CHRY 2013 Fundraising Campaign

CHRY Fundraising Campaign Your Favourite Broadcaster  

By William Doyle-Marshall

      One of Toronto’s leading community broadcasters, CHRY Radio 105,5 fm, centers its current fundraising drive around the station’s new branding to be known as the leading source for diversity. Now in its 26^th year of broadcasting the station will conduct its annual fundraising drive from October 16 to October 26. 

                                Campaign team getting ready for CHRY's 2013 community outreach

A 24-hour-24-deejay session non-stop set the tone for the campaign. It began at noon on Monday.

The cast of top class participants in the 24-hour project are DJ Grouch, Turnstyles Crew; DJ Smartiez, the Essentials; DJ Fase, Fat Thursdays Stolen Moments; DJ Romeo, Demolition Crew; Dr. Jay – the Soca Prince; DJ Ritz – Stylus Award Winner; DJ Mensa – National Redbull three style champion; DJ Starting from Scratch – the world famous; Big Jacks- grand groove deejays; DJ DOC  - diplomat sound/tour dj; DJ Mel-Boogie – core djs dropping dimes; DJ Black Reaction- the Black Perfection Shelling Kingz; DJ Royale – grand groove djs; DJ Red X – the CD King musical mashup; Bozack Morris – Black Rap; Rootsman Sound – keeping it rootical; DJ Hot shot – on the rise; DJ Baby Yu – the remix kid; DJ Marxman – planet X wake-up show KOS; DJ Ononymous – core djs soul suite; DJ Spoonz – 2010 Stylus Award winner; DJ Soca Sweetness – the Hive Stylus Award winner: Soca DJ of the Year; DJ Makem – two time Toronto Redbull, 3 style champion and 4 Korners – I*am artist, Toronto Raptors. To check for yourself (the website www.24djs.ca 

CHRY says proudly this is easily one of Toronto’s premiere events for DJ’ing and DJ culture and the largest creative music broadcast in the country. “24HRS/24DJS places the campus of York University at the epi-centre of the media map,” the station’s website boasts. With a radically diverse and talented line-up of Canada’s top radio and club DJ’s #24HRS/24DJS resonates internationally via social media and is exceptional in its ability to be shared on several mediums with shear thousands of participants simultaneously from multiple digital cable channels (across southern Ontario) to web streaming, mobile apps and further across the GTA on 105.5FM. 

                                    CHRY's Station Manager Danae Peart ready for the campaign

October is the time of the year when listeners show their support financially to the station’s operation. That is undertaken through the station’s model with the Canadian Radio and television Commission. Danae Peart, station manager acknowledges that her programmers have great shows, they connect with unique genres, and they do unique things and great things. “The listeners once per year is asked to show support for that work,” she adds.

CHRY is taking steps to ensure its listening audience continues to expand. Programme Director Randy Reid promises “we are shooting to raise the bar. We are shooting to be the best we can be in this market. We are shooting to be the best we can be in this country and it starts with all of our awareness and our commitment to be proper broadcast ambassadors.”

  Reid emphasized everything starts with collective strength and he identified the company’s major asset as its diversity. He recently reminded the broadcast team that many of them have peer programmers on the grid whether it’s Soca, Rock, Reggae, Chutney or language based, where they can share best practices.

The Programme Director advises programmers those who have amazing segments or interviews could share them with other programmers who might be able to identify with it. These unique upscale productions could be represented on special ‘best of’ slots programming at night. Best of Spoken Word programming’ are aired on Mondays and the ‘best of Music Programming’ are aired On Tuesday. “We have an opportunity to celebrate the best of programming of that month or that week,” the Programme Director disclosed.

  Listeners to this popular community radio station in the city’s north west end are ready to receive calls from listeners who decide to pledge generous financial support. Because CHRY acknowledges its audience as its number one priority; “24HRS/24DJS gives the best seats in the house, whether they’re live on site literally steps away from their favourite DJ or tuned in from their television, computer, smart phone or radio, the 2013 edition will be a definite must experience.”