CRTC approves new Cabin Radio FM station in Yellowknife

Cabin Radio, operating under 506992 N.W.T. Ltd., has finally been approved to operate an English commercial FM radio station in Yellowknife, N.W.T., several years after it first tried to launch one. Cabin Radio’s pitch to operate an English-language commercial FM radio station “received strong local support,” the regulator wrote in a decision released Wednesday, July 30, which came after the broadcaster applied twice for such a licence. There is already one station in the local market, Vista Radio Ltd.’s CJCD-FM Yellowknife, in addition to several non-commercial stations including Radio One, CBC Music, French-language CIVR-FM, and CKLB-FM Yellowknife, an Indigenous radio station operated by the Native Communications Society of the N.W.T. Cabin Radio has been operating an online radio service in Yellowknife for several years with more than 8,000 unique daily listeners in the city of approximately 20,000 residents, the CRTC wrote. It does not already have any licensed stations in Canada. Vista had applied to operate a second station of its own in the market, which the CRTC has denied. “To maintain market stability, the CRTC approved only one new station and denied Vista’s application, noting concerns about the financial impact of adding two FM stations — an issue raised by both applicants,” the commission said, while recognizing that both could benefit Yellowknife. Similar reasoning was used by the CRTC in 2019 when it denied an earlier application from Cabin Radio. In March 2024, the commission decided to look at whether or not Yellowknife actually could support another station. At the time, Cabin Radio said that the COVID-19 pandemic and wildfires in the region illustrated the need for increased radio content in the north. “In light of the change in circumstances since Cabin Radio’s application in August 2019, including the impacts of major events, the commission considers that the market is not as well served as it could be and that it should issue a call for applications for radio stations to serve Yellowknife,” the CRTC stated in Spring 2024. The new approval comes after the CRTC held a two-day public hearing. During that hearing, Cabin Radio said it has the support of local advertisers and produces up to 44 shows weekly while supporting others including local musicians and music festivals. It presented with its application more than 300 letters of support from residents, businesses, and other organizations and included letters from businesses pledging to increase spending on advertising if Cabin Radio became an FM broadcaster. It proposed 126 hours of local programming each broadcast week, including 10 for spoken word with one hour of local news, 15 minutes of national news, and 15 minutes of international news. According to the CRTC, many intervenors who supported Cabin Radio "emphasized the trust and sense of community ownership that Cabin Radio has built as an online operator and intends to maintain with its proposed FM radio station.” Vista had some support as well, for its reliable local news and contributions to community initiatives, while others argued that it should not be given a second station in the community. “However, some interveners submitted that Vista should not be given a second radio station in Yellowknife, with some questioning the relevance of the local programming and music broadcast on Vista’s existing radio station. Interveners further noted gaps in Vista’s coverage of the 2023 Northwest Territories wildfires,” the CRTC wrote. “Certain interveners considered, for example, that in regard to current programming offerings, and spoken word programming in particular, Vista is less rooted in Yellowknife than Cabin Radio,” the CRTC added later in its decision. “Several interveners who are listeners to CJCD-FM questioned how well the station reflects and represents people of the North, with some noting the on-air mispronunciation of local place names and local Indigenous names.” Vista was concerned that competing with a new licensee could be detrimental to its local station, but the CRTC has determined Cabin Radio is not truly a new entrant to the market because of its existing listener and advertising base in the market. The regulator also worried it could be creating a “competitive imbalance” by allowing Vista to have the only two stations in the market. Cabin Radio’s licence is set to expire Aug. 31, 2031. Its station will operate at 93.9 MHz (channel 230A) with an average effective radiated power (ERP) of 540 watts and an effective height of the antenna above average terrain (EHAAT) of 54.2 metres, the CRTC wrote. The broadcaster has up to 24 months from the decision to tell the commission it is ready to start station operations, unless an extension is requested and approved before the end of July 2027. Cabin Radio's editor and co-founder Ollie Williams reported on the broadcaster's site Wednesday that its existing online stream will remain in place, and that "listeners will be able to access the same service via the Cabin Radio website, app, or 93.9 FM." "A launch date for the FM service has yet to be confirmed. Cabin Radio said it needs time to 'ensure all the hardware is in place and technical requirements met,''" the report stated. hdaley@thewirereport.ca With files from The Wire Report’s archives.

CRTC approves new Cabin Radio FM station in Yellowknife

Broadcast |
By Hannah Daley
| July 30, 2025

Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need.

FREE TRIAL

SUBSCRIBE

Inside The Wire Report

Information

Hill Times Publishing

Get in Touch With Us

CRTC approves new Cabin Radio FM station in Yellowknife

Broadcast | By Hannah Daley | July 30, 2025

Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need.

FREE TRIAL

SUBSCRIBE

Related Stories

CRTC reaches out to future telecom lawyers at uOttawa event

WildBrain undue preference complaint against Rogers dismissed

CRTC, Privacy Commissioner asked to launch inquiries into alleged privacy breach in Niagara phone call misconnections

Bell, Rogers come to agreement for distribution of specialty channels

Reuse & Permissions

Inside The Wire Report

Information

Hill Times Publishing

Get in Touch With Us

Broadcast |
By Hannah Daley
| July 30, 2025