David Dalle was introduced to CKCU FM by his father who would regularly tune in. They both had a strong fondness for music. David’s interest led him to become a Carleton University Music program student, and since he was on the campus, he decided to volunteer with the station. He soon began hosting music programming for overnight programs, and in 1994 he moved on to producing and hosting his own live program, The David Dalle Show, that airs every Thursday afternoon at 2:00 pm. His love of classical music quickly expanded to experimental, industrial tunes, which then led him down a rabbit hole of discovering and spinning tracks from around the world.

“Music is infinite – it’s endless, there’s so much of it. So that’s why I’ve been doing it for 30 years, but I feel like I’ve barely touched the surface of music,” he said. After being on the air for 30 years, Dalle says that discovering the wide range of music he plays on his program allows him to learn more about the major difficulties and history of the state of the world. “I want to be a great champion of multiculturalism. In music, you can see that people are the same everywhere, basically at heart, and they express so many of the same things in music but it’s using different means, instruments, and music theory.”

The David Dalle Show is one of the longest running ones at CKCU, and he admits that throughout his time as a radio host, he has grown and learnt a lot since he first started as a university student. “I’m glad that my programming from 25 years ago was not preserved because I’d be embarrassed about it now,” he joked.

Aside from sharing his love of multicultural music with his listeners, Dalle also has a passion for sheep herding with his Old English sheepdogs. He talked about how his first dog went on to compete in the Agility Association of Canada’s Nationals in 2016 and won 5th place. “My life is music and dogs right now!”

Dalle is still eager to discover more music and share it on CKCU’s airwaves. His show’s main theme of “unity in diversity” through the music he shares is what connects him with his listeners. “I found that in [the past] 30 years, the world seems to be going into kind of a darker path… I want to counter that as much as possible.”

– Audrey Pridham

Night owls rejoice! Luke Kuchar, known by his moniker Mimsey Demon, celebrates the 10th anniversary of his show Interzone on CKCU FM this August. Bringing the latest in electronic, industrial, drum and bass, the local and underground scene, Luke provides the soundtrack for those braving the temptations of Nyx and Morpheus.

Luke’s background in radio can be found in the mid-90s. With growing interest in the industrial scene, he volunteered at CHUO FM in Ottawa, helping with shows and working on his own called Wednesday Night Hangover. Subsequently, this led him to branch out into other avenues and musical genres like sidetrance, electronic, experimental, and hardcore. Mimsey Demon’s show, Interzone, saw its inception when he was offered an overnight slot at CKCU FM by Dave Aardvark, the Program Director; and ten years later, Luke continues to share his passion for music with the city of Ottawa.

Strong connections and friendships that were forged early on in his time at CKCU have kept him going for the past decade. While an overnight show has sparse in-person contact, some members of the CKCU community like the hosts of Heat Wave and Jump Into Sports, frequently ran into Luke before and after doing his program when it was live in-studio from 2:00 am – 6:00 am pre-pandemic. Nowadays, Luke records his vocal segments before he goes live from his apartment, and oftentimes, he is joined by the angry-feathered co-host who rooms with him – his bird.

“Music has been one of the only positive constants in my life, and I want to share it with others who are also helped by it”, says Luke. Interzone fills the demand for electronic music, heavily emphasizing the local scene and events happening in Ottawa. The host has fine-tuned his program to cover the underrepresented genres such as drum and bass, dubstep, trance music, and more.

Over the years, Luke has felt the love of the community from all walks of life. From late night truckers calling in to thank him for keeping them going through long drives, to other night owls who dance the late hours away, Luke spreads awareness about local artists and provides the soundtrack for those who need an outlet to express themselves. Before the butcher, baker, and candlestick-maker begin their day, find CKCU’s friendly neighborhood Mimsey Demon working his magic on the airwaves.

-Ethan Arthorne

In CKCU FM’s vibrant history, Elorious Cain appears as a beacon of community and musical passion, revolutionizing Ottawa’s radio scene with his love for Disco music. Every Saturday from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM, for the past 45 years Elorious has infused joy and rhythm into the CKCU community with The Groove, Canada’s longest-running disco show.

