Local Talen Development

What is “local” for us?

As part of our mandate, the development of local talent is and continues to be a priority for our station. CHLY considers artists from Vancouver Island, and within its broadcast range to be “local”. This includes music from the Sunshine Coast, and Lower Mainland where we can also be heard. Consideration is also given to artists with local roots who now reside elsewhere, which is common for musicians in Canada.

Local music

Our programs are encouraged, where practical, to play music from local artists. Several of our programs dedicate the entirety of their programs to local artists, while some see a significant amount of local artists in their programs. Not an exhaustive list, this includes programs like:

• Locals Only (1 Hour: 100% local)

• Songwriter’s Circle (3 Hours: 90% local)

• Harbour City Beat (2 Hours: 60% local)

• The VIU Meter (9 Hours: 20-30% local)

Other locally produced programs might play anywhere between 5% to 20% local music.

Some of our programs play significantly less local music (0% to 5%) due to the focus of their program being on genres not typically produced in our region. This includes programs focused on classical, reggae, jazz, or world music genres.

Interviews

Amongst other interviews, our hosts are encouraged to interview local artists whose music they are likely to play on their program.

Community calendar

Our hosts are encouraged to give on-air event updates for shows put on by local musicians and artists. This service is free of charge.

Station events

When held, our live music events feature local musicians from the region. Our last significant station event was our 20th Anniversary Concert held in the fall of 2021, which featured six local artists Sweet Dreams, Fountain Bather, From the Ghost, Elise Boulanger, Glen Foster, and Ah, Venice. All of these bands are from Nanaimo.

Letters of support

CHLY has also supported local talent development by writing letters of support for FACTOR funding for many of the musicians we’ve played. This has included artists like Elise Boulanger, and bands with local roots like the Actual Goners.

Discounted advertising

Local musicians can also take advantage of our non-profit advertising rate to promote their music releases. We provide this affordable non-profit rate to local music festivals as well.