Editorial Support For FM Waves
Letters To The Editor
FM radio in Montreal clearly lacks a non-commercially motivated radio station which caters to the programming needs of the large and growing number of people who refuse to subject themselves to the electronic drivel which now permeates the airwaves. CFRM Radio McGill, now broadcasting on cable, is in the process of soliciting a FM broadcasting license from the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). Obtaining a broadcasting license w ill enable CFRM to provide Montreal with its first, and long overdue, source of broad and repeated promotion for independent musicians who do not fit the mold of commercially oriented radio. There has been widespread support in the Montreal and McGill communities over the past year for CFRM. In the fall of 1985, 70 percent of the students who participated in the fall referendum voted in favor of financing Radio M cG ill directly. The administration of McGill University has pledged $145,000, upon receipt of the license, to equip a new studio. The extensive efforts of Martlet House and those involved with the McGill Advancement Program (MAP) drew support from all corners of the Montreal community including $32,000 in pledged advertising for the first year of operation. In his letter of endorsement adressed to radio McGill regarding their application to the CRTC Donald MacSween, the Director General of the National Arts Center in Ottawa stated: " A University .speaks with a unique voice. All too often that voice is heard only within the University itself. A University's cultural wealth is a community asset and the opportunity Radio provides for community members to "tune in " to that asset is, in the age of electronic communica tion, an essential ingredient in the health of the community." Considering all of the above, one might begin to wonder why CFRM might not be granted an operating license. The CRTC claims there is only room for one radio station of said format on the dial. There are, however, two groups in ad dition to CFRM that are applying for the same broadcasting license. Namely, the radiostation at Concordia University (CIBL) and Corporation Pour L'advancement de Nouvelles Application des Langages Ltee (CANAL). Flipping through the FM dial in Montreal the question may arise whether or not this in fact "ro o m " for one "alternative" radio station. The CRTC is currently taking applications for four new FM bands. There certainly seems to be "ro o m " for more. Un fortunately the CRTC is unwilling adopt a freer market policy. That is, make the broadcasting waves more accessible. Since we are forced to compete, for the time being, for a single broadcasting license, CFRM, now more than ever needs the continued support of the M cG ill community. Radio McGill's call for letters of endorsement should be responded to immediately by the students and faculty of McGill University. Soon the cry for FM radio w ill again begin to resound through our hallowed halls.
Support For Studsoc Brief To the Editor, Much controversy has arisen out of the Student Society's endorsement of a tui tion fee increase. The opponents' claims are many and varied but I would like to deal with only some of the more tenuous arguments. Firstly, SSMU has lost the confidence of its electorate say some opponents, since it chose to "ignore" the petition signed by more than 1500 students who opposed a fee increase. We hear that the our student representatives no longer represent us. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. It is the case that we are elected to represent the student body's interests but this should not be confused with their opinions,. Students' views on every issue differ. For a counsellor to attempt to assess student opinion before making his or her deci sion is to mimic the neither practical nor moral style which presently flourishes in Ottawa. O f course we would all like to have a good education for as little as possible. To argue otherwise is irra tional. The salient point is that quality of our education is suffering from a lack of funding. The fact of overcrowded classrooms and closed libraries can not just be shrugged off as unfortunate realities. They are impairing all of our abilities to get the most out of university. Thus the interests of the students are at the foundation of the SSMU's decision. Next, the claim that a rise in our tui tion w ill cause mass drop outs and ex clude many from a university education, is not well though out. We must remember that political decisions are not made in a vacuum. When the Bourassa government draws up their new proposal it w ill necessarily take into account the fact that students are a large and often united voting group that must be appeased. To think that the grant and loan program for universities would not become more comprehensive with a tui tion increase is to believe that the government is w illing to alienate this section of the electorate. As the SSMU/MAUT brief insists, we agree with a tuition increase only if accessiblity does not suffer. Furthermore, those who suggest that these loans are a way of sustaining the poor in a position of subordination are squandering a good argument on the wrong situation. Say the average stay at university is four years arid tuition fees rise to $2,500.00. If a student was forced to borrow the entire difference between today's tuition and the proposed one, their debt at the end of their education, would be $6,800.00. The odds are that