Over the years, The Groove has become a beloved show reflecting CKCU’s vibrant energy. His first interaction with CKCU started with a submission of poetry to Sacred and Profane, a show where listeners submitted work to be read live on air. After multiple submissions not being chosen, he grew frustrated, leading him to contact the station to inquire about it. This led to a meeting with then-program director, Jim Hurcomb. In a conversation between the two, Elorious shared his opinion on the station’s on-air programming. Agreeing that CKCU was lacking disco, Hurcomb offered Elorious a timeslot to do a prerecorded disco program. He gladly accepted. On July 7, 1979, Disco Radio took to the airways. In 1981, Elorious transitioned to live broadcasting. He renamed the show The Groove in 1982, establishing the well-loved show we know today.

The Groove is more than a radio show, it’s a celebration and exploration of disco. Developing a strong listenership over the past four and a half decades, it has drawn fans in thanks to Elorious’ deep love and passion for the music he presents. On special occasions, once a decade, “The Real History of Disco” marathon has been hosted for 18 hours straight, exploring and showcasing disco’s rich history up to the present day.

As the host, Elorious’ dream for The Groove is to keep it bumping for many years to come, allowing him to continue to share his passion for disco music and its ever-evolving scene with all who care to join his party. He attributes the show’s longevity to not only his passion for the disco scene but also CKCU’s support, giving him creative freedom to create the content he wants. He cherishes the opportunity to share disco’s vibrancy and create a space where listeners can connect and revel in the joy of the music. The Groove reminds us that music, like community, thrives on love and dedication. It infuses positivity into the community and invites us all to dance along.

– Marissa Guido

Michael Houston, better known as “tic”, has been in the community radio realm with CKCU FM for a whopping 35 years. His show, Wednesday Special Blend, is celebrating a major milestone with its 1000th episode on March 13th, 2024. The morning radio program, hosted by tic, started in April 2002, but his involvement at CKCU FM began much before. In 1983, he stumbled across a documentary produced by a CKCU volunteer and it was love at first listen according to the host.  Two weeks later, tic was a volunteer on his journey to become part of the CKCU FM family. The rest is history, as 22 years later, he is reaching his 1000^th episode! 

When it comes to contributing to CKCU and the community, tic leads by example. He has a big heart and likes to share about what people in the community are doing, their stories, local music, events, and the odd opinion.  He has been instrumental in supporting the annual CKCU FM Funding Drive and contributing to community connection.  As well, he is a technically savvy guy who offers support to others with his skills. He’s been an integral part of the CKCU, working hard to make sure Wednesday Special Blend is engaging, entertaining, and informative for the audience. 

Michael absolutely loves being on the radio, but he is especially interested and attentive to the technical side of creating his content. He takes pride in making sure his shows are quality sounding and run smoothly for the listener’s experience. After being live in the studio for many years, since the pandemic, tic prefers to record his shows in his cozy home studio. It allows him to focus on the technical quality by reducing any potential challenges that could happen during a live broadcast. He believes that good sound and production are important and add to listening enjoyment.  

CKCU FM is far more than just a community radio station to tic. He shared that part of its value is its diversity. The station broadcasts in at least a dozen languages and features special interest programming that you won’t find many other places. It’s a friendly place where people can learn about different cultures, music, and community news. As tic says, “Sometimes you just need to mix things up and try something new!”. That is exactly what CKCU FM offers and is a key reason why he loves being part of it. 

– Joy Keke

Love, whether shared, found, grieved, or lost, surrounds us through the melodies of love songs. Vintage Love beautifully displays this essence with its blend of Reggae and Caribbean-centric tunes, offering a tranquil space of positive vibes. Its calming ambiance invites all to unwind, feel hopeful, and embrace the warmth of love’s lasting spirit.

O’shea Adagio brings us this sanctuary every Saturday night from 10:00 PM to 12:00 AM on CKCU FM, and has for the past 20 years. Always having a fascination with music, his mother was a classically trained pianist so his childhood was defined with music. Moving from St. Catharines to Toronto, to Ottawa for school, O’shea attended Carleton for Law and Sociology. While he was attending, he volunteered for CKCU for a short period. Although it didn’t stick, after graduation, with encouragement from his family and friends, O’shea made a demo and pitched Vintage Love to CKCU FM. It was an immediate hit. The show has been loved ever since reaching highs such as winning the Best Reggae Radio Program for Canada’s “Caribbean Music & Entertainment Awards”.

Over the past 20 years, O’shea has built up a community that eagerly awaits his show and it brings him immense joy to provide this. He says “The world has so many unhappy and crazy things going on that it is important to take a break and think of the people you love and the good things in life that helps you get through the unfavourable times”. He aims that his show provides this space to reflect and relax. O’shea and Vintage Love remind us that love and goodness is all around and sometimes we just need a second to see it.

– Marissa Guido