This page of my web site describes all of the normal over-the-air radio stations of which I am aware that both are located in Cape Breton and stream their programming to users on the Internet.¹ CICU (Eskasoni) does not offer Internet streams and is therefore not included in this listing. I have been unable to locate any on-line information about CITU in Petit-de-Grat, other than that it broadcasts at 104.1 FM; it is therefore not included in this listing.

If you know of any Internet radio stations located in Cape Breton that stream their broadcasts and that are not listed in this area of my web site, please let me know using the feedback address in the footer below.

¹ This RadioStationWorld web site was very useful in identifying the Nova Scotia transmitters relevant to Cape Breton and, in a couple of cases, supplied other information I was unable to find elsewhere.↩

URL

http://www.cbc.ca/radio/

Description

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) is Canada’s national English-language broadcaster. It provides two different broadcast channels: Radio One, with more emphasis on news and talk, and CBC Music, with more emphasis on music. Radio One has regional variants, of which CBC Radio One Nova Scotia is the one for Cape Breton.

Comment

To listen to either CBC channel, go to
         https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio
The Radio One program schedule can be found at
         https://www.cbc.ca/programguide/weekly/today/cbc_radio_one.

Note

CBC Radio One broadcasts at several frequencies in (or adjacent to) Cape Breton, depending on the location of the transmitter:

• 1140 AM   Sydney
•   90.1 FM   Bay St. Lawrence
•   93.9 FM   Northeast Margaree
•   94.3 FM   Inverness
•   97.1 FM   Sydney
• 106.7 FM   Mulgrave (across the Strait of Canso from Port Hawkesbury)
• 107.1 FM   Chéticamp

CBC Music broadcasts at two frequencies in (or adjacent to) Cape Breton, depending on the location of the transmitter:

•   93.9 FM   Mulgrave (across the Strait of Canso from Port Hawkesbury)
• 105.1 FM   Sydney

URL

http://www.cbc.ca/ns/

Description

CBC Radio One Nova Scotia is the local regional variant of CBC Radio One. It offers three programs with some or all Cape Breton-specific content: Steve Sutherland’s Information Morning Cape Breton weekdays from 6h-8h37 AT [5h-7h37 ET]; Wendy Bergfeldt’s Mainstreet Cape Breton weekdays from 15h-18h AT [14h-17h ET]; and Wendy Bergfeldt’s Island Echoes Saturdays from 20h05-21h AT [19h05-20h ET].

Comment

To listen to Cape Breton-specific content on the Internet, go to the URL given above and click on the arrow to the right of the “LIVE” tag below the menu bar.

Radio Station

CFXU 93.3 FM, “The Fox” (Antigonish)

URL

http://radiocfxu.ca

Description

CFXU is the student-run campus and community radio station of St Francis Xavier University in Antigonish.

Comment

This station hosted an excellent Gaelic/English program titled An Òran Sith-bhuan presented by Brian James MacLeod on Saturday mornings; that program is now ended as Brian his completed his studies at St FX. Other programming of interest to Cape Breton traditional music aficionados may occasionally show up in the future, but the bulk of the programming is music that appeals to the students at St FX.

Radio Station

CHER 98.3 FM, “Max FM” (Sydney)

URL

http://www.983maxfm.com/

Description

CHER is a commercial broadcasting station owned and operated by MBS Radio / Maritime Broadcasting System Limited.

Comment

The web site offers few clues to its programming, but I have no reason to believe there is much traditional music there. The one time I tuned in, I heard rock and contemporary music and the announcer gave the station name as “Classic Rock 98.3 FM”.

Radio Station

CHRK 101.9 FM, “The Giant” (Sydney River)

URL

http://www.giant1019.com/

Description

CHRK is a commercial broadcasting station; it labels itself as “Cape Breton’s Hit Music Station”.

Comment

A quick visit found rock and contemporary music playing, consistent with the web site’s general orientation.

Radio Station

CIGO 101.5 FM, “The Hawk” (Port Hawkesbury)

URL

http://www.1015thehawk.com/

Description

“Established in October 1975, CIGO is a full-service adult contemporary station with a focus to servicing the community through public service, news, sports and weather information.” “The Hawk has received numerous recognition awards for our positive contribution to the community. In 2008 we [were] awarded the ECMA for Small Market Radio Station of the Year.” [web site]

Comment

This station broadcasts in English to the Quad Counties (Inverness, Richmond, Antigonish, and Guysborough). Its local news, sports, and weather coverage is excellent. Much of the music is way beyond my musical tastes (rock, hard rock, rap, and the like). The Sunday morning East Coast Rising show from 9h-11h AT [8h-10h] features musicians from Atlantic Canada’s East Coast and therefore, of course, significant Cape Breton content, but offers mostly non-traditional and non-instrumental music.

