Keep CKLB alive!

Since 1971, the Native Communications Society has given a voice to the Dene of the Western Arctic and Northern Alberta.

CKLB 101.9 FM broadcasts in six separate languages, - English, Deh Cho Dene, Sahtu Dene, Chipewyan, Tlicho and Gwich'in. CKLB proudly broadcasts to over 30 communities in the NWT and Northern Alberta, as well as the three diamond mines.

After 43 years, and the massive loss of funding agreements with the Federal Government, the Society has announced that it is shuttering its operations effective July 31st, 2014.

Native programming over the air has helped keep Dene languages alive, kept the people informed on issues relative to their position as Indigenous people, told their stories of tragedy, struggles with governments to assert their Treaty and Aboriginal rights, told of the horrors of the Residential School System, and made us laugh as we described our adventures at home, on the land and in the cities where we were not necessarily welcomed with open arms.

There has been the issue of competition with broadcasters that have operated on solely advertising. That business scenario works with large communities with businesses willing to pay for advertising. That business scenario does not work in most of the communities CKLB broadcasts in. Surely, this can be appreciated.

We will not go down without a fight.