CFRO-FM

CFRO-FM, licensed and owned by Vancouver Co-operative Radio, is a non-commercial community radio station in Vancouver, British Columbia. It is a legally registered co-operative and is branded as Co-op Radio. The station broadcasts on 100.5 megahertz FM and have studios and offices on Columbia St. off Hastings St. in Vancouver's Downtown East Side, while its transmitter is located atop Mount Seymour. CFRO is a member of the National Campus and Community Radio Association.

CFRO-FM
CityVancouver, British Columbia
Broadcast areaMetro Vancouver
Frequency100.5 MHz (FM)
BrandingCo-op Radio
Programming
Formatpublic broadcasting
Ownership
OwnerVancouver Co-operative Radio
History
First air dateApril 14, 1975
Former frequencies102.7 MHz (1975-2012)
Technical information
ClassC
ERP11,000 watts
HAAT570.7 metres
Transmitter coordinates49.344883°N 122.972894°W / 49.344883; -122.972894 (CISL Tower)
Links
WebcastListen live
Websitewww.coopradio.org

History

CFRO-FM received its radio license from the CRTC on May 7, 1974.[1]

The station first went on the air April 14, 1975,[2] launched by people mostly from various local activist groups in Vancouver. The station airs programmes in four categories: public affairs and news, music, multi-lingual, and arts. The group producing each programme is mostly self-governing—within the co-operative frame.

A former Co-op Radio logo, from when it was on 102.7 MHz.

On December 9, 2010, CFRO applied to exchange frequencies with CKPK-FM, which operated at 100.5 MHz.[3] This application was approved by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission on September 9, 2011.[4] The frequency swap occurred on September 10, 2012.[5]

Programming

Public affairs programmes and subjects in English include Redeye (radio) (news and analysis on Saturday mornings), Wake Up With Co-op (three weekday mornings), The Brown Bagger (lectures and interviews four weekdays at noon), several programmes by and about aboriginal people, learning Coast Salish, Union Made (labour news), politics, women, international affairs (special programmes on Latin America, the Philippines, and Palestine), health, LGBTQ+ issues, parenting, youth, the environment, animal rights, neighbourhood news, senior citizens, disabled people, yoga, and Democracy Now (from the USA).

Programmes air in ten foreign languages: Armenian, Azeri, Ethiopian, Persian, Korean, Nepali, Polish, Serbo-Croatian, South Slav, and Spanish.

Music programmes specialize in one or more of these: aboriginal, accordion, African, alternative, bluegrass, blues, Caribbean, classical, Celtic, electronic, folk, fusion, gospel, hardcore, hip hop, house, India, jazz, Jewish, Latin, metal, old timey, punk, reggae, rock 'n' roll, roots, rumba, ska, soul, swing, tango, and world music. The weekly classical music program, "West Coast Classics," is the longest-running classical radio program on the air produced in Canada.

Arts programming includes arts news, poetry, comedy, sound art, show tunes and other music, and story-telling.

Nearly 100 different programme series air each week. Most of the late-night and week-end programmes are music and repeats, with public affairs and specialty talk programmes running mostly Monday through Friday in the day and evening. (See schedule in the external link below.)

Listening and technical aspects

Co-op Radio can be received in four ways:

  • 100.5 FM on the radio.
  • Cable television-radio throughout most of British Columbia. The cable company in each part of the province provides a frequency, some of which are 102.7 and 104.9.
  • The Internet at Co-op Radio's website.
  • Shaw Direct Satellite 845.

The station is licensed by the Canadian government's broadcast regulating agency, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), with occasional license challenges by members of the public who object to some view-points and statements being broadcast.

Organisational structure

The co-operative is governed by its thousands of members, who may attend and vote at its annual general meeting and special general meetings. The members exercise their will also through an unpaid elected board of directors and its committees, four part-time paid staff members (union members of the union Unifor),[6] and hundreds of volunteers, the latter creating all the programmes.

To volunteer or serve the organization, those aged 16 or older must be dues-paid members, as are thousands of people who join mainly to support the operation financially and to vote at general meetings. The station broadcasts two major fund-raising drives a year, in the spring and autumn. Government grants are a very small part of the budget.

Awards

Co-op Radio has received many awards and is sometimes called the leading co-op radio station in Canada. National Campus and Community Radio Association Broadcasting Excellence awards received by Co-op Radio include:

  • 2012 Outstanding Achievement, Music Programming: "West Coast Classics," by Kerry Regier
  • 2007 Best Documentary (tie): Marc the Knife: The Overshadowed Career of Marc Blitzstein (Steve Bowell)
  • 2006 Best Documentary: 30 Years of Prison Justice Day by Emily Aspinwall and Tiffany Chong
  • 2003 Programming Excellence; Redeye (radio) public affairs program
  • 1997 Programming Excellence "Voices from the 11th International AIDS Conference"
  • 1995 Programming Excellence "Earth Day on the Air"
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References
  1. CFRO-FM history Archived 2011-06-11 at the Wayback Machine - Canadian Communications Foundation
  2. "Shaw Communications".
  3. "ARCHIVED - Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2010-928". CRTC. 2011-01-13. Retrieved 2018-11-15.
  4. "ARCHIVED - Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2011-580". CRTC. 2011-09-09. Retrieved 2018-11-16.
  5. "New Frequency FAQs - Vancouver Co-op Radio". coopradio.org. 2012-08-13. Archived from the original on 2012-08-13. Retrieved 2018-11-15.
  6. "June 17, 2014 Meeting Minutes" (PDF). Vancouver and District Labour Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 20, 2014.
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