CIRR-FM (103.9 MHz, 103.9 Proud FM) was a radio station in Toronto, Ontario. Owned by Evanov Communications, it broadcast a rhythmic contemporary format with a focus on the area's LGBT community. Launching on April 16, 2007, it was the first radio station in Canada targeted specifically to an LGBT audience, and the first commercial, terrestrial radio station in the world to target such an audience.[1] It was one of six stations in Toronto that reports to Nielsen BDS' Canadian Top 40 airplay panel.[2]
On August 16, 2023, Evanov announced that the station would be shut down effective September 1, with its staff reassigned to sister station CIDC-FM.[3]
History
Application and launch
The application was filed by Rainbow Media Group, a partnership between Evanov Radio Group and other private investors, in 2005, and was approved by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission on April 5, 2006. The company planned a format featuring a mix of popular and classic music (with daytime focused primarily towards current and classic hits, and evenings featuring more specialty rhythmic, dance, and world music), with spoken word programming oriented towards Toronto's LGBT community (including at least 7 hours of news programming, and 21 hours of talk/information programming per week). The station also promised to fund a $5,000 annual scholarship to journalism, art or music students at Humber College and Carleton University, and a $30,000 stage showcase for musical artists at Toronto's Pride Week celebrations. Programming would be partially overseen by a community advisory committee.[4] The company first applied for this licence in 2000, but was denied in favour of Milestone Radio's CFXJ, Canada's first urban music station.
Several interventions opposing the application, as well as National Post columnist Lorne Gunter,[5] noted that the CRTC had not issued an open call for other applications, alleging that the application was given special treatment by the CRTC for "politically correct" reasons — notably, Gunter directly linked the station's approval to the CRTC's denial in 2003 of a licence for a Roman Catholic radio station in Toronto, alleging religious discrimination.[5] In the licence approval, the CRTC noted that because the proposed 103.9 frequency is second-adjacent to Evanov's own CIDC, and Evanov would therefore have to give its consent to accept a zone of radio frequency interference to its signal, the company would effectively have held a veto over any competing application for the frequency.[4] The Catholic station, conversely, was one of eight applicants for a single frequency, 101.3, which was awarded to the multicultural station CJSA-FM.
Pink Triangle Press, the publisher of the city's LGBT newspaper Xtra!, was originally a partner in the application. The company pulled out in December 2005, alleging that Evanov was using the application as a backdoor into the Toronto market — where reception of the company's existing rhythmic contemporary station, CIDC-FM Orangeville is unreliable — and intended to eventually drop the LGBT programming and convert the station to a mainstream format or rebroadcaster of CIDC. Evanov stated a commitment to serving LGBT audiences, but refused Pink Triangle's request to have the commitment reiterated in a legally binding contract.[6]
Post-launch
Former logo, used in variations until 2020
In 2009, Evanov bought out the remaining owners of Rainbow Media Group, becoming the station's sole owner.[7]
In the station's early years, some listeners noted that even in the Church and Wellesley Village itself, the station's signal was sometimes drowned out by CBL-FM's rebroadcaster in Peterborough or by CKDK-FM from Woodstock.[8] In 2010, the station applied to the CRTC to increase its signal from 50 watts to 128 watts, with an ERP of 250 watts, which received CRTC approval on June 9, 2010.[9] However, the station still broadcast from a transmitter location near Yonge and Eglinton in the Midtown region, rather than from a downtown location like most other radio stations in the city, and its signal later deteriorated even further as condominium development increased in the area.[10] CIRR has since relocated its transmitter to the top of the Sheraton Centre on Queen Street.
