CKUW 959 FM

What CKUW 959 FM does

CKUW 95.9 FM is a non-profit campus and community radio station operated by the Winnipeg Campus/Community Radio Society Inc. (WCCRS) from Room 4CM11 at the University of Winnipeg in Manitoba, Canada. Founded in 1963 as CJUC and renamed CKUW in 1968, the station transitioned to FM broadcasting at 95.9 MHz on April 30, 1999, after CRTC license approval in October 1998. It is governed by a Board of Directors, a small staff of 7, and a volunteer programmer base that produces 100% of on-air content across music genres (classical, electronic/exploratory, hip hop/groove, jazz, loud, pop/rock, roots, world) and roughly 25% spoken word programming covering local news, entertainment, and community/social justice issues. The station's primary audiences are University of Winnipeg students and the broader Winnipeg community, with local Canadian artists as a secondary beneficiary through a mandated 30% new music policy.

The station's core technology platform combines a 450-watt FM transmitter (antenna located on top of #7 Evergreen Place in Osborne Village) with online streaming delivered via RadioMast, including a Progressive Web App (radiomast.app/ckuw), M3U/PLS playlists, and distribution through TuneIn, Radioplayer, Radiogram, VLC, iTunes, and Winamp. Content products include a six-week rolling program archive of MP3 streams at 128 kbps, per-show RSS podcasts, weekly music charts, and a searchable music collection database. Community-facing programs include Radio Camp (youth media education for ages 10–17), the annual Pride Radio Marathon DIY-DJ event, Garageland live garage-sale broadcast, and recurring community-event coverage.

CKUW operates an explicitly non-commercial business model. Since 2014 the station has refused paid advertising and is positioned as 'Listener Oriented – Listener Supported.' Revenue is generated through a year-round donation program structured as tiered annual pledges ($35–$500 CAD) with merchandise and Friends Card membership benefits, the annual Fundrive campaign with a $60,000 CAD goal, and the 'Raise The Volume' capital campaign for business sponsorships. There is no equity funding, no investor base, and no M&A activity. Operating geographies are Manitoba for FM coverage and global for online streaming.

Name

CKUW 959 FM

Legal name

Winnipeg Campus/Community Radio Society Inc.

Website

https://ckuw.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CKUW 95.9 FM is a volunteer-run, non-profit campus and community radio station at the University of Winnipeg in Manitoba, Canada. Broadcasting at 95.9 MHz and streaming online globally since 1963, it serves Winnipeg students and community listeners with ad-free, listener-supported programming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Winnipeg

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. Listener Donations: Primary revenue stream through annual Fundrive campaign and ongoing donations. CKUW explicitly states it does not air paid advertising and is 'Listener Oriented – Listener Supported' as opposed to commercial radio which is 'Advertiser Oriented – Advertiser Supported'. Donors receive benefits including the Friends Card and merchandise at various pledge levels.
2. Capital Campaign Contributions: The 'Raise The Volume' capital campaign accepts contributions from businesses interested in supporting CKUW's activities, mission and vision rather than traditional advertising.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CKUW 95.9 FM is a campus/community radio station that broadcasts 24/7 at 95.9 MHz with 450 watts of power from Winnipeg, Manitoba. The station is volunteer-run and listener-supported, offering FM radio, online streaming, on-demand program archives, and podcasts across diverse genres. It does not accept advertising and is funded through donations, Fundrive campaigns, and the Friends Card membership program.

Product overview

CKUW 95.9 FM is a campus and community radio station operated by the Winnipeg Campus/Community Radio Society at the University of Winnipeg. The station operates as a unified platform offering live FM broadcast at 95.9 MHz, live online streaming via RadioMast, and extensive on-demand program archives spanning six weeks. The core broadcast product is supported by community programs including Radio Camp for youth media education, the CKUW Music Collection database, special events like Pride Radio Marathon and Garageland, and weekly music charts tracking Canadian artists. The station is entirely listener-supported through annual Fundrive campaigns and donations, with membership benefits through the Friends Card program. All programming is volunteer-driven across diverse genres including classical, electronic/exploratory, hip hop/groove, jazz, loud, pop/rock, roots, spoken word, and world music.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CKUW 95.9 FM Live Radio Broadcast 24/7 FM radio broadcast at 95.9 MHz with 450 watts of power, transmitting from Osborne Village, Winnipeg, with volunteer-driven programming across diverse music genres and spoken word content.
• Live Online Stream Real-time internet radio stream accessible via browser, Progressive Web App, M3U/PLS playlists, or third-party platforms like TuneIn, Radioplayer, and Radiogram.
• Program Archives & Podcasts On-demand access to archived radio shows from the past six weeks, available as MP3 streaming and downloads at 128kbps, with individual show podcasts available via RSS feed subscription.
• CKUW Radio Camp Annual summer program offering youth ages 10-17 the opportunity to learn about radio and media production, make friends, and gain hands-on broadcasting experience.
• Friends Card Membership Membership card providing discounts and special offers at participating local businesses, offered as a thank-you gift for donations of $35 or more.

