CKLN, a campus-community station from Ryerson University in Toronto on 88.1 mHz, had its license revoked by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission on 1/28, but was allowed to continue broadcasting while it pursued an appeal. CKLN had argued it had sorted out its problems by the time of the CRTC ruling. On 4/15, the Federal Court of Appeal declined to hear the case and the station went dark that evening. However, the station vows to continue broadcasting online and is also is considering options such as applying for the same frequency when it is reassigned or launching a Supreme Court appeal.
For the moment, however, it will broadcast online and is also looking at setting up a closed-circuit campus system that would allow it to broadcast over a smaller range like some smaller schools do today. The station is also asking listeners to sign an online petition, which it will send to the CRTC and the Canadian National College Radio Association.
CRTC began investigating CKLN in July 2009 after receiving numerous complaints about the station’s governance structure, day-to-day management and operations, programming and ability to remain on air. At the time, the station experienced significant infighting and the volunteers, staff and management were locked out of the studio premises by the building manager. During the seven-month lockout, CKLN-FM broadcast an intermittent loop of programming without any ongoing community involvement or oversight by the licensee.
In addition, during this period the Ryerson Student Union withheld student levies, instead holding the monies in trust and paying certain costs on behalf of the licensee. Further, Brookfield Properties Ltd., the building manager for First Canadian Place, denied anyone associated with CKLN Radio access to CKLN-FM’s transmitter at First Canadian Place. As the licensee was unable to conduct necessary repairs to the transmitter during this period, the station suffered from significant signal deficiencies.
CKLN started broadcasting on a closed-circuit system in the school in 1977. It got its license in 1983.