CIRR was the first commercially licensed LGBT-oriented radio station in Canada and the world. Evanov Communications was granted a license in November 2011 for a second LGBT-oriented station, a French language signal in the Montreal, Quebec market.[11] The station, CHRF, which was originally proposed to have launched in 2013 at the 990 AM frequency,[11] would not begin broadcasting until February 2, 2015,[12] after a series of delays that also included a frequency change to 980 AM.[13] However, the format was not successful, resulting in CHRF dropping the Radio Fierté format on December 1, 2015 after just 10 months, switching to an adult standards format, and later shutting down in 2020 due to continued low ratings.[14]
In September 2011, Evanov submitted an application with the CRTC to move CIRR to 88.1MHz, formerly held by CKLN-FM, and to increase its transmitter power. Per the CRTC's competitive licensing process, a call for competing applicants for the frequency was issued (where Evanov also proposed a "new easy listening" station).[15][16] The license was ultimately awarded to Rock 95 Broadcasting Ltd., which launched adult album alternativeCIND-FM on the frequency.[17][16]
In 2018, Evanov filed an application to swap CIRR and CIDC's frequencies and power, with a proposal to convert CIDC to a low-power station on 103.9 that would specifically serve its city of license Orangeville, and CIRR to a full-power station on 103.5 that would assume CIDC's existing CHR format, and move the existing LGBT community programming to an HD Radio subchannel. The CRTC denied the application in January 2020, citing technical restrictions, and past attempts by Evanov to relocate CIDC in a manner that would neglect its city of license and undermine the Commission's competitive licensing process.[18]
On August 16, 2023, Evanov announced that Proud FM would be shut down at the end of August 2023, citing that "all broadcasters are now contending with the challenges of increased competition, a difficult economic climate, and the residual effects of the COVID-19 pandemic." CIRR's remaining local personalities Jaret Sereda and Tyler Carr took on roles at CIDC, with Carr moving his weekend show to the station, and Sereda serving as an on-air contributor.[19][20]
Programming
On September 13, 2006, Evanov announced that the station's morning program would be hosted by Ken Kostick and Mary Jo Eustace, the former co-hosts of the television cooking show What's for Dinner?.[21] Eustace left the program in June 2008. Kostick would also depart the station in December 2008, after which the morning show was co-hosted by Deb Pearce and Adam Lawrence. Lawrence left the station in June 2009 to pursue a teaching career, and was replaced by Patrick Marano. On October 6, 2020, as part of an effort to rebrand the station, Richard Ryder's Rise with Ryder was replaced with the syndicated Elvis Duran and the Morning Show as its first Canadian affiliate; the program's host Elvis Duran came out as gay in 2010, and has supported LGBT organizations.[22][23]
Other hosts that have appeared on the station include Cajjmere Wray, Shaun Proulx, Deb Pearce, Patrick Marano, Mark Wigmore, Paul Bellini, Crystal Lite, Danielle Loncar, Acey Rowe and Sean Cowan. Comedian Maggie Cassella was also part of the station's original roster of hosts, but left the station as of August 2007. Pearce, Marano, Proulx and Wigmore were all dropped from the station in May 2010.[24]
CIDC-FM is a radio station licensed to Orangeville, Ontario, Canada. Owned by Evanov Communications, the station broadcasts a rhythmic contemporary format targeting the Greater Toronto Area. Its studios are located on Dundas Street West in the Eatonville neighbourhood in the Etobicoke district of Toronto.
Aboriginal Voices Radio Network was a Canadian radio network, which primarily broadcast music programming and other content of interest to aboriginal people. As of June 2015, the network operated stations in Toronto, Ontario, Calgary and Edmonton in Alberta, and Vancouver, British Columbia. All of its stations were licensed as rebroadcasters of its flagship station, CKAV-FM in Toronto. The network's administrative office was located in Ohsweken, Ontario, on the Six Nations Indian reserve near Brantford. The stations' music programming consisted mainly of adult contemporary music, along with specialty programs focusing on aboriginal-oriented content.
CBLA-FM is a non-commercial radio station in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Owned and operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the station is the flagship station of the CBC Radio One network, broadcasting a mix of news and talk. In addition to the Toronto market, CBLA also reaches much of Central Ontario with a network of twelve rebroadcasters. The studios are in the Canadian Broadcasting Centre.
CJBC is a French-language, non-commercial, public radio station in Toronto, Ontario. It is the Ici Radio-Canada Première Network's outlet for much of Southern Ontario. The studios are in the Canadian Broadcasting Centre on Front Street West in Downtown Toronto.
