The little station that grew: Amherst Island Radio

Amherst Island Radio embodies the spirit of community radio. Broadcasting on 101.3 FM from their CJAI "world headquarters" on Amherst Island, and powered by a small army of passionate volunteers, they've forged a staunchly loyal listenership across the greater Kingston area. Station Manager, Eric Tremblay, reveals the stories and secrets that continue to fuel the station's success, including their recent expansion to mainland and new media hub, their commitment to live and local music, and their fundraising initiatives that have generated nearly $200,000.

Chapters:
00:00:23 Episode overview
00:02:54 Community vs. commercial radio
00:04:52 A brief history of Amherst Island Radio
00:09:37 The unpredictability advantage
00:11:28 The local news leader
00:14:13 "Our identity IS the community."
00:16:45 Supporting live and local music
00:20:01 Recent growth and changes
00:22:08 Fundraising, revenue generation and giving back
00:26:06 Reinvesting in the radio station
00:29:14 Tapping into volunteer passion
00:32:10 Engaging the listening audience
00:33:50 Vocal volunteer advocacy
00:35:55 Setting sights on next milestones
00:40:03 Misperceptions on getting involved
00:42:15 An invitation to tune in
00:44:24 Episode credits

Episode Production Credits

Guests:
Eric Tremblay, Station Manager eric.tremblay23@gmail.com

Hosts:
Rob Howard rob@kingstonlive.ca
Johnny San john@kingstonlive.ca

Episode Links:
Amherst Island Radio CJAI 101.3 FM https://kingstonlive.ca/resource/1194157/view
Radio Free Stella http://www.radiofreestella.com/
Radio Queen's University CFRC 101.9 FM https://kingstonlive.ca/cfrcqueensradio
Kingston concerts and music festivals https://kingstonlive.ca/
Audio production by Soundwise https://kingstonlive.ca/resource/1191590/view

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