How To Start an FM Community Radio Station
New! Check our Community Radio FAQ
1. Community Development
2. Sketching out your programming
3. Frequency Search
4. How Much Power Do I Need?
5. Transmission Budgeting
6. Studio design
7. Developing a Capital Budget
8. Corporate structure
9. CRTC application
10. Developmental Licences
11. Industry Canada Engineering Brief
12. Licence approval
13. Tendering for equipment
14. Going on Air
15. CRTC Policies
16. Special note for Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver
17. American Broadcasters
18. Pirate Radio
Every year in Canada, at least ten or twenty groups begin the work to start a campus or community radio station. It is, as you probably guessed, a large project, but many people before you have started stations, and many more will follow. This brochure is intended to give an overview of the steps that you will need to take to get your station on the air with an FM radio transmitter. It is by no means exhaustive and should be seen as only a guideline for planning.
On January 28, 2000 The CRTC released a new policy for both campus and community radio stations. Developmental Licences which allow new community broadcasters to apply for a low power license with a minimum of paperwork and expense are now available.
From a regulatory standpoint you'll be dealing primarily with two agencies: the CRTC, who license stations and regulate content, and Industry Canada, who oversee the technical side of things. You'll also need to work closely with funding partners like student unions, town councils, or school administrations. Throughout the entire process you'll being working to develop a working relationship with dozens of groups who will play a role in your radio station.
In planning either a campus or community radio station, most groups begin by trying to figure out what equipment they will need. In fact, it is probably still too soon to think about either studios or transmitters. Concentrate first on building a good working group and strong community support. Your work in these areas will define how the rest of the project will go together.
Successful community radio stations involve lots of people and share a common direction. The CRTC will look for community participation before issuing a license.
Most new stations go through roughly these steps.

Community Development
The first step is always to define what groups you will be broadcasting to. In general terms, it is assumed that interested groups (multicultural groups; first nations; fire fighters, students, whatever) will produce programs that suit the needs of their communities. As you define these groups, you will also define geographic areas. In other words, once you know who will be your audience, you will also know where they live and work, and where your signal will have to reach.
You must also begin considering how you will pay for your station. At a campus radio station the funding breakdown is usually about one third each from student fees, advertising, and outside fundraising (like dances, car washes, and grants). A community station obviously will not have student fees to support it. Budgets vary widely, but figure on spending a minimum about $100,000 each year. Maybe less if you can survive without full-time staff. Maybe more depending on how you operate. It's a good number to assume at this point.
Examine budgets from other stations, but understand that your budget will be unique depending on the organizations that you are part of, and the communities that you serve.

Sketching out your programming
Once you know who your audiences are (and by extension, who will be producing programs) you can start to sketch out your programming philosophy, and possibly start to think about your on-air schedule.
The programming at a community radio station is much different from what you will hear on a commercial radio station. Commercial broadcasters aim to have the same "sound", and the same music, all of the time. In many cases the music is played by computer - not people. Sometimes even the DJs are stored on the computer so that there is never a need for a "real" person to be in the studio.
A community radio station will sound different every hour. One hour may feature punk rock, followed by programming by Lithuanian seniors. Environmental issues may be discussed, with jazz or classical music the next day. In general, each show is different, with different hosts and producers. Most of these people will be volunteers.
The CRTC will expect to see diversity in your programming.
You need to consider your programming fairly early on for a number of reasons.
Different programming will eventually require different resources. Spoken word programming (like news and documentaries) needs tape recorders and a good training program. Music programs need CD players and turntables. Your programming mix will help you to decide how to design your studios, and how to set up the corporate structure of your station.
You will also have to make sure that your programming ideas match what the CRTC will require - probably 25% spoken word programming, and about 35% Canadian Content in music. Most community stations are required to include a lot of jazz, classical, and other "non-mainstream" music.
If you're trying to start a commercial radio station using community rules, think again. The CRTC notices such things.

Frequency Search
Once you know the geographic outline of the area that you will need to cover, you will need to hire an engineer to conduct a frequency search. This is the first stage of the Engineering process. By using Industry Canada's databases, and topographic information, he or she will determine the best available frequency for your proposed station, and will advise you as to the best combination of height and power to cover the area. This is a task that takes skill and knowledge, especially in a mountainous or urban area .
There is no particular reason why your engineer needs to be nearby. Many Toronto commercial stations use a company in Winnipeg for engineering. At least one Southern Ontario station uses an Engineer in Maryland. We can recommend Engineers who understand that the needs of a community radio station are not the same as a large commercial broadcaster.

