While Kingston’s local radio studios eliminate on-air positions, Queen’s University’s radio station, CFRC 101.9-FM endures.
On July 18, Canadian media company Corus Entertainment, which owns Global News and Youth Television (YTV), laid off radio show hosts at two of Kingston’s radio stations: Fresh Radio 104.3 (CKLC-FM) and BIG 96.3 (CKWS-FM). The stations now rely on pre-recorded ‘voice-tracks’ produced in Toronto and anchored out of Peterborough. Corus Entertainment still has a license with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) and remain broadcasting over the airwaves.
In addition to local radio, Corus’s reduced staff at Global TV Kingston. The cuts were a “difficult but necessary” decision to ensure the company’s long-term viability, Corus Entertainment said in a statement to The Journal. They didn’t specify the precise number of layoffs.
Dinah Jansen, executive director of CFRC, was shocked by Corus’ mass layoffs—which led to the departure of news anchors, DJs, producers, and other crew , but also wasn’t surprised. Layoffs in corporate media are on the rise in Canada, Jansen explained in an interview with The Journal. CBC and Radio Canada let go 250 workers in 2023 and Bell Media sold 45 of its 103 radio stations in February.
Bell Media is currently in the midst of selling Move 98.3 (CFLY-FM) and Pure Country 99 (CKLC-FM) to MY Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) and will continue to broadcast over local airwaves.
While CFRC continues to provide local news and tunes, Jansen urges the Queen’s and Kingston’s community to rally behind the station.
Amid cuts and layoffs, Kingston leaders have been highlighting the importance of local media. In July, a t letter to Corus by Mark Gerretsen, Member of Parliament for Kingston and the Islands, and Ted Hsu, Member of Provincial Parliament for Kingston and the Islands, asked the entertainment company to reconsider their decision.
“Local news and radio play a vital role in connecting us with events, issues, and stories that directly impact our lives,” the letter said. “They provide a platform for local voices, highlight community achievements, and keep us informed about emergencies, local government decisions, cultural events, and more.”
Corus should engage with Kingston residents who listen to local radio stations and come up with an alternative solution that serves the community, the letter added.
While Hsu and Gerretsen urged Corus to reconsider their decision, Bill Hutchins, who worked for Corus Entertainment for 34 years, expressed a sense of resignation in a Kingstonist News article.
“Some cried. Some were furious. Others were just resolved to being the latest casualties in the drastic hollowing out of Canada’s media industry,” Hutchins said.
Corrections
A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that CFRC 101.9-FM was Kingston’s last remaining radio station. Although on July 18, Corus eliminated on-air positions at Fresh Radio 104.3 (CKLC-FM) and BIG 96.3 (CKWS-FM), both stations still hold CRTC licenses and continue to broadcast. MBC, Rogers Radio, and CBC Radio 1 will still offer on-air broadcasting via their Kingston radio stations.
The Journal regrets the error
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