CJRO Radio

What CJRO Radio does

CJRO Radio Inc. is a non-profit, bilingual (60% English / 40% French) community FM and online radio station licensed by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) and incorporated in Ontario in May 2021. It operates a five-transmitter low-power FM network covering rural southeast Ottawa communities: Carlsbad Springs and Embrun on 107.7 FM, Vars and Sarsfield on 107.9 FM, and Casselman on 96.3 FM, with the main studio at the Carlsbad Springs Community Centre. The station broadcasts approximately 126 hours per week, of which about 103 hours are locally produced, including 15 hours per week of spoken-word content as mandated by its CRTC community radio licence.

The station's core technology is a multi-transmitter low-power FM broadcasting network (main transmitter 14.8 watts ERP at Harkness Park; Casselman upgraded to 50 watts ERP in 2026 from a municipal water tower) combined with online streaming via cjroradio.com and mobile-app distribution through iHeart Radio, Radio Player Canada, Tune In, and the Radio app. Programming is produced entirely by volunteers across roles such as host, journalist, event recorder, and operations; the management team consists of a volunteer Station Manager (Denis Labrèche) and two volunteer news journalists (Manuela Dascal in English, Rose Grzela in French). Content includes daily bilingual news bulletins, the public-affairs shows "Local First" / "Priorité Locale," music programming across rock, country, Celtic, blues, folk and other genres with emphasis on local artists, and on-demand podcast content.

The revenue model is non-commercial in the traditional sense: the station is funded through a mix of radio advertising sold to local businesses, community-partner sponsorships, and grants to a registered non-profit. There is no listener subscription or paywall; distribution is free over FM and online. Customers are local advertisers and grant-making bodies serving rural southeast Ottawa, Russell Municipality, and Casselman Municipality, with the station filling a local-media gap left by the closure of small newspapers and the lack of rural coverage from Ottawa commercial broadcasters.

Name

CJRO Radio

Legal name

CJRO Radio Inc.

Website

https://cjroradio.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CJRO Radio is a non-profit, bilingual (English/French) community FM and online radio station licensed by the CRTC and operating five low-power transmitters across rural southeast Ottawa (Carlsbad Springs, Embrun, Vars, Sarsfield, Casselman). It delivers local news, public affairs, and diverse music programming to rural Ottawa, Russell, and Casselman communities, funded by grants, advertising, and community partnerships, and run entirely by volunteers.

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 industry

PRIMARYMPABADAE

Community/Low-Power Nonprofit Radio (LPFM/Community Radio)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Broadcasting (TV & Radio)/Public/Nonprofit Broadcasting (PBS/NPR-style)

SECONDARYMPAIAEAB

Public/Noncommercial Radio Broadcasting (NPR, Community, Campus)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Music & Audio (Recording, Publishing, Streaming)/Radio & Audio Broadcasting (Terrestrial, Satellite, Digital Radio)

SECONDARYMPAIAEAE

Internet Radio & Streaming Broadcast Stations (Simulcast/Online-only)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Music & Audio (Recording, Publishing, Streaming)/Radio & Audio Broadcasting (Terrestrial, Satellite, Digital Radio)

Keywords

• Community radio broadcasting
• FM radio station
• Bilingual news programming
• Local public affairs
• Online audio streaming

Headquarters

HQ city

Carlsbad Springs

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Radio Advertisements: CJRO Radio generates revenue through sale of radio advertisements and promotional spots to local businesses and community organizations.
2. Grants and Funding: As a non-profit community radio station, CJRO receives various grants to support operations and programming.
3. Community Partnerships: Revenue comes from community partners who support the station through sponsorship arrangements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CJRO Radio is a bilingual (English/French) non-profit community FM radio station broadcasting across rural southeast Ottawa via 5 low-power FM transmitters (107.7, 107.9, and 96.3 FM frequencies), supplemented by online audio streaming. Programming includes local news bulletins, community interviews, public affairs shows (Local First / Priorité Locale), diverse music genres, and senior-focused podcast content (Raconte-moi ta vie), produced by volunteers under a CRTC community radio licence.

