What Are You Listening To?
CKUT's 21st Annual Funding Drive is over, but it is never too late to donate.

To pledge, call: 514-907-9424 or donate online:

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Why donate to CKUT?

• CKUT receives no corporate funding, which is great, because it means the station is not controlled or influenced by commercial interests in any way. Station revenue comes from membership fees, from our annual funding drive, and from advertising that we do for local and grassroots initiatives.
  
  CKUT broadcasts radio that is by and for the communities of Montreal. One of the station's goals is to balance out the media landscape through coverage of news, music, and culture that is not adequately covered in the mainstream media.
  
  CKUT also avidly supports social equality and a spirit of inclusiveness and cooperation by reaching out and offering a voice to the concerns of marginalized citizens and groups. One of the main functions of the station is to provide access to the skills, techniques, and equipment necessary to radio broadcasting. By offering these skills to the general public for a membership fee of only $10 per year, CKUT ensures a place for democratic participation in the media. By supporting CKUT, you are securing a spot on the fm dial that is truly representative of the wonderfully creative and diverse city of Montreal.
  
  CKUT is a place of experimentation. Programmers and contributors create an ecclectic and wildly creative mix of programming. Listening to and creating programming on CKUT will take your imagination to new places.
  
  Your donations to CKUT help to pay the rent for the station's facilities as well as the transmitter tower; it buys and maintains broadcasting and recording equipment; and pays a dedicated staff to tend to provide trainings and tend to the daily needs of the station.

Is it too late to pledge?

• Never, we welcome pledges year round. You can always pledge online, by calling the station at 514-448-4041, ext 8991 or by dropping to make your pledge. If yo ustop by we will be happy to show you around the station so you can see where the money we raise goes. We are located at 3647 University (Metro McGill). Stop by Monday to Friday from 11am-6pm.

What about my gift?

• Your gift will be available as soon as you pay your pledge. There are a few ways to go about receiving your gift:

• 1) When you pay by credit card, you have the option to reserve a gift. If you pay online, you can reserve your gift online. If you pay by credit card over the phone, simply let the operator know which gift it is that you would like. You can then choose to pick up your gift or have it mailed to you. We do charge shipping and handling for gifts that we mail out.


• 2) Come into the station and select your gift when you pay your pledge.


• 3) Mail us a check, your top three gift choices, and let us know whether you would like to pick your gift up or have it mailed to you. Again, shipping and handling is extra so be sure to include the extra cost if you choose to have your gift mailed. We ask for your top three choices, but cannot make any guarantees. The best way to guarantee a particular gift is to pay your pledge immediately by credit card.

What kind of gifts are available?

• Check out Gifts and Prizes for an explanation of all that is available to you.

Does CKUT offer charitable-tax receipts?

• We realize this is important and it is something we are looking into, unfortunately it won't happen in time for this year's funding drive.

Why does CKUT need my contact information?

• To remind you to pay your pledge, to send you a thank-you note for your pledge, and to keep you up-to-date with what's going on through our newsletter, SOUNDBITES. If you prefer that we not send you stuff, please let us know and we will take you off of our mailing list. If you prefer email updates, send us your email address and we will keep you informed electronically.

Where does the money go?

• First, we pay the basics:

• Building rent and bills (electricity, Internet, telephone, etc.)
• Renting the broadcast tower
• New equipment and equipment repairs. Our gear is in heavy-use, meaning faster wear-outs and more chances of weird errors, plus in need of constant updating and maintenance. We have production equipment and we have office equipment. And then there's all the gear we wish we had!
• Miscellaneous expenses like CDRs, turntable needles, office supplies, and on and on.....
• Not to mention the salaries of our seven full-time staff, 2 part-time staff, and work study staff. Without these folks the station would likely be in complete disarray.

What are CKUT's other sources of income?

• CKUT has three basic sources of income:
• 1. The annual funding drive
• 2. A levy from the students of McGill University
• 3. Advertising
• Although advertising is a source of revenue for CKUT, it is important to note that we only air a limited number of ads per hour. This is one of the beauties of CKUT, our license only allows us to do up to 4 minutes of advertising an hour; that means fewer annoying commercials and more fantastic and diverse content. We also provide advertising to local artists, promoters, businesses, and events on a sliding scale. We pride ourselves on doing only limited advertising and supporting local causes with low-cost ads. However, because our advertising is so limited, this also means that we have to find other sources of funding to keep the station running. This is where the annual funding drive becomes such an important event for us. It is a time for listeners and programmers alike to show their support and appreciation for CKUT's commitment to creating diverse, multicultural, grassroots, and accessible media which is especially important in the current landscape of mainstream media where the majority of media outlets are controlled by a small number of corporations. Independent media outlets such as CKUT ensure a diversity of information and voices which is essential to a truly democractic society. A pledge to CKUT is a small price to pay for the benefits it offers to our city and our society.