What a difference a year makes.
In March 2014, then first-year Quest University student James Blumhagen and some fellow students launched Quest Coast Sound Radio on campus.
At the time, Blumhagen, the station鈥檚 manager, was thrilled if 20 people tuned in to the station鈥檚 occasional podcasts.
Today the online station has programs running seven days a week, 24 hours a day and often has close to 60 listeners at a time; peak shows get more than 100 listeners tuning in. It鈥檚 not a huge number of listeners, unless you consider the school itself has only around 700 students and that the radio 鈥渟tation鈥� is an empty dorm room.
鈥淲e are really making do with what we have and being able to produce some really cool stuff,鈥� said Blumhagen.
Quest鈥檚 Students' Representative Council provides all the funding the station receives. All the equipment came to $3,000.
聽鈥淲e have high quality software, which we have purchased,鈥� Blumhagen said, waving a hand at the small control board still perched on the box it came in.
Volunteers run the station, which currently has 50 members in its 鈥渃lub,鈥� but is run by a core group of 15 to 20, according to Blumhagen.
The biggest thing Blumhagen said he has learned is that organization is key.
鈥淎nd communication is even more important,鈥� Blumhagen said with a quiet laugh.
鈥淎lso, people are really hard to manage.鈥�
One of Blumhagen鈥檚 favourite broadcasts over the last year on air is a show called Room 314, named after a room number that was accidentally skipped in a Quest academic building.聽
鈥淚t is sort of this sci-fi story telling and I have no idea what is going on,鈥� Blumhagen said, his voice rising with enthusiasm. 鈥淭he story is so interwoven.鈥�
There are other more serious shows Blumhagen is proud the station airs such as one that tackles issues around sexual health, and a show he produces called Community Update that talks about events happening up at Quest and in Squamish. Favourite guests have included bands The Boom Booms and Old Man Canyon, which is performing at the 麻豆社国产Valley聽Music Festival this summer.
But with the expansion of the station has come challenges, especially for student volunteers also juggling full course loads and social lives.
鈥淥ne of the biggest challenges for us is getting enough content and really trying to expand out and getting more people to listen to it. I am fairly certain that the more listeners we have, the more people will want to produce content,鈥� he said.
The station volunteers hope to eventually attract advertisers.
鈥淥ur next steps for this following year are trying to establish a more widespread name,鈥� Blumhagen said.
The station would also like to bridge the gap between the campus and the community of Squamish.
鈥淲e often feel that just because we are up on the hill, not a lot of communication or collaboration goes between, so that is something that the radio is really working on. It is in our mandate,鈥� he said.
But first the station needs a more suitable home. Blumhagen said space is at a premium at Quest and so the station volunteers are constantly lobbying the university administration for a proper office space of their own. Until then, they will make do in the empty dorm room, complete with a mattress next to the station 鈥渂ooth.鈥�
According to Quest president and vice-chancellor, the station has become a selling point for the school. 鈥淲e have been reviewing applications for admission this month and several prospective students have either asked whether or not we have a station or have expressed an interest to be involved,鈥� David J.聽Helfand said via email.
鈥淚 look forward to seeing this project expand its ambitions and its audience in the years ahead.鈥�
To listen in to Quest Coast Sound Radio, go to
