It seems appropriate that CKUA's move into our new home occurred during the month of Thanksgiving - and we are indeed thankful! Each year, the Municipal and Provincial governments have a pool of funds available for facility improvement and investment projects - and this year CKUA was chosen to receive part of those funds. 

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CKUA needs to raise $25M to pay for the new building, infrastructure upgrades and endowments to support our future.

1. With CKUA receiving millions of dollars from the provincial government, why are you still having fundraisers?

2. The new building seems to be quite grand. Why does CKUA need such a fancy building?

3. How will you pay for the remainder of the building’s cost?

4. Can I dedicate part of my fundraiser gift towards the cost of the new building?

5. How does a new station in Edmonton help with CKUA’s Alberta-wide mandate?

6. What are you doing to raise CKUA’s profile in Calgary and other parts of Alberta?

7. When can CKUA’s loyal listeners and supporters get a tour of the new facility?

8. I’ve heard about the performance space in the new building – when will you start hosting concerts and events?

1. With CKUA receiving millions of dollars from the provincial government, why are you still having fundraisers?

We're fortunate and grateful to have received such support from the Province and City of Edmonton, who have each contributed $5M. These funds are one-time gifts, which will be distributed over the next several years and designated specifically by the government to support the cost of the new facility.

CKUA relies upon listener support to allow us to keep providing quality programs that they've come to expect and love. The government money will help us pay for the building. Our bi-annual fundraisers and support received via monthly donors pays for all the expenses related to running the station, including our vast array of programming.


2. The new building seems to be quite grand. Why does CKUA need such a fancy building?

It is very important for the future of CKUA to be an active part of our community. Our plans include new ways to connect with a more diverse range of people and to better serve the arts and cultural community throughout Alberta. As such, we needed to be centrally located.

After nine years of planning and searching, we found a space that not only met the unique needs of a broadcast facility, but was located in Edmonton’s emerging entertainment district and has the additional advantage of being the perfect mix of a heritage building, reconstructed to modern standards.

3. How will you pay for the remainder of the building’s cost?

CKUA is working on a capital campaign designed to invite our supporters to contribute to paying down our mortgage. We’re in what the industry calls the ‘quiet phase’ in which we’re generating support from leaders in business and cultural enterprises around Alberta. We hope to announce the public phase of the capital campaign sometime in mid-2013.


4. Can I dedicate part of my fundraiser gift towards the cost of the new building?

Although we’re happy to accept any gift supporters may wish to direct towards the new building’s mortgage, we still need support to continue broadcasting and producing the type of quality programming our listeners have come to expect from CKUA.

We can draw a parallel between CKUA’s building/operating costs and those of anyone maintaining a house – part of each month’s paycheque will go towards paying rent or a mortgage, but money is still needed to keep the lights on, keep the furnace running, and keep food in the fridge. This is the situation CKUA finds itself in – we don’t want to be “house poor”; we need the continued support generated through our twice-yearly fundraisers to keep up the day-to-day operation and broadcast.


5. How does a new station in Edmonton help with CKUA’s Alberta-wide mandate?

Every organization needs a home base. The old Edmonton studios had been inhabited by CKUA since 1955. The technical infrastructure was unreliable, antiquated and had been put together piecemeal over the decades. Simple maintenance required an inordinate amount of time and attention just to keep us on the air. In addition, the building itself was literally falling apart and was no longer a safe environment for CKUA staff and volunteers or our precious music collection.

Our new facility is equipped with state-of-the art broadcast equipment that will enhance our overall sound, enable our engineers to use their time much more efficiently and effectively, and provide opportunities for new types of content, such as video, which we can distribute via our web platforms.


6. What are you doing to raise CKUA’s profile in Calgary and other parts of Alberta?

CKUA is working with the National Music Centre (NMC) and will have space in their new facility.  Although it's still early in the project, our presence in Calgary will be expanding in the coming years with new studio spaces and partnerships that will raise our profile. More information and updates will be provided to our listeners and supporters as the project progresses.

CKUA continues to support music and cultural groups around Calgary and other parts of Alberta through media sponsorships, advertising partnerships, live on-location broadcasts and volunteer presence at festivals and special events.


7. When can CKUA’s loyal listeners and supporters get a tour of the new facility?

As anyone who has moved a household or business can attest, the process of unpacking, developing new routines and settling in takes some time. Once we have a little time to become familiar with our new home and ensure that our daily business operations are set, we will start planning for public tours. They will likely happen in the New Year, and when plans are set, we’ll tell everyone about them through our announcers, broadcast spots, website and the Original Thoughts newsletter.


8. I’ve heard about the performance space in the new building – when will you start hosting concerts and events?

We’re all excited at the new opportunities for CKUA to contribute to the cultural lifeblood of the province through hosting performances – musical, theatrical, dance, spoken word recitals…. The operation of a public facility is a new world for this broadcaster. We currently have staffers dedicated to setting up operational processes that will allow us to produce and host a number of engaging visitor experiences, and we hope to launch this new side of CKUA in Spring 2013.