CIND-FM

CIND-FM, branded as Indie88, is an FM radio station in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, broadcasting at 88.1 MHz. The station, which broadcasts an indie format, had its "soft launch" on July 31, 2013, and had its official launch on September 3, 2013.[1][2]

CIND-FM
CityToronto, Ontario
Frequency88.1 MHz (FM) (Also on HD Radio)
BrandingIndie88
SloganYour music. Your lifestyle.
Programming
FormatIndie
Ownership
OwnerCentral Ontario Broadcasting
(Rock 95 Broadcasting (Barrie-Orillia) Ltd.)
Sister stationsCFJB-FM, CKMB-FM
History
First air dateJuly 31, 2013
Call sign meaningINDie rock format
Technical information
ClassB
ERP2.1 kW average
4 kilowatts peak
HAAT281 meters (922 ft)
Links
Webcasthttps://cob.leanplayer.com/CINDFM
WebsiteIndie88.com

The station is the first entry into the Toronto market for Central Ontario Broadcasting, which also owns CFJB-FM and CKMB-FM in the outlying city of Barrie. "Indie88," as the station is branded, places a priority on on-air and online interaction with its audience.[1]

Indie88's offices and studios are located on Hanna Avenue in Toronto's Liberty Village, while its transmitter is located on top of First Canadian Place in Toronto's Financial District.

History

On September 11, 2012, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) approved Rock 95 Broadcasting Ltd.'s application to operate on 88.1 MHz, which was formerly used by CKLN-FM from 1983-2011.[3] Staffing announcements made before the station's launch included Megan Bingley (general manager), Adam Thompson (program director), Paul Moran (director of digital media), Alan Cross, former announcer and program director of CFNY-FM, and Raina Douris, a broadcast personality formerly associated with CFNY and CBC Radio 3.[4]

CIND-FM broadcast a full 24-hour online music stream throughout the period between its licensing date and its formal launch. On July 25, 2013, the station announced its formal launch date of July 31 at noon; at the same time, the station replaced its online stream, and went to air on 88.1 FM, with a temporary stunt format consisting of a constant loop of Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up", copying an online phenomenon known as rickrolling.[5][6]

The first song played on the station on its July 31 launch was Arcade Fire's "Ready to Start".[5]

The July 31 date, however, was a soft launch for the station; throughout August, the station aired a continuous music format with no hosted programming except for "Throne of Glory", an afternoon drive program in which a guest personality was invited to play music of their own choosing. Cross hosted the first "Throne of Glory" on August 1; other personalities who hosted throughout the month include Hannah Georgas, Joel Plaskett, Adam van Koeverden, Wade MacNeil, Born Ruffians, Silversun Pickups, k-os, Torquil Campbell, METZ, July Talk, Raina Douris, The New Pornographers, Matt Mays, Jay Ferguson, Dave Hodge, Dan Mangan, Toronto Star music critic Ben Rayner, Tokyo Police Club, Matthew Good, Hollerado, Ed the Sock and Liana K (Steven and Liana Kerzner), former CFNY personality Dave Bookman and former CFNY program director and personality Don Berns.

The station officially launched on September 3 with its full complement of on-air personalities and regular features;[1][4] the station's regular schedule included Douris, Bookman, Brian Bailey, Candice Knihnitski, Matt Hart and Carlin Burton.[7] Cross was also heard on the station as a contributing personality, voicing some of the station's identification bumpers and hosting a weekday programming feature called "Crackle and Pop" in which he played rare and classic songs from his own archive of vinyl singles, until he rejoined CFNY in August 2014. The station has also since added Brent Albrecht and Sarah Burke to its roster.

On November 1, 2013, the CRTC approved an application by the station to increase the average effective radiated power (ERP) of CIND-FM from 532 to 2,100 watts (maximum ERP increasing from 875 watts to 4,000 watts) and to decrease the effective height of antenna above average terrain (EHAAT) from 328.4 to 281 metres.[8] In the most recent available Numeris ratings, the station held a 1.3 share of the Toronto radio audience,[9] up from 0.8 in the prior ratings period.

On September 13, 2014, the station held the "Indie88 Birthday Bash" to celebrate its first birthday. The show, which took place at Toronto's Opera House concert hall, featured live performances by Lowell, The Darcys and Dan Mangan.[10]

In 2015, former CBC Radio 3 host Lana Gay joined the station, while in early 2016, Bailey departed for reasons unknown.

After a months-long transitional period, Indie88 began its new regular schedule on April 11, 2016. Douris moved from afternoons to join Matt Hart as new co-host of the morning show, with Candice stepping back to report only news and weather, in light of her impending maternity leave. In the afternoon slot vacated by Douris, Lana Gay was appointed the new permanent afternoon drive host.

Douris left the station in fall 2016 to join CBC Radio 2, with Knihnitski returning as Hart's morning cohost. In 2017, former CFNY-FM personality Josie Dye joined the station as cohost of the morning show with Hart and Burton.[11]

Bookman died on May 20, 2019, approximately one month after suffering an aneurysm which had left him in intensive care.[12] On May 29, the station aired a special fundraising radiothon, "A Day to Make Music Count", to raise money in his memory for MusiCounts, the music education initiative of the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.[13] The broadcast raised over CA$69,000, significantly exceeding the station's CA$50,000 goal.[13]

gollark: Is 70 minutes for an entire Death Star THAT bad?
gollark: No.
gollark: Fair.
gollark: Opus has some sort of turtle builder.
gollark: More mining means more... destroyed end islands? I guess that's good.

References
  1. "Spirit of radio in Toronto getting an indie twist". Globe and Mail. July 30, 2013. Retrieved July 30, 2013.
  2. "Indie-rock station coming to Toronto". Toronto Star, September 11, 2012.
  3. Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2012-485, Licensing of a new radio station to serve Toronto, CRTC, September 11, 2012
  4. "Indie 88 radio station marches to an independent drummer". Toronto Star, July 26, 2013.
  5. "Indie88, Toronto's newest radio station, puts the listener in charge". National Post. July 31, 2013. Archived from the original on August 1, 2013. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
  6. "A new Toronto radio station is Rickrolling for a week". canada.com, July 25, 2013.
  7. "Indie 88/Toronto Officially Launched Today". alancross.ca, September 3, 2013.
  8. Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2013-588, CIND-FM Toronto, CHES-FM Erin and CFRH-FM Penetanguishene –Technical changes and new transmitter, CRTC, November 1, 2013
  9. PPM Top-line Radio Statistics: Toronto CTRL, February 24 to May 25, 2014 Archived September 11, 2014, at the Wayback Machine. Bureau of Broadcast Measurement.
  10. "Celebrate Indie88's (Rickroll-free) first birthday". Toronto Life. September 9, 2014. Retrieved 2014-10-09.
  11. "New morning show for Toronto’s Indie88". Media in Canada, March 16, 2017.
  12. "Toronto radio host Dave (Bookie) Bookman of Indie88 dies at 58". CTV News, May 21, 2019.
  13. "In Memory of Dave "Bookie" Bookman Donate To MusiCounts". Samaritan Mag, May 23, 2019.

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