This somehow reminds me of Pinocchio wanting to be a real boy. CHOP-FM, the school radio station in Newmarket, has finally gotten its wish and will become a de facto actual radio station - although most of us will likely never be able to hear it. 

The CRTC has granted the small campus-only outlet a whole 33.5 watts of power on the already very crowded frequency of 102.7 FM to become an official community radio station. According to the Commission's release:

"The applicant stated that the music broadcast by the station would be a mix of alternative, rock, pop, classic rock, and jazz music, with a particular focus on independent and emerging artists."

It will be primarily staffed by students of Pickering College, its longtime home, although to keep it going 365 and 24/7, they will need to also train older volunteers.  

All this comes despite the not unexpected opposition of CJRK-FM, which operates its own low power station on 102.7 in Scarborough. But the CRTC decided that it would not be an issue in the long run and that no other applicant sought any of the scarce frequencies in Newmarket. So with CHOP already in existence, they gave them the green light. 

Evanov's CKDX-FM also intervened, arguing there simply isn't room for another commercial station in the small city. But again, the Commission didn't buy it, noting as a community format, it isn't likely to infringe on existing players. 

I also thought it was amusing that the Commission is forbidding CHOP from airing any major amount of Tamil language programming, the primary audience for CJRK. Not that the station was ever planning to use anything other than English. 

By the way, that's the voice of veteran broadcaster Ted Yates on the embedded video below.  

CRTC CHOP-FM Decision

CHOP-FM Website