Music
Indie Toronto wants to be home to indie music on the radio
Since CKLN had its license revoked a few months ago, 88.1 FM has merely been static on the radio dial. But that's set to change. Enter Indie Toronto, a new radio project spearheaded by the Barrie-based Central Ontario Broadcasting company (which also owns Rock and Kool FM) that wants to give Canadian indie musicians and their hundreds of thousands of fans their own place on the Toronto FM radio dial.
Four years ago, the team behind Indie Toronto applied for a similar radio format in Vancouver. It didn't pan out as their application was not approved by the CRTC. In Toronto, however, they have reason for optimism. The main selling point has to be that the playlist on Indie Toronto would be substantially different from the other radio stations operating here. Everyone knows that most mainstream dials toggle between the same top 40 songs with choices that can be as limited and predictable as a playlist at a nightclub. Journey's end of the night Don't Stop Believing, anyone?
Lately, I've been tuning into Indie Toronto's online stream to get a better idea of what to expect. There were tracks by The Rural Alberta Advantage, Bahamas, Bombay Bicycle Club and Bon Iver, to name a few.
A recent article in Macleans talked about "Why indie acts are everywhere, except on the radio". Dave Farough from Corus Entertainment was quoted as saying "It's not radio's job to break new music. In some cases, listeners want to hear new music. But in most cases they just want to hear what they like".
I put this statement to Dave Carr, the program director of Indie Toronto, who begged to differ. "The job in radio is to introduce great bands to the listeners and make them familiar. What will set Indie Toronto apart from the other radio stations is that 60% of our playlists will consist of emerging artists from Toronto and across the globe."
Of course, before they get that coveted radio dial Indie Toronto needs a license to broadcast on the airwaves. You can show your support by liking their Facebook page or sending them an e-mail. Up next is a hearing in May but it will likely not be until much later this year until any decisions are made. Competition will be stiff with over 30 applicants for the spot.
Would you support Indie Toronto or an "indie" radio station on the FM dial? Add your comments to the thread below.
Writing by Charissa Tosio
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Poor John Peel must be spinnin' in his grave.
Really? Do you listen to CBC? 99.1 FM plays all the artists mentioned in this article, and the morning and afternoon Toronto shows feature local talent in particular. So, I don't think you can really say indie acts get NO air time on radio.
I hate to break it to you, but one song played between stories or guests does not turn a current events/news show into the home of indie music. CBC Radio 3 or some shows on CIUT 89.5 do a far better job of highlighting and breaking Indie acts.
A dedicated full-time fm home would be welcome though.
http://www.wfmu.org/
Wherever they may roam
For me, what it's REALLY time for commercial radio to do is tell Bob & June Baby Boom, their children, and grandchildren to frack off and let new music like The National and Neko Case be heard on these oldies stations like Q107 and Boom 93.6 (or whatever frequency it's on.) It's time for this demographic and the people/organizations/ad agencies to wake up and deal with the world as it is and stop stranding North American culture in the past like a prehistoric insect stuck in amber. The Beatles, Elvis, Gerry & The Pacemakers, etc., are almost dead and gone along with the eras that spawned them, and it's time for these stations to go there as well.
If it were up to me, ALL Classic Rot stations would be killed off by legally using the Cancon laws to do it. All of these stations nationwide would be forced to play new local music like the (hopefully) upcoming Indie 88.1 in Toronto, and those that didn't would be forced off of the air, period. The world has changed, this is mother fracking 2012, and it's time for those trapped in the past-culturally and musically-to get with the program of living in the present. If that means having to hear wall to wall screeching techno, then so be it. But it is time that they do so.
If those who love the past so much want to continue to do so, they can do so-but not with the public airwaves. There's something called the Internet, which has a ton of music on in at certain file sharing sites as well as legal places like iTunes, and also a certain brick & mortar place called A RECORD STORE that contains CD's, LP's, and cassette tapes at which you can check out the past to their heart's content.
I say even make it "All Canadian Electronic Music station" :))
What people REALLY need to do is write to their MP's and get them to bring back whatever law we used to have that prevented media companies from owning more than one station in a given market; maybe then, we'll have a diversity of music in Toronto and other cities in Canada.