CKIS-FM is a Canadian radio station in Toronto, Ontario. Owned by Rogers Radio, a division of Rogers Sports & Media, the station broadcasts a Top 40/CHR format branded as KiSS 92.5.
CKHZ-FM is a radio station in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia serving the Halifax Regional Municipality. Owned by Acadia Broadcasting, it broadcasts a country format. CKHZ's studios are located on Main Street in Dartmouth, while its transmitter is located on Washmill Lake Drive in Clayton Park.
CKDX-FM is a radio station licensed to Newmarket, Ontario, Canada and serving the Greater Toronto Area. Owned by Evanov Communications, it broadcasts a country format. CKDX's studios are located at 5312 Dundas Street West in the Eatonville neighbourhood of Etobicoke, Toronto, while its transmitter is located near Aurora.
CINF was a French language Canadian radio station located in Montreal, Quebec.
CKGM is an English-language AM radio station in Montreal, Quebec, owned by Bell Media Radio. Formerly an affiliate of sports radio network "The Team," it was one of three stations to retain the sports format after the network folded in 2002 until it switched to the TSN Radio branding in October 2011. CKGM has been an all-sports station since May 2001. Its studios and offices are located on René Lévesque Boulevard East in Downtown Montreal.
Evanov Communications is a Canadian radio broadcasting company. It is also the sole owner of Dufferin Communications Inc., 80% owner of Halifax Broadcasting Ltd. and Ottawa Media Inc. The group of Evanov companies owns and operates a number of radio stations in Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba and Nova Scotia.
CHIN is a commercial AM radio station in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is owned by CHIN Radio/TV International, and broadcasts a multilingual radio format. It formerly utilized an FM rebroadcaster at 91.9 MHz, CHIN-1-FM, originally used to fill in reception gaps in parts of Greater Toronto; CHIN-1-FM now broadcasts a separate schedule of ethnic programming, no longer simulcasting CHIN. In addition, there is a full-power FM station on 100.7 MHz, CHIN-FM, which offers a third ethnic programme schedule. CHIN, CHIN-1-FM and CHIN-FM have their radio studios on College Street in the Palmerston-Little Italy neighbourhood of Toronto.
CKIC-FM was an instructional over-the-air campus radio station that broadcast in Winnipeg, Manitoba on the frequency 92.9 FM from April 27, 2004 to July 4, 2012. Starting in the Fall of 2012, it plans to return to the air as an internet-only radio station.
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CKPC-FM is a radio station in Brantford, Ontario. Owned by Evanov Communications, it broadcasts a soft adult contemporary format, billed as "Southern Ontario's Favourites". The studios are located at 325 West St in Brantford while its transmitter located near Brant Rd 24 and McLean School Rd north of Brantford.
CFWC-FM is a radio station in Brantford, Ontario. Owned by Evanov Communications, the station broadcasts a country format. The studios are located at 325 West St in Brantford while its transmitter is located atop a church steeple at Dundas St and Sydenham St in Brantford.
CFMO-FM is a radio station broadcasting a classical music format on 102.9 MHz FM in Collingwood, Ontario, Canada. The station is owned by ZoomerMedia, through licensee MZ Media Inc. It is largely a semi-satellite of ZoomerMedia's CFMZ-FM 96.3 in Toronto.
CKFG-FM is a radio station in Toronto, Ontario. Owned by CINA Media Group, it carries an urban contemporary format. The studios and offices are on Kern Road in the Don Mills neighbourhood of North York.
CHRF was a French language commercial AM radio station in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Owned by Evanov Radio Group, the station broadcast an adult standards radio format, along with some multicultural programming. CHRF's studios were located on Papineau Avenue in the Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie borough of Montreal, while its transmitter is located near Mercier.
CHSV-FM is a radio station licensed to Hudson/Saint-Lazare, Quebec. Owned by Evanov Communications, the station broadcasts a soft adult contemporary format.
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