CiTR 101.9 FM and Discorder Magazine

What CiTR 101.9 FM and Discorder Magazine does

CiTR 101.9 FM and Discorder Magazine is a non-profit campus and community media organization operated by the Student Radio Society of the University of British Columbia, broadcasting from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Founded in 1937 as UBC Radio, the station delivers 100+ locally-focused radio programs in multiple languages via FM at 101.9 MHz, online streaming through citr.ca, and on-demand podcasts. Alongside the radio broadcast, the organization publishes Discorder Magazine, a print and digital arts, culture, and music publication released six times per year and distributed across Vancouver and the Lower Mainland via subscription and a network of 30+ local business drop spots. The station is the longest-running campus radio station in Canada and was among the first campus/community stations globally to offer podcasting when it launched podcasts in 2007.

The underlying technology stack centers on a terrestrial FM broadcasting infrastructure — with its signal processor and transmitter replaced in 2024 to materially expand signal quality and reach — paired with online live streaming, a podcast syndication pipeline, and a content management system serving the merged CiTR/Discorder web presence (latest version launched in 2025). Discorder Magazine maintains a digital archive of 400+ issues dating to 1983, preserved and made publicly accessible through the UBC Library open archive, creating a substantial historical content library. Live in-studio band performances are produced through the Thunderbird Radio Hell program, and a weekly Top 50 Albums chart surfaces Canadian and local artists.

Revenue is generated through a hybrid non-profit model combining listener donations (collected via donatetocitr.ca), Discorder Magazine subscriptions ($20/year for the physical edition, free for digital with a monthly newsletter), and local advertising and sponsorship sales led by a dedicated sponsorship contact. The organization operates with a paid staff of 46 personnel supplemented by student executives, a board of directors, and a large volunteer programming force drawn primarily from the UBC student body and broader Vancouver community. Content distribution spans FM broadcast across the Lower Mainland, global online streaming and podcast syndication, mail and digital subscriptions, and physical drop spots at local businesses in the Kits, Main, Chinatown, Commercial, and Hastings neighborhoods.

Name

CiTR 101.9 FM and Discorder Magazine

Legal name

CiTR & Discorder

Website

https://citr.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1937

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CiTR 101.9 FM and Discorder Magazine is a non-profit UBC campus and community radio station and music magazine in Vancouver, broadcasting 100+ local programs on FM, online, and as podcasts, and publishing Discorder six times per year across the Lower Mainland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Radio Broadcasting and Arts Magazine

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (516110)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Talk/News/Sports Radio Networks & Syndication (MPAIAEAG), Internet Radio & Streaming Broadcast Stations (Simulcast/Online-only) (MPAIAEAE)

Keywords

• Campus community radio
• Arts culture magazine
• Music broadcasting
• Local music promotion
• Independent media training

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Accepts donations through donatetocitr.ca. Annual fund drives support station operations.
2. Discorder Magazine Subscriptions: Digital subscriptions are free; physical subscriptions are $20/year. Physical copies also available at drop spots across Vancouver.
3. Advertising and Sponsorship: Coraline Thomas serves as Advertising & Sponsorship contact, generating revenue through local business partnerships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CiTR 101.9 FM and Discorder Magazine operate as a unified non-profit campus and community media organization broadcasting at 101.9 FM with over 100 locally-focused programs in multiple languages, available via FM, online streaming, and podcasts. Discorder Magazine is a print and digital arts, culture, and music publication released six times per year and distributed across Vancouver and the Lower Mainland, with web-exclusive content and a digital archive of 400+ issues since 1983.

