CJRO-FM

The station originally began as a tourist information radio station in 2017.

Owned by CJRO Radio inc, the station received CRTC approval to operate a low-power, english and french-language community FM radio station in Carlsbad Springs, Ontario, and with a low-power FM rebroadcasting transmitter in Vars on May 7, 2019.[1]

The station officially launched on January 11, 2020 [2] and also operates an FM rebroadcaster on 107.9 FM at Vars, Ontario. On November 9, 2020, the station received CRTC approval to add another FM transmitter in Embrun, Ontario at 107.7 MHz (channel 299LP) with an effective radiated power of 40 watts (non-directional antenna with an effective height of the antenna above average terrain of 69 metres).[3][4]

On May 3, 2021, Carlsbad Springs Community Association applied to add a new FM transmitter at Sarsfield, Ontario which would operate at 107.9 MHz with only two watts of power. The CRTC approved the application on October 4, 2021.[5]

CJRO Radio is a low power bilingual community non-profit FM radio station that promotes local and regional events, provides important information and news to residents and the public in south-east rural Ottawa and the Russell Municipality. CJRO is licensed by the CRTC to play music (Rock, Country, French pop and Celtic music). It’s available on 107.7 FM in Carlsbad Springs and Embrun and in the village of Vars and Sarsfield on 107.9 FM. The station streams online on cjroradio.com. CJRO Radio is also available via the Tune In and Radio Player Canada app via Iphone and Android phones.

CJRO Radio is owned and operated by CJRO Radio inc., a non profit incorporation manage by a volunteer board members. CJRO Radio broadcast from a studio inside the Carlsbad Springs Community Centre at 6020 Piperville Road in Carlsbad Springs from an antenna broadcasting on 107.7 FM located at Harkness park, another antenna broadcasting on 107.7 FM located at the Russell Township Municipal building and another antenna in the heart of the village of Vars on 107.9 FM. Our programming is all done by volunteers and we offer volunteer opportunities for those interested in producing their own shows, host a podcast or just to help out manage the station on the executive board. CJRO Radio's motto is Local First. Their mandate is local and our community is our priority.

Why CJRO Radio?

With the disappearance and absence of local media in our area and with many small newspapers closing their doors in recent years we felt that having a voice for our community and a source of local news was important, the reason we created CJRO Radio. Large commercial and community radio stations in Ottawa rarely promote local events or talk about rural Ottawa and the Russell Municipality. CJRO Radio fills this void and caters to our community. CJRO started in 2017 as "Carlsbad Info Radio" as a tourist information station and applied to change its mandate to a community radio format in 2018. It obtained its license from the CRTC in May 2019 and added a transmitter to service Vars on 107.9 FM. CJRO Radio added a new transmitter in Embrun, Ontario to served the Russell Municipality also on 107.7 FM. The transmitter was installed and operational in June 2021. The CRTC approved the new Embrun transmitter on November 9, 2020. In October 2021 the CRTC approved a 4th transmitter for CJRO Radio to broadcast on 107.9 FM in Sarsfield in eastern rural Ottawa. If approved by our board members in 2022 CJRO Radio will be examining the option of offering CJRO Radio to the community of Casselman on 107.9 FM.

• www.cjroradio.com
• CJRO Carlsbad Vars Radio 107.7 |107.9 FM
• CJRO-FM History - Canadian Communications Foundation
• CJRO-FM in the REC Canadian station database