A Radio student, circa 1979
It was 30 years ago this week that BCIT’s campus radio station (then known as CFML) first hit the airwaves. On January 22, 1982, a couple hundred students, faculty, administrators, and broadcast-industry types braved a heavy snowfall to watch as Noel Hullah, then president of the BC Association of Broadcasters, threw a switch and connected BCIT to local listeners. Student Gary Russell (today Gary manages two radio stations in Prince George) rolled the first song — “Listen To The Music” by the Doobie Brothers — and the rest is history.
Students in the CFML studio, circa 1987
Evolution 1079 operates with a campus educational license first granted in 1981 by the CRTC. Originally, the station operated with a “closed circuit” (non-broadcast) frequency throughout the Broadcast Centre. Then, the station secured a “carrier current” license which delivered the signal to three campus areas, including the student residences, through electrical wires. The signal reached up to a few hundred feet. “You could hear us on the AM band if you were driving by on Willingdon Avenue or in the back parking lot, but that was about it,” recalls Brian Antonson, former associate dean of Broadcast and Media Communications.
A BCIT Radio student, circa 1987
With the “carrier current” license issued in January 1982, CFML was brought to the masses. “That allowed the local cable companies to distribute our signal on FM on the cable system,” says Brian. “We got a much larger audience exposure…folks listening at home on their cable systems, in beautiful stereo!” In the mid-2000s, the station received a new license allowing them to transmit over the air, and adopted the name “Evolution”. Today, you can find Evolution 1079 on the FM band at 107.9, or stream it live over the Internet.
A student in BCIT's Broadcast and Media Communications program, circa 1987
When BCIT first opened its doors in 1964, Broadcast and Media Communications was one of seven original departments. Today, it is known for training many of BC’s leading broadcasters. Want to join them? Learn more about BCIT’s Broadcast and Media Communications programs.
Good Times!! Give it up for the mustache in all its glory.