Yellowknife and Hay River radio station Moose FM will on Friday rebrand to True North FM, saying changes to the station in recent years were “wrong.”
Announcing the change in a news release, station owner Vista Radio said its service had “gotten away from what CJCD was intended to be,” referring to the station’s four-letter callsign.
“We realized this was wrong. And when you’re wrong, you need to admit it,” the news release added.
“We learned that we needed to focus more on being a true voice for the area, a true representation of the territory, and a true reflection of the people who call the North home. This is why we have introduced True North FM.”
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Vista Radio said the rebrand would come with a “stronger, independent news voice” and the station would be “more representative of the culture of the area,” though no details were given.
It’s not clear if the station’s on-air format, such as its music choices or host lineup, will change. A new website, mytruenorthnow.com, had been registered by Vista Radio but was not active as of Thursday.
There was no mention of the coming rebrand on the station’s social media channels or existing website as of 9am on Thursday.
Founded in 2004, Vista Radio – part-owned by Sherry Brydson, reported to be Canada’s richest woman with an estimated wealth of some $13.7 billion – owns a network of 44 radio stations across Canada. Of those, 19 are branded Moose FM according to the company’s website.
CJCD will be Vista Radio’s first True North-branded radio station. A broadcast group named True North Radio Network operates in the US state of Michigan, while an Edmonton-based internet radio station also uses the name.
Vista Radio acquired CJCD from former owners Charles and Eileen Dent in 2007. The station celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2019.
