The Brazilian Show, a weekly program on CJIQ, Conestoga’s living lab for radio and broadcast students, will celebrate its second anniversary and 100th program on Saturday, July 13 at Kingsdale Community Centre in Kitchener.
Conestoga graduate and employee Bruno Sibella and his wife Izabel host The Brazilian Show on CJIQ. The pair will celebrate the show's 100th program at an anniversary event on Saturday, July 13.
Hosted by Conestoga media production/support specialist Bruno Sibella, and his wife Izabel, the show went to air during the summer of 2017 while Sibella was still an international student in the Broadcasting - Television and Independent Production program.
“We’re celebrating what we love to do,” said Sibella about the upcoming anniversary. “It’s been great.”
The show airs Saturday nights from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on 88.3 FM and can also be accessed on the station’s website. Sibella broadcasts through Facebook as well where listeners around the globe can watch him and Izabel live in the studio.
Sibella explained that few radio programs cater to Brazilian Portuguese and so The Brazilian Show has filled an important niche and attracts listeners from Waterloo Region, southern Ontario, the U.S., Brazil and as far away as Japan. Since its inception, the show has experienced a reach of 1.2 million on Facebook.
“A listener recently told me how much she enjoys the show,” said Sibella. “She didn’t find us directly though - someone in Toronto told her about it. We love that our audience continues to grow and is attracting new listeners for us.”
Having worked for a television network back home, Sibella left Brazil in 2016 to attend Conestoga so he could explore new and emerging technologies and techniques in the field. He graduated from the program last year and is now an employee at the college, with plans to stay in the region long term. He said the Brazilian community in the area has continued to grow thanks to the thriving technology community here. That growth will be recognized at the anniversary party.
“We’ve invited Brazilians who have come to Canada and started their own businesses, or who work as professionals in various industries, to set up information booths to showcase their products and services. A Brazilian food truck, Espeto Brazil, will also be available to serve Feijoada, a traditional Brazilian dish made with black beans, beef and pork,” said Sibella.
The anniversary party on July 13 is free and runs from 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at 72 Wilson Avenue in Kitchener. The event will raise funds for Way to the Nations, a non-profit organization that supports children in Nigeria, and will be one of two Minimal Waste Events (MWE) hosted in Waterloo Region this summer. MWE is a green management program to increase waste diversion through recycling and composting.
Visit The Brazilian Show on Facebook for more information.
CJIQ 88.3 FM, billed as the Tri-Cities alternative, serves the largest area of any campus radio station in Canada and broadcasts live from studios at Conestoga’s Doon campus. It operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to provide students with real-world experience. Other specialty programs include Polish Review, Serbian Radio and Latin Mix.