New radio stations to serve urban Indigenous communities in 5 cities: CRTC

Five Canadian cities will be home to new Indigenous radio stations, the CRTChas announced.

The commission said Wednesday it hasgranted licences for the stations, which will serve Indigenous audiences in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Ottawa and Toronto.

"This decision comes at a crucial time, not only because it comes in the wake of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's report, but also because of the many major issues that affect these communities," read a statement from Jean-Pierre Blais, CRTCchairman and CEO.

Those issues include"the disappearance and murder of Indigenous women, water quality on some reserves and Indigenous youth suicides," he said.

Filling a void

Three organizations will operate the new stations, the CRTC said.

"I'm proud to announce that the Aboriginal Multi-Media Society [of Alberta] was successful in our applications for radio licenses in Calgary and Edmonton," announced the society's CEO, Bert Crowfoot, on Facebook.

"We'll be the same power as all mainstream stations."

Toronto's and Ottawa's new stations will be the domain of First People's Radio, which marks the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network'smove into radio.

APTN had actually applied for licences in all five of the regions, which were left vacant by the recent demise of Aboriginal Voices Radio.

The panel had also considered applications fromWawatay Native Communications Society andVMS Media Group Ltd.

Indigenous languages a priority

The public hearings were held in the national capitalin March 2016.

"In the view of the CRTC, these three organizations best demonstrated how their programming would reflect the interests and meet the needs of the Indigenous communities in their respective markets," the CRTC's statement read.

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In that announcement, the CRTCalso said that the new stations mustbroadcast in at least one Indigenous language.

The new stations will broadcast on the following frequencies:

• Vancouver 106.3 FM.
• Edmonton 89.3 FM.
• Calgary 88.1 FM.
• Ottawa 95.7 FM.
• Toronto 106.5 FM.