The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum / Global Does Rare Story On Local Radio Station During 6PM News

**Posted by RadioActive** January 4, 2025 7:01 pm

I can't remember the last time I saw a story about Toronto radio on TV. But it happened on Friday night's Global News at 6, in a piece about Elmnt FM, the Indigenous station that broadcasts in both T.O. and Ottawa, and the danger it faces due to a lack of advertising. There are fears it could go off the air in both cities.

You can see it here.

**Posted by mace** January 5, 2025 7:58 am

Could some of the problem be knowledge and recognition? I am aware of the station because I am a radio geek. The average person? doubtful. Then we have recognition. JazzFM91 also relies heavily on listener donations and I suspect they do quite well. Their name tells the listener exactly what type of programming they can expect to hear and Jazz fans do their part. Elmnt FM? What does that even mean? It tells me nothing about the format. Like many members here, I am not your average listener. I have been exposed to many different station formats due to my many years of DXing. After finding a station they enjoy, the average listener rarely strays.

**Posted by torontostan** January 5, 2025 11:45 pm

The problem isn't lack of advertising.. it's lack of listeners. They routinely have a 0 share in the ratings. CRTC approving that station's existence was peak virtue signalling.

**Posted by RadioActive** January 6, 2025 12:46 pm

Binson Echorec wrote:
Elmnt FM operates out of Corus Quay.

I believe that's mentioned in the Global story. They rent space from Corus and that's where their studios are based.

And by the way, you gotta love the name of one of their jocks featured in the piece.

Could there by a better radio name than "Cody Coyote?"

**Posted by Scarboroughbluffsradiof99** January 6, 2025 12:51 pm

The CRTC should have aprooved wawate instead.
I read the transcript for that hearing, and they had a better plan to surv their community.
Elmnt fm is just playing pop music with some programing in native languages but their music is mostly english.
That's good for a station on the reservation whare there's limited options, but a big city station neads to have programing mostly in native languages.

Last edited by Scarboroughbluffsradiof99 (January 6, 2025 12:53 pm)

**Posted by torontostan** January 6, 2025 1:42 pm

No, the frequency should've been given to an incumbent for use as a better signal (CKFG, an AM repeater, etc). The indigenous format will never work in Toronto, in the same way that no ethnic based format works in Toronto. See the 0 share for Elemnt, Première Chaîne, former low ratings for G98.7, etc. The potential audience and advertiser base is way too small for a mass media like radio.

**Posted by Scarboroughbluffsradiof99** January 6, 2025 1:47 pm

Or, they should have left voices radio alone with its soft AC format.
I had some hope for CKAV.
They added some general community oriented talkshows from listen up talk radio.
The CRTC was to hard on them.

**Posted by markow202** January 6, 2025 4:29 pm

Scarboroughbluffsradiof99 wrote:
Or, they should have left voices radio alone with its soft AC format.
I had some hope for CKAV.
They added some general community oriented talkshows from listen up talk radio.
The CRTC was to hard on them.

Voices radio was a good one I listened to it often.