Product overview

CJRO Radio is a low-power bilingual (English/French) community radio station operating as a non-profit organization (CJRO Radio Inc.). The station operates five FM transmitters across rural southeast Ottawa communities including Carlsbad Springs, Vars, Sarsfield, Embrun, and Casselman. Core offerings include FM radio broadcasting on 107.7, 107.9, and 96.3 FM frequencies, online audio streaming via cjroradio.com and mobile applications, and podcast content including Local First/Priorité Locale (daily public affairs programming) and Raconte-moi ta vie (senior-focused podcast series). The station produces local news bulletins in both languages, music programming featuring diverse genres, and community-focused content by volunteers. Content distribution extends through third-party streaming platforms (IHeart Radio, Radio Player Canada, TuneIn) and social media channels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CJRO Radio FM Broadcasting Low-power bilingual community FM radio broadcasting on 107.7 FM (Carlsbad Springs and Embrun), 107.9 FM (Vars and Sarsfield), and 96.3 FM (Casselman), offering rock, country, French country, Celtic, blues, funk, soul, folk, alternative, and dance music with emphasis on local artists and emerging musicians in English and French.
• CJRO Radio Online Audio Streaming Live online audio streaming of CJRO Radio broadcasts via cjroradio.com, enabling real-time listening access for audiences outside the FM transmitter footprint.
• Local First / Priorité Locale Podcast Bilingual public affairs podcast and daily broadcast show covering community events, local interviews, community project updates, and municipal information, aired at 7am, noon, and 5pm in English and 7:30am, 12:30pm, and 5:30pm in French.
• CJRO Radio News Bulletins Daily local news bulletins in English (7am, 9am, noon, 3pm, 5pm) and French (7:30am, 9:30am, 12:30pm, 3:30pm, 5:30pm), covering weather, municipal announcements, and regional developments.
• Raconte-moi ta vie Podcast Series French-language podcast series featuring interviews with seniors about their life stories, work, volunteering, family history, and anecdotes, with expert segments on senior health, independence, financial security, housing, and access to services.
• CJRO Radio YouTube Channel Video distribution channel on YouTube carrying CJRO Radio podcast content, including the Raconte-moi ta vie series, expanding the station's reach beyond audio platforms.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Municipality of CasselmancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for FM transmitter installation on municipal water tower. Municipality provided support for transition to 96.3 FM frequency with 50 watts ERP, enabling expanded coverage in Casselman area.
• Municipality of RussellcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for FM transmitter at Russell Township Municipal Building (107.7 FM). Municipality supports community radio operations and programming access for Embrun and Russell residents.
• Prescott-Russell Chamber of CommerceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity partner organization supporting local business networking events and community programming. Station provides coverage of Chamber activities and events.
• South Nation ConservationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity partner providing environmental and conservation information. Station broadcasts South Nation Conservation public consultation announcements and watershed updates.
• Carlsbad Springs Community AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOriginal founding organization and host of main studio location. Station broadcasts from the Community Centre and covers local community events and news.
• IHeart RadiominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMobile application platform for distributing CJRO Radio streaming content to listeners through the IHeart Radio application ecosystem.
• Radio Player CanadaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMobile application platform for distributing CJRO Radio streaming content to Canadian listeners through Radio Player Canada application.
• Tune InminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMobile application platform for distributing CJRO Radio streaming content through the Tune In radio aggregator application.
• National Capital Commission (NCC)minorOthersNCC conducts community consultations and reviews of the National Capital Greenbelt Master Plan. CJRO Radio covers these regional planning matters affecting the broadcast area.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• CJMQ-FM 88.9: Bishop's University community radio in the bilingual Eastern Townships of Quebec. Comparable to CJRO in offering bilingual (English/French) community programming under a CRTC licence, with a similar small-market community footprint.
• CKUT-FM 90.3: McGill University community radio in Montreal, broadcasting music, news, and spoken word programming. Comparable to CJRO as a CRTC-licensed community station with volunteer-driven programming and a strong emphasis on local content.
• CJAM-FM 99.1: University of Windsor community radio station. Comparable to CJRO as a small-market, CRTC-licensed community broadcaster with volunteer-driven programming and a community-licence mandate.
• CFRU-FM 93.3: University of Guelph community radio broadcasting on FM in southern Ontario. Comparable to CJRO as a community-licensed, volunteer-run broadcaster with diverse music and spoken word content in a non-metropolitan Ontario market.
• CFRC-FM 101.9: Queen's University community radio in Kingston, Ontario, broadcasting on FM with CRTC community licence. Comparable to CJRO as a small community broadcaster serving a smaller Ontario market with similar volunteer-led programming.
• CHUO-FM 89.1: University of Ottawa community radio station broadcasting on FM in Ottawa with bilingual programming and a community-licensed mandate. Directly comparable to CJRO as a CRTC-styled community broadcaster operating in the same Ottawa media market.
• CKDJ-FM 107.9: Algonquin College campus/community radio in Ottawa operating on FM. Comparable to CJRO in format (community radio), Ottawa geography, and volunteer/student programming model.
• CHSR-FM 97.9: University of New Brunswick community radio in Fredericton. Comparable to CJRO in operating under a CRTC community radio licence with a volunteer-driven, locally produced programming model.
• CKCU-FM 93.1: Carleton University community radio in Ottawa, broadcasting music, talk, and multilingual programming on FM. Comparable to CJRO as a community-licensed, volunteer-driven Ottawa-area broadcaster with a similar license class and listener base.

Broad incumbents

• CBC Radio One: Canada's national public broadcaster, providing news, talk, and music programming across the country. Comparable to CJRO as a public-facing radio broadcaster with bilingual (English) programming, but operates at a vastly larger national scale and competes with CJRO for listeners in its Ottawa-area coverage zone.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cjro-radio

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 CJRO Radio