The NCRA/ANREC is shocked by today's decision by the CRTC to revoke CKLN's licence, as the Commission could have taken other reasonable steps to ensure regulatory compliance while allowing CKLN to continue serving the community.

The NCRA/ANREC agrees with CRTC Commissioner Poirier's dissent to this decision when she states that it was "premature, disproportionate and inequitable". Poirier also states that as far as she can tell "the Commission has never revoked a license without first issuing a mandatory order or reducing the license term."

"This is a huge loss not just for the city of Toronto, but also for community media across the country," said NCRA executive director Shelley Robinson. "We need places where people can speak for themselves, to their own communities. This is as important in big cities with crowded spectrum as it is in small towns with no other local radio."

The full decision is here: http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2011/2011-56.htm

CKLN-FM is the community-based campus radio station operating out of Ryerson University in downtown Toronto. For more than 27 years it has been a place for people to come together and make great radio. Known as the “voice of the underground” it offers diverse music, diverse voices and under-represented news and perspectives.

Last year the station faced governance issues that led to it not meeting all its regulatory requirements. The station took these problems seriously: creating new processes, responding to all public complaints, re-training new and old volunteers, and filing all the necessary paperwork.

Now operating with more than 150 volunteers, CKLN recently held a funding drive that raised more than $50,000 and sought to hire a new station manager.

In the face of this decision CKLN is investigating its options, and the NCRA will do everything it can to help.