 |
OTTAWA - His radio request line is constantly ringing, but the government doesn’t want him on the air because he doesn’t have a licence.
But that’s not stopping DJ J, 14-year-old Jayhaed Saade, who launched MIX FM 91.9 two weeks ago out of his parent’s south-end motel.
Saade said he was told to turn off his transmitter until he got a licence or he could face a hefty fine or jail.
“I’m getting a licence but I’m going to stay on air,” he said.
Saade pulled the station for a day after speaking with a representative from Industry Canada, but then changed his mind.
“They said to turn it off until it gets approved for a licence. I turned it off for a day but people called to tell me I played good music and turn it back on, so I did,” he said.
He plays Top 40 hits and dance music. He can be heard throughout Ottawa.
He’s always dreamed of operating a radio station.
“I like to have a radio station because I like taking requests and let everyone talk on air,” Saade said, adding he gets about 100 calls from listeners a day.
During weekdays, a computer runs the station, but after school and on weekends, he can be found in a little room off the side of the Saade International Inn on Bank St.
His father, Georges Saade, loves that his son is doing what makes him happy and is his biggest supporter.
Georges said the government should lay off while they get a licence.
He said his son has worked hard — he put up the antenna himself — and he’s good at what he does.
“I think the government should be helping a kid like this,” he said.
Saade said he has always been interested in computers. When his grandfather died, he used part of his inheritance to buy the electronics he needed, including a 2,000-watt transmitter.
“It cost a lot of money. I waited a few years and to only last a couple weeks is nothing. I am not going to shut it off,” he said.