Radio Station

CJBU 107.3 FM, “Caper Radio” (Sydney)

URL

https://caperradio.weebly.com/

Description

CJBU is the campus and community radio station of Cape Breton University.

Comment

The programming schedule appears oriented to music that appeals to the students at CBU.

Radio Station

CJCB 1270 AM (Sydney)

URL

http://www.cjcbradio.com/

Description

CJCB is a commercial broadcasting station owned and operated by MBS Radio / Maritime Broadcasting System Limited.

Comment

The web site once labelled itself as a “Country Favorites” station and now offers few clues to its programming. The times I have tuned in to this station, I heard rock and contemporary music and quickly turned my attention elsewhere; one show also offers “Cape Breton Country Favourites”.

Radio Station

CJFX 98.9 FM, “X-FM” (Antigonish) and 102.5 FM (Inverness)

URL

http://www.989xfm.ca/

Description

CJFX is a commercial broadcasting station that offers contemporary music, local information, farming information, and community announcements.

Comment

Except for David Gillis’ Cape Breton Fiddle Tunes, I have heard little traditional Cape Breton music on this station.

Radio Station

CJIJ 99.9 FM, “Home of Rock” (Membertou)

URL

http://www.membertouradio.com

Description

CJIJ broadcasts a variety of rock music.

Comment

I have heard no traditional Cape Breton music on this station.

Radio Station

CKJM 106.1 FM (Chéticamp), 92.5 FM (Pomquet), and 97.5 (Sydney)

URL

http://www.ckjm.ca/english/home/index.cfm?

Description

Run by a coöperative, Coopérative Radio Chéticamp Limitée, Chéticamp Community Radio serves the communities of northwestern Cape Breton and, thanks to the repeaters in Pomquet and Sydney, southwestern Cape Breton and urban Cape Breton as well. Most programs are in French, but some English and Gaelic programs are also heard.

Comment

You will hear a pot pourri of music of all different genres on this radio station, much of it by local and Cape Breton artists. Local Acadian music is on offer (much of it in the country/western genre) with a good amount of Scottish traditional music played by Cape Breton’s best players (including Chéticantins). Songs are sung in both English and French, with more of the latter than the former. For two programs of especial interest, see Cape Breton Fiddle Tunes and Aiseirigh nan Gàidheal (The Awakening Gaels).

Radio Station

CKOA 89.7 FM, “The Coast” (Glace Bay)

URL

http://www.coastalradio.ca/

Description

Run by the Coastal Community Radio Cooperative Limited, this radio station offers “a great variety of music from the East Coast and around the world plus local news, sports & weather and much more!” [from an earlier version of the web site] It was named the Radio Station of the Year at the 2011 ECMA’s.

Comment

This station broadcasts to the urban areas of northeastern Cape Breton. Many Cape Breton musicians and singers are heard on its programs, which feature “a great music mix from the east coast and around the world” [from an earlier version of the web site]. While traditional Scottish fiddle music is heard on this station, this is not its primary focus (at least when I’ve listened in), except for David Gillis’ superb Cape Breton Fiddle Tunes show. The Cape Breton Kitchen Party airs on Saturdays from 22h-0h AT [21h-23h ET] and according to the web site, it is a “two hour long show featuring the music of wonderful Cape Breton musicians.” The popular Celtic Serenade, on air for more than 43 years and hosted by Donnie Campbell, can be heard Sundays from 17h-20h AT [16h-19h ET]; it offers “the Best in Traditional Cape Breton music plus songs from Scotland & Ireland!”

URL

https://ici.radio-canada.ca/premiere
https://ici.radio-canada.ca/acadie/nouvelle-ecosse

Description

Radio-Canada is Canada’s national French-language broadcaster. Première Chaîne is similar to CBC Radio One, with more emphasis on news and talk. Première Chaîne has regional variants, of which Acadie is the one for Cape Breton, but, so far as I am aware, it offers no Cape Breton-specific content.

Comment

The first URL above takes you to the main page for Radio-Canada Première Chaîne, which defaults to the Montréal regional variant; to listen, click on the arrow just left of the “EN DIRECT” in the middle of the title bar. To listen to the Nova Scotia Acadian regional variant, use the second URL above and click on the on the arrow just left of the “EN DIRECT” pop-up menu at the right of the title bar.

Note

Ici Radio-Canada Première Chaîne broadcasts at five frequencies in (or adjacent to) Cape Breton, depending on the location of the transmitter:

•   92.3 FM   Margaree
•   95.9 FM   Sydney
• 103.9 FM   Chéticamp
• 107.1 FM   Chéticamp
• 107.5 FM   Mulgrave (across the Strait of Canso from Port Hawkesbury)