(September 28, 2011) On October 3, 2011, Toronto's newest radio station, Radio 98.7 FM, will turn on its frequency and go "live" with its vibrant mix of R&B, Soul, Reggae, Soca, Hip Hop, Worldbeat, Gospel, and Smooth Jazz. Radio 98.7's parent company, will also officially unveil the station name, call letters and branding, as well as introduce its executive team.

Radio 98.7 FM (formerly referred to as CARN Radio) will target the population of the Greater Toronto Area with an eclectic offering of Black and Caribbean music, news, talk, and cultural programming. The station, which received its broadcast licence from the Canadian Radio-television & Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) on June 9, will focus on the 25-54 demographic.

"When listeners tune in to 98.7 on the FM dial, they will be treated to the sweet, soulful, and rhythmic sounds of internationally-renowned artists who are either non-existent, or completely under-represented, on the Toronto airwaves," said Radio 98.7 Founder, President & CEO, Fitzroy Gordon. "This massive list includes artists such as R&B giants The Temptations, Soca queen Alison Hinds, Afrobeat king Fela Kuti, Reggae ambassador Beres Hammond, and Gospel icon Kirk Franklin. We'll also highlight young stars like Rihanna and Canada's own Drake. This station is long overdue, and we are very excited to be bringing this format to the people of Toronto."

As part of the required signal frequency testing process (mandated by Industry Canada), Radio 98.7 will broadcast a music-only playlist for several weeks. Full programming, including the addition of on-air announcers, station promotions, commercials, and a robust news & talk format will commence in November.

"I am very proud of the strong executive team that we have put in place to lead this pioneering effort," says Gordon. "We are now undergoing an in-depth outreach and hiring process to round out the core personnel, which will include the on-air announcers, as well as promotional, sales, production, and technical support staff."

For more information on Radio 98.7, please visit www.carn987.com.

New Urban Music Station Hits Toronto’s Airwaves

Source: www.thestar.com - By Greg Quill

(Oct 04, 2011) Toronto’s newest radio station, Radio 98.7 FM, begins airing Monday morning with a non-stop mix of R&B, soul, reggae, soca, hip hop, world beat, gospel, and smooth jazz.

Owned by the Intercity Broadcasting Network Inc., the soon-to-be-named station was licensed in June by the federal broadcast regulator with a prescribed mandate “to add cultural and racial diversity and benefit the Caribbean and African communities of Toronto with its spoken word programming and musical format.”

The station’s target audience is aged 25-54, founder and president Fitzroy Gordon said recently.

Its playlist will include The Temptations, Alison Hinds, Fela Kuti, Beres Hammond, Kirk Franklin, Rihanna and Drake. The station will be restricted to airing only music for several weeks, as part of its signal testing process.

Full programming, including on-air announcers, station promotions, commercials, news and talk shows, will begin in November, Gordon said.