How Much Power Do I Need?
There are two answers to this question. Ultimately you need only enough power to reach the listeners in the communities that you intend to serve. Your Engineer (who will prepare your technical brief) will be able to tell you how many watts you'll need, depending on the area to be reached and the location and type of your antenna.
A commercial radio station will seldom have less than tens of thousands of watts, but many community broadcasters have a thousand watts or less.
Warning! If you are licensed for less than 50 watts, you will be considered to be "unprotected". That means that if another broadcaster wants your frequency for more than 50 watts you will have no choice but to move, or go off the air. It has happened that community broadcasters have suffered considerably when a commercial broadcaster puts a full power station on the air on the same frequency. The cost of starting your station with 100 or even 250 watts is not appreciably more than 50 watts, and certainly the difference will cost less than a second frequency search and technical brief.

Transmission Budgeting
Once the Frequency Search is done, you can begin to develop your capital budget. Your engineer should be able to tell you what kinds of antenna and transmitter gear you will need (actually a list of some twenty items) and help you to shop for the best deal. You may also have to budget for renting space on a nearby tower.
You do not necessarily want he biggest or newest transmitter that you can afford. There are many factors that will determine your coverage, including antenna type and antenna height. The aim is to find the best combination of many elements at the least price.

Studio Design
Your studio needs are determined by the programming that you plan to do. We can help you to plan this. Keep in mind that equipment salesmen and commercial radio guys will try to sell you what is right for a commercial radio station. In all likelihood this will match neither your budget nor your needs. At the least you will need an on-air studio with a mixer, cassette decks, CDs, and turntables. In recent years PC based systems have almost replaced reel to reel tape recorders for editing interviews for playing commercials and announcements. You also have to budget for not so obvious stuff like on-air lights, sound proofing, speakers, headphones, mics and stands,

Developing a Capital Budget
To the above you will have to add the costs of improvements to the building or rooms that will be your studios. This is an area where donated good and services can have BIG impact.
In looking for space you will be balancing two distinct needs: price and utility. Before taking the free space that is offered to you, consider the work and money that will be needed to make it into a good broadcast studio. Aside from the size of the rooms, you have to consider ventilation, power supply, parking, and after hours access.
Plan for growth. Get as much space as you can, and develop long term plans for making it useful. If you are friendly with people at local radio stations, they may give you used equipment for free. The CBC can also be a good source. Be selective though - quite often it is cheaper to buy new than to refurbish used gear - especially if its thirty years old. A good consultant can save you a lot of time, work, and money at this stage.

Corporate Structure
While doing all of the above, you'll have to design the structure for your organization. You'll probably incorporate as a non-profit group, with a Board of Directors, and committees to do various jobs. Your Board should reflect the different communities that will be represented at the station.
In the past a Campus station could choose to limit their Board of Directors to students or Student Union officials. The CRTC now requires that your board include a broad-based membership including community members from outside your campus.
Do yourself a favour and apply for charitable status. You will probably be turned down initially (Revenue Canada does not always understand non-profit radio), but if you get it your fundraising options are greatly improved. Find a lawyer with stars in her eyes to do the work for free.
You may also want to study Vancouver Cooperative Radio. The station itself is a Co-op owned by listeners and volunteers which is overseen by an elected Board, and a number of committees. A separate fundraising arm, the Community Radio Education Society, is a separately incorporated charity whose sole function is to process charitable donations for Co-op Radio.
This is also the time to consider staff. A full-time staff person or two is not a bad idea. Supervising several hundred volunteers, a large technical facility, and a non-profit group are each large jobs. Most stations find that they need a person who can keep things running smoothly.
In the past the CRTC usually insisted that you have at least one paid staff member to oversee the operations of the station. Now days you may be able to make a good case for using only volunteers, especially for a Developmental Licence. You'll also need to design systems for training and integrating new volunteers, tracking donors and sponsors, and for dealing with government reporting.

