit was cut by recently minted !earshot20 host DJ Darko, whose talent booking has been reflected in CIVL’s RECORDING Project, where he worked with the production team of Harry Doupe, MHUTT Films and Drew Riekman, to document local and more broadly recognized touring artists as they addressed and assessed the changing media and arts landscapes. Since that CRFC grant project, initiated in 2018, Darko has worked with MHUTT and Riekman on the Abbotsford Arts Council’s Abbotsford Arty Awards, Jam in Jubilee and Winter Jam series’, in addition to another FVMA season with Doupe in 2020, for which CIVL has received this historic award of it’s own.

“Cutting the submission was easier since everyone on board did an amazing job,” said Darko, while Riekman was similarly “proud to be part of a team of people who care so much about art in the Fraser Valley”.

Station Manager Aaron Levy has more of a hot take: “The fact that these people came together to help the youngest campus station in the country, assemble such an impressive cast of bookings and partners, and to put it all together with a quality and professionalism that wins an award of this caliber from a source of this repute is nothing less than life affirming for us as individuals and as an organization! Good things come when you always work hard, while demonstrating integrity and patience. Kudos to all of the artists, students, partners, the brilliant crew, and everyone who’s put up with the chaos of campus radio!”

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to amplify the voices of so many excellent artists from across the beautiful Sto:lo Teméxw, so called Fraser Valley,” added MHUTT’s Mitch Huttema, UFV alum and current Video and Communications Specialist for UFV Communications. “The team at CIVL has worked hard for years producing quality broadcasts that have impacted and amplified musicians, arts and culture in their area and this award recognition is well deserved.”

In an ironic twist of fate, category runner up CFUV-FM in Victoria’s Station Manager is CIVL alum, former UFV student, and Yale Secondary graduate Glen Swarnadhipathi! News regarding the #FVMA21 event postponement and rescheduling until December 2021 is forthcoming, along with the list of 2021 nominees, and Dakota Leslie Memorial Fan Vote details!

Attn: Broadcast Dialogue 2021 Canadian Radio Awards Jurors

Re: CIVL-FM 2021 Submission – NCRA Campus/Community Radio Station of the Year

“Greetings,

COVID-19 made 2020/21 challenging. CIVL – down 50% staff, without substantial semesterly fees – remained flexible, creatively supporting community initiatives:

• Audio submission features November, 19th 2020’s 5th Fraser Valley Music Awards broadcast, celebrating 10 years on 101.7 FM. CIVL awarded $10,170 on-air to 16 diverse artists in 2020, with a keynote address from CBC/MUCH icon Sook-Yin Lee. Song selections were pre-recorded in CIVL’s studios or from music videos funded through previous FVMA awards. Dakota Leslie Memorial Fan-vote winner Mauvey signed with 604 Records soon after.

• Sponsored Jam in Jubilee’s three streaming festival/interview series’ ($7,000), and The Reach Gallery and Museum Abbotsford’s Sumas Lake children’s book, (2,000) available to teachers nationwide for reconciliation education. CIVL sponsored the Common Room Recording Grant ($3,500).

• CIVL funded: UFV’s Student Emergency Fund ($10,170)/Food Bank ($500)/Black Connections; ‘Emergency Black in BC Micro-grant Fund’ ($1,017), supporting disadvantaged students and neighbours.

• CIVL’s Local Journalism Initiative grant enabled: investigating Abbotsford racism in a canada-info.ca series; 7 months of interviews with MPs, MLAs, councillors, and non-profits; 20/21 provincial/federal election all-candidates debates/interviews over 6 ridings.

Finally, Black Press dubbed CIVL a ‘major cultural group’.

Respectfully,”

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