Multicultural radio trailblazer Shushma Datt, the founder of Metro Vancouver’s RJ1200/Sp!ce Radio (CJRJ-AM) and the first Indo-Canadian woman to be granted a broadcast licence, has announced the sale of the station pending CRTC approval.
Datt worked at The Times of India and the BBC before moving to Canada in 1972. Facing significant racism from mainstream outlets because of her Indian accent, by 1984 she started her own radio station, Radio Rim Jhim, which carried South Asian content and broadcast on a sub-carrier frequency. She launched Sp!ce Radio, licensed to Burnaby, in 2005.
“I wanted to be a broadcaster—and I became one,” said Datt in an announcement Thursday revealing that she and son Sudhir Datta would step away from their leadership roles with the station “to pursue new directions in their personal and professional journeys.”
“When our community had no television content of its own, I created it,” said Datt. “When there was no radio that truly reflected the evolving identity of our youth, I launched Rim Jhim and later RJ1200—what became Spice Radio.”
A blend of talk and Punjabi and Hindi music, Datt described Sp!ce Radio in the release as “a cultural bridge, influencing not only listeners but also launching the careers of many prominent media personalities including Angelina Rai, Simone Grewal, Safeeya Pirani, Ronil Desai, Gurp Sian, Theodora Lamb, and Naveen Girn, to name just a few.”
Sudhir grew up working behind the scenes, supporting Datt’s vision – holding roles over the last three decades from Technical Director to General Manager, Program Director and Vice President.
“Now feels like the right time,” Datt said. “I want to return to my original love—programming for seniors and elders in our community via Rimjhim. Sudhir is ready to follow his own dreams. We’re proud of what we’ve built, and it’s time to let the next chapter unfold—for the station, for our community, and for us.”
As of publication, the station’s proposed buyer had not been divulged.
Datt, who is an inductee of the Order of B.C., was named the B.C. Association of Broadcasters (BCAB) Broadcaster of the Year in 2024. She was recognized by the Jack Webster Awards in 2021 with the Bruce Hutchison Lifetime Achievement Award, which honours an exemplary B.C. journalism career. In 2015, she was celebrated by the Radio Trailblazers with the Rosalie Award, recognizing women who’ve blazed new trails in radio. Just this past June, she was awarded a King Charles III Coronation Medal, among many other accolades over the years.
Shushma Datt was a guest on Broadcast Dialogue – The Podcast in 2021. Listen to that episode here:
