LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON - New voices will be heard over the airwaves in Fort Simpson if a Liidlii Kue First Nation project succeeds.

A group of staff at the band office are working to develop a community radio station that would broadcast in the village. Named LKFM, the station will serve a number of purposes, said Jermaine Gargan, the communications manager for the band.

Jermaine Gargan, the communications manager for Liidlii Kue First Nation, hopes that a community radio station broadcast in Fort Simpson will be on the air within the next year. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo

The primary function of the station would be to spread information to the band membership about current issues facing the band. The station would also preserve and facilitate the exchange of traditional language, knowledge and culture, said Gargan.

"I think it's a very good thing for the whole region," he said.

Work on the project is beginning right at the ground level because there's no existing infrastructure for the station, said Gargan.

Quotes have been received for a studio and a transmitter and plans are being developed for programming.

LKFM will be like CKLB, said Gargan. Listeners can expect to hear a wide variety of music and local hosts.

To fund the station the band plans to apply to a number of funding sources. The first application was sent off on Jan. 15. Gargan said he's unsure when he'll hear back from funding sources but hopes to have the station on the air by next April.

Included in the funding applications are plans for a broadcast range of 20 kilometres, an area that would reach to the airport.

"That's just the beginning," he said.

Once the station is established, the range would be expanded further into the Deh Cho region and possibly to the world by using a streaming signal on the Internet.

The project would also include the infrastructure for repeater stations allowing for a wider use of hand-held radios to assist in search and rescue operations. The radios could also be used by people on the land to report the locations of any odd activities so they can be investigated, said Gargan.

Local response to the idea of a radio station has been positive, said Gargan.

"Everyone seems to be excited," he said.

Some people have said they would be willing to come in for a few hours on weekends to play some music, said Gargan.

Fort Simpson has been home to a radio station before.

About 30 years ago a station was broadcast out of the old community hall that was located across from the Northern Store, said Chief Keyna Norwegian.

A lot of youth got involved in the project and would play records during their one-hour shows, she said.

"It was a lot of fun," said Norwegian.

Morris Lafferty used to announce the news, and Norwegian said she can still remember his deep voice coming over the radio.

A new radio station is part of the band's goal to find new ways of reaching its membership, said Norwegian.

The station would help the band share firsthand information with community members on issues the band is working on such as the Deh Cho Process, said Norwegian.

A radio station would also play a cultural role.

"Our priority is really our language," she said.

Norwegian envisions nightly Slavey lessons that whole families could take part in. Listening to a lesson over the radio would be more convenient than committing to a classroom setting, she said.

The station would also provide a means to share the experiences and stories of elders before they are lost, Norwegian said.

Because local residents will be used to staff the station, it is also a good chance for people to take training to become technicians or radio announcers, she said.

"It will build up self-esteem for some of our youth," Norwegian said.