Community Radio Stations Across Manitoba
Local airwaves speak the language of their listeners through music, current affairs, culture and more.
By Valerie Howes | Illustrations by Mike Haddad
If you tune in to your local airwaves on any given day, you’ll find mainstream radio stations playing commercial hits alongside news and ads. But you can also find independent community stations that do things a little differently, whether they’re playing a local band’s first single, investigating Indigenous issues not covered by most outlets, or broadcasting live from a kids’ camp.
Across Canada and across the dial, the best community stations act as homegrown platforms for sharing culture, ideas, music, events and news. All you need to do is listen in.
CKUW 95.9 FM
The University of Winnipeg’s community and campus station lives up to its slogan, “More Voices, More Choices.” Its airwaves are open to students, alumni and downtown Winnipeggers alike. CKUW started out in 1963 as a volunteer-run closed-circuit station, exclusively broadcast on campus. “[They] actually broadcast news of the Kennedy assassination through the campus speakers,” says station manager Rob Schmidt. But in 1999, after years of campaigning, CKUW secured an FM licence and was finally able to reach the broader community.
Today, from a studio plastered with old rock posters and stickers, hosts produce eclectic, thought-provoking programming, in tandem with a magazine and program guide called Stylus. “It’s messy, but it’s exciting,” says Schmidt.
The station speaks to a vast range of musical tastes, from jazz to electronic to folk, alongside shows rooted in Winnipeg’s communities. In the summer, kids aged 10 to 17 who participate in Radio Camp tell jokes and stories, sing and review local businesses on air. There’s also room for one-of-a-kind programming, such as The Meta World Stoopaloop Show, a mash-up of news clips, ambient music, spoken word, interviews and sound art that teases out hidden connections in everyday life and culture.
“If our listeners want to hear someone from Toronto or L.A., they can find that anywhere,” says Schmidt. “But if they want to hear someone from across the street, CKUW is a great place to get that.”
“We really wanted to offer different communities a platform where they could express themselves, they could speak their languages, they could share the issues they face.”
Native Communications Inc. (NCI) FM
From Churchill to Winnipeg, radio fans know where to get their fix of country, rock, blues and hip-hop, with a focus on Indigenous and Manitoba artists. But NCI FM has always been about more than music. Founded by grassroots leaders in the early ’70s, the station filled a critical gap where Indigenous media voices were missing.
Broadcasting in Indigenous languages such as Cree and Anishinaabemowin, as well as English, NCI set out to share up-to-the-minute information that would help keep listeners informed and safe during a time when hydro and mining projects were reshaping Northern Manitoba. Broadcasts included weather forecasts and alerts about changing water levels caused by dam operations — crucial intel if you were planning to trap, hunt or fish. “We’re talking about a period where phones didn’t exist in a lot of communities,” says CEO David McLeod.
More than five decades on, NCI continues to nurture Indigenous culture and connection, giving partners such as the Manitoba Métis Federation and the Southern Chiefs’ Organization a platform to discuss politics and community concerns, while developing a loyal audience through uniquely local programming.
“There’s a sense of community within NCI that you won’t find in commercial stations,” says McLeod. “We even get non-Indigenous fans enjoying our station because of that sense of community.”
This focus on connection shows up in Radio Bingo, a top fundraiser that has seen jackpots of up to $1 million and that brings people together via the airwaves and at bingo breakfast clubs. It infuses NCI Jam, Manitoba’s longest-running Indigenous talent showcase, recorded in front of a live audience. And it’s abundant in Friends on Friday, when hundreds of listeners call in each week to share birthday wishes, wedding and anniversary congratulations and other messages with loved ones.
“Some people think radio is dead,” McLeod says. “But radio has been consistently doing well for NCI since September of 1971.”
U Radio 88.7 FM (CHEB-FM)
Launched in 2026, Winnipeg-based U Radio makes the microphone available to Manitoba’s culturally diverse communities, providing studio space, tech support and hands-on training for free, so anybody with a great idea can pitch and produce a show.
The station is part of U Multicultural’s broader multimedia platform, alongside community television, film production and digital streaming. Programming spans more than 30 languages, including five Indigenous languages, Arabic, Swahili, Ukrainian and Tagalog, as well as English and French.
“We really wanted to offer different communities a platform where they could express themselves, they could speak their languages, they could share the issues they face,” says executive director and founder Taya Rtichsheva. That includes residential school survivors, newcomers and people of all ages with cultural ties around the globe.
For many volunteers, the station has become a place of belonging. For example, language barriers often make it difficult for Muslim seniors to connect with the wider community, Rtichsheva says. But at U Radio, they produce shows together, sharing updates from the news desk and strengthening their connections to one another, to station staff and to listeners from the communities they call home.
U Radio is also a space where youth build confidence. Participants learn to produce their own programs and experience the excitement of hearing themselves on air — and this in turn helps them set bigger goals and explore new opportunities. For those facing exclusion or mental health challenges, the experience makes them feel seen, capable and connected. “We just show them that everything is possible,” says Rtichsheva. CAA
3 radio listening apps to try
These apps help you find public, community and commercial radio stations around the world.
Radio Garden
Spin a 3-D map of Earth, pick a glowing dot and click to tune in to an international radio station. Curious about what’s playing in Ghana, Ireland or Pakistan? Radio Garden offers real-time access to more than 40,000 stations. Save your favourites so you can tune in again, or use the “balloon ride” feature to randomly float to new locations and discover their radio offerings.
Online Radio Box
Stream more than 100,000 live and internet stations from all over the globe — for free. You can filter by music genre and set an alarm to wake up to your favourite show. Bonus: see which track is currently playing before you commit to a station.
