CHOQ-FM
Franco-Ontarian community radio | |
Affiliations | Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL) Toronto Argonauts (CFL) |
---|---|
Ownership | |
Owner | Cooperative Radio-Toronto |
History | |
First air date | May 1, 2006 (history dates back to 1991) |
Technical information | |
Class | A |
ERP | 1 kW |
Links | |
Website | www.choqfm.ca |
CHOQ-FM is a Canadian radio station which began broadcasting in 2006. A
CHOQ is owned by a cooperative, La Coopérative Radiophonique de Toronto.
History
The history of this station dates back to 1991, when the group was granted a special temporary FM licence for a
On June 16, 2000, the station was denied a licence to operate a French-language community FM radio station at Toronto on the frequency 93.5 MHz.[2] This 93.5 frequency was awarded to CFXJ-FM.
On April 17, 2003, La Coopérative radiophonique de Toronto inc. received CRTC approval for a new French-language community FM radio station at Toronto, to operate at 105.1 MHz.[3]
On October 18, 2004 the station received a $75,000 startup grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
The station's launch was originally scheduled for 2005. The station did air a testing signal for three weeks in November of that year, but did not launch its permanent signal until May 1, 2006.
CHOQ-FM was one of 27 applicants for the 88.1 frequency vacated by the revocation in early 2011 of CKLN-FM's license,[4] applying to move to the frequency.[5] The bid was unsuccessful and the CRTC awarded the frequency to CIND-FM.
In 2011 and 2012, the station participated in the launch of campaign to establish a "French Quarter" in Toronto along
In January 2015, the station manager revealed that due to a tight advertising market and expenses related to the relocation of its transmitter, the station was in a financial crisis and may be forced to close as early as March if a solution could not be found.[7] In March, the station confirmed that while an emergency crowdfunding campaign had fallen short of the goal, it was continuing to seek out other cooperative funding arrangements to allow it to continue broadcasting.[8]
Programming
The station primarily plays a francophone
Writer Gabriel Osson has been the host of Franco découvertes, a world music show devoted to international music from francophone countries,[9] and writer Aristote Kavungu has been host of the cultural magazine show Franco-Hebdo.
The station used to broadcast dance music programming nightly between the hours of 10p.m. and 6a.m., branded as Energy 105.1 (Shock FM). This programming aired in English, and was not produced by Radio-Toronto, but was leased out to another company.[10] This programming no longer airs on the station as of 2009; the station now produces its own programming during the overnight hours.
References
- ^ Decision CRTC 91-369
- ^ Decision CRTC 2000-206
- ^ Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2003-116
- ^ "Stations vie for vacant radio licence". The Globe and Mail, December 18, 2012.
- ^ Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2012-126. Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, March 2, 2012.
- ^ "A French Quarter for Toronto? Mais oui!". National Post, August 6, 2011.
- ^ "Toronto’s only French radio station CHOQ 105.1 FM struggling to stay afloat" Archived 2015-08-12 at the Wayback Machine. Metro, January 22, 2015.
- ^ "CHOQ-FM demeure en ondes malgré les difficultés". Radio-Canada, March 13, 2015.
- Ici Radio-Canada, February 27, 2019.
- ^ "Energy puts radio stream on iPhone", Media in Canada, July 18, 2008.
External links
- Official website
- CHOQ-FM at The History of Canadian Broadcasting by the Canadian Communications Foundation
- CHOQ-FM in the REC Canadian station database