CIMN-FM
Encyclopedia
CIMN was a Canadian
campus radio
station at the University of Prince Edward Island
in Charlottetown
, Prince Edward Island
.
The station began as a "very low power broadcast station", known as Radio UPEI and operated from the top floor of the administrative building in 1970. The transmitters were home-made and of solid state design. In 1972, the UPEI Student Union
funded upgrades to a carrier current
system operating on 700 kHz using the callsign CSUR. This conflicted with international callsign allocations (the ITU prefix
CS is assigned to Portugal
, not Canada), so a new application was made for the callsign CIMN (Campus Information Music & News).
A series of transmitters, using the electrical wiring of buildings as the antenna system, were located in the various residences. A set of control rooms and production studios located on the 4th floor of Main Building remained in operation for a number of years. The station also began to simulcast audio via the local cable television
system into homes in the area.
In 1982, the studios were moved to the Barn, which housed student union offices and student activity areas on campus.
The station received a full FM license in 1995 to broadcast at 90.3 FM, and at this point, legal problems began. CIMN became the first Canadian station without a full time staff person to be granted a broadcast licence by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC).
Finally, the station was closed down in 1999-2000 after a conflict with the UPEI Student Union
. Shortly thereafter, the ageing 'Barn' was condemned, and subsequently slated for demolition. CIMN's archived music collection, including some 10,000 rare vinyl records and compact discs, was housed in two locked storage rooms on the third floor of the building. It has been surmised that the collection was likely destroyed as the building fell.
Since that time, interest has remained high in reopening the facility, but recent innovations in Internet media, in particular podcasting
, seem to have diverted interest. In the event the station was to resume operations, the station would need to re-apply for a licence, as its previous licence expired in August 2000 and was not renewed.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
campus radio
Campus radio
Campus radio is a type of radio station that is run by the students of a college, university or other educational institution. Programming may be exclusively by students, or may include programmers from the wider community in which the radio station is based...
station at the University of Prince Edward Island
University of Prince Edward Island
The University of Prince Edward Island is a public liberal arts university in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada, and the sole university in the province. Founded in 1969, it traces its roots back to its two earlier predecessor organizations, St. Dunstan's University and Prince of Wales...
in Charlottetown
Charlottetown
Charlottetown is a Canadian city. It is both the largest city on and the provincial capital of Prince Edward Island, and the county seat of Queens County. Named after Queen Charlotte, the wife of George III, Charlottetown was first incorporated as a town in 1855 and designated as a city in 1885...
, Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
.
The station began as a "very low power broadcast station", known as Radio UPEI and operated from the top floor of the administrative building in 1970. The transmitters were home-made and of solid state design. In 1972, the UPEI Student Union
UPEI Student Union
The UPEI Student Union provides many to the full-time student population at the University of Prince Edward Island through a mandatory student fee collected by the university. The campus pub, , employs in excess of 100 students and hosts many local and touring live music performances...
funded upgrades to a carrier current
Carrier current
Carrier current is a method of low power AM radio transmission that uses the AC electrical system of a building to propagate a medium frequency, AM signal to a relatively small area, such as a building or a group of buildings...
system operating on 700 kHz using the callsign CSUR. This conflicted with international callsign allocations (the ITU prefix
ITU prefix
The International Telecommunication Union allocates call sign prefixes for radio and television stations of all types. They also form the basis for, but do not exactly match, aircraft registration identifiers. These prefixes are agreed upon internationally, and are a form of country code...
CS is assigned to Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, not Canada), so a new application was made for the callsign CIMN (Campus Information Music & News).
A series of transmitters, using the electrical wiring of buildings as the antenna system, were located in the various residences. A set of control rooms and production studios located on the 4th floor of Main Building remained in operation for a number of years. The station also began to simulcast audio via the local cable television
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
system into homes in the area.
In 1982, the studios were moved to the Barn, which housed student union offices and student activity areas on campus.
The station received a full FM license in 1995 to broadcast at 90.3 FM, and at this point, legal problems began. CIMN became the first Canadian station without a full time staff person to be granted a broadcast licence by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC).
Finally, the station was closed down in 1999-2000 after a conflict with the UPEI Student Union
UPEI Student Union
The UPEI Student Union provides many to the full-time student population at the University of Prince Edward Island through a mandatory student fee collected by the university. The campus pub, , employs in excess of 100 students and hosts many local and touring live music performances...
. Shortly thereafter, the ageing 'Barn' was condemned, and subsequently slated for demolition. CIMN's archived music collection, including some 10,000 rare vinyl records and compact discs, was housed in two locked storage rooms on the third floor of the building. It has been surmised that the collection was likely destroyed as the building fell.
Since that time, interest has remained high in reopening the facility, but recent innovations in Internet media, in particular podcasting
Podcasting
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
, seem to have diverted interest. In the event the station was to resume operations, the station would need to re-apply for a licence, as its previous licence expired in August 2000 and was not renewed.
External links
- CIMN history at Canadian Communications FoundationCanadian Communications FoundationThe Canadian Communications Foundation is a history of Canadian broadcasting for radio and television chronicles and documents. It also provides a history of radio and television stations, including networks, programs, broadcasters and many others....