On Thursday, November 14, CKCU 93.1 FM marked a major milestone—marking the start of its 50th Year of broadcasting! The station kicked off its golden anniversary with a special two-hour live broadcast starting at 11:59 pm.

After a countdown to midnight, CKCU played its very first song ever broadcast: Joni Mitchell’s You Turn Me On, I’m A Radio—and, in true CKCU fashion, it was played on vinyl. The airwaves were then filled with cheers, reminiscing, and heartfelt reflections from alumni, staff, and current hosts who have been part of the station’s journey.

A major highlight of the night was the live performance by Central Station, marking the first live music broadcast in CKCU’s 50th year. Alongside the performance, listeners heard from a diverse group of people who have been pivotal in shaping the station.

If you missed the live broadcast—or just want to relive the magic—you can listen to a recording of the entire 50th anniversary special on our website. It’s a truly special way to experience the heart and soul of CKCU, from its early days to the vibrant station it is today.

PART TWO: THE HUNTER/ARGIROPULOS-HUNTER AND WALKER FAMILIES

As the 50th anniversary of CKCU FM is around the corner, we want to celebrate familial ties at the station, highlighting the bond between families and community. Over the past while, I had the pleasure and privilege of speaking with four families contributing to CKCU. In part one of this article, we featured Boba and Mihajlo from Monday’s Encounter, the Asian Sounds quartet. Now, in part two of the article, we will dive into getting to know the Hunter/Argiropulos-Hunter and Walker families. Each of the families offer a unique approach in their broadcasting to CKCU’s audiences, be it through cultural and communal awareness, or by shining light on artists and creative minds that make up Ottawa’s music melting pot and other less mainstream scenes. 

Dylan Hunter has been a longstanding member of CKCU FM, with just shy of 30 years of experience under his belt running his show —aptly named after its eponymous host —The Dylan Hunter Show. His daughter, Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter, began her journey at CKCU as a co-host with her friend Owen Maxwell, sowing the seeds for what would become her current show First Crush.

Having both parties involved at the station has strengthened an already special relationship between the father and daughter duo. “It’s great to be able to connect with and share something”, said Dylan. Her father’s mammoth collection of music and records, alongside her experience with CKCU’s Radio Camp for kids (as an attendee and later in life a staff), were a big part of how Zoë became interested and involved at the station.

Zoë stressed the importance of being ready and open to hearing new music and uses First Crush to play selections that are overshadowed by mainstream radio. “Songs have a strong power to teach and to inform” she added. In contrast to more mainstream channels, community radio plays a central part in community building, which allows listeners to meet with and discover other musicians in the scene. Zoë uses her show to metaphorically ‘pass the mic’ to those who wish to make their voices heard. Dylan leans into playing a large mix of music that reaches far beyond the mainstream into smaller and more obscure record labels and artists.

While both father and daughter use their respective platforms to share the music they love with other people, the main goal for both hosts is to entertain their audiences. The dedication that Dylan and Zoë put into hosting their distinct programs at CKCU has provided them with a sense of purpose focused on community building and uplifting voices within community radio and lesser-known artists. 

Trevor Walker, like Dylan, has been with CKCU since the 90s, and is currently the host of Friday Drive. Trevor encouraged his father to jump on the airwaves with him and speak about issues concerning social justice circa 2010, all the while his father, Gordon Walker continued to stand behind Trevor’s work at the station and passion for delivering soul, jazz, funk, and afrobeat music.

Three generations of Walkers have contributed to the station, including Trevor’s 19- and 23-year-old daughters who have occasionally co-hosted alongside him. Importantly, Trevor wants the family connections to both Gordon and his shows to be natural and uncoerced, rather than roping them into something that they might not be too keen on pursuing. While his daughters’ interest in radio might not be the strongest now, there is always the possibility that it will blossom later down the road.

Gordon’s collection of music from classical, to folk, to music he discovered on the radio while posted in Ghana with the Canadian International Development Agency, was a large influence on his son’s personal music taste. All the music Trevor was exposed to influences what he plays on Friday Drive.

Trevor and Gordon Walkers’ hard work and dedication to presenting quality radio programming has sown the seeds for the family to voice the 93.1 FM airwaves. And while the three generations of Walkers find themselves interested in different aspects of culture and music at times, the family maintains a grounded and ethical basis within community radio, committed to providing a space that will foster the creative minds of the next generation. 

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote “Music is the universal language of mankind”. This certainly holds true more than 100 years after Longfellow’s passing. Music is a pillar for human connection. At CKCU FM, we take great joy in seeing music and cultures strengthen connection. It is a beautiful thing to be able to share in something that has forever been seen as the unifier of cultures, groups, and families alike.

– Ethan Arthorne (supported by Simon McKeown)

From NOW until Nov. 29, 2024, CBC will be installing a new master FM antenna on the tower at Camp Fortune. These upgrades to the transmission infrastructure are necessary and long overdue. The work will unfortunately result in some signal strength reductions and service interruptions to all FM and television stations broadcasting from the site, including CKCU.  

The CBC has been communicating with staff at CKCU and has assured us that precautions are being taken to limit the frequency and duration of interruptions to our signal. If there is a disruption to the FM signal, you can continue to listen to us online at ckcufm.com.