The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum / Local GTA FM Station Is Broke, May Go Off The Air By Next Week

**Posted by RadioActive** February 14, 2025 4:01 pm

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

**Posted by torontostan** February 14, 2025 4:32 pm

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.

**Posted by RadioActive** February 14, 2025 4:42 pm

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.

**Posted by Scarboroughbluffsradiof99** February 14, 2025 4:51 pm

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.

**Posted by Scarboroughbluffsradiof99** February 14, 2025 4:54 pm

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.

**Posted by Radiowiz** February 14, 2025 4:58 pm

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)

**Posted by Scarboroughbluffsradiof99** February 14, 2025 5:02 pm

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.

**Posted by Scarboroughbluffsradiof99** February 14, 2025 6:45 pm

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

**Posted by Muffaraw Joe** February 14, 2025 8:06 pm

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.

**Posted by RadioAaron** February 14, 2025 8:16 pm

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.

**Posted by paterson1** February 15, 2025 10:22 am

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".

**Posted by Scarboroughbluffsradiof99** February 15, 2025 10:44 am

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.

**Posted by M. David** February 15, 2025 12:16 pm

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)

**Posted by Scarboroughbluffsradiof99** February 15, 2025 12:18 pm

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/

**Posted by paterson1** February 15, 2025 2:00 pm

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.

**Posted by Scarboroughbluffsradiof99** February 15, 2025 2:16 pm

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.

**Posted by mace** February 16, 2025 7:12 am

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.

**Posted by Glen Warren** February 16, 2025 12:28 pm

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...

**Posted by RayDeeOh** February 17, 2025 9:18 am

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!

**Posted by paterson1** February 17, 2025 9:50 am

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..

**Posted by Jody Thornton** March 17, 2025 12:08 am

So whatever happened here. Is the Region still operating? The "97-year old station" thread got me thinking back to this.

**Posted by Cheese2RF** March 17, 2025 1:28 pm

i tried to respond last night but i guess you cant respond on mobile? anyway i checked at 11:10pm and they are very much on air and at that moment playing country interestingly

**Posted by Jody Thornton** March 20, 2025 8:30 pm

Yikes!
https://www.torontomike.com/2025/03/105-9-the-region-sends-staff-home-without-pay/

**Posted by RadioAaron** March 20, 2025 8:35 pm

Jody Thornton wrote:
Yikes!
https://www.torontomike.com/2025/03/105-9-the-region-sends-staff-home-without-pay/

What were they paying them?!?! That's a bigger airstaff than some Toronto FMs. How was that ever supposed to work?

**Posted by haydenmatthews14** March 20, 2025 11:32 pm

RadioAaron wrote:
Jody Thornton wrote:
Yikes!
https://www.torontomike.com/2025/03/105-9-the-region-sends-staff-home-without-pay/
What were they paying them?!?! That's a bigger airstaff than some Toronto FMs. How was that ever supposed to work?

I see that former CP24/Hot Property host Ann Rohmer was sent without pay as well. That is a big "Yikes" to me.

**Posted by Paul Jeffries** March 20, 2025 11:37 pm

haydenmatthews14 wrote:
RadioAaron wrote:
Jody Thornton wrote:
Yikes!
https://www.torontomike.com/2025/03/105-9-the-region-sends-staff-home-without-pay/
What were they paying them?!?! That's a bigger airstaff than some Toronto FMs. How was that ever supposed to work?
I see that former CP24/Hot Property host Ann Rohmer was sent without pay as well. That is a big "Yikes" to me.

And station owner Debra McLaughlin calls the situation a "hiatus"? That's some pretty creative PR.

PJ

**Posted by Radiowiz** March 21, 2025 9:27 am

Kevin Frankish was a part of this station for a while. Looks like he dodged a bullet.

**Posted by RadioActive** March 21, 2025 10:50 am

I had a brief listen to The Region Friday morning. There was no announcer on around 9:30 AM, but I was surprised to hear a newscast. Turns out it The Canadian Press hourly report on half an hour later than normal. But what was stunning was who was anchoring the cast - Karen Rebo, who generally only does overnights.

Which means either she was working a different shift - or far more likely - they were replaying an older newscast from hours ago. I wonder if their ethnic HD signals are the only thing keeping the lights and transmitter on. How long can that go on?

Meanwhile, their website remains up, advertising all the people who are almost certainly no longer there. Which kind of makes one of the first things you see there somewhat ironic.

**Posted by torontostan** March 21, 2025 11:02 am

I'll repeat what I said many weeks ago..... this station should have never been approved. Total waste and didn't stand a chance.

**Posted by Evuguy** March 21, 2025 9:56 pm

IMHO, a mix of paid ethnic programming and A/C format music is not a receipe for success in a market that already has big budget stations dedicated to the latter format. Formats that might work for them are Persian or Chinese, as these are demographics that live within their main east-west signal contours from Richmond Hill. Anyway, will be interesting to see what they come up with.