CHRY-FM

Infobox Radio Station


name = CHRY-FM
airdate = June 1, 1986
frequency = 105.5 MHz (FM)
area = Toronto, Ontario
format = campus radio
owner = Board of Directors of CHRY Community Radio, Inc.
erp = 158 W
branding =
slogan = My Community Radio Station
class =
website = [http://www.chry.fm CHRY]
callsign_meaning =C H Radio York

CHRY Community Radio, Inc. is a Canadian radio station. It is the campus radio station of York University, broadcasting over FM on 105.5 MHz in Toronto, Ontario. It has come to serve as a community radio station for the residents of the Jane and Finch corridor in North Toronto.

History

CHRY was originally founded as a closed-circuit cable radio service, called Radio York, in 1965, and was located on the top floor of Vanier College and served campus residences and the cafeteria located at Central Square. On June 1, 1986, upon successful application to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) for a broadcasting licence, began to broadcast as CHRY at 50W, with a transmitting antenna located on the top of Vanier College's residence building. As well, on this day, it became incorporated as CHRY Community Radio, Inc.

In 1997, it moved from its old Vanier College studios to the fourth floor of York University's Student Centre, where it is today. This move was financed by a $40,000 loan from the undergraduate student association, which was forgiven four years later.

A limitation to CHRY was that its licence was Class B, which effectively meant that it was "unprotected" legally from claims of signal interference, effectively requiring it to cease operations if another broadcasting interest was affected in some way by CHRY's operation. However, in 2006, the CRTC accepted CHRY's application to reclassify its licence from "Class B" to "Class A", thus effecting "protected status" for the radio station.

Today, CHRY is an important part of the community of North Toronto. While its programming reflects the diverse nature of that community, more than one-third of its schedule is devoted to the music and culture of the Caribbean. It employs two full-time staff, several other part-time staff, and is supported by the tireless work of over one hundred volunteers from both York's student body and the surrounding community.

Financial Support

CHRY is supported in part by the York University Graduate Students Association and York Federation of Students (YFS), the York University Student Centre Corporation, the Government of Canada and Government of Ontario through occasional grants and the granting of tax-free status to CHRY, York University though occasional grants, and by its dedicated listenership through pledges. The rest of its funding is advertising revenue.

External links

* [http://www.chry.fm CHRY-FM]
* [http://www.broadcasting-history.ca/listings_and_histories/radio/histories.php?id=406&historyID=187 CHRY history at Canadian Communications Foundation]
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