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NCRA (National Campus/Community Radio Association)coreOthersCKUW is a member of the National Campus/Community Radio Association (NCRA/ANREC), which coordinates campus and community radio stations across Canada. Through this partnership, CKUW participates in the Earshot Digital Distribution System and coordinates program sharing with other member stations.
• Into The MusicminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal Winnipeg record store that serves as pickup location for Fundrive premium items and displays station sponsorship
• Stylus MagazineminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWinnipeg music publication that partners with CKUW for mutual promotion of local music scene
• University of Winnipeg Students' Association (UWSA)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerPrimary campus partner providing station support and co-producing UWSA Engage program
• Diversity Food ServicesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWinnipeg food services business supporting station as sponsor
• Spence Neighbourhood AssociationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity organization partnering with CKUW for local events and programming
• West Broadway Community OrganizationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity organization in Winnipeg supporting station initiatives
• Social Purchasing PortalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWinnipeg-based organization supporting CKUW as sponsor
• PrintedShirts.caminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal Winnipeg business providing CKUW merchandise and promotional items
• RadioMastcoreTechnology or IntegrationCanadian-based streaming provider that enables CKUW's online audio streaming with higher quality streams using modern software. CKUW switched to RadioMast for improved streaming capabilities.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• WFMU 91.1 FM: Long-running listener-supported freeform community radio station in New Jersey with extensive online streaming and podcast distribution. Comparable as a broader community radio incumbent emphasizing freeform programming, listener donations, and online archive accessibility.
• KEXP 90.3 FM: Well-known non-commercial community radio station in Seattle with significantly larger scale, global streaming audience, and music discovery brand. Comparable as a broader community radio incumbent in the listener-supported, music-discovery-focused space, though operating at much larger scale than CKUW.

Direct peers

• CJLO 1690 AM: Concordia University's campus/community radio station in Montreal. Comparable non-commercial, volunteer-run, NCRA-affiliated campus station serving a similar university-community audience with alternative programming and listener-supported funding.
• CJSF 90.1 FM: Simon Fraser University's campus/community radio station in Burnaby, BC. Comparable Canadian campus community radio with similar alternative programming, volunteer-run model, and campus-community hybrid audience.
• CFRC 101.9 FM: Queen's University's campus/community radio station in Kingston, Ontario. Comparable long-standing Canadian campus radio station with similar volunteer programming, community focus, and CRTC-licensed operations.
• CIUT 89.5 FM: University of Toronto's campus/community radio station. Comparable Canadian campus community radio with similar volunteer-driven programming, alternative music focus, and listener-supported funding model.
• CITR 101.9 FM: University of British Columbia's campus/community radio station in Vancouver. Comparable Canadian campus community radio station with similar volunteer programming model, music charts, and listener-supported funding structure.
• CJSR 88.5 FM: University of Alberta's campus/community radio station in Edmonton. Comparable volunteer-driven, listener-supported campus radio station with similar music discovery focus, local artist support, and community programming model under CRTC licensing.
• CKUT 90.3 FM: McGill University's campus/community radio station in Montreal. Directly comparable as a CRTC-licensed, volunteer-driven campus community radio station with similar mandate, funding model (listener-supported, no advertising), and NCRA membership.
• CFUV 101.9 FM: University of Victoria's campus/community radio station. Directly comparable as a CRTC-licensed, volunteer-driven, listener-supported campus community radio station with similar programming diversity and NCRA membership.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ckuw
• Facebookfacebook.com/119731854749489
• Instagraminstagram.com/ckuw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ckuw-959-fm

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 CKUW 959 FM