With its annual listener pledge drive well underway, volunteers and staff of campus-community radio station CJAM have a goal in sight: raising funds to quadruple the power of its signal to more than 2,000 watts.

News director Zoran Kljajic calls the station’s programming “unique.”

“We run more than a dozen ethno-cultural shows that serve African, Chinese, Brazilian, Serbian, and Slovak communities, among others,” he says, as well as music from marginalized artists.

“We have a zero-hits policy, so when you are hearing music on CJAM, these are not the same 40 songs you’re hearing on virtually every other station.”

Equipment for a power increase would cost almost $50,000, Kljajic says. The pledge drive, which runs through November 8, has a target of $30,000, and offers donor incentives:

• $20 Music Prize Pack allows donors to pick from a selection of CDs
• $50 T-shirt offers donors a limited-edition screen-printed CJAM shirt
• $100 Gift Package offers a T-shirt as well as items donated by local businesses

Contributions are accepted as cash, cheque, Visa, Mastercard, Paypal, or money order, online at www.cjam.ca, or over the station’s request lines: 519-971-3630 or toll-free 855-344-2526.