Radio station in Nanaimo, British Columbia
CHLY (101.7 MHz) is a non-commercial college radio station in Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada. Primarily funded by students of Vancouver Island University's Nanaimo campus, the station is also supported by donations and memberships from the community, as well as sponsorship and grants from local businesses.[1] CHLY-FM is run by the Radio Malaspina Society, an incorporated non-profit society.
CHLY is a Class A station with an effective radiated power (ERP) of 1,300 watts (3,000 watts maximum). From its transmitter tower on Cottle Hill, CHLY's broadcast signal covers much of the west coast of Nainamo Island, from Parksville to the north, to Ladysmith to the south, as well as Gabriola Island and Valdes Island.[2]
History
CHLY signed on the air on October 5, 2001; 22 years ago (October 5, 2001). But before gaining a broadcast licence, the station had its beginnings on the Internet. It first began airing programming on April 1, 2000, before receiving a licence from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) on June 5.[3] CHLY aired a test signal at 101.7 FM on September 21, and ran promotional material about the station for two weeks before officially signing on at 6:00 p.m. on October 5, 2001.[4]
CHLY's studios are in the basement of the Queens Hotel on Victoria Crescent in downtown Nanaimo. The station features an eclectic format with a variety of music genres including jazz, reggae, alternative rock, hip-hop, roots music, folk and electronica. It also airs news and talk programs reporting on issues of the campus, local community and the world.
CHLY is a member of the National Campus and Community Radio Association.
Alumni
Former CHLY talent includes:
- Tchadas Leo; An Indigenous journalist and podcaster behind the "Our Native Land" podcast from CHEK.[5] During his years at CHLY he hosted a program called "A Native Perspective" while attending Vancouver Island University.
- Cole Schisler; Journalist. Sat on CHLY's non-profit board of directors & hosted CHLY's late night hip-hop program "The Kinetic Flow" while attending university at Vancouver Island University. Worked for the Black Press, and now works for Citytv's CityNews in Vancouver as an anchor.[6]
- Paul Manly; Former Member of Parliament for Nanaimo-Ladysmith for the Green Party of Canada. Contributed to a political commentary program called "Elephant Talk" in the early 2000s.
