The logo for the new ziibi 104.7 radio station, launching on Winnipeg’s airwaves and catering to young Indigenous adults. (NCI / HANDOUT)
A Winnipeg radio frequency is getting a new identity rooted in Indigenous culture.
Native Communications Incorporated (NCI) is relaunching 104.7 FM as ziibi 104.7, a station aimed at the city’s Indigenous young adult population.
The name ziibi — meaning “river” in Anishinaabemowin and Cree — reflects the station’s tagline, “Where Music & Community Flows.” NCI says the relaunch is a return to the original vision for the frequency: radio that speaks to Indigenous voices, culture, and lived experience.
According to NCI, Winnipeg is home to more than 90,000 Indigenous residents with an average age of just over 31, making it the largest urban Indigenous population in Canada.
The station came to life after the company commissioned research and convened an Indigenous focus group to shape programming for listeners aged 25 to 40 — a demographic the organization says has long been underserved by local media.
The station, which most recently operated as NOW Country 104.7, marks the frequency’s fourth major evolution since receiving its CRTC licence in 2008. In a release, NCI said the new station will complement its existing province-wide network of 57 transmitters as a companion “Cuzin Station.”
Full details on programming, branding, and a launch date are expected in the coming months.
