CFRC 101.9 FM

What CFRC 101.9 FM does

CFRC 101.9 FM is a non-profit campus and community radio station that has broadcast continuously from Lower Carruthers Hall on Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario since 1922, making it one of Canada's oldest campus radio stations. The station transmits over-the-air on 101.9 FM in stereo, 24/7, 365 days per year, with regional coverage spanning Belleville to Brockville and across the U.S. border to Watertown, NY, and extends its reach globally via live online streaming through cfrc.ca and multiple downloadable mobile platforms. Core technical assets include professional broadcast and recording studios available for community booking, an extensive physical music archive (vinyl and CD), and a podcast distribution platform at podcast.cfrc.ca.

The station is volunteer-driven, with programming produced primarily by Queen's University students and Kingston community members, and an employee count in the 11–50 range. Programming covers local news (funded by the Local Journalism Initiative through the Department of Canadian Heritage and Community Radio Fund of Canada), local music discovery, artist development through the Airwave YGK Musicians-in-Residence Program (supported by the City of Kingston and Kingston Arts Council), Release Radar, and the annual HomeGrown Live Music Festival, which in its 17th year (2025) featured 145+ Kingston acts across 17 stages. Additional programming initiatives include studio sessions, club takeovers by Queen's student organizations, and workshops such as the Airwave YGK Songwriting Workshop.

CFRC operates a hybrid non-profit revenue model with five streams: (1) advertising and sponsorship packages sold to local Kingston businesses, (2) listener donations and recurring memberships, (3) limited-edition branded merchandise sales (including Centennial gear), (4) transaction-fee studio space bookings for podcasts and musical/theatrical recordings, and (5) government grant funding via the Local Journalism Initiative. Distribution is multi-channel: over-the-air FM, online streaming, a podcast portal, social media (Instagram, YouTube, X), and an online merchandise storefront. The station maintains core partnerships with Queen's University, the City of Kingston, the Kingston Arts Council, the Kingston Music Office, the Dan School of Drama and Music, the Department of Film & Media, and a roster of local business sponsors (Grad Club, Long & McQuade, Novel Idea, The Toucan, KPP Concerts, and others).

Name

CFRC 101.9 FM

Legal name

CFRC 101.9 FM

Website

https://cfrc.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1922

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CFRC 101.9 FM is a non-profit campus and community radio station broadcasting from Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario since 1922, serving local listeners via 101.9 FM and worldwide online streaming, with programming, artist development, and events funded by advertising, donations, studio fees, merchandise, and government grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Radio Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (516110), Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

University/Educational Local Stations (College Radio, Campus TV) (MPABACAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public/Community Local Stations (PBS Member Stations, Community Radio, LPFM) (MPABACAG), Community/Low-Power Nonprofit Radio (LPFM/Community Radio) (MPABADAE)

Keywords

• Community radio broadcasting
• Campus radio station
• Local music programming
• Hyperlocal news coverage
• Volunteer radio programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Kingston

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Advertising & Sponsorship: CFRC sells advertising and sponsorship packages to local businesses to reach target audiences on airwaves and social media. Ad packages are available for purchase through their services page.
2. Donations & Membership: The station accepts donations from listeners and community members. Membership sign-up options are available for volunteers and supporters who want to support CFRC's operations.
3. Merchandise Sales: CFRC sells merchandise including limited edition Centennial gear and other branded items through their merchandise store.
4. Studio Booking Fees: Revenue generated from community members and volunteers who book professional studio space for podcast, radio show, or musical/theatrical production recording.
5. Funding Grants: CFRC receives funding support from the Local Journalism Initiative funded by the Department of Canadian Heritage and administered through the Community Radio Fund of Canada for local news programming.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CFRC 101.9 FM is a campus community radio station that broadcasts over-the-air on 101.9 FM and worldwide via online streaming, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The station delivers locally produced radio programming including music shows, hyperlocal Kingston-area news funded through the Local Journalism Initiative, podcast distribution, and live studio sessions for local musicians. It also provides bookable studio recording facilities, advertising and sponsorship packages for local businesses, branded merchandise, and Airwave YGK Musicians-in-Residence programming.

