The reduction in students has meant the University of Winnipeg Student's Association and CKUW have less revenue. This has resulted in funding disagreements that seem to go on every year. University politics. It seems the associations are often trying to lift funding for various reasons. In this case, the reduction in international students has dropped funding so the radio station has had to make painful choices.
It is possible some fundraising might save the publication. However, other music magazine like Pitchfork and Vice have had to make cuts. Few music publications in Canada are as old or continuous as Stylus. Exclaim! started in 1991. Many reporters across Canada, including the Free Press, started off at Stylus.
Love it or hate it, musicians would be at a performance hall and pull out Stylus and and read about themselves or others. There really wasn't anything quite as local and music related. And no, it won't be replaced with a TikTok show. A 30 second clip is not enough information or as curated as a publication. There isn't anything wrong with it but it isn't the same. It might be the preference for young people but I can't imagine they play games that end in 30 seconds so why would they consume journalism that short either?
The comeback of vinyl records would suggest that sometimes old formats find new audiences. It has gotten to the point that when you are entering any bookstore or bar, there is no news stand. Invariably, that has led to people using their phones at all the time? But where is the local in that?
The thing about Stylus was that it was super local. Perhaps it's greatest strength. It is possible it could go digital. Some former newspapers like Music Express have gone digital in Canada after a hiatus. The advertising dollars have disappeared and are now being used the AI and their parent companies. Rolling Stone is now suing AI for taking their work and not paying for it. New York Times just made a settlement.
Smaller publications and podcasts routinely have their work pillaged. The only way content will continue to exist if large companies like Google and others are forces to pay it. This won't help in the near term. Only a rescue could help. It seems awful that the student's association and radio station can't figure this out. Perhaps there is an outside investor who can help.
The world is changing quite a bit but they day music journalism ends will be a sad one.
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