Press Releases

Winnipeg, Manitoba – First Peoples Radio Inc. (FPR) is proud to announce the launch of ELMNT FM, an urban radio entirely devoted to Indigenous Peoples. Listeners can tune-in at noon today to 95.7 FM in Ottawa and 106.5 FM in Toronto to discover The New Beat of Radio.

FPR has embarked on an impressive journey to fill the gap for Indigenous Peoples who feel that existing urban radio stations do not reflect their presence in the community. The launch of ELMNT FM in Ottawa and Toronto is an initial step toward building a national presence by providing news and information programming that is distinctive and to highlight the growing pool of exceptional Indigenous musical talent.

ELMNT FM hits the air today with an Indigenous-variety format that offers its audience English and Indigenous-language spoken-word and musical programming. The local and national news and current affairs segments feature content generated by APTN National News and The Canadian Press while musical programming blends ROCK (Classic Rock, Alt-Rock, and New Rock) and POP (Hip-Hop, R&B, Soul, Rap and Crossover Country). Twenty-five per cent of all music aired is devoted to Indigenous talent, and 60% of airtime goes to local programming.

95.7 ELMNT FM, The Spirit of Ottawa on-air line-up includes:
– Aiden Wolf, truck driver, gone professional voiceover artist wakes you up weekday mornings at 5:30 a.m.
– Kayla Whiteduck, multi-faceted Algonquin woman from Kitigan-Zibi and classic rock lover fills your mid-day with music and news from Noon to 3:00 p.m.
– Missy Knott, award-winning singer and songwriter, drives you home with SkyWords Traffic hot spot updates and a variety of music.
– Cody Coyote, Ottawa’s favourite Hip-Hop star and D.J. stars in his radio show from 7:00 p.m. weeknights and hosts an all-star DJ music mix on Saturday nights at 9:00 p.m.

106.5 ELMNT FM, The Spirit of Toronto on-air lineup includes:
– Bob Magee, renowned Canadian radio personality returns to Toronto radio to host ELMNT FM morning show. Weekdays at 5:30 a.m.
– Julian Taylor, Canadian singer-songwriter extraordinaire drives you home with great music variety and SkyWords Traffic hotspot updates. Weekdays from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
– Janet Pani, award-winning, Juno-nominated, Métis-bohemian pop artist hosts
Panic in the Night on weekday evenings from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
– Christa Couture, award-winning performing and recording artist, non-fiction writer, broadcaster and cyborg brings your weekend mornings in focus, starting at 6:00 a.m.

For more info on ELMNT FM hosts, shows and programming, follow The New Beat of Radio on social media; look for ELMNT FM on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat.

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About First Peoples Radio Inc.
First Peoples Radio Inc. (FPR) is a non-profit corporation established by APTN. In 2017, the Canadian and Radio-Television Commission awarded FPR licences to operate English and Indigenous-language Type B Native FM radio stations serving Indigenous communities in Ottawa and Toronto. The launch of ELMNT FM in both markets on October 24, 2018, marked an initial step toward building a national presence in urban radio for Indigenous Peoples. FPR’s guiding principles are to provide news and information programming that is distinctive and to highlight the growing pool of exceptional Indigenous musical talent, which otherwise receives little to no airplay.

About APTN
APTN launched in 1999 as the first national Indigenous broadcaster in the world, creating a window into the remarkably diverse mosaic of Indigenous Peoples. A respected non-profit, charitable broadcaster and the only one of its kind in North America. Sharing our stories of authenticity in English, French and a variety of Indigenous languages, to approximately 11 million Canadian TV subscribers. With over 80% Canadian content, APTN connects with its audience through genuine, inspiring, and engaging entertainment through multiple platforms.

For further information:
Emili Bellefleur
Communications Coordinator, APTN
(514) 544-6124, ext. 227
[email protected]

Click here to download a 30 second preview of 95.7 ELMNT FM The Spirit of Ottawa
Click here to download a 30 second preview of 106.5 ELMNT FM The Spirit of Toronto