Product overview

CFRC 101.9 FM is a campus community radio station broadcasting from Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario since 1922. The station operates as a traditional broadcast radio service offering over-the-air FM programming on 101.9FM alongside worldwide streaming via its website and multiple downloadable platforms. Core offerings include live radio broadcast programming available 24/7, 365 days per year, studio session recordings for local musicians, podcast distribution, community news programming funded by the Local Journalism Initiative, and volunteer opportunities for student and community involvement. The station also provides studio space booking for podcasts, radio shows, and musical/theatrical recordings, as well as advertising and sponsorship packages for local businesses. No SaaS product, API, or technology platform is offered.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• FM Radio Broadcast (101.9 FM)
• Online Streaming Service

Quantifiable outcome

• Local news programming supported through Local Journalism Initiative funded by Department of Canadian Heritage
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Queen's UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCFRC is based on Queen's University campus in Kingston and serves as the campus community radio station. The university provides facilities and institutional support for the station's operations. Many student volunteers come from Queen's programs.
• City of KingstoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity of Kingston provides funding support for the Airwave YGK Musicians-in-Residence Program, supporting local artist development and radio programming. Partnership supports Kingston Arts Council initiatives.
• Kingston Arts CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKingston Arts Council provides funding support for the Airwave YGK Musicians-in-Residence Program, enabling local musicians to record and perform in CFRC studios.
• Community Radio Fund of CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Community Radio Fund of Canada administers the Local Journalism Initiative funding from Department of Canadian Heritage that supports CFRC's local news programming.
• Kingston Music OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Kingston Music Office for Release Radar series promoting local music releases. CFRC broadcasts music featured in the KMO's weekly series and co-produces the Release Radar Top 20 countdown.
• The Dan School of Drama and Music (Queen's University)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides additional support for the Airwave YGK Musicians-in-Residence Program, contributing to student music education and artist development.
• Department of Film & Media (Queen's University)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner department supporting the Airwave YGK program, providing additional resources for student media production.
• KPP ConcertsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal concert promotion company that co-presents concerts with CFRC, including events at venues like The Broom Factory.
• Long & McQuade KingstonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMusical equipment retailer that sponsors CFRC funding drives and supports local music community initiatives.
• Local Business PartnersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVarious local Kingston businesses partner with CFRC including Grad Club, The Toucan, Novel Idea Books, Long & McQuade, and others that support station funding drives and provide sponsorship.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• CJAM 91.5 FM: University of Windsor's campus community radio, broadcasting listener-supported volunteer programming focused on music discovery and local news. Directly comparable as a Canadian university-affiliated community broadcaster.
• Trent Radio (100.9 FM): Peterborough-based community/campus station affiliated with Trent University, operating on a volunteer-driven, non-profit model with local music and news. Directly comparable as an Ontario campus-community hybrid station.
• CKXU 88.3 FM: University of Lethbridge's campus community radio station in Alberta, operated as a non-profit with primarily volunteer hosts. Directly comparable mission and operational model to CFRC, though in a different regional market in western Canada.
• CIUT 89.5 FM: University of Toronto's campus community radio station, operating as a non-profit listener-supported FM broadcaster with volunteer programming. Directly comparable in mission, governance, and audience mix of students and surrounding community.
• CKUT 90.3 FM: Campus community radio station at McGill University in Montreal operating on a similar non-profit volunteer-driven model, broadcasting since 1987. Directly comparable as a Canadian university-affiliated community radio station with music, news, and spoken-word programming, volunteer hosts, and campus/community hybridization.
• CFRU 93.3 FM: University of Guelph's campus community radio station, broadcasting music, talk, and local news on a non-profit volunteer-driven basis. Directly comparable as another Ontario campus/community station with similar programming mix, funding model, and educational partnerships.
• CHRW 94.7 FM: Western University's campus radio station in London, Ontario, operating as a listener-supported community broadcaster with volunteer programmers. Directly comparable as an Ontario university-based community station with similar volunteer/on-air structure.

Broad incumbents

• CKUA Radio: Alberta's public, listener-supported radio network operating multiple frequencies plus streaming. Comparable as a non-commercial community/public broadcaster in Canada with a music-discovery mission and donor-funded model, though operating at much greater scale and as a multi-station network rather than a single campus outlet.
• CBC Radio One (CBC Listen): Canada's national public broadcaster providing news, talk, and music programming across Canada including Kingston via local CBC staff. Comparable as a public radio competitor for local news audiences and ad-free spoken-word listeners in the Kingston market.

Others

• National Campus and Community Radio Association (NCRA/ANREC): Canadian association that represents and supports campus and community radio stations, including CFRC. Listed as adjacent infrastructure rather than a competitor; relevant because it coordinates sector-wide funding, training, and policy advocacy that underpin CFRC's operating model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/cfrc
• Instagraminstagram.com/cfrcradio

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 CFRC 101.9 FM