1 of 1- Hathaway
- Weekend Warrior
Offline - Registered: July 5, 2014
- Posts: 260
CKWR in Trouble?
From a CKWR Facebook page
Canada's first community radio station FM 98.5 CKWR since 1973 here in the Region of Kitchener Waterloo is reaching out for your help in a very desperate situation involving the Canada Revenue Agency CRA and our radio station. Due to some taxation changes affecting Not for profit charity organizations likes ours as well. A whole new barrage of not easy to understand rules have come up on us. Written and verbal communication between the CRA and FM 98.5 CKWR were confusing. The wrong taxation formula was sent to us, only to be replaced with another one. The phone was at one time hung up on our part time secretary as well during an desperate attempt to sort the issues out and trying to get on top of it. As it stands at the present time, the CRA has shut the door on us by freezing our bank account. They did not give us a chance to work out a payment schedule for money they claim that we owe them. We have to tell our loyal listeners again that this unique radio station is being operated by a board of unpaid volunteers, three of them seniors at age 73 years old. Because of a ongoing financial constraint in difficult economic times, our station is working only with a skeleton staff most of the time. We can't even afford a front desk receptionist. But, no matter how difficult it is to operate our beloved community station, we will continue to bring our loyal listeners as our slogan says : The greatest music of all times. Even if it means that we will go under ! If you would like to support us with a donation which are tax deductible, please tune in to FM 98.5 CKWR for more details. Please feel free to share this posting with as many friends you want to. Thank you from the bottom of our heart.
- Fausto
- Sticker Spotter
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- Registered: January 27, 2016
- Posts: 59
Re: CKWR in Trouble?
Ignorance of the law is no excuse. Surely having a history "since 1973", they have a volunteer or two that are within the legal profession? Instead, they are crying victim, knowing the public will side against the "big, bad government". Even not-for-profits have to be run like a business, complete with a Bored of Directors. Are they admitting the lot of them were incompetent?
- Hathaway
- Weekend Warrior
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- Registered: July 5, 2014
- Posts: 260
Re: CKWR in Trouble?
I agree Fausto. I incorporated years ago and you get to know the routine with the CRA. If you learn anything you learn that timely, PROPERLY completed documentation is a must. The front page of their site has a emergency fundraiser notice. They appear to need $40,000 dollars as per the request on the website. I suspect the end is near too.
A change in the board of directors can't come soon enough at this place. Such wasted potential in a region with such vibrant cultural diversity & a solid economy. Given that so many micro community stations are thriving, one has to ask why CKWR isn't in the same boat. I mean, Waterloo & Wellington are hardly economic basket cases. Further, in a city with one of the youngest, most intelligent populations in North America, why is the community station geared at 70 year olds?
Guess Scott Jensen & company knew what they were doing after all lol.
We at Canada’s 1st Community Radio Station FM 98.5 CKWR rarely ask for money from our listeners but today we need to make an important exception. To make a long story short, our board of directors received an un-expected notice on Monday that the Canada Revenue Agency would like us to give them significantly more money than we have available at this time. As a result, our station desperately needs to quickly find $40,000 so that we can both satisfy the C.R.A.’s demands and continue to pay our bills.
Last edited by Hathaway (January 28, 2016 5:48 PM)
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Thread Starter- dsgraham
- Unpaid Intern
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- Registered: June 1, 2015
- Posts: 11
Re: CKWR in Trouble?
Not sure where this is going and what'll happen to this station. Hopefully there's a group in KW that'll rise to the occasion with vision and programming to take this station over and move forward and play new music and pay homage to the music in the past at the same time. I know there's a whole lot more to it with this station, its history and its license conditions with the CRTC. But the media world is changing very quickly these days and I cannot help but think the Canadian CRTC is falling behind..
- Hathaway
- Weekend Warrior
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- Registered: July 5, 2014
- Posts: 260
Re: CKWR in Trouble?
@Dsgraham,
You know, honestly I hope the current BoD and station owners lose the license. While I am long detached from Waterloo Region, I hate to see a signal like CKWR wasted. Waterloo Region is culturally rich & a vibrant city with a upwardly mobile young population. There is a great deal of potential for a signal in that market even with the current state of radio.
As for paying homage too the musical past. I don't think they should. I think they should be focused on the musical riches of Southern Ontario & the promotion of such. Toss in everything else that goes on. They could do it too. CKUA, of which I am a faithful donor and listener (via my mountain repeater) puts out a great product on a minimal budget.
Oh, and Long Live Baba and the Mid Morning Mojo!. CKUA forever.
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Thread Starter