FACING THE MUSIC

After 75 years, one of Toronto's most important outlets for jazz might soon be silenced. Is help on the way?

- EDWARD BROWN

JAZZ.FM91 station manager Dana Wigle tells a band they are "live!" during a recent 24-hour music marathon on Canada's second oldest FM radio station.

A yellowed radio broadcast licence in a white frame hangs conspicuously outside station manager Dana Wigle’s Liberty Village office. Issued more than seven decades ago by the Dominion of Canada, the historical document is a relic from an era when the station’s existence was guaranteed.

It couldn’t be more different today. After 75 years on the air, one of Canada’s most important outlets for jazz is being threatened with silence due to the high cost of rent.

Pianist Mateo Mancuso and trombonist Kelsley Grant perform live on the air at JAZZ.FM91.

The Star recently read a draft copy of an unsigned communique on JAZZ.FM91 letterhead with a plea intended for donors: “Our current operating budget faces a shortfall of $150,000. To keep the lights on and the music playing, we need to close this gap by August 31.”

With the uptempo personality of a Louis Prima song and an infectious laugh to match, Wigle is the ideal person to head Canada’s only not-for-profit all-jazz radio station. Despite her optimism, she acknowledges that options are running short.

Discussing the station’s predicament with Wigle feels personal. When asked about JAZZ.FM91’s precarious state, she answered cautiously, “I don’t know how much I should go into here. I’m not trying to be guarded. I want to make sure I’m accurate.”

Wigle’s career in radio started in the marketing department of an Ottawa country music station. After moving to Toronto, she began working at the award-winning JAZZ.FM91 in 2011 as director of advertising sales before stepping down in 2017 to deal with a family matter.

She returned to the station three years later.