sowny.net | The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum


You are not logged in. Would you like to login or register?

February 14, 2025 4:01 pm  #1


Local GTA FM Station Is Broke, May Go Off The Air By Next Week

It's not often you hear about an FM station in this area struggling to survive, but CFMS-FM, aka The Region 105.9, is at the breaking point. Reports indicate it's on the verge of bankruptcy and is pleading for help.

The station, which serves York Region, had its owner appear before York Region City Council on Friday to plead for ad support from local government, warning it's already issued layoff notices and could be forced off the air by next week. 

The outlet is not well known in Toronto and has a weak signal into the city but was licenced to serve the growing York Region. And while it hasn't been a huge success, it did manage to attract some big names at one time. For a while, Kevin Frankish, Ann Rohmer, and Suneel Joshi were among people doing shows there. (The latter two are still listed on its website as being on air.) I believe Gord Martineau also did a segment for a time. 

The Markham based station twice tried for an extra transmitter at 91.7 to extend its reach and both times the CRTC turned them down. It's been on the air, often toiling in obscurity, since Feb. 2014. 

But now the owner, Debra McLaughlin, says the end is near. 

“We’re at the point where we’re probably going off the air next week,” she said, adding they have also sent out layoff notices. “We’ve hit critical here. We don’t have a big window, and we can continue to invest, but with no hope in sight, I don’t want to give up my house.”  

The station also has several HD feeds in foreign languages, but they don't seem to have helped enough to attract advertisers.

York Region radio station nearing shutdown, pleads for municipal support

 

February 14, 2025 4:32 pm  #2


Re: Local GTA FM Station Is Broke, May Go Off The Air By Next Week

Should've never been approved in the first place. Probably virtually no listeners. Small signal, too niche an area when you're up against major players in Toronto. 

 

February 14, 2025 4:42 pm  #3


Re: Local GTA FM Station Is Broke, May Go Off The Air By Next Week

I think I've heard it once. I was once offered a job there, doing on air traffic of all things. (Paging Jody Thornton!) Not my area and I turned them down. Glad I did!

You may have noticed all the ex-City TV people who were there. That's likely because at one time the P.D. was Tina Cortese, who was formerly V.P. of News at City TV, the exec. in charge of CityNews. I don't think she's there any longer. 

     Thread Starter
 

February 14, 2025 4:51 pm  #4


Re: Local GTA FM Station Is Broke, May Go Off The Air By Next Week

The owner, bhupinder bola does not have a good track record.
Look on the CRTC website, search bhupinder bola.
How many of the channels he applied for are launched?
0
Only CFMS made it for who knows why.
He even lent out an hd subchannel to a weird church to run a radio station whare all they do is scream at you about getting heeld and to donate to the church.
Bhupinder should have just sold it to neeti prakash ray.
Maybe how he runs his stations is good.
Being slow on adds and programming works well for neeti in the long turm.
Or, maybe CHIN should have boght it.

 

February 14, 2025 4:54 pm  #5


Re: Local GTA FM Station Is Broke, May Go Off The Air By Next Week

torontostan wrote:

Should've never been approved in the first place. Probably virtually no listeners. Small signal, too niche an area when you're up against major players in Toronto. 

He also has another name.
He calls himself pip bola.
Kumar nadaraja had a better application back then.
East fm looks like its serviving but, I don't know tamil to know for sure.

 

February 14, 2025 4:58 pm  #6


Re: Local GTA FM Station Is Broke, May Go Off The Air By Next Week

The station should have been sold to that religious group that has also been trying hard to get a Religious station up and running in Scarborough. I'm sure they'd much prefer the (stronger) frequency @ 105.9 over the one they're currently stuck with...

"The new station in Scarborough will be heard at 105.3 on the FM dial. It will be a low powered signal (89 watts) meaning it will have a very limited listening audience range.  The station will play Canadian religious music as well provide local programming, local, regional and international news."

Source:  
https://thecaribbeancamera.com/scarborough-is-getting-a-new-radio-station-hallelujah-maybe-this-time-it-will-happen/
 

Last edited by Radiowiz (February 14, 2025 5:02 pm)


CityNews 24/7: https://toronto.citynews.ca/video/
RadioWiz & RadioQuiz are NOT the same person. 
RadioWiz & THE Wiz are NOT the same person.

 
 

February 14, 2025 5:02 pm  #7


Re: Local GTA FM Station Is Broke, May Go Off The Air By Next Week

Radiowiz wrote:

The station should have been sold to that religious group that has also been trying hard to get a Religious station up and running in Scarborough. I'm sure they'd much prefer the (stronger) frequency @ 105.9 over the one they're currently stuck with...

Yes.
UCB could have got the reach it wanted with 105.9
Ucb is like our version of KLOVE or moody radio.

 

February 14, 2025 6:45 pm  #8


Re: Local GTA FM Station Is Broke, May Go Off The Air By Next Week

Or even Life 100.3 should have boght the station.
They also applied for a christian radio station in 2012.
I selfishly also love there music mix when I used to go to mount albert but now, like a tipical top-40 station, it has more of a rap focus.
I loved the southern gospel show that they aired called the gospel grates.
That show's now on family life network

 

February 14, 2025 8:06 pm  #9


Re: Local GTA FM Station Is Broke, May Go Off The Air By Next Week

I came close to buying space for a podcast idea, last year. They weren't cheap. It was a podcast that would air on their website. When I listened to the station, I didn't get what their USP was or what their niche was, content wise. 