CRTC application
In this document you will tell the CRTC who you are, what your program schedule will be, and how you'll support it. The 2000 Regulations eliminated the need for Promise of performance and generally reduced the amount of paperwork involved, but you still have to be able to present a clear picture of your station. Once you submit this, there will be a call for interventions (for or against), followed by a decision. In some cases there will be a public hearing in the middle, but it's unlikely.
Before trying to complete your CRTC application, make sure that you understand their guidelines. Although it is not obvious from either the application form or the broadcast policy, they have fairly specific requirements that they look for. In particular, they will closely examine your corporate structure (and independent incorporation), financial plans, and your community support. This is a good time to consult with people knowledgeable about community radio policy.

Developmental Licenses
New this year the CRTC will be allowing new stations to apply for a Developmental Licence. This is a short term (up to three years) low power (only 5 watts) license intended to allow you to get established and build community support before applying for a full license. 5 watts doesn't go too far (although it will cover most small towns quite well), but it does allow you to get on the air very cheaply and demonstrate to your community why they need you. You can also sell advertising to help build your station. Developmental applications are available from the CRTC, or on their web site.

Industry Canada Engineering Brief
At the same time that you submit your CRTC application, you must submit an Engineering brief to Industry Canada. If you are in one of the major centres in Canada, this is usually prepared or supervised by an engineer with a P.Eng accreditation. This will probably be done by same person who did your frequency search. This brief tells the government your frequency, power levels, and location, and assures them that you will not interfere with any other broadcasters.
Sometimes if you're not in one of the big cities you can find Industry Canada people who will help you out and save you the expense of an engineering brief.
The Engineering Brief will be between twenty and forty pages long. At the same time that it is prepared, it may be necessary to contact existing broadcasters whose signals are "short-spaced" or "adjacent" to your frequency. This is mostly a concern in urban areas.
By this time you will also have picked the call letters that you will want. Your choices will probably be quite limited. Your engineer can help you to find the available choices.
If you are near the U.S. border your application may also have to be approved by the FCC.

Licence approval
Within a few months you should receive approval of your CRTC license. The CRTC usually makes it a stipulation that Industry Canada has also approved your Engineering Brief. Occasionally the CRTC will add additional conditions to the license, but this is not something to worry about.
The CRTC will probably give you a fixed period of time in which to actually begin broadcasting. If you are delayed you can ask for an extension.

Tendering for Equipment
Once you have been approved, you will be ready to take your Capital Budget plans and begin shopping. Take your time and get multiple quotes. Consider carefully what you really need, as opposed to what is flashy. The decisions that you make now will stay with you for many years. Plan for expansion and changing circumstances.

Going on Air
It may seem odd, but your volunteers should be doing shows for several weeks before you turn on the transmitter. Even if they broadcast only to a speaker in a corner of the station, this gives them time to develop their technical skills and become comfortable with being behind a mic. It also give you time to decide if your program schedule is workable.
You will probably want to have your "official" opening a week or two after you actually go on the air. The transition to on-air broadcasting can bring both technical and people problems, and it is better to work them out before you are trying to attract a large audience.

CRTC Policies on the web
Campus radio policy
Community radio policy
Application Forms
Campus Radio Application – Related Documents CRTC 113E
Community Radio Application – Related Documents CRTC 114E
Developmental (Community or Campus) Application – Related Documents CRTC 118E
Commercial Radio questions? Sorry, but that isn't our area of expertise. I'd suggest contacting the Canadian Association of Broadcasters
Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver - There are a limited number of frequencies available on the FM Radio band. Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver are among those cities that no longer have easily available frequencies. In particular, if you are in or near Toronto or Vancouver it is highly unlikely that you will find room for a new radio station. Before doing any work or buying equipment, talk to a qualified broadcast engineer who can give you the latest opinion. Or talk to one of the existing community broadcasters in each city to find out if you can start a show on their station.
American Broadcasters Much of what we have compiled here is equally applicable to an American setting. Feel free to email us or phone and we will be happy to help you get your Community Radio station on the air. Good places to start are the National Federation of Community Broadcasters and the Prometheus Radio Group. You should also visit the FCC web site at http://www.fcc.gov for lots of details, application forms, and handbooks.
Pirate Radio - Although pirate radio is fun, it is not an area that we are familiar with. If you do wish to engage in unlicensed broadcasting, do so carefully. There are many web sites that can help, but remember that when buying equipment you often get what you pay for. We just ask that you respect other broadcasters' signals, and please understand that there is still some possibility of large fines.

Thank you.
But why do I want to set up a community radio station in Toronto? Why not Totoro?

yea, sorry. the site i got it from is a canadian site but one might still find it resourceful