Community hopes to hit the airwaves

Page 9

About five years ago, William Yuzicapi was just floating the idea. During a meeting of File Hills chiefs and councils in Lebret, Yuzicapi casually mentioned that a community radio station for the File Hills-Balcarres area might be a good idea. It would be a way to broadcast powwow music and other compositions by Aboriginal recording artists. Maybe Elders could have their stories and legends recorded, saved in the station's library, and broadcast on the air at times.

By next September, that could be a reality, as the Okanese First Nations prepares to apply for a license to open its station.

The new station will become an important listening post for First Nations people in the district, said Yuzicapi, the general manager of the new station.

"I just casually mentioned it to her in passing during that meeting in Lebret. She thought it over for a couple of years, and said 'put some numbers together.'

"Over the summer the chief and council wanted to make this into a reality. Since I was the one who headed this up in the beginning, they asked me to head it up full-time."

Yuzicapi's name may not be familiar for southern Saskatchewan radio listeners, but his baritone voice certainly is recognizable. Better known by his on-air name of William Alexander, he was a familiar broadcaster on Regina AM radio stations throughout the 1990s, with a term as the Lebret Eagles' marketing and communications co-coordinator sandwiched in between in 1994 and 1995.

Yuzicapi says the plans would have remained little more than a pipe dream without the efforts of Chief Maryanne Daywalker Pelletier and members of the Okanese First Nations council.

"Okanese is probably one of the most progressive reserves in Saskatchewan, business-wise," said Yuzicapi. "In the past five years, we've gone through a lot of scenarios, a lot of proposed budgets, and a lot of numbers.

"The band's application is currently before the CRTC, who, if they approve, will officially approve the station's call letters and broadcasting frequency before the station takes to the air.

It usually takes the CRTC from six months to a year to review and approve a new broadcasting license, he said.

"But since we're First Nations and also a community radio station, we have to jump through the same hoops (as a commercial company applying for a radio station license) but it might not be as intensive."

For example, any company setting up a commercial ratio station must go through a public inquiry. However community radio stations instead will meet with a few commissioners face to face.

"And since there's no one else in the Balcarres and File Hills area applying for a community radio license, there won't be much official opposition."

The new station will broadcast on the FM band, thanks to picking up used equipment from an Ontario FM radio station that is upgrading their equipment.

"A commercial radio station is run by its owners, and it's run for a profit. In a community-based radio station, the community will run the station," said Yuzicapi. They do that through having volunteers perform on-air duties, selecting records, and doing community and fundraising events. "Anybody can come by and volunteer to do a show," he says. "There's going to be a lot of Native music, a lot of powwow music. That's to be expected because File Hills will be our major broadcasting area.

"One of our mandates is to promote new talent, whether that would be powwow music or more contemporary style singing. If they have a CD they can come in and drop it off, and if our listeners like it, it can make it onto the play list."

In addition, Yuzicapi plans to have station volunteers record stories, legends, and oral histories from Elders in the File Hills area in order to preserve their messages for other generations. There are also plans to have Aboriginal language lessons broadcast on the station, so those who understand the Cree language and those who want to learn the language can hear it over the airwaves.