Radioplayer Canada
Whether you’re at home or travelling overseas, this app allows you to stream more than 500 Canadian stations. Access your regular news, sports and entertainment shows, and use the “near me” function to keep your listening live and local. Bonus: the app has a sleep timer, so you can doze off lulled by the radio waves.
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If you tune in to your local airwaves on any given day, you’ll find mainstream radio stations playing commercial hits alongside news and ads. But you can also find independent community stations that do things a little differently, whether they’re playing a local band’s first single, investigating Indigenous issues not covered by most outlets, or broadcasting live from a kids’ camp.
Across Canada and across the dial, the best community stations act as homegrown platforms for sharing culture, ideas, music, events and news. All you need to do is listen in.
CKUW 95.9 FM
The University of Winnipeg’s community and campus station lives up to its slogan, “More Voices, More Choices.” Its airwaves are open to students, alumni and downtown Winnipeggers alike. CKUW started out in 1963 as a volunteer-run closed-circuit station, exclusively broadcast on campus. “[They] actually broadcast news of the Kennedy assassination through the campus speakers,” says station manager Rob Schmidt. But in 1999, after years of campaigning, CKUW secured an FM licence and was finally able to reach the broader community.
Today, from a studio plastered with old rock posters and stickers, hosts produce eclectic, thought-provoking programming, in tandem with a magazine and program guide called Stylus. “It’s messy, but it’s exciting,” says Schmidt.
The station speaks to a vast range of musical tastes, from jazz to electronic to folk, alongside shows rooted in Winnipeg’s communities. In the summer, kids aged 10 to 17 who participate in Radio Camp tell jokes and stories, sing and review local businesses on air. There’s also room for one-of-a-kind programming, such as The Meta World Stoopaloop Show, a mash-up of news clips, ambient music, spoken word, interviews and sound art that teases out hidden connections in everyday life and culture.
“If our listeners want to hear someone from Toronto or L.A., they can find that anywhere,” says Schmidt. “But if they want to hear someone from across the street, CKUW is a great place to get that.”
Radio Garden
Spin a 3-D map of Earth, pick a glowing dot and click to tune in to an international radio station. Curious about what’s playing in Ghana, Ireland or Pakistan? Radio Garden offers real-time access to more than 40,000 stations. Save your favourites so you can tune in again, or use the “balloon ride” feature to randomly float to new locations and discover their radio offerings.
Online Radio Box
Stream more than 100,000 live and internet stations from all over the globe — for free. You can filter by music genre and set an alarm to wake up to your favourite show. Bonus: see which track is currently playing before you commit to a station.
Radioplayer Canada
Whether you’re at home or travelling overseas, this app allows you to stream more than 500 Canadian stations. Access your regular news, sports and entertainment shows, and use the “near me” function to keep your listening live and local. Bonus: the app has a sleep timer, so you can doze off lulled by the radio waves.
Native Communications Inc. (NCI) FM
From Churchill to Winnipeg, radio fans know where to get their fix of country, rock, blues and hip-hop, with a focus on Indigenous and Manitoba artists. But NCI FM has always been about more than music. Founded by grassroots leaders in the early ’70s, the station filled a critical gap where Indigenous media voices were missing.
Broadcasting in Indigenous languages such as Cree and Anishinaabemowin, as well as English, NCI set out to share up-to-the-minute information that would help keep listeners informed and safe during a time when hydro and mining projects were reshaping Northern Manitoba. Broadcasts included weather forecasts and alerts about changing water levels caused by dam operations — crucial intel if you were planning to trap, hunt or fish. “We’re talking about a period where phones didn’t exist in a lot of communities,” says CEO David McLeod.
More than five decades on, NCI continues to nurture Indigenous culture and connection, giving partners such as the Manitoba Métis Federation and the Southern Chiefs’ Organization a platform to discuss politics and community concerns, while developing a loyal audience through uniquely local programming.
“There’s a sense of community within NCI that you won’t find in commercial stations,” says McLeod. “We even get non-Indigenous fans enjoying our station because of that sense of community.”
This focus on connection shows up in Radio Bingo, a top fundraiser that has seen jackpots of up to $1 million and that brings people together via the airwaves and at bingo breakfast clubs. It infuses NCI Jam, Manitoba’s longest-running Indigenous talent showcase, recorded in front of a live audience. And it’s abundant in Friends on Friday, when hundreds of listeners call in each week to share birthday wishes, wedding and anniversary congratulations and other messages with loved ones.
“Some people think radio is dead,” McLeod says. “But radio has been consistently doing well for NCI since September of 1971.”
U Radio 88.7 FM (CHEB-FM)
Launched in 2026, Winnipeg-based U Radio makes the microphone available to Manitoba’s culturally diverse communities, providing studio space, tech support and hands-on training for free, so anybody with a great idea can pitch and produce a show.
The station is part of U Multicultural’s broader multimedia platform, alongside community television, film production and digital streaming. Programming spans more than 30 languages, including five Indigenous languages, Arabic, Swahili, Ukrainian and Tagalog, as well as English and French.
“We really wanted to offer different communities a platform where they could express themselves, they could speak their languages, they could share the issues they face,” says executive director and founder Taya Rtichsheva. That includes residential school survivors, newcomers and people of all ages with cultural ties around the globe.
For many volunteers, the station has become a place of belonging. For example, language barriers often make it difficult for Muslim seniors to connect with the wider community, Rtichsheva says. But at U Radio, they produce shows together, sharing updates from the news desk and strengthening their connections to one another, to station staff and to listeners from the communities they call home.
U Radio is also a space where youth build confidence. Participants learn to produce their own programs and experience the excitement of hearing themselves on air — and this in turn helps them set bigger goals and explore new opportunities. For those facing exclusion or mental health challenges, the experience makes them feel seen, capable and connected. “We just show them that everything is possible,” says Rtichsheva. CAA
