Off the air: Algonquin College radio students lament beloved program

When Ottawans settle into their cars for the morning commute, many skip the podcasts and playlists. Instead, they reach for a familiar button — radio.

From breaking news and morning banter to the latest tunes, Ottawa Valley’s 34 radio stations have long been part of the city’s media landscape. For decades, stations like KiSS 105.3, TSN 1200 and MOVE 100.3 have shaped the capital’s soundtrack and conversation.

So have the voices behind the mics: Sandra Plagakis, Gord Wilson and Stuntman Stu — names as familiar as the stations themselves. All three built successful careers in Ottawa radio, and all three began at Algonquin College’s broadcasting – radio and podcasting program.

Now, that program is set to sign off.

In February, Algonquin College President and CEO Claude Brulé announced 37 program closures, including the college’s longstanding radio broadcasting program. The decision was later ratified during the Feb. 28 Board of Governors meeting. Once current students graduate, the college will cease to offer those programs.

In an email to students, Brulé attributed the cuts to “shifts in learner interest, changes in federal policies, provincial funding and our focus on programs that offer strong career pathways.”

With grads working across the country, those who know the radio program say it does offer opportunity, and it’s exactly what they fear these cuts will eliminate.

For the students in room N101, that’s not the only casualty they’re grappling with.

CKDJ 107.9 — Algonquin College’s student-run community radio station is the program’s pulse. Broadcasting local music, news and youthful voices since 1972, the station offers students a chance to make radio, rather than simply study it.

At the helm of the program is Dan Mellon. With over 30 years of broadcasting experience, Mellon has mentored class after class of radio students for over a decade.

To him, this program isn’t just about music charts and ad reads, it’s about opportunity.

“There are so many places that (radio) students have wound up going to, and different industries as well,” Mellon said. From communications and public relations to even real estate marketing, the possibilities are vast, he says.

But Mellon says his greatest achievement isn’t shaping careers, it’s helping students build character and find their purpose.

He’s proud of his program’s ability to attract students of all creative backgrounds and personalities and give them a home and the inspiration to hone their craft.

“When they’re in this program and learning, many of these students realize for the first time what they’re passionate about,” Mellon said.

Without it, he fears future students will lose the chance to embark on that creative journey.

His students echo that idea. Charlie Kassam and Iain Sewell, both in Level 4, share a deep appreciation for what the program has given them — and frustration with its suspension.

“I was angry when I first found out. But now that the confusion’s passed, it’s just melancholy,” Sewell said. “Not only are we losing the program, we’re losing a friendly environment where people can connect through radio.”

The program’s been “about building a relationship with your audience and becoming a pillar in your community,” Kassam said. “Sure, we’re all going to graduate, but it’s not about that. It’s about radio’s future in Ottawa and maybe even in Canada.”

Amid increasing financial pressure in Ontario’s post-secondary education sector, the closure of radio programs has become a troubling trend. In 2023, Loyalist College suspended its broadcasting – radio program, citing low enrolment.

Late last year, Mohawk College followed suit, suspending multiple broadcast programs, including radio and TV and laying off 20 per cent of its administrative staff.

The students say alarms should be raised. To them, losing a dedicated, hands-on program means threatening the future of radio in Ottawa and across the province.

Now a communications manager for the Nepean Raiders, recent radio graduate Tommy Young understands just how prestigious Algonquin’s program is. He’s learned that graduates are hired all across Canada, while Ottawa radio stations often look specifically for AC graduates.

“Algonquin shutting down its program is a huge blow to their hiring practices and the industry as a whole,” Young said. “There are graduates in high positions all across the country, and a lot of the industry is retiring soon. We need the influx of youth.”

Without Ottawa’s only radio-specific program, students seeking education in radio will be forced to move elsewhere in the province, attracting local talent away from the capital.

This reality hasn’t sat well with many in Ottawa’s radio community, including Algonquin radio broadcasting alumnus and radio personality Stu Schwartz, known to listeners as Stuntman Stu. He said the program’s suspension was “a disgrace to a whole new generation of future leaders, who could have revolutionized radio broadcasting.”

KiSS 105.3’s Sandra Plagakis, another successful graduate, called the program “a game-changer.” Without it, she said she would not have enjoyed the same success.

Algonquin’s offering of “real-world experience” with CKDJ was invaluable to Plagakis. “It plays a crucial role in training future broadcasters by offering everything from on-air opportunities to involvement in the everyday operations of a radio station,” she said.

Plagakis said losing the program “doesn’t just mean a lack of future broadcasters — it would mean losing storytellers who keep the community connected.”

If nothing else, community connection is what strikes at the heart of N101. Walk past anytime, and music will often play on the speakers, but not just any music. “CKDJ is a rare home for local Ottawa-based artists,” Young said. Many up-and-coming artists depend on CKDJ as their sole source of public exposure. These changes don’t just empty a classroom, Young argues. It could silence voices.

As it stands, CKDJ holds an active broadcasting licence until 2030. Alumni and volunteers will still run the radio station after the program’s suspension, but licence renewal is not guaranteed.

Mellon and his students would like the college’s Students’ Association to adopt the station, making it Ottawa’s third campus-based community radio station alongside the University of Ottawa’s 89.1 CHuO FM and Carleton University’s 93.1 CKCU FM. Both are also volunteer-driven.

However, the SA’s communications and strategy manager Chris Lackner said, “At present, the Students’ Association has no plans to acquire 107.9 CKDJ FM.”

Regardless of what the future holds, radio broadcasting students remain appreciative of the inspiration and knowledge their professors provided them.

“Most professors are part-time, but they still put up so much work, effort and time teaching us,” Sewell said. “I wouldn’t rather have had a professor anywhere else. They’re all fantastic people.”

Once the program closes, part-time professors will likely lose their positions if they cannot find new placements at the college. Mellon takes comfort in knowing they all actively work full-time in the industry, but he knows they’ll miss teaching.

As for him, he too could return to the industry full-time. But that’s never been the point. “That’s what hurts the most,” he said, “I love working here. I’m not worried about finding another job, but I don’t know if I’d love it as much as this.”

Still, Mellon says his work isn’t finished. His students are still learning and the station is still humming. Looking back, he’s proud of the voices he’s helped shape over the years, the program’s welcoming culture, and the role CKDJ still plays in the campus community. Mellon does not doubt the impact his program has made.

“I’m proud,” he said. “I’m proud of them all.”