Local 107.3 FM is UNB Saint John’s campus community radio station. While flipping through the stations in your car, or roaming through UNB Saint John’s Thomas J. Condon Student Centre, you may have gotten the chance to listen in to one of Local FM’s many broadcasts. According to their website, localfm.ca, the station represents “Saint John’s community voice”, and takes pride in being “independent, volunteer-powered, and community-focused”. Recently, I conducted an interview with station manager Brandon Logan to gain some insight into the history of Local FM, as well as different ways for students and community members to get involved with the station.  

Local FM/Website

For those of you who are not familiar with the station, Local FM’s membership is made up of a mix of both students and the community at large. The station is not geared to any specific target audience — its diverse range of shows makes it so everyone can find something of interest to listen to. The wide variety of content it puts out — from classical music, to heavy metal, to discussion of politics — is part of what makes the station so beloved within the community. Overall, Logan described the station as “a place on campus […] to build confidence in yourself”. 

Local FM recently celebrated its 25th anniversary on January 12th, 2026. The station has gone through a lot of changes since its creation. In 1972, a campus radio club was formed, and it took off from there. In 1991, the station was incorporated as a non-profit, and later in 2000 it gained its FM license. It was January 2001 that the first broadcast went out, and Local FM has been growing and changing since then.  

If you have ever dreamt of having your own broadcast, or getting involved with radio, Local FM is the perfect place to start. In my interview with Brandon Logan, time and time again the manager emphasized that anyone can do a show. No matter your prior experience, or knowledge of radio, if you have an idea or interest in getting involved, it is worth reaching out. By stopping into the station in the Thomas J. Condon Student Centre, or going to their website and clicking Show Proposal, you can find an interest form. After filling one out, you workshop your ideas with the station, before going through a short orientation. From there, they get you on air. Logan describes the station as “a place to learn by doing” and believes members should do their first broadcast as soon as possible to get the full experience.  

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There are various ways to get involved with Local FM. If you are interested in hosting your own show, there are plenty of options to choose from; from music-based to spoken word broadcasts, and live shows to pre-recorded ones, there is plenty of opportunity to choose what suits you best. Even if you are uncomfortable with the idea of hosting your own show, do not let that stop you from getting involved. You can always volunteer your time in different ways — recently, the station has taken on volunteers to listen through the physical music collection, making sure the quality has held up. If you are a communications student, consider looking into which courses partner with Local FM, and get involved that way. Any student groups with events or messages to share are encouraged to reach out to the station, as free on-air promotion can be arranged.

Remember that community radio needs support to exist, so get involved!