NorthEast Radio Watch 10/9/2023: Indie Sells in TO

In this week’s issue… New owner for CIND – Star winks out in Buffalo – Alhart sets a record – Towers coming down – Remembering O’Donovan, Becker, Castellani

By SCOTT FYBUSH

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*One of the last independently-owned stations in CANADA‘s biggest market will remain independent – but will “Indie 88” retain its alternative rock format when it’s sold to a new owner?

Rock 95 Ltd., which won the license for CIND (88.1 Toronto) in 2012 after the CRTC revoked the former CKLN on that frequency, has run “Indie 88” for the last decade as a standalone station, competing against Corus’ CFNY (102.1 the Edge) and other major players in town.

Now parent company Central Ontario Broadcasting, which also owns CFJB and CKMB in Barrie to the north, has announced it’s selling CIND to another small regional player, Christopher Grossman’s Local Radio Lab.

That company got its start in 2021 by acquiring three stations in the Toronto exurbs from My Broadcasting – and since then, it’s run the stations (CIMA 92.1 Alliston, CKMO 101.5 Orangeville, CJML 101.3 Milton) very much along the same model My uses, with an AC format accompanying a local news website.

Terms of the CIND deal haven’t been announced yet, but Central Ontario president Doug Bingley says the seller is “thrilled that we are handing off the station to an independent voice with a commitment to continue the legacy of INDIE88 and the development of new emerging artists.”

We know one member of the CIND staff won’t be staying with the new owner – morning host Josie Dye left in late September, headed to Bell’s CHUM-FM (104.5) where she’ll take afternoons to replace Meredith Shaw after Shaw’s move to “Breakfast Television” on CITY-TV.