Category Archives: CKCU

Monday morning at 10 a.m., we’re finally up to the letter “X” on the old Alpha Beats show. And I’ll admit that, as of this writing, I haven’t fully worked out how to fill an hour with songs and stories filed under that most challenged (if edgy) of letters. Oh sure, there’s XTC and X-Ray Spex and, uh, X. Those are the easy ones. Rest assured, then, there will be surprises. Indeed, it’s possible no one will be more surprised than I. Fun will be had, though. Do tune in, won’t you? That’s 93.1 on your FM dial. Monday. Monday. Monday.

And, as always, if you can’t tune in Monday, you can catch the show at your leisure, at ckcufm.com. Only two shows left after this one, folks. I’d better start thinking of another gimmick soon.

It’s the listeners I feel sorry for.

Another Alpha Beats down, and it all happened so quickly I barely had time to enjoy it. I hope you did/will. Alas, when your theme is the letter “W” and you have only one hour to explore its riches, there are bound to be omissions. Off the top, I chose to leave my Bob Wills, Sonny Boy Williamson and Hank Williams records at home. A steep price to pay, but I was aiming to explore dark corners of my collection (I must get that light fixed) and to avoid the obvious. But, you ask, wouldn’t Loudon Wainwright III’s cover of Kate McGarrigle’s Come a Long Way be considered obvious? Hey, who’s show is this, anyway? Besides, I’ll be you didn’t see “whistling” Roger Whittaker coming, right? Continue reading →

And so the Alpha Beats journey continues, with tomorrow’s offering of one hour of music I file under the letter “V”. Now, as we approach the difficult “X” show I’ve been anticipating/dreading, it occurs to me there’s a sizable potential out in the fact that, as stated, this year-long musical 26-program excursion is being dictated by my filing system. Should I decide in four weeks that Kate and Anna McGarrigle‘s albums will now be filed under “X”, there is little opportunity for listeners to challenge the host’s decision. For the record(s), I do not intend to alter my filing system for the occasion. Well, I may blur the edges somewhat by declaring Xavier Cugat or The Ex to be eligible, but again, the host’s decision is final. And I do hope you enjoy it. Continue reading →

Funding drive is heading into the home stretch, set to wrap up Sunday evening. And once again I thank those that pledged during my Alpha Beats show, and all those that support CKCU and community radio.

Speaking of Alpha Beats, the bi-weekly Monday-morning program returns this week with the next letter in the alphabet: U. That means a mere five shows to go after this one, after which time I’ll have to come up with a new concept for a show. Or maybe I should start thinking about it now. For the moment, though, the focus is on continuing our 26-episode journey through my record collection, one letter at a time. Good news for Ugly Ducklings and Undertones fans, no doubt. And, thanks to the station’s loyal listeners, better news in that there will be more rock and less talk than the T show, which while stellar, did suffer from a surplus of begging. Thanks again for your support.

Oh, that’d be (and in fact is) 10 a.m. Monday, 93.1 FM. Or, if you prefer, ckcufm.com, any time you like.

Like so: Alpha Beats past

Another year, another funding drive show. And, for a gimmicky show on a Monday morning, I have to say it fared not too badly. For that, I give part of the credit to my co-host for the day, Brenda Thorne. Most of the credit, though, belongs to listeners that took the time to pledge support for a nifty little radio station fast approaching its late-30s. The funding drive is on for another dozen days, so if you didn’t get a chance to call 1-877-520-3920 or 613-520-3920, or to donate online, there’s still plenty of time.

Well, there’s time. Funding drive has a tendency to pass by in a flash, so the time to donate is now. And, after talking myself hoarse this morning, I’ll stop now.

For a moment.