New TVO Doc CFNY: The Spirit of Radio Celebrates an Era That Inspires Today’s Community Stations

The new documentary celebrates the station’s groundbreaking role in alternative music and inspires community stations like Huntsville’s Hunters Bay Radio, where DJs still choose their own music.

A new documentary tracing the history of one of Canada’s most influential radio stations is now available to watch on TVO Docs and YouTube, giving listeners a fresh look at how CFNY helped shape alternative music culture and inspire generations of broadcasters. CFNY: The Spirit of Radio chronicles the station’s rise from a small suburban Brampton broadcast to an internationally respected voice in punk, new wave and alternative rock. The film features interviews with music icons and broadcasters, including Rush’s Geddy Lee, whose band’s hit “The Spirit of Radio” was directly inspired by the station’s free-form ethos.

CFNY began in 1976 with a mission to play exciting, non-mainstream music that commercial stations ignored. Its DJs weren’t bound by rigid playlists — they could introduce listeners to new sounds and artists, helping break acts like U2 and The Cure long before they were household names. At a time when many stations stuck to predictable formats, CFNY’s adventurous spirit earned a loyal following and influenced how radio could serve its communities.

That ethos lives on in a new generation of community-oriented stations, including Huntsville’s own Hunters Bay Radio. Inspired by the early days of CFNY and similar trailblazers, Hunters Bay Radio is one of the few stations that still allows DJs (and even listeners) to choose much of the music played. While many commercial stations now rely on tightly controlled playlists, this freedom helps preserve the sense of discovery and personal expression that made CFNY special. DJs at Hunters Bay Radio curate eclectic mixes that reflect their tastes and local culture, keeping the spirit of free-form radio alive for listeners in Muskoka and beyond. 

The TVO documentary also features reflections from broadcasters and artists on the cultural impact of the station, and how its willingness to take risks helped define a moment in Canadian music history. For longtime fans, the film offers a nostalgic trip back to when radio was a gateway to new sounds; for newer audiences, it’s an introduction to the way local broadcasters once bridged communities with daring musical choices.

By streaming CFNY: The Spirit of Radio online for free, TVO Docs preserves an important chapter in Canadian media history and highlights how stations with a strong identity and creative freedom can shape not just tastes, but entire cultural movements.

For stations like Hunters Bay Radio, the documentary underscores the value of DJ autonomy and community connection — a reminder that, even in a digital age, radio can still be a living, breathing part of local life.

Sources:
• Billboard
• A Journal of Musical Things
• Wikipedia