You know Q107 is classic rock, or Virgin for example, is hit/dance radio. But The Region was a bit of something for everyone, and when you are bit of everything to everyone, you are nothing to someone. 

Their positioning was all over the map and as a listener trying to get a sense of what the station I was going to possibly invest in, it just felt off.

I wish them well, Debra was nice to work with and battled challenges of the radio landscape back then to o (15 months ago).

Yup, the game is changing.

 


The world would be so good if it weren't for some people...
 

February 14, 2025 8:16 pm  #10


Re: Local GTA FM Station Is Broke, May Go Off The Air By Next Week

Muffaraw Joe wrote:

 But The Region was a bit of something for everyone, and when you are bit of everything to everyone, you are nothing to someone. 

 

Absolutely.

This is where the MYfm stations have excelled; it would be really tempting when you're the only station in a market to block program or run a super-wide format. But the reality is you have to program them like you're in a bigger competitive market. It needs to be either a good AC or Classic Hits format.

 

February 15, 2025 10:22 am  #11


Re: Local GTA FM Station Is Broke, May Go Off The Air By Next Week

CFMS is utilizing their HD channels for the ethnic programming, so the main station should be more consistent on air.  The Region isn't a community station and FM commercial stations shouldn't have a lot of block programming.  They have a nice website and obviously have put a lot of effort into it.  However, I couldn't bring them up when I tried to listen on line.  I went to a few other sites and no go to listen to "The Region".   

 

February 15, 2025 10:44 am  #12


Re: Local GTA FM Station Is Broke, May Go Off The Air By Next Week

Muffaraw Joe wrote:

I came close to buying space for a podcast idea, last year. They weren't cheap. It was a podcast that would air on their website. When I listened to the station, I didn't get what their USP was or what their niche was, content wise. 

You know Q107 is classic rock, or Virgin for example, is hit/dance radio. But The Region was a bit of something for everyone, and when you are bit of everything to everyone, you are nothing to someone. 

Their positioning was all over the map and as a listener trying to get a sense of what the station I was going to possibly invest in, it just felt off.

I wish them well, Debra was nice to work with and battled challenges of the radio landscape back then to o (15 months ago).

Yup, the game is changing.

 

Unless it got soled, bhupinder bola's the main owner.
I think deb's a partener.

 

February 15, 2025 12:16 pm  #13


Re: Local GTA FM Station Is Broke, May Go Off The Air By Next Week

It’s never good news when a station is in a situation like this. I hope they’re able to get some kind of support so they can remain on the air.

When I lived in the GTA, I remember seeing York Region Transit buses plastered with full green and yellow ad wraps for CFMS featuring some of their air staff.

An acquaintance of mine worked there as a newsreader for a spell; he later moved on to CFTR, where he continues in that role.

Last edited by M. David (February 15, 2025 12:17 pm)


Former presenter, producer and commercial writer for CJRS (now CKZW) AM 1650 in Montreal.
 

February 15, 2025 12:18 pm  #14


Re: Local GTA FM Station Is Broke, May Go Off The Air By Next Week

paterson1 wrote:

CFMS is utilizing their HD channels for the ethnic programming, so the main station should be more consistent on air.  The Region isn't a community station and FM commercial stations shouldn't have a lot of block programming.  They have a nice website and obviously have put a lot of effort into it.  However, I couldn't bring them up when I tried to listen on line.  I went to a few other sites and no go to listen to "The Region".   

Here's the website.
https://1059theregion.com/

 

February 15, 2025 2:00 pm  #15


Re: Local GTA FM Station Is Broke, May Go Off The Air By Next Week

I get the website alright.  It just doesn't do anything when I hit Listen Live.  Even with the drop down and I pick The Region...nothing.

 

February 15, 2025 2:16 pm  #16


Re: Local GTA FM Station Is Broke, May Go Off The Air By Next Week

paterson1 wrote:

I get the website alright.  It just doesn't do anything when I hit Listen Live.  Even with the drop down and I pick The Region...nothing.

It might be a glich on your end or your browser.

 

February 16, 2025 7:12 am  #17


Re: Local GTA FM Station Is Broke, May Go Off The Air By Next Week

paterson1 wrote:

I get the website alright.  It just doesn't do anything when I hit Listen Live.  Even with the drop down and I pick The Region...nothing.

I use Duckduckgo. Listen Live worked for me.

 

February 16, 2025 12:28 pm  #18


Re: Local GTA FM Station Is Broke, May Go Off The Air By Next Week

paterson1 wrote:

I get the website alright.  It just doesn't do anything when I hit Listen Live.  Even with the drop down and I pick The Region...nothing.

i) Press "Listen Live"  on the top right area of their home page

ii) Press the PLAY button on the secondary page...  the PLAY arrow will alternate to the PAUSE symbol

Worked on Fire Fox...  and Edge...
 

 

February 17, 2025 9:18 am  #19


Re: Local GTA FM Station Is Broke, May Go Off The Air By Next Week

Also, it could be one of the addon extensions on your browser that prevents it from playing. I use Firefox with the Duckduckgo privacy extension. I had to disable it for 640 and CBC. Good luck!

 

February 17, 2025 9:50 am  #20


Re: Local GTA FM Station Is Broke, May Go Off The Air By Next Week

It is working now.  Couldn't understand why it wasn't working since I listen to a lot of stations on the net.  Thanks for your help everyone..