CKLN-FM

CKLN began as a closed circuit station at Ryerson Polytechnical Institute (where CJRT-FM was located).

CKLN service was expanded to downtown Toronto by cable.

In July, CKLN-FM went Metro-wide on 88.1 MHz with effective radiated power of 13 watts. Antenna height was 127 metres on the CBC tower, 354 Jarvis Street.

CKLN was granted a power increase to 250 watts and a move of the transmitter and antenna from the CBC tower on Jarvis Street to Commerce Court. The station reported it was getting a good response from listeners despite the existing low power of 13 watts. Manager Adam Vaughan said audience more than doubled in 1985 to 50,000 listeners weekly. That put it ahead of last place CJBC-AM. CKLN was funded by contributions from listeners, the student association and limited advertising. Ryerson provided the station with studio and office space and paid the electric bills.

Adam Vaughn succeeded Anton Leo as manager and Brad Reed took over as program director from John Jones. Leo moved on to CBC Radio.

On July 4, CKLN increased power to 250 watts (ERP). The station’s transmitter was located on Commerce Court West. Antenna height was 259 metres. Studios were at Ryerson’s Jorgenson Hall, 380 Victoria Street.

CKLN offered “block” programming. Some 120 students and volunteers were involved with the station.

On March 28, the CRTC approved the application to amend the licence for CKLN-FM by decreasing the effective radiated power from 250 watts to 225 watts and by relocating the transmitter site from Commerce Court West to 1 First Canadian Place. The licensee indicated that these changes were necessitated by the construction of a new building which had affected CKLN-FM’s signal.

In August, CKLN began broadcasting from studios and offices at the new Student Campus Centre, 2nd floor, 55 Gould Street (at Church St.).

CKLN suspended International Connection hosts Greg Duffell and Daniel Besharat, after investigating and dismissing their allegations that the station was rife with financial corruption, bias and abuse of power.

On August 13 the CRTC renewed CKLN-FM’s licence until August 31, 2014.

Greg Duffell and Daniel Besharat settled a lawsuit against CKLN and were allowed to return to the station.

The CKLN membership voted to fire interim program director Tony Barnes and station manager Mike Phillips and elected a new board. Barnes, Phillips and the dismissed directors refused to budge, claiming the assembly didn’t follow the station’s bylaws. The Ryerson Student Union withheld a levy instalment pending clarification of the legitimate board. The original board sued long time host Ron Nelson for withholding collected advertising fees. Nelson counter-sued for breach of contract in terminating his show. Police were routinely summoned to keep order at membership meetings.

CKLN filed suit against the student union for withholding student levies. Without those funds the station was forced to lay off staff in February. One set of directors changes the locks to keep the other out. Dead air was the result then looped pre-recorded shows as of March 1. An interim board, chaired by Ron Nelson was elected in July. CKLN returned to live programming in October following a visit by the CRTC. A short time later, former board member Mary Young filed an injunction to have CKLN shut down, challenging the governance of the station and the legitimacy of the new board.

Mary Young’s injunction was denied. The funding agreement was updated with the student union and CKLN received about $200,000 in outstanding student fees.

On January 28, the CRTC revoked, by majority vote, the licence for CKLN-FM Toronto, held by CKLN Radio Incorporated, as of February 12, 2011. In reaching this determination, the Commission considered the serious and continuous nature of the licensee’s non-compliance with numerous regulatory obligations, the station’s inability to institute the measures necessary to ensure ongoing compliance, and the lack of confidence on the part of the Commission that such measures could or would be instituted within a reasonable amount of time. CKLN would have to cease broadcating on February 12, by no later than the end of the broadcast day.

On the same afternoon the CRTC revoked CKLN’s licence, the board, which had paid lawyers more than $80,000 since returning to air, was served with notice of another injunction by Mary Young.

CKLN left the air at 6:45 p.m. on April 15. This followed the station’s loss in its bid to appeal a Federal Court of Appeal ruling earlier in the day. Following the revocation of its on-air licence, CKLN carried on operations via the internet.
Station staff recorded podcasts for their website from new downtown studios.

The new station manager at CKLN was Jacky Tunistra Harrison, who was hired in an attempt to keep the station on the air after the CRTC revoked its licence.