CKMS-FM

CKMS-FM, known as 100.3 SoundFM, was a student radio station that operated on main campus until their funding was removed as a result of a referendum in November 2009.



History
The station launched in 1977, when it received its broadcast license, at 94.5 FM, and moved to its current frequency in 1992. During this time the Federation of Students promised to provide perpetual funding at $40,000 per year.

Location
Radio Waterloo was located in E2 1304, until May 1969, when it was moved to one of the "upper rooms of the campus centre". It remained there until early October of that year, when it was moved into the Bauer Warehouse.

The Referendums
Historically, 90% of CKMS's funding came from UW's undergraduate students, via a refundable charge on students' bill statements ($5.50 per term until the end of the 2007-2008 school year), levied through the university's Federation of Students, ("Feds"). In February 2008, a student referendum initiated by Student Council was passed by Feds by approx. 2:1 margin to remove the fee, and funding ceased on September 1, 2008.

Following the referendum, the station rebranded as "SoundFM", continuing operations with community and individual students support, and the consent of the university and Feds to remain in its existing studios while it worked to revamp its operations. Five of the seven staff members took a voluntary layoff in June 2009, with the Board of Directors and select volunteers taking over operations.

Following the November 2009 referendum, with 18% of eligible voters participating, students voted 2460 to 2005 against reinstating the station's funding at $2.50 per student. The announcement of the referendum results on November 13 led the station to change the locks of its studios and switch temporarily to a full-time rebroadcast of the BBC World Service, pending a final decision on its future. Regular programming resumed on the 16th in order to allow station management to examine other means of continuing broadcasts.

Post-Referendums
A few weeks later, Sound FM announced it would move its studios to the upper level of Maxwell's Music House, a multipurpose music facility near the university, as of mid-January 2010. However, due to funding issues Sound was required to leave Maxwell's Music House. SoundFM moved once again to 142 Waterloo St. in late 2011, and restarted live broadcast once the station was in order. They currently receive no funding or support from the University of Waterloo or Feds.

Governance
The station is governed by a board of directors made up of students and community members. Four of the seven directors are supposed to be University of Waterloo students. Bylaw changes have not been fully implemented and registered since before 2000, but the 2008 Bylaws are still viewed as a model for operations, and were passed but not fully given approval from governmental units that it requires to give approval to the changes.