CJWE-FM

CJWE-FM (88.1 MHz) is a radio station in Calgary, Alberta. Owned by the Aboriginal Multi-Media Society, it broadcasts programming targeting southern Alberta's Treaty 7 First Nations communities, including mainstream country music, and specialty shows featuring indigenous music or presented in Indigenous languages. It is similar in format to its sister radio network CFWE, which focuses primarily on northern Alberta's First Nations communities.

CJWE-FM

Calgary, Alberta
Broadcast area	Calgary Metropolitan Region
Frequency	88.1 MHz (HD Radio)
Branding	CJWE
Programming
Format	Country/Aboriginal community radio
Subchannels	HD2: CKER-FM simulcast HD3: CIWE-FM simulcast
Ownership
Owner	Aboriginal Multi-Media Society
Sister stations	CFWE-FM
History
First air date	June 2018
Call sign meaning	Disambiguation of CFWE-FM
Technical information
Class	C
ERP	100,000 watts
HAAT	298.6 meters (980 ft)
Links
Webcast	Listen Live
Website	cjwe.ca

The station operates full-powered rebroadcasters in southern Alberta, CJWE-FM-1 serving Lethbridge (103.5 FM), and CJWE-FM-2 serving Medicine Hat (106.3 FM), giving it full coverage across the Treaty 7 territory.

History

Following the collapse of the Aboriginal Voices Radio Network (which broadcast on 88.1 MHz in Calgary as CKAV-FM-3), the CRTC pursued new applicants for indigenous radio stations to fill its frequencies. The Aboriginal Multi-Media Society (owner of the indigenous network CFWE) was granted stations in Calgary and Edmonton.^[1]

The Calgary station, named CJWE-FM, began testing its signal in April 2018, and officially launched in June. The station features similar programming to its Edmonton-based counterpart CFWE, including a mix of mainstream country music, and specialty programs targeting Southern Alberta's indigenous communities in the Blackfoot, Cree, Nakoda, and T'suutina languages.^[2]

In December 2018, the CRTC granted approval for the AMMSA to convert the CFWE rebroadcaster CFWE-FM-2 (Piikani 147) to a rebroadcaster of CJWE, as it would broadcast content of greater relevance to the region.^[3]

In May 2022, the CRTC granted approval for the AMMSA to add a new, 100,000-watt rebroadcaster in Lethbridge on 103.5 FM, which would operate as CJWE-FM-1.^[4] The following year, the CRTC also approved a 100,000-watt rebroadcaster serving Medicine Hat on 106.3 FM; in combination with its Calgary and Lethbridge transmitters, this would give CJWE full coverage across the Treaty 7 territory.^[5] CJWE-FM-1 and CJWE-FM-2 signed on in January and March 2024 respectively.^[6][7]