GIANT FM

What GIANT FM does

GIANT FM (91.7 FM, call letters CIXL) is a privately-held classic rock radio station owned and operated by Wellport Broadcasting Inc., part of the My Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) cluster, headquartered in Welland, Ontario. It broadcasts across the Niagara Region — including Welland, Niagara Falls, Port Colborne, and Fort Erie — and serves Ontario residents with a mix of classic rock programming, local news and weather, community event coverage, and Niagara IceDogs hockey play-by-play (the latter aired on sister station COUNTRY 89.1 FM). The station's digital stack is powered by the SoCast platform, which handles website hosting, live streaming, contest management, and authentication (including Google Sign-In OAuth), with distribution extended through iOS and Android mobile apps and the iHeart Radio app.

The core products are the live FM broadcast, website and app-based audio streaming, a suite of community engagement features (GAS WARS daily contest, Gardening Minute with Mark Cullen, Animal House Showcase, community event listings, and a VIP email membership program), and the Hometown Headlines daily digital newsletter. Niagara IceDogs broadcasts and the bundled advertising packages spanning radio and the Niagara Daily News digital property extend the product surface. Revenue is generated primarily through local radio advertising on 91.7 GIANT FM and digital advertising across MBC properties (niagaradailynews.ca, norfolktoday.ca, and sister radio stations), supplemented by contest and event sponsorships (e.g., George's Greek Village, Leon's Welland, MNP) and a free VIP membership email program. Go-to-market is community-led and sales-led, with the General Manager (Hilary Montbourquette) serving as the primary advertising point of contact and street-level remote broadcasts used to activate SMB advertisers. Pricing is custom-quoted, multi-year, and not publicly disclosed.

Name

GIANT FM

Legal name

Wellport Broadcasting Inc.

Website

https://giantfm.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

GIANT FM is a classic rock radio station at 91.7 FM serving the Niagara Region of Ontario, Canada. Operated by Wellport Broadcasting Inc. under My Broadcasting Corporation, it delivers local news, community events, and Niagara IceDogs sports broadcasts to regional advertisers and listeners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Radio Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611), Radio Broadcasting Stations (516110), Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations (5161)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

Commercial Terrestrial Radio Broadcasting (AM/FM) (MPAIAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Radio Streaming & Catch-Up Audio Platforms (MPAIADAJ), Local Radio Station Groups (Owned & Operated/Station Chains) (MPABACAC)

Keywords

• Local radio broadcasting
• Classic rock radio station
• Digital audio streaming
• Regional advertising sales
• Community event promotion

Headquarters

HQ city

Welland

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Radio Advertising: Traditional radio advertising on 91.7 GIANT FM targeting Niagara region listeners. Contact: Hilary Montbourquette at [email protected]
2. Digital Advertising: Digital advertising on www.niagaradailynews.ca and other My Broadcasting Corporation properties including norfolktoday.ca and regional radio stations
3. Contest and Promotion Sponsorships: Sponsorships for station contests like GAS WARS with partners such as George's Greek Village offering gift certificates
4. VIP Membership Program: Exclusive membership program offering front-of-line content, event news, offers, and members-only giveaways and contests

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

GIANT FM is a classic rock radio station broadcasting at 91.7 FM from Welland, Ontario, serving the Niagara Region. The station delivers music, local news, community event coverage, and sports programming (including Niagara IceDogs broadcasts), and monetizes primarily through local advertising sold across its FM signal, website, mobile apps, and the Niagara Daily News digital property. Additional offerings include daily contests (GAS WARS), the Gardening Minute segment, a VIP email membership, the Hometown Headlines daily digital newsletter, and the Animal House Showcase community feature.

Product overview

91.7 GIANT FM is a classic rock radio station operated by Wellport Broadcasting Inc., part of My Broadcasting Corporation, serving the Niagara Region of Ontario, Canada. The station offers a multi-platform listening experience including traditional FM radio at 91.7 MHz, website streaming via the SoCast platform, native mobile applications for iOS and Android, and distribution through the iHeartRadio platform. The station engages listeners through various programming including the GAS WARS daily contest, Gardening Minute with Mark Cullen, and Niagara IceDogs hockey broadcasts on sister station COUNTRY 89.1 FM. Audience engagement is further supported through VIP email membership, community event listings for non-profit organizations, the Hometown Headlines daily digital newsletter, and the Animal House Showcase feature. Advertising services span radio and digital channels across multiple stations in the Niagara Region network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 91.7 GIANT FM Radio Station Classic rock over-the-air radio station broadcasting at 91.7 FM from Welland, Ontario, serving Welland, Niagara Falls, Port Colborne, Fort Erie, and the surrounding Niagara Region with music, local news, community events, and sports programming.
• Giant FM Mobile App Native iOS and Android application that lets listeners stream 91.7 GIANT FM live and access station features from mobile devices.
• Giant FM Website Streaming Web-based live streaming of 91.7 GIANT FM accessible via giantfm.com, powered by the SoCast platform.
• iHeartRadio Streaming Distribution Free live streaming of 91.7 GIANT FM through the iHeartRadio app and platform, providing additional digital reach beyond the station's own site and apps.
• GAS WARS Daily Contest Weekday on-air contest at 4:30 PM in which callers report the best local fuel price to win a $25 gift certificate to George's Greek Village; open to Ontario, Canada residents.
• Niagara IceDogs Hockey Broadcasts Live broadcast coverage of all Niagara IceDogs OHL hockey games (home and away) through GIANT FM (streaming) and sister station COUNTRY 89.1 FM (radio), featuring play-by-play commentary by Ted Lehman.
• Gardening Minute with Mark Cullen Weekly gardening feature airing Friday mornings at 7:50 AM with Canadian gardening expert Mark Cullen, covering topics from flower beds to vegetable growing for Niagara Region listeners.
• Giant FM VIP Email Membership Email membership program offering subscribers front-of-the-line access to upcoming events, exclusive news, contests, giveaways, and members-only promotions from 91.7 GIANT FM.
• Hometown Headlines Daily Digital Newsletter Free daily digital newspaper delivered to subscribers' email inboxes, containing Niagara local news, sports, weather, and community events.
• Advertising Services Local advertising solutions across 91.7 GIANT FM radio, sister MBC stations, and digital platforms including Niagara Daily News, norfolktoday.ca, and regional radio stations, sold via custom packages by the station's in-house sales team.
• Animal House Showcase Community Feature Community feature series spotlighting local Niagara animals and the professionals who care for them, including rescue organizations and pet adoption services.
• Community Event Listings Service Free event promotion service for local not-for-profit organizations, service clubs, and school/faith groups in the Niagara Region to list community events on the station website and on-air.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100+ years of operation (Leon’s reference)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered major, minor and core.

