OTTAWA-GATINEAU – In the end, indie-rock won out. The CRTC has granted a licence to Rock 95 Broadcasting to launch a new Toronto radio station on 88.1 FM. Rock 95 will offer an English-language music format with a focus on independent and emerging Canadian artists. Forty per cent of the music featured on the new station will be Canadian musical selections, of which at least 60 per cent will be from emerging artists.
“Even in the age of digital media, Canadian artists who do not have major-label support face a tough road to success. Rock 95’s station will give much-needed radio exposure to those artists and listeners will have an opportunity to discover new talent,” said Leonard Katz, the CRTC’s Vice-Chairman of Telecommunications and Chair of the hearing panel. “We received some very compelling applications, but could only award one licence.”
“In the Commission’s view, Rock 95’s innovative proposal for an eclectic, Indie music format FM station focusing on emerging, independent artists from Canada and targeting a core audience of adults between the ages of 18 and 34 will add to the musical diversity of the market. Further, as a new entrant into the market, Rock 95 will enhance the diversity of news voices, while benefitting from synergies with its two stations in Barrie, CFJB-FM and CKMB-FM,” the CRTC said in its decision.
Barrie-based Rock 95 has made a commitment to exceed the minimum contribution to Canadian content development (CCD) with a total of $2,045,000 to CCD over seven consecutive broadcast years once it begins airing. At least 20% of this amount will be devoted to FACTOR on an annual basis. The remainder will be directed to eligible initiatives as follows over seven years.
The proposed station will operate on frequency 88.1 MHz (channel 201A) with an average effective radiated power (ERP) of 532 watts (maximum ERP of 875 watts with an effective height of antenna above average terrain of 328.4 metres).
The CRTC also granted a licence to Bhupinder Bola for the use of 105.9 FM in Markham. The new station will offer ethnic programming with a contemporary and alternative music format.
