The news about CKLN’s removal from the radio dial at 88.1 FM came to me with great sadness:

Earlier today, the Federal Court of Appeal announced that it will not hear the appeal of CKLN Radio 88.1FM, the Ryerson-based (if not affiliated) radio station whose broadcasting license was revoked back in late January for failure to operate in a compliant manner with CRTC regulations (news)

The CRTC Downward Spiral Effect

CRTC Always Looking for Targets

As someone who is involved with another Toronto-area community station, I found it uncomfortable to hear that a voice for the voiceless had itself become silent. While the Ryerson-based station still survives through its online stream, the terrestrial signal gave it more of a community presence.

One might argue that the shutdown was inevitable and that it was the result of non-adherence to the CRTC guidelines. Of course, there are always two sides to this kind of story. Regardless of the situation behind the scenes, there has never been a better time to preserve the alternative media outlets currently in operation.

CKLN Lives On…

It seems that mainstream media sources are less vulnerable due to major corporate backing. Community-focused stations are just that – focused and reliant on community. The collaboration of community voices can produce brilliant results, such as the short film on CKLN’s legendary Saturday hip-hop slot, 1 to 4. Of course, the stream lives on at the CKLN website. For now, though, we should only hope that another fresh, relevant station can replace CKLN and bring a new alternative view in Toronto’s media sphere.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbf1HS5enZU[/youtube]