Letter from the editor

A change in a newspaper's ownership can mean many things on many levels, from a shift in editorial position to downsizing to nothing more dramatic than a new coffee machine. Yep­a new coffee machine would be great. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like we'll be getting one anytime soon.

But new coffee machine or not, this paper isn't prepared to modify its point of view. The Mirror is an English-language weekly that, for 12 years, has prided itself as a voice for segments of the population which find themselves increasingly silenced. That said, the paper has never been exclusive in its position: what has always interested us and what continues to interest us to this day is the pulse of this city--and that includes the wealth of colours, languages, orientations and lifestyles which are its lifeblood.

The Mirror will not ignore­or defend­any past or future statements made by Pierre Péladeau, whose company, Quebecor, became the majority shareholder of the Mirror three weeks ago. In fact, we were frankly disturbed when Péladeau recently told Radio-Canada's L'Écuyer that anglos had left his hometown of Sainte-Adèle "before we could chase them out." It's hard to say which was worse: watching Péladeau crack cheap anglo jokes ("I'll only speak to anglos if I can make a buck off them") or hearing the studio audience cheer with glee.

And speaking of money: this paper, a small independent operation since its inception, has been forced (largely because of our competition, itself owned by a printing empire) to piggyback onto a major corporation in order to ensure its own financial stability, while giving itself room to grow. It's true­we're no longer independent. But let's make one thing clear: Quebecor hasn't moved in. The staff of the Mirror has yet to meet Péladeau or any other Quebecor representative. Péladeau probably doesn't even read the paper, and that's fine with us. The bottom line? We will continue to condemn points of view we don't condone--even if they come from the boss.

Annarosa Sabbadini

CKUT airs its gripes

I am writing in response to Philip Preville's article on Alex Roshuk's harassment of CKUT 90.3 FM ["CKUT out of touch?," April 3]. So everyone agrees that CKUT is having trouble getting a "legal" annual general meeting together. What's the big deal?

As a former volunteer and paid staff member at CKUT and a former McGill student, I know that, along with the community members, many McGill students participate in the programming and administration of CKUT. And many more students, who aren't directly involved, enjoy listening to the station. Obviously, CKUT is a vital part of the McGill community.

As anyone involved with community organizing knows, it is difficult enough to keep any non-profit organization afloat and vital without having to waste one's time greasing the squeaky wheels. I would suggest that the students of McGill University find a more positive and productive person to represent their interests on CKUT's board of directors to ensure that the station continues to challenge and enrich both student life at McGill and that of all Montreal listeners.

Rebecca Scott Former Spoken-Word Program Director CKUT-FM

It is ironic that Rufo Valencia, quoted in your article about the alleged problems at CKUT, would suggest that the station must be responsible and well run because it is a broadcaster and that otherwise "hundreds of people would be in here screaming." The fact of the matter is that there are many (at least dozens) of complaints that have been directed to the station's so-called "steering committee" during the last year. None of these complaints have ever been brought to the attention of the Board or its members until I found out about them a few weeks ago.

If there weren't complaints, then why did the steering committee--again without consulting the board--decide to start a discipline committee at an unofficial meeting of volunteers last month? This, it seems to me, is a good reason why a campus and community radio station, created in the public trust, needs a staff which is answerable to an elected board of directors and not just staff who make the day-to-day decisions without any consultation or oversight.

Alex Roshuk Student-elected board member CKUT Radio McGill Inc.