Kerry McCluskey
Northern News Services

Cambridge Bay (Sep 02/02) - The Cambridge Bay Communications Society is spreading its proverbial wings.

Currently involved with the running of CFBI -- a local radio station found on the FM dial at 97.7 MHz -- the society is now seriously considering branching out into television and the Internet.

A year after George Bohlender, left, and Grant Corey helped launch community radio in Cambridge Bay, the two are part of a movement to create a larger multimedia centre in the hamlet. - Kerry McCluskey/NNSL photo

The decision comes just a year after the society made history with its first broadcast last August, and less than two years after members came up with the concept of the radio station.

"We're certainly making progress. We're getting more people and more programming on the air," said Donna Olsen-Hakongak, the society's president.

Summing up the last 12 months as solid and steady, Olsen-Hakongak said that, through dedication and hard work, they have managed to increase their Innuinaqtun programming and continue to work on bringing more bilingual people on board.

A recent $15,000 grant from the Department of Culture means the society can now beef up its Inuktitut music library and buy new equipment.

A mixing board, computers, software, microphones and news-gathering equipment are all on the shopping list.

But limited space -- a single room -- and the pending arrival of more equipment mean a new location is needed. Fortunately, hamlet officials have stepped forward and offered the society the use of half a building.

A Community Access Program site will grace the other half of the building and supply access to computers and the Internet. Society members are considering running the CAP site on behalf of the hamlet and using the resources to help develop their multimedia plans.

Dreaming big

The new space appears to be the catalyst the society needed to begin to dream on such a grand scale. George Bohlender, a board member, said society members are waiting to sign a lease for the facility and examining the building to ensure it can accommodate their needs. The next step -- after getting the radio station operational in its new home by the end of October -- is to put together a production studio.

Bohlender said such a studio would give the society the ability to create more in-depth radio programs. Elders could record their stories and radio drama might even be feasible.

The notion of television simply evolves from there, said Bohlender.

"We haven't had a lot of discussion around TV yet, but it's a natural evolution of radio. TV is much more powerful than radio. It gives you a 3D feel you don't get from radio," he said.

"We want to make sure we have the financial and human resources to do this properly," he added.

Olsen-Hakongak shares Bohlender's caution.

"I'm excited, but in the same breath, it's quite an undertaking," she said. "There's no end to what we can do, but it's overwhelming. I'm sure it will flourish though."

The current board is also pondering the option of increasing to six members.

Olsen-Hakongak said more hands would make the long hours of work ahead easier.

If all goes according to plan, the board's vision could come together by 2005.

"Basically what you've got in three years is a multimedia centre in Cambridge Bay," Bohlender said.