At midnight on October 8, students on VIU’s Nanaimo campus received an invitation via email to vote in the CHLY Fee Referendum. They voted yes to support their campus radio station by means of a monthly fee increase from $1.13 to $3.01 from 2025 to 2028. Voting remained open until October 10.

VIUSU organiser Mathews Tharakan reported that 358 votes were tallied, with 13 abstentions. Of the 358 members who voted, 285 (nearly 80 percent) voted in favour of the CHLY Referendum while 73 voted against the fee increase.

The CHLY Radio Station is located on Lois Lane in downtown Nanaimo and situated in the basement of The Queen’s, but with increased funding, CHLY may relocate to the Nanaimo campus soon. 

CHLY is where I got my start in radio, which ultimately landed me a summer broadcast internship at Cabin Radio, a media outlet in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.

Jesse Woodward is CHLY’s Executive Director and Station Manager. He’s the guy that roped me into volunteering as a music librarian and on-air host in my second year at VIU.

One Thursday evening after I’d finished hosting my hour of The VIU Meter—a music show with a focus on local artists, indie rock, pop, hip-hop, and electronic music—I spoke with Woodward about the referendum.

“[It’s] a gentle fee increase from a tiny fee to what will still be a tiny fee in three years,” Woodward said. “The justification for the increase is being able to hire student employees, offer paid student internships for course credit, and [pay] for the costs of a return to campus. It ensures the long-term stability of the radio station for years to come.”

This was the referendum pitch he’d tirelessly given to students and faculty.

The CHLY Fee Referendum has been a long time coming. Woodward spent last spring through summer creating a proposal, crunching numbers, and compiling campaign material.

He had help from students like Auvie Meyer, who worked as the summer 2024 Graphic Design Intern, and CHLY volunteers Frankie Spear-Beauchamp and Laura Schramm who worked in student outreach during the voting period. Daniela Guevara and Jay McDonnell were also key in spreading the word.

Woodward spent the voting period on campus tabling in front of the cafeteria with campaign material and a friendly assertiveness that was crucial for getting voters’ attention.

“There was a lot of pointing at students and asking them if they voted,” Woodward said and laughed. “And it worked!”

There is no better feeling than advocating for an establishment that changed my life. I stood at the table and encouraged students to vote yes because of how grateful I am to CHLY and the experiences they provide me.

As a teenager, I was complimented often on my speaking voice. People would say I sounded smooth and sultry, but I never thought much of it.

After enrolling in university, I discovered that I could use my voice in ways I hadn’t considered before, like for radio broadcast. I found CHLY to be the perfect place to showcase my speaking voice, but more importantly my love of journalism, music, art, and entertainment.

That’s why I’m thrilled CHLY will be able to continue to provide opportunities for students like me for many years to come.

I asked Woodward where he was when he heard the news that the referendum had passed.

“I was riding my bike down the hill,” he said. “I got a text from James Bowen, the executive director of the Student Union. It felt good.”

“You stopped your bike to read it, right?” I asked and imagined Woodward pulling out his phone while whipping down Nanaimo’s notorious hills.

“I definitely stopped my bike,” he said. “I pulled to the side of the road and read my cell phone appropriately while not moving my bicycle.”

Having been involved with CHLY since 2013, Woodward was relieved to hear the positive results of the fee referendum. “All that work was for something,” he said. 

Woodward says the next big thing for CHLY is a return to campus.

I asked him for an explanation as to why the station is no longer on Nanaimo’s campus. He said that although he was not involved with the station at the time, his understanding of the 2001 relocation was that it had to do with “personality conflicts and lack of communication at important key points” between CHLY and VIUSU.  

While exciting, it’s hard for a radio station to move locations. It’ll be a big move. The station’s transmitter must be relocated, and any new space must be properly outfitted as a recording and broadcast studio. 

Total costs are unsure at this time, but Woodward says they will be supplemented with capital grants that come from the province of BC in order to stretch funding.

A fee increase is understandably alarming to students who already pay such high living costs, but Woodward explained how CHLY contributes to campus life in more ways than one.

Already the station enriches campus life and culture and provides extra-curricular opportunities that many students may not know about.

Woodward explained that students who need upper-level course credit can collaborate with CHLY for a Student Directed Study. Students can produce a short radio show series on their subject of choice as it relates to their program.

For example, the community nursing component of VIU Nursing has a radio series called “A Sound Constitution” which aims to demystify health issues and provide information about health care options. 

Woodward said there is room to expand programming to other departments within VIU, adding that students interested in the business side of things can get involved by working sales or taking on administrative responsibilities at the station.

Arbie Fru, Program Coordinator at CHLY and Vice President and Secretary for the National Campus Radio Association, emphasized the impact CHLY has on VIU’s success. 

“We have a role to support and advertise what’s going on at the university to the people of Nanaimo,” Fru said.

CHLY hopes that more students become involved. Filling out the CHLY volunteer form on their website is a great first step. 

As the station receives many submissions from local and national artists that need sorting and uploading to the station’s music library, most students start with doing intake as a music librarian. Some students might then host on-air programming such as The VIU Meter.

“You can just vibe for an hour or two,” Woodward said about The VIU Meter. “Which for students is often something they need to do—they just need to decompress.”

It’s true. My shift at CHLY is often the highlight of my week. It provides me the time to find new music and expand my palate. I get to uplift artists and build community. Sometimes I invite a friend into the booth and enjoy some on-air banter.

 “I don’t know about you,” Woodward added. “But I guess you could probably do some readings while you’re sitting in the booth?”

“Yep,” I said. “I was just doing my classwork in there.”

“There you go,” Woodward said.

Everyone has something to share, and a campus radio is a great place to start. While not all of the students may be interested in being involved with broadcasting on CHLY, there’s certainly something for everyone to listen to.

When I imagine what CHLY would look like on VIU’s Nanaimo campus, I picture the radio station as a hub for students from all faculties—a place to destress, share, learn, and vibe to some great music. 

Official results of the CHLY Fee Referendum were posted by the VIUSU on Friday, November 15. Students can expect to pay the increased fee starting in the summer or fall of 2025, but exact dates are to be determined. Locals can listen to CHLY at 101.7FM or through the CHLY website’s listening options.