Independent Canadian Radio Potluck

In January 2006, Deconstructing Dinner was launched to fill a gap not nearly satisfied by Canada’s mainstream media. But the subject matter of Deconstructing Dinner is frequently covered by other independent radio stations across the country.

This broadcast will highlight four programs from campus and community radio stations that have explored how our food choices impact ourselves, our communities and the planet. In doing so, we hope to showcase the importance of independent media and the diversity of content that can be found within.

Featured Programs

“Redeye” – Vancouver Co-operative Radio CFRO, (Vancouver, BC) – Redeye is a 3-hour radio program broadcast live every Saturday morning on Vancouver Cooperative Radio, CFRO 102.7FM. It is produced by an independent media collective at the studios of Coop Radio in Vancouver’s downtown eastside. The show has been on the air for over 30 years, providing high-quality public affairs and arts programming to listeners looking for a progressive take on current events.

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Jason Mark – Farmer and author based in San Francisco California. Interviewd by Peter Royce. Urban farms in Havana supply all the fresh fruit and vegetables the city’s residents need. Cuba made the transition to small-scale, local, organic production following the break-up of the Soviet Union. The crisis Cuba continues to respond to, is a glimpse into the very crisis that Canadians may very well face in the near or distant future. Aired: 04.14.07

“Alert!” – University of Manitoba CJUM – (Winnipeg, MB) – Broadcast every Friday at 11 AM on 101.5 UMFM in Winnipeg, Alert radio brings you all kinds of leading-edge information they think you want to hear. The show covers politics, economics, issues of social and environmental justice; features interviews, commentaries, profiles of people in the news; has features on music, media, the arts; as well as special shows dedicated to new ideas or significant events.

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Mustafa Koc – Former Chair of Food Secure Canada and Founding Coordinator of Ryerson University’s Centre for Studies in Food Security (Toronto). Interviewd by Andre Clement. Health Canada’s new Food Guide was recently released, Mustafa Koc speaks about the corporate influence on the creation of the guide. Aired: 03.02.07

“The Friday Morning After” – McGill University CKUT – (Montreal, QC) – CKUT 90.3 FM McGill Radio Inc. is a non-profit campus community radio station that provides alternative music, news and spoken word programming to the city of Montreal and surrounding areas. CKUT is made up of over 200 volunteers who work closely with a staff of coordinators. The Friday Morning After is a weekly public affairs program airing every Friday morning from 7-8am, and is produced by a collective of volunteers.

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Alka Chandna – Senior Researcher, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) – Norfolk, VA. Interviewed by Joe Broadhurst. This segment looks deeper into the massive Menu Foods pet food recall. While the mainstream media reports on only a few deaths as a result of the recall, thousands of pets are said to have died from the tainted food. Alka Chandna speaks about Menu Foods’ past and an unregulated industry where everyone has blood on their hands. Did Menu Foods hold back the recall so two weeks of evidence could be thrown away by consumers? Aired: 03.30.07

You Are What You Eat” – Queen’s University CFRC – (Kingston, ON) – CFRC provides innovative and alternative radio programming that enriches and challenges the academic and cultural life of the University and Kingston community. Tune into You Are WhatvYou Eat when Sayyida Jaffer explores nutrition, culture and politics and how they relate to food.

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On March 22, 2007, Queen’s University’s Studies in National and International Development program hosted a panel of experts on the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program (SAWP). The event was titled “The Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program in Canada: Route to Mutual Development or Recipe for Migrant Exploitation?”. with Ken Forth, Chairman of the Foreign Agricultural Resource Management Service (Lynden, ON). Stan RaperUnited Food and Commercial Workers union (UFCW) (Toronto, ON). Dr. Leigh BinfordUniversidad Autonoma de Puebla, Mexico. Aired: 03.29.07


Musical Selection (name/title/album/label)
Theme/Soundclip – Adham Shaikh, Infusion, Fusion, Sonic Turtle (CDN)