We were so excited to see nearly fifty interested people come out to the Community Hall basement last week! The passion and energy in the room was powerful and we were impressed with the expertise and experience already showing up.

Here is a summary of what we went over in the meeting, and how to get involved if you missed it:

Our Vision

Sooke Radio aims to be the heartbeat of the Sooke and Juan de Fuca region. Our mission is to create a platform that resonates with everyone in our community by focusing on news, weather, traffic, people, stories, music, sports, and culture. We believe in the power of local voices and are committed to providing programming by anyone with a passion for a topic that matters to our region.

What We’ve Achieved So Far

• Funding and Incorporation: We’ve received startup funds from the Municipality of Sooke and have successfully incorporated as a society.
• Communication Channels: Our basic website and social media and chat communication channels are up and running.
• Administrative Setup: We’ve established banking, financial controls, and volunteer management systems.
• Branding: Our logo design is complete, and we’ve put out calls for volunteers and program pitches.

Next Steps

To bring our vision to life, we need to:

• Build out our core team and leadership roles.
• Fill our programming schedule.
• Purchase and set up equipment.
• Develop our streaming technology.
• Train our team and volunteers.
• Plan and execute our launch.

Timeline

Our timeline is ambitious but achievable:

• September to December: Focus on programming, marketing, technical setup, and administrative tasks.
• January to April: Continue building our team, refining our processes, and preparing for the launch.

Get Involved

We need your help to make Sooke Radio a success! There are numerous volunteer opportunities available in programming, technical support, and administration. Whether you want to be behind the scenes, an on-air host, producer, audio engineer, web designer, or event planner, there’s a role for you.

Expectations for Show Hosts and Producers

No experience is necessary! We provide training and support. All you need is a good idea, a sense of curiosity, and a willingness to work as part of a team.

How to Produce a Program

Producing a program with Sooke Radio is straightforward:

1. Use your own setup or our “studio in a suitcase.”
2. Record your show and upload it to our website for streaming.
3. Log your show and manage feedback.
4. Research and plan your shows with support from our program team leaders.

Membership

Become a member to support Sooke Radio and gain access to exclusive benefits:

• Basic Membership: $12/year, includes a newsletter and advance notice of events.
• Sustaining Membership: $60/year, includes a newsletter, merchandise discounts, and member discounts on tickets.

Thank you for coming out - we are excited to meet even more of you in the coming months! 

Stay tuned and get involved!

Join us on Discord to come say hi, and join our mailing list or follow us on Facebook and Instagram for the latest updates.

Mark your calendars! Join us for the Sooke Radio kick-off meeting on Sept 16 at 6:30pm at the Community Hall.

Come meet the team, share your ideas, learn about hosting your own show, or sign up to volunteer! We are so excited to build a radio station just for Sooke with you. See you there!

And while we have your attention...did you see our feature video and news article on Chek? We were also mentioned on 100.3 the Q this morning! The news is out! https://cheknews.ca/its-about-time-group-looks-to-create-sooke-community-radio-station-1207386/

Sooke Radio is becoming a reality. The vision is to build a local community station here in Sooke, and ultimately to apply for an FM license for Sooke and the Juan de Fuca region out to Port Renfrew. It is a big goal and it will take time to achieve it. 

But that doesn’t mean we have to wait to start up Sooke Radio. You're reading this now on Sooke Radio Society's brand new station website! We'll be continuing to expand and build this into full-fledged online station where we plan to begin broadcasting in January 2025 with programming produced and hosted by local volunteer residents. The focus will be on our area, highlighting local voices, perspectives, DJs and musicians. 

In May, the District of Sooke gave us a community grant to get started and the Sooke Radio Society was incorporated as a non-profit radio station in June. The Society will be operated by a Board of Directors and will have its Annual General Meeting in the spring. The initial board members are Schuyler Lindberg, Melissa Tierney, and Sue Elrington who bring a wide spectrum of skills in technical expertise, outreach and community organizing, and radio broadcasting to the Society. The Board will be expanded at our first AGM in the spring.

We've had outstanding support and feedback so far from the community, and would like to extend a special "Thank You!" to 'Fineline' Laurie for her work on our new logo!

You can support Sooke Radio by becoming a member by purchasing either a standard ($12/year) or sustaining membership ($60/year or more). Membership fees will cover all the administrative costs involved in running the radio station. All members are eligible to volunteer at the station, producing programs, keeping us technically going or helping with administration. All members who contribute more than 40 volunteer hours in a year will be voting members at the AGM the following year.

Since incorporating, the three original board members have been hard at work getting our administrative ducks in a row. Now that we’ve accomplished many of our initial goals to get the project off the ground, we want you to bring your ideas, skills and enthusiasm to building Sooke Radio.

Specifically, bring them to a public meeting on September 16th at 6:30pm at the Sooke Community Hall Lower Level. We'll be sharing our vision and answering questions as we move into the next stage of the project. Come help make Sooke Radio a reality and have a blast doing it!

We’re excited to see you there!

To get a better sense of our philosophy, you can read our Statement of Principles.