Product overview

CiTR 101.9 FM and Discorder Magazine are operated by the Student Radio Society of UBC as a unified campus and community media organization. The offering consists of CiTR 101.9 FM (the core radio broadcast at 101.9 FM with 100+ locally-focused programs streamed online and as podcasts), Discorder Magazine (a print and digital publication released 6 times yearly covering local arts, culture, and music, distributed across Vancouver), Thunderbird Radio Hell (live in-studio band performances), and Music Charts (Top 50 Albums ranking local and Canadian music). The organization provides media training and community access to airwaves, with programs in multiple languages.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CiTR 101.9 FM Radio Broadcast CiTR 101.9 FM is the campus and community radio station of the University of British Columbia, broadcasting at 101.9 FM with over 100 locally-focused programs in multiple languages, available via FM, online streaming at citr.ca, and as podcasts. Programming is targeted at UBC students and Vancouver residents seeking alternative, locally-produced content.
• Discorder Magazine Discorder Magazine is a print and digital arts, culture, and music publication released six times per year and distributed across Vancouver and the Lower Mainland, with web-exclusive content published throughout the month. The magazine targets readers interested in independent music, local arts coverage, and emerging Vancouver artists.
• Thunderbird Radio Hell (Live In-Studio Performance Program) Thunderbird Radio Hell is a live in-studio music performance program featuring bands performing in the CiTR lounge, primarily from the Lower Mainland but occasionally from across Canada and internationally. It is targeted at local musicians and listeners interested in live, independent music recordings.
• Music Charts (Top 50 Albums) Weekly charts ranking the top 50 albums, featuring Canadian and local artists, published to highlight emerging and local music. The charts are targeted at listeners, musicians, and music industry followers tracking independent and Canadian music.
• Summer Radio Camp Summer Radio Camp is a media training and community engagement program first organized in 2015, targeted at participants interested in learning radio production, sound engineering, and broadcasting skills. It is offered as part of CiTR's community-driven engagement model.
• Shindig Battle-of-the-Bands Competition Shindig is CiTR's signature battle-of-the-bands competition, running since 1983. It is targeted at local Vancouver bands and musicians seeking exposure, performance opportunities, and promotion through community radio and Discorder Magazine coverage.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• The Student Radio Society of UBCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Student Radio Society of UBC is the governing organization that runs CiTR 101.9 FM and Discorder Magazine. The society provides the institutional framework, bylaws, and governance for the station, which serves as the broadcasting voice of the University of British Columbia.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• CJLO 1690 AM (Concordia University): Concordia University campus/community radio station in Montreal. Direct peer with similar volunteer-led programming model, focus on independent music and alternative voices, and community-engagement orientation.
• CFRO 100.5 FM Vancouver Co-op Radio: Vancouver-based community radio station operating as a co-operative. Most direct geographic peer to CiTR, sharing the community/membership-driven non-profit radio model and serving overlapping Vancouver audiences with locally-produced programming.
• CHUO 89.1 FM (University of Ottawa): University of Ottawa campus/community radio station. Direct peer operating with a similar volunteer-driven model, multilingual programming mandate, and combined broadcast/podcast distribution strategy.
• CJTR 91.3 FM (University of Regina): University of Regina campus/community radio station. Direct peer with analogous volunteer-driven, non-profit campus radio model and locally-focused programming.
• CJAM 99.1 FM (University of Windsor): University of Windsor campus/community radio station. Direct peer with analogous non-profit model, volunteer programming, and locally-focused music and talk programming — comparable in scale and mission to CiTR.
• CKUT 90.3 FM (McGill University): McGill University campus/community radio station in Montreal. One of Canada's most established campus stations with a similar non-profit, volunteer-driven mandate, multi-format programming in multiple languages, and active music scene coverage.

Regional players

• CJSF 90.1 FM (Simon Fraser University): Simon Fraser University campus/community radio station based in Burnaby, part of metro Vancouver. Closest geographic peer to CiTR, operating on a similar campus-community mission with overlapping Lower Mainland audience and UBC-area student population.
• CIVL 101.7 FM (University of the Fraser Valley): University of the Fraser Valley campus/community radio station serving the Fraser Valley region adjacent to Vancouver. Regional peer operating the same campus-community radio model with comparable programming mix and operational scale.
• KEXP 90.3 FM (Seattle): Seattle-based non-profit community radio station with strong focus on independent and local music, plus globally distributed streaming and podcasts. Closest US regional peer reflecting CiTR's community radio + music discovery mission across the Pacific Northwest.

Broad incumbents

• CBC Radio One: Canada's public broadcaster with extensive radio operations including local BC programming. Broad incumbent offering overlapping audio content distribution and news programming at national scale, but operating a different mandate and funding model than CiTR.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/citr_discorder
• Xx.com/CiTR_Discorder
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/citr-101-9-fm-and-discorder-magazine

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles23 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 CiTR 101.9 FM and Discorder Magazine