You may remember the story, last summer, of our satellite and its unexpected “involuntary descent.”
Anik-F2, the satellite carrying the CKUA signal, was falling out of orbit. We had to find a new satellite, fast. And when we did, we needed to upgrade our transmitter equipment, also fast.
It required some quick thinking and hard work but luckily, we didn’t have to do it alone.
Our friends at Network Innovations stepped up to donate equipment, expertise and hours to ensure a more reliable signal and crisper sound for CKUA listeners into the future.
For Andrew Burdall, Network Innovations’ Executive Vice President – Strategic Development, and a CKUA board member, it brought together two major parts of his life: his technological expertise and his passion for music and for CKUA.
“It felt great to leverage that technical capacity that we have, to fix a specific problem that was occurring,” he says. “I really felt I was adding value and helping put CKUA into a position where it can move forward into the future and with more flexibility, technologically.”
“The idea of being able to use some of that commercial business acumen that I’d gained and connecting it back to my deep love of music was a really interesting combination to me,” he says.
Having Network Innovations help navigate the situation was a wonderful example of a supportive business stepping in to help CKUA with a distinct issue, says Marc Carnes, CKUA CEO.
“It was a challenge but also an opportunity,” Carnes says, of the abrupt necessity to upgrade CKUA’s critical infrastructure. “Our listeners expect CKUA to be there without fail. These upgrades have not only enhanced our ability to provide that but we’re also better able to serve our community moving forward. I can’t thank our friends at Network Innovations enough for helping us take a tricky situation and turn it into a strength.”
Thank you, Network Innovations, for your generosity and community spirit.
If you’re involved with a business and would like to discuss creative ways to support CKUA, we’d love to hear from you. Please contact donors@ckua.com.
We also gratefully acknowledge the listeners who supported the satellite project with their donations. CKUA is powered by amazing, generous people who step up when they are needed!
Giving Tuesday is also around the corner, on December 3. Please stay tuned for more about CKUA’s plans for the occasion.
