TORONTO – Cartt.ca has confirmed the CRTC will announce tomorrow the winning bid for the coveted 88.1 FM slot in Toronto and judging by the wide range of applications it promises to alter the city’s radio landscape.
The 88.1 frequency became available after the CRTC revoked the license from Ryerson University’s CKLN after multiple license infractions spread over years.) The commission’s hearing to award the 88.1 slot attracted a record 22 applications. A common theme in all the applicants’ pitches was the stated need to take 88.1 FM in a completely new direction.
For example, Newcap wants to develop a Modern Adult music format targeting mostly female adults aged 24 to 44 that would support Canadian artists. In its application Newcap argued that “… Canadian commercial radio has moved away from supporting singer-songwriters … stations that once jumped on songs by Blue Radio and Jann Arden have moved toward more rhythmic and dance music … today, there isn’t a single station in Toronto supporting these legendary Canadian artists.”
Other applications promising to shakeup Toronto’s airwaves range from an all-independent music bid (Rock 95’s Indie 88.1); Torres Media’s Dawg 88.1 (a blues station building off of the company’s Ottawa blues FM station and its Skywords experience); Channel Zero’s all-business talk Biz88 format; the new easy-listening format of Durham Radio; the Sounds of Toronto Audience Network of STAN FM; the family-values radio station request of Family FM; Larche (Metro 88.1), and well-known investor Michael Wekerle (Tower FM).
The applications echoed each other in that they consistently characterized current Toronto radio stations as offering tired formats that offered either monolithic playlists, or superficial news catering to the masses. They argued that the 88.1 slot should be utilized to provide a real listening alternative by providing new music, or interesting news and information coverage beyond what one can find virtually everywhere.
Cartt.ca will have full coverage of the CRTC’s decision on the 88.1 frequency as soon as it’s made public.
