This year’s National Campus/Community Radio Conference (NCRC) in Nanaimo, British Columbia had over 85 people from more than 30 stations across the country, all coming together to learn, connect, and celebrate community radio. One of the big highlights was hearing from Jon Bisset from Australia - he brought a global perspective that really resonated. There were also great sessions on preserving radio history, building more inclusive practices, and tackling some of the challenges we all face. The "State of the Sector" discussion saw viewpoints from multiple spaces talking about what is good and bad, as well as some opportunities coming up! Plus, we had some amazing social events, live music, and our national awards gala. It felt like a real celebration of everything our sector stands for.
2. What’s concerning your members at the moment?
Right now, a lot of stations are worried about funding - the major ask for government is core and stable funding, of which there is no dedicated funding for the radio sector in Canada. This would stabilize the sector and give stations a chance to focus on content, not keeping the lights on. The decision by Meta to block Canadian news on Facebook and Instagram has hit us hard - especially for stations that rely on social media to reach listeners. There’s also growing uncertainty around how AI is being used in media, from synthetic voices to automated news, and how that might affect trust and authenticity. And of course, there’s the ongoing challenge of keeping volunteers engaged and avoiding burnout, which has only gotten harder since the pandemic where volunteer numbers are still down 40% to pre-2020.
3. Which political or social trends (positive or negative) in Canada are on your mind at the moment?
We’re keeping a close eye on some major changes in the regulatory world, especially around how news and media are treated online. There’s a real push for more support for local media, which is great to see - but at the same time, digital platforms are making it harder to reach audiences.
On the positive side, there’s growing recognition of how important community radio is for underserved communities, especially in rural and Indigenous areas. That gives us hope, but we still need to turn that awareness into actual support.
We are also seeing many groups push to "buy Canadian" with the issues in the USA, which means advertising on our stations and other Canadian-owned media.
4. Are there any NCRA/ANREC projects on the horizon that you’re particularly excited about that you can share?
Yes, we’re really excited about our new national training and development plan. It’s a big step forward for the sector. The plan includes hands-on production support, onboarding materials, and station management tools- so whether you're a volunteer or a full-time staff member, you’ll have resources tailored to your needs. We will also roll out a new sector-wide code of conduct that sets a clear standard for inclusive and respectful workplaces. And one of the biggest things we’re working on is a national skills assessment to help identify gaps across stations. That data will feed into a 10-year action plan to guide training, funding, and sector growth moving forward (sound familiar? Editor: A reference to the Australian community broadcasting sector's Roadmap 2033). It’s a major project, but one we think will have long-lasting impact.
The NCRA/ANREC will work on a 10-year-plan for the Canadian community broadcasting sector soon, drawing parallels to Roadmap 2033, the 10-year vision for Australia's community broadcasting sector.