On January 22, 1961, we flipped on the switch that began the 50-year history of CHSR, and that’s worth celebrating. We celebrated with special programming all January 22 on air, and you’re invited to listen in. Click here for more information, the schedule, and to listen.

CHSR is celebrating 50 years of broadcasting all year long, but held a special day of programming on the very day that the switch turned on: January 22. There were flashbacks, interviews, music from our library spanning our five decades of broadcasting, and more!

I hope you tuned in to CHSR-FM 97.9 or online to our stream all day Saturday, January 22 for CHSR’s look back at where we’ve been — and maybe to peek forward into where we’re going. If not, I’ve got good news: all of the day’s programming is now available online! Visit the 50th anniversary section to listen, or click on the players below:

• 8:00am – 10:00am: ReWind: selected audio from 50 years worth of reel-to-reel tapes, records and music. Hosted by the Encaffeinated ONE (host of CAFFEEN! and The Weird Show, aka Program Director Mark.
  • Hour 1: the 60s and 70s [audio:http://chsrfm.ca/podcast/general/50th%20Anniversary/CHSR%2050th%20Anniversary%20-%2008h00%20to%2009h00%20-%20ReWind%20hour%201%20with%20encaf1.mp3]
  • Hour 2: the 80s and 90s [audio:http://chsrfm.ca/podcast/general/50th%20Anniversary/CHSR%2050th%20Anniversary%20-%2009h00%20to%2010h00%20-%20ReWind%20hour%202%20with%20encaf1.mp3]
• 10:00am – 11:00am: CHSR alum Dave Morell hosted an hour of music and memory. [audio:http://chsrfm.ca/podcast/general/50th%20Anniversary/CHSR%2050th%20Anniversary%20-%2010h00%20to%2011h00%20-%20Dave%20Morell%201.mp3]
• noon – 1:00pm: One man, two guitars, two harmonicas, and a great performance: Lonesome Jim came into Studio D to record a live broadcast Session. Hosted by Stereo Mike (of Bravery, Repetition and Noise). (The Session will also be rebroadcast soon in the normal Sessions @ CHSR timeslot on Thursdays at 4:00pm.)[audio:http://chsrfm.ca/podcast/general/50th%20Anniversary/CHSR%2050th%20Anniversary%20-%2012h00%20to%2013h00%20-%20CHSR%20Session%20with%20Lonesome%20Jim%201.mp3]
• In 50 years, a lot of rockin’ music has been played on CHSR. Travis and Drew (of Falls Count Anywhere) host two hours of great music. [audio:http://chsrfm.ca/podcast/general/50th%20Anniversary/CHSR%2050th%20Anniversary%20-%2013h00%20to%2015h00%20-%20Travis%20and%20Drew%201.mp3]
• A lot of people and things have grown up alongside CHSR, and Matt Nightengale explores the growth of the psychobilly alternative genre in an hour-long special Saturday episode of Run For Your Life. [audio:http://chsrfm.ca/podcast/general/50th%20Anniversary/CHSR%2050th%20Anniversary%20-%2015h00%20to%2016h00%20-%20Run%20For%20Your%20Life%20-%20History%20of%20Psychobilly%201.mp3]
• From personality to music, CHSR has encompassed everything in 50 years. Just about two hours of great music from the ages is kicked off with an interview between The Encaffeinated ONE (aka Program Director Mark) speaking to Barry Yoell (founder of the station) and Bill Akerley (alum from the 60s, Station Director from 1969-1973). Hosted by the Encaffeinated ONE, with guests Stereo Mike, Matt Nightengale, Adam (The Cutting Room Floor) and Laura. [audio:http://chsrfm.ca/podcast/general/50th%20Anniversary/CHSR%2050th%20Anniversary%20-%2016h00%20to%2018h15%20-%20encaf1%20and%20crew%201.mp3]
  To listen to the interview only: [audio:http://chsrfm.ca/podcast/general/50th%20Anniversary/CHSR%2050th%20Anniversary%20-%2016h15%20to%2016h45%20-%20Interview%20with%20Barry%20Yoell%20and%20Bill%20Akerley.mp3]
• Hockey has a long history at CHSR – from its first year, even! Travis and Drew give you a half-hour sports lead-up before the UNB V-Reds took on St FX. [audio:http://chsrfm.ca/podcast/general/50th%20Anniversary/CHSR%2050th%20Anniversary%20-%2018h15%20to%2018h40%20-%20Travis%20&%20Drew%201.mp3]

CHSR will be commemorating 50 years of broadcasting with a special day of programming on the very day that the switch turned on: January 22. There will be flashbacks, interviews, music from our library spanning our five decades of broadcasting, and more!

Tune in to CHSR-FM 97.9 or online to our stream all day Saturday, January 22 for CHSR’s look back at where we’ve been — and maybe to peek forward into where we’re going.

UPDATE: Have some memories of your time at CHSR you’d like to share? Email <50years AT chsrfm.ca> or call 206-309-3385 to leave a message for our 50th celebration! If you’re available to be interviewed about your time at CHSR-FM, contact us!

Bookmark this page and come back to see the schedule for the day as it develops!

CHSR alumni will gather to celebrate 50 years of broadcasting.
Reunion dates: Sept. 30 to Oct. 3, 2010, during UNB Homecoming 225

Are you one of our alumni? Click here for reunion information!

It hardly seems possible that it’s been over 50 years since a group of students gathered to talk about setting up a campus radio station at UNB. In the fall of 1959, Barry Yoell, a member of the UNB SRC, put an ad in The Brunswickan inviting anyone interested to attend a meeting about radio broadcasting. An enthusiastic group of students showed up, and the UNB Radio Society was formed.

Barry Yoell’s co-conspirators included Fredericton businessman Bill Stanley, then an engineering student, who became the UNB Radio Society’s first Chief Engineer. Broadcasting officially began from quarters in the basement of Memorial Hall over a closed-circuit system to Jones House and the Student Centre.

With the arrival of St. Thomas University and its School of Journalism on campus in the 1960s, the station changed its name officially to CHSR Broadcasting. STU Students became an important part of the broadcasting legacy of public radio in Fredericton.

Today we broadcast 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with programming in at least six languages, to the Fredericton–Oromocto area on FM and to the world over the Internet. More than 3,000 students, faculty, staff and community volunteers have been involved with the station since it began.

If you have photos, stories, memories or recordings of old broadcasts, we’d love to hear from you. We plan to publish a 50-year retrospective booklet as well as produce special programming for our first broadcast anniversary day: January 22, 2011.

We look forward to having you here to help us celebrate! If you can’t attend in person, send us your greetings from [wherever you are] as an audio file … email it to dab AT unb.ca!