No news is bad news: A-Channel off air in August By Leanna Roy
Lance Writer March 11, 2009 On Feb. 25, CTV announced that it would not apply for the renewal of broadcasting licenses for two of its A-Channel television stations in Ontario when they expire. Stations facing closure are CHWI in Windsor and CKNX in Wingham.
 The announcement is the latest in a series of moves by Canadian over-the-air broadcasters that indicate a rapid collapse of the business model that supported Canada’s private broadcasters since the middle of the last century.
Dr. James Winter, a communications professor at the University of Windsor, has commented that this has been long coming to us.
“We had a tremendous period of takeovers, mergers and consolidations, beginning in the early 1990s. They just had to expand their empire, by gobbling up the competition, which dramatically increased their debt,” Winter said. >> | Ride the bus for a buck March 15 to 21 By Bassam Lazar
Lance Writer March 11, 2009 While Transit Windsor states that ridership has increased by three per cent annually, riding the bus is still a daunting thought for many. This is especially concerning because of the environmental impact increased ridership could have for Windsor.
 Students make up a large percentage of transit riders. The Mayor’s Youth Advisory Committee, in partnership with Transit Windsor, has not allowed this truth to go unrecognized.
Upon advice from the Advisory Committee, chaired by University of Windsor student Denny Timm, Transit Windsor has implemented a program that sees the reduction of bus fare for post-secondary students.
“The needs and wants of students should be heard and that has been a part of my mandate as a board member of the Transit Windsor board of directors. The youth want to have a voice at the decision-making table,” says Timm. >>  | | Campus Kiss | | Biofuel or biofool? By Desiree Chevalier
Lance Writer March 11, 2009 Gas prices have simmered a bit, but in anticipation of the decline in the economy, you have wisely purchased a fine pair of overalls and begun toiling away growing corn to use for ethanol fuel.
Maybe you’ve converted your Cutlass to run on used vegetable oil that you steal from local restaurants, or you’re brainstorming on how to power your home through the sheer beany goodness of soy. But before you buy that “I heart biofuel” bumper sticker (they have bumper stickers for everything right?) you may want to rethink your stance on some of these eco-friendly sounding alternatives; sometimes savings in greenhouse gas emissions are countered by other drawbacks such as rising food prices and the destruction of native habitats.
As more people become conscious of the importance of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, business moguls are not far behind, hoping to cash in on the trend with new, sophisticated vehicles capable of running on ethanol, a fuel that can be produced from many different types of crops.
Volvo, Saab, Mercedes-Benz and Toyota are among the companies offering ethanol-fuelled models and the burgeoning interest from the public might be considered a victory on behalf of the environment. >> |
