CHON-FM | Northern Native Broadcasting Yukon

What CHON-FM | Northern Native Broadcasting Yukon does

CHON-FM is a community radio station operated by Northern Native Broadcasting Yukon, an Indigenous non-profit broadcasting organization headquartered in Whitehorse, Yukon. Founded in 1984, the station serves Yukon, Northern British Columbia, and Western Northwest Territories on FM frequencies 98.1 and 90.5, broadcasting local news, Indigenous-focused cultural programming, music shows, and community content. Its audience comprises Indigenous communities across Yukon and the broader general population of the territory.

The station's product portfolio centers on its core FM radio broadcast service, complemented by the Ah'Nezen! podcast — a Kaska-language music and storytelling series hosted by Ross River-based artist Dennis Shorty and Jennifer Frohling — and specialty shows such as 'Listen to My Music' (Indigenous artists) and the 'Wood Songs Old-Time Radio Hour'. Content is distributed via FM broadcast, live streaming on chonfm.com, and podcast platforms (Apple Podcasts, RSS). The organization operates with a 6-employee structure under a small management team, led by General Manager Denise Beattie and Program Director Clint Carpentier, both with deep Yukon Indigenous community ties.

CHON-FM is structured as a Canadian non-profit and generates revenue through mechanisms typical of northern community radio stations — likely CRTC broadcasting grants, government support, and on-air underwriting — though no financials are disclosed. The 'Sales' department referenced on the website indicates some sponsorship activity. The station acknowledges operating on the traditional territory of the Kwanlin Dün First Nation and the Ta'an Kwäch'än Council, and its mission centers on First Nations language preservation and providing a platform for Indigenous voices in northern Canada.

Name

CHON-FM | Northern Native Broadcasting Yukon

Legal name

Northern Native Broadcasting Yukon

Website

https://chonfm.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CHON-FM is a community radio station operated by Northern Native Broadcasting Yukon, an Indigenous non-profit broadcaster founded in 1984. It delivers FM programming on 98.1 and 90.5, podcast content, and local news to Indigenous communities and the general population across Yukon, Northern BC, and Western NWT.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Radio Broadcasting

NAICS

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

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

Independent Local Radio Stations (MPABACAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Local Multicultural/Language Broadcasters (Spanish/Asian/Other Local Markets) (MPABACAI), Internet Radio & Streaming Broadcast Stations (Simulcast/Online-only) (MPAIAEAE)

Keywords

• Community radio broadcasting
• Indigenous media
• Podcast production
• Northern broadcasting
• Cultural programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Whitehorse

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Broadcast Radio Services: Free-to-air community radio broadcasting serving Indigenous and general populations across Yukon, Northern BC, and Western NWT. Revenue generation mechanisms not explicitly disclosed in available sources.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CHON-FM is a free-to-air community radio station operated by Northern Native Broadcasting Yukon, broadcasting local news, music programming, and Indigenous-focused content on FM frequencies 98.1 and 90.5 across Yukon, Northern British Columbia, and Western Northwest Territories. The station supplements its FM broadcast with live website streaming and on-demand podcast distribution, including the Kaska-language Ah'Nezen! podcast featuring Indigenous artists.

Product overview

CHON-FM is a radio station operated by Northern Native Broadcasting Yukon offering FM radio broadcasting across Yukon, Northern BC, and Western NWT. The station's product portfolio centers on its core radio broadcast service, complemented by the Ah'Nezen! podcast featuring Kaska Indigenous artists, and specialty shows including Listen to My Music (Indigenous artists) and Wood Songs Old-Time Radio Hour. The station also produces local news content through its CHON-FM Northern News division.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ah'Nezen!: Indigenous music and storytelling podcast featuring Kaska artist Dennis Shorty and his wife Jennifer Frohling from Ross River, Yukon. The show features the Dena Zagi band and covers stories in the Kaska language.

Products and services

• CHON-FM Radio Broadcast FM radio broadcasting service delivering local news, music programming, and community content across Yukon, Northern BC, and Western NWT at frequencies 98.1 and 90.5 in Whitehorse, intended for general listeners and Indigenous communities.
• Ah'Nezen! Podcast On-demand podcast series hosted by Kaska artist Dennis Shorty and Jennifer Frohling from Ross River, Yukon, featuring Indigenous music and storytelling in the Kaska language, distributed via Apple Podcasts and RSS feeds.
• CHON-FM Northern News Local news content covering Yukon, Northern BC, and Western NWT communities, broadcast at 6:30 AM, 7:30 AM, 12:30 PM, and 5:00 PM, intended for residents of the served northern regions.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Emerging players

• Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN): Indigenous-focused broadcaster operating nationally across TV, radio, and digital. Comparable as a CRTC-licensed Indigenous media entity serving First Nations audiences with cultural programming.

Direct peers

• CKLB-FM (Native Communications Society of the NWT): Yellowknife-based Indigenous community radio serving the Northwest Territories. Direct geographic overlap (Western NWT) and most comparable mandate as an Indigenous-led non-profit broadcaster in Canada's north.
• CJLR-FM (Missinippi Broadcasting Corporation): Indigenous radio broadcaster in Saskatchewan serving First Nations communities. Closely comparable in structure: non-profit, CRTC-licensed, community-led Indigenous content focus, multi-platform distribution.
• CFNR-FM (Northern Native Broadcasting): Indigenous community radio network based in Terrace, BC, serving northern British Columbia. Directly comparable as a CRTC-licensed Indigenous radio broadcaster operating in adjacent northern territory with similar funding and programming mandates.
• CFYT-FM (Taqramiut Nipingat): Nunavik-based Inuit community radio network in Quebec. Comparable as a northern Indigenous community broadcaster with multilingual programming and similar CRTC/non-profit funding structure.
• CFWE-FM (Aboriginal Multi-Media Society - Alberta): Alberta's Indigenous community radio network owned by Aboriginal Multi-Media Society (AMMSA). Operates a network of Indigenous radio stations across Alberta — peer in funding model, mandate, and Indigenous-language programming.

Broad incumbents

• CBC Radio One: Largest national public radio network in Canada. Competes for northern listeners and local news audience with significantly greater resources, but does not specialize in Indigenous-language cultural programming.
• CBC North: Public broadcaster serving northern Canada with radio and TV. Overlaps CHON-FM in Yukon/NWT coverage and competes for Indigenous audience attention, but operates as a much larger national network rather than an Indigenous-led community station.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CHONfmRadio
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chon-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 CHON-FM | Northern Native Broadcasting Yukon