• Leon's WellandmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 9 July 2026Retail partner hosting live radio remote broadcasts and street team events. Leon's Welland grand reopening featured GIANT FM coverage with live event at 803 Niagara Street across from Seaway Mall.
• MNPminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 9 July 2026Professional services firm sponsoring the MNP Charity Prize Wheel at Leon's grand reopening event, $2 per play for guaranteed prizes.
• COUNTRY 89.1 FMcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister radio station of My Broadcasting Corporation. COUNTRY 89.1 FM is the home of Niagara IceDogs hockey broadcasts, airing all games home and away with voice of the IceDogs Ted Lehman.
• Ted LehmancoreOthersVoice of the Niagara IceDogs, providing live play-by-play broadcast commentary for all hockey games on sister station COUNTRY 89.1 FM.
• George's Greek VillageminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRestaurant sponsor for GAS WARS contest, providing $25 gift certificates as prizes for callers who report best fuel prices.
• SoCastcoreTechnology or IntegrationDigital platform provider powering GIANT FM's website, streaming services, contest management, and promotional activities through SoCastSRM platform.
• iHeart RadiocoreTechnology or IntegrationStreaming partner allowing free radio listening via iHeart radio app as alternative to website streaming.
• Niagara IceDogsmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOHL hockey team with GIANT FM as official streaming headquarters and COUNTRY 89.1 as official radio broadcaster for all games.
• Chris LukascoreOthersGIANT FM radio personality conducting live-on-location broadcasts for events including Leon's grand reopening.
• Niagara Daily NewscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDigital news platform under My Broadcasting Corporation, part of the advertising package offering for regional coverage.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Bell Media Radio: Major Canadian commercial radio broadcaster (e.g., CHUM FM, 104.5 CHUM FM, BNN Bloomberg radio) operating multiple stations nationally. Represents the scaled incumbent model against which small-market stations like GIANT FM compete for share of ad budgets.
• Corus Entertainment Radio: Owns and operates multiple Canadian radio stations (e.g., Global News Radio, CISN Country, CHQR). Comparable commercial-radio business model and a key buyer of regional ad inventory across Canada.
• iHeartMedia Canada: Operates the iHeartRadio streaming platform that distributes GIANT FM and many competing stations. A platform-level incumbent that shapes how local radio reaches digital audiences and competes for ad dollars.
• Pembroke Regional Hospital Foundation (example SMB advertiser) — N/A, replaced with relevant peer: Newstalk 1010 (Toronto): Toronto-based news/talk radio station operating under a national broadcaster. Comparable commercial-radio operating model to GIANT FM, but serving a larger metropolitan market; useful as a scaled comparable for advertising yield and digital streaming strategy.

Others

• Stingray Digital: Canadian audio/media company operating streaming music channels and in-store advertising. Adjacent to GIANT FM's business in audio content distribution and audio advertising, but does not directly compete as a terrestrial broadcaster.

Direct peers

• 97.7 HTZ FM (St. Catharines): A commercial FM radio station based in St. Catharines that directly competes with GIANT FM for Niagara Region listeners and advertisers. Operates a contemporary/hot AC format in the same geographic market.
• 101.5 Y95.5 (Niagara): St. Catharines/Niagara FM station operating in the same broadcast footprint as GIANT FM. Directly competes for the same local advertising base and audience share in the Niagara Region.
• CKTB 610 (St. Catharines): News/talk AM station in the Niagara Region sharing the same advertiser pool and listeners as GIANT FM. Operates under national broadcast group ownership but competes locally.
• CJRN 710 (Niagara Falls): Independent Niagara Falls-based AM station competing with GIANT FM for listeners and advertisers in the same regional market, with a complementary news/talk/sports format.

Regional players

• CHML 900 (Hamilton): News/talk AM station in Hamilton serving the broader Greater Toronto/Hamilton/Niagara corridor. Comparable commercial local-radio operating model but based in an adjacent regional market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/917GIANTFM
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/917GIANTFM
• Facebookfacebook.com/917GIANTFM
• Instagraminstagram.com/917giantfm
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/giant-fm

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about GIANT FM