this is less than one third of a year's earning potential for a graduate. In addition they are not required to pay until the years after they graduate. Ask an American university graduate whose debt is over $40,000 how he feels about the equity of this proposal. That the tuition increase has been passed only by those who are wealthy
enough to pay it is false. If university is a priority in someone's life, this additional approximately $1,500 in 1990 w ill be well worth the pains to obtain it. The SSMU cares deeply about the plight of students and it is for this reason that we support a fee increase. John Kaplan Arts Representative to council
THE Mc G IL l TRIBUNE Editor-in-Chief — Melanie Clulow Photo Editor — Ezra Greenberg Assistant Editor — Heather Clancy Sports Editor — Chris Flanagan Entertainment Editor — Sheryl Ackerman & Barbro Dick Production Manager — Stephanie Zelman Cover Design — Janet McMullen News Editor — Michèle Dupuis Ad Manager — Jack Berry Contributors Mariam Bouchoutrouche, Patrice Brodeur, Tosh Burns, Lionel Chow, Jacki Danylchuk, Mike Day, James Dumont, Charles Foster, Joel Goldenburg, Janet McMullen, Janet Mitchell, Jennifer Mori, Kate Morisset, Bilquisse Visram, Marc Wills. The McGill Tribune is published by the Students' Society of McGill Universi ty. Opinions expressed do not necessarily represent Students' Society of M cG ill University opinions or policy. The Tribune editorial office is located in B-15 o f the University Centre, 3480 McTavish Street, Montréal, Québec, H3A 1X9, telephone 392-8927. Letters and submissions should be left at the editorial offices or in the Tribune mailbox at the Students' Society General Of fice. This is your paper. Comments, complaints, or compliments should be ad dressed to Kevin Davis, Chairman, Tribune Publications Board, and left at the Students' Society General Office is located in room B-22 of the University Centre. Its telephone local is 392-8954. Typesetting and assembly by Daily Typesetting, 3480 McTavish Street, Mon treal. Printing by Payette and Simms, St. Lambert, Quebec.
Has life lost all its meaning?
M cGill's FM Bid To The Editor: Radio McGill is fast approaching the crucial final steps in its bid to obtain a full licence to broadcast on F.M. The Candian Radio-Television and Telecom munications Commission has served notice that the week commencing November 24, 1986 has been set for hearings to allocate Montreal's available F.M. frequencies. In this, CFRM-Radio McGill joins a group of local applicants vying for these frequencies. W hile the substance of the application has been detailed and submitted, one aspect of the application procedure re mains. In this final step we are calling on the support of students, alumni and staff as well as members of the greater Mon treal community. One of the most crucial aspects of the F.M. application procedure is that Radio McGill demonstrate it maintains the sup port of its listeners, the University and the community-at-large, through a letter writing campaign. With the acquisition o f an F.M. licence, Radio McGill feels it w ill fill a considerable gap which at pre sent exists in Montreal radio — a viable
alternative to existing radio stations. This alternative w ill take many forms, principally in its provision of presented blocks of primarily non-commerical, specialty and alternative music, as well as multicultural, special interest and community informational programming, sports and community access program ming. Radio M cG ill would carry the voice of the McGill community into the greater Montreal community. It is in this spirit that CFRM-Radio McGill asks you to support its bid for F.M. Letters supporting Radio McGill's in itiative are needed to complete the ap plication. We ask that everyone involve themselves in this campaign from cam pus organizations and clubs to in dividual students and listeners — you all carry equal weight. Letters should be addressed to the: CRTC c/o Radio McGill 3480 McTavish Street Montreal, Quebec H3A1X9 Or, they can be dropped off at the sta tion, Suite B-11 in the University Centre.
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General Meeting Today, 4 pm in Union B-15
Worldwide Opportunity Now is the time to apply for the 1987 World University Service of Canada (WUSC) International Seminar which is to be held in Zimbabwe. The WUSC Seminar program was established in 1948 and, ever since, every year, Cana dian students have had the opportunity to be part of this cross-cultural exchange. The six-week seminar allows thirty students to study international develop ment issues firsthand. Each student is re quired to select a research topic prior to
the departure date duly '87) and to sub mit a written report upon returning to Canada. The student group w ill be ac companied by three faculty advisors and w ill also be in contact with Zimbabwean students on location. For additional information, please contact the McGill WUSC Local Com mittee in the Student Union building, Rm 413. Deadline for application is Oc tober 30 th. Patrice Brodeur