Sitting in a soundproofed studio at CKCU, Baljit Nagpal compares how he hosts his radio program, Aap Ki Farmaish, to being a chef in an Indian restaurant.

“Everybody cooks butter chicken, okay?” Nagpal said smiling.

But, he continued, if you like a particular place’s butter chicken recipe, you will go back to that location every time. In this regard, Nagpal said he’s a chef — but, for music programming.

Aap Ki Farmaish is structured around weekly themes that Nagpal’s community has come to expect. Often, Nagpal tries to blend new and old music to keep his listeners both happy and open to contemporary tracks.

This year, Aap Ki Farmaish — which translates to ‘your request’ — made its way into the top five most donated to funding drive shows at CKCU.

Nagpal said he begins raising money a month before the official funding drive start date by shooting off a hundred emails. In the emails, Nagpal said he includes personalized messages to the recipient — a gesture he said has given him credibility among his community.

For the past 10 to 15 years, Nagpal said this technique has worked best and lets him stay ahead of the frantic two week funding drive hustle. These pre-pledges give CKCU thousands of dollars before the phone rooms even open and other programs start to advertise the drive.

As the drive launches, these pre-pledges ease the burden and amount of work Nagpal has to do over the air waves.

Recently however, Nagpal said it has become harder to secure a stable listenership due to the rise in on-demand programs and streaming services. He noted that people nowadays don’t have the time to listen live since they have other, more “important activities” to attend to.

Despite this, Nagpal boasts happily that he has listeners from all over the world which grow his already strong following.

Aap Ki Farmaish airs weekly on Tuesday’s from 7 to 9 p.m. and consists of Baljit Nagpal, Anupama Potdar, and Prashant Maharishi.

By Simon McKeown

“Up to the last week of his life, (McKinnon) always said that this was the best two hours of his week,” White said, reminiscing on his tenure as McKinnon’s co-host from 2011 to 2013.

In the late afternoon under golden-yellow light, all six co-hosts of Canadian Spaces spread around a table at Irene’s Pub. Chris White, the main host of the program since 2013, said he couldn’t recall the last time everyone was together.

For this occasion, the collective — as they self proclaim — were overjoyed to share memories and laugh over stories about the late Chopper McKinnon and his time as host of Canadian Spaces.

Canadian Spaces topped the list for the most donated to funding drive program in 2024 — an achievement White said the show has had the privilege of having many, many times.

White said that McKinnon always took the funding drive super seriously and would get “bugged” when other host’s didn’t.

“He also got pretty shirty with the listeners if they didn’t donate too,” White added, with the collective nodding in agreement.

The collective laughed at the fact that McKinnon would play music the community enjoyed all year round and then would withhold it during the funding drive until listeners called in to donate.

White said McKinnon would also play Bob Snider’s song “Darn Folksinger” which has a line that sings, “Only thing a darn folksinger ever wanna make is money.”

But more than just that, McKinnon put in a lot of effort and made the funding drive a big deal and a big part of his life. The collective said McKinnon would get musicians to come into the studios and play a few songs, helping them plug their next gig and get their music to the people.

White said that McKinnon really fostered a vibrant community which still thrives to this day, and always emphasized the community aspect of the station’s programming.

“Sounds like six bucks,” White said, again, laughing with the collective.

The collective coined the saying as a “Chopperism” — something that would have been blurted out over the air waves many times some decades back.

“So people started adding $6 and you can see it in the donations. You’ll see $56 or $81 or $106. It’s a fun little thing — just a nod to (McKinnon),” White said.

White and the rest of the collective continue to walk the path McKinnon paved when he first joined CKCU, and said they all put their utmost effort during each funding drive.

Canadian Spaces airs weekly on Saturday’s from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and consists of Chris White, Anne-Marie Brugger, Carolyn Sutherland, Teresa Bandrowska, and Ray Harris.

By Simon McKeown

Mehdi Fallahi was full of passion when he decided to premiere Namaashoum — Ottawa’s first ever fully Farsi show — some 20 odd years ago. As an activist, he said the support was overwhelming despite his first few productions being “dry and awkward.”

Since then, he’s grown and has expanded the program into a collective with 30 diverse members (some even Carleton professors) who air educational programs and intriguing interviews.

In 2024, Namaashoum cracked into the top five most donated to funding drive shows at CKCU — an achievement Fallahi said was due in part to his steadfast activism.

“People know me as someone who is serving the community,” Fallahi said, adding that Namaashoum is often the medium for his activism.

The philosophy behind the program, Fallahi said, is to help spur change. He said he wants people to think critically about the contents of the show and further their knowledge for the better.

“I believe that my show should bring people from point A to point B at the end, even if point A and B are very close to each other,” he said.

During the funding drive, Fallahi said he takes his activism a step further and physically connects with people. In this way, Fallahi said he builds a stronger sense of community — something he’s already deeply committed to.

“So when I go to them asking for help, they respond to me, especially when I explain the nature of CKCU and how it works.”

With about 12 active co-hosts of Namaashoum, Fallahi said they all involve themselves and help with the funding drive. But, he said he’s still the main “driver” of the program.

“If for whatever reason I cannot continue and produce the show tomorrow, there is not one single person who can grab the torch and continue,” he said.

Fallahi said he puts on average 20 to 30 hours a week into Namaashoum and treats it like a second full-time job.

He does this because he said he believes that radio is still the most powerful broadcasting tool. For most Canadians, it’s accessible anywhere and everywhere and provides news, entertainment, sports, and much more.

For this reason, Fallahi tries to pack as much high quality Farsi content like interviews and educational segments rather than just airing music — his unique and personal preference.

Namaashoum airs weekly on Monday’s from 7 to 9 p.m. and consists mainly of Mehdi Fallahi.

By Simon McKeown

Tune into CKCU special presentations:

In A Mellow Tone

February 5: The vivacious ladies of Verve Records’ impact in the music industry.

February 12: Canadian jazz guitarist Sonny Greenwich.

February 19: Eric Dolphy profile and an interview with author Jonathon Grasse about his book Jazz Revolutionary: The life and music of Eric Dolphy.

Host Ian Mackenzie’s blog: Jazz On The Rideau

Rabble Without A Cause

February 5: A sampling of new reissues of Noah Howard from the 1970s.

February 12: Byard Lancaster – reissues of three of his albums from the 1970s.

February 19: Cecil Taylor – review of a new biography, “In The Brewing Luminous”.

February 26: Damon Locks and the Black Monument Ensemble – uplifting activist jazz for tumultuous times.

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As CKCU 93.1 FM enters its 50th year of broadcasting, we are reaching out to our incredible community for help. This milestone is a celebration of the station’s legacy, but it also marks a critical time in ensuring its continued growth and success.

We are seeking new board members, particularly someone with financial expertise to step into the role of Treasurer.

As a volunteer-driven community radio station, CKCU relies on passionate, dedicated individuals like YOU to keep the wheels turning. This is your chance to make a meaningful impact on the future of an organization that has been the voice of our community for decades. Whether you have experience in finance, governance, or just a passion for keeping community radio alive, we need strong, committed, and diverse people to join our Board.

Why join the CKCU Board?

If you or someone you know has the skills and the heart to make CKCU even stronger, we want to hear from you!

Interested? Send an email to the Board of Trustees Secretary: BoardSecretary@ckcufm.com for more information.