The CRTC has launched a call for applications for FM radio stations to serve Indigenous communities in Toronto and Ottawa.

The call follows the demise of First Peoples Radio’s ELMNT FM stations, which went off the air on Sept. 1 of last year. Launched in the fall of 2018, the stations had a goal to “fill the gap” for urban Indigenous listeners under-represented in the radio landscape. They carried an “Indigenous-variety” format, featuring both English and Indigenous-language spoken-word and musical programming, with 25% of the playlist dedicated to Indigenous talent.

In its call, the commission says in its view, “there is a need and a demand for radio stations to serve the needs and interests of those communities.”

“There has been an over 20-year history of Indigenous broadcasting in Ottawa and Toronto,” the commission stated. “Aboriginal Voices Radio Inc. operated Indigenous radio stations in these cities from 2000 to 2015, followed by First Peoples Radio Inc. (FPR) from 2017 to 2025. FPR was in the process of establishing itself in the Ottawa and Toronto markets with new radio stations when the COVID-19 crisis compounded its financial challenges and left its stations unsustainable. Consequently, those stations ceased operations, and the Commission, at the request of FPR, revoked their broadcasting licences.”

The commission’s call notes that the 95.7 FM Ottawa and 106.5 FM Toronto frequencies that ELMNT FM operated on are currently available, however “applicants may also propose alternative frequencies, where available.”

The CRTC says it will consider any applications it receives during a future public proceeding.