The University’s campus radio station, CFRC 101.9, will soon be waving farewell to one of its most respected employees.
Stu Mills, operations officer at the station, will be leaving CFRC to expand and pursue a career in broadcast journalism. Mills started with CFRC in 1996 as a volunteer before moving into the permanent position of operations officer in 2003.
Sayyida Jaffer, business manager at CFRC, said Mills has left a lasting impression on the members of the radio station.
“It’s difficult to imagine CFRC without Stu,” she said. “He’s kind of the link between the past and the future [at CFRC].” Jaffer added she decided to get more involved with CFRC because of Mills’ encouragement.
“He gave me the motivation to pursue journalism,” she said. Both Julie McKernan, AMS media director, and Mills said it hasn’t been decided exactly when Mills will vacate his post. They also said they don’t know who will be likely to replace him. A hiring process will ensue.
In 2003, CFRC moved from University to AMS control. That summer, Mills said he was offered his position as the permanent operations officer as a way to establish an “institution with memory from year to year.” Mills said because the station hires new program managers and trains new volunteers every year, he aspired to be a constant force that could oversee the execution of some of the station’s long-term ambitions.
Mills added that the next operations officer should be able to take over where he leaves off.
“If I’ve done my job right, a new operations officer will come in and the station won’t skip a beat,” Mills said. CFRC Program Manager Eric Duncan said the station will be able to continue broadcasting from day to day, but CFRC will suffer significantly without the skills contributed by Mills.
“Stu is well versed in every facet of what needs to be done at the station,” Duncan said. “He was, and still is, the driving force behind what the station is, and what it needs to become.”
Jaffer said Mills will be tough to replace, because he’s skilled in both the technical and business sides of radio.
“Not everyone has his breadth of knowledge,” she said.
Jaffer added that because CFRC is owned by the student government, the operations officer needs to have a good understanding of the University’s policies and procedures, in addition to having a good handle on everything about radio. McKernan said Mills has always had a positive relationship with the AMS.
“He knows the history of the station, what has worked and what hasn’t—he’s been the ideal person for the position,” she said.
Jaffer said the tone set by Mills was friendly and professional.
“Stu is everyone’s friend as well as a role model,” she adds. “The campus radio will miss him.” Mills said leaving CFRC will be difficult for him, too.
“I’ve worked with a lot of magnetic people with wonderful personalities and creative ideas,” he said.
“I’ve loved seeing the radio station flourish … I’ll miss it terribly.”
Despite his fond memories of CFRC, Mills said it’s now time for him to move on to the next stage of his professional career.
He added that a possible career opportunity with the CBC has opened up, and he hopes to continue working in radio in the future.
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