Toronto has lost one of its most diverse radio stations.
On Friday, May 1, CHRY 105.5 FM, located in York University’s Student Centre, converted to an “urban alternative” format called VIBE105 FM that will broadcast a mix of electronic, Caribbean, Afrobeat, hip-hop and R&B music in addition to talk programming.
The switch is a huge loss for the city. CHRY’s slogan was “Your leading source for diversity,” and you could hear shows in French, Tamil, Italian, Tagalog, Twi, Hebrew and many other languages. There was also a decided focus on queer, social justice and multicultural programming.
“We were informed last night and this morning that all volunteers were no longer needed,” Mathieu Pression, host of the French-language punk show Sous Pression, told NOW. “We didn’t have any warning. The station had been working on improving broadcast quality and on its branding, but this totally came out of nowhere.”
However, station execs said in a statement released later that night that the new incarnation “will present content that champions the diversity synonymous with the city of Toronto” and added that they remain committed to the station’s core values.
VIBE105 will launch in June. See our previous online story.
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