Fitzroy Gordon facts for kids

Fitzroy Anthony Gordon (born March 19, 1954 – died April 30, 2019) was an amazing Jamaican-Canadian radio host and DJ. He lived in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Fitzroy Gordon is best known for starting G98.7. This was Canada's second radio station made just for Black and Caribbean communities. He loved helping his community through his radio shows. Some of his popular shows were Dr. Love on CHIN Radio and Grapevine on G98.7.

Starting His Career

Fitzroy Gordon was born in Jamaica on March 19, 1954. He moved to Canada in 1979. When he first arrived, he worked as a sports journalist. He wrote for different newspapers and magazines in Canada and the Caribbean.

Gordon began his radio journey at CHIN radio station in Toronto. For 19 years, he produced and hosted the Dr. Love Show. This was a night-time music and talk show for the Caribbean community. At the same time, he also worked as a sports journalist for 15 years. He was an expert in cricket. He hosted the International Sports Report on The Score and worked for FAN 590 in Toronto. He also wrote columns for newspapers like the Toronto Sun, the Gleaner & Star, and Contrast. In 1998, Gordon left CHIN. He wanted to follow his big dream of starting a radio station just for Black and Caribbean listeners.

Creating G98.7 Radio Station

Starting G98.7 was a project that took Fitzroy Gordon over ten years of hard work. He really wanted to create a place for Black and Caribbean voices in Toronto. He first asked the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) for a broadcast license in 2001, but they said no.

In 2009, he got a partial license, but it didn't include a radio frequency. Finally, he got the 98.7 FM frequency. But he still needed approval from the national Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). This was because his station would be very close to CBC Toronto's 99.1 FM band. The CBC first refused, and Gordon spent all his personal savings fighting for his dream. Another radio station, FLOW 93.5FM, also challenged his license. They said G98.7 would be too similar to their station. However, many people from the community said that FLOW didn't truly represent them.

After a CRTC decision in his favor in 2011, the station officially got its license in June of that year. G98.7 launched in November with Jimmy Cliff's song "I Can See Clearly Now." The station quickly became popular. It reached many different communities across the city.

Gordon hosted the Gospel Morning program on weekends for G98.7. He also hosted the Grapevine Talk Show on Sunday afternoons. Besides Toronto's Black and Caribbean communities, Gordon also encouraged shows that focused on Toronto's large African communities.

Awards and Special Recognitions

In 2015, Fitzroy Gordon received a Special Recognition Award. This award came from the Jamaican Canadian Association. It honored his important work and dedication.

His Legacy and Passing

The call letters for G98.7 are CKFG-FM. The "FG" stands for Fitzroy Gordon's initials. This is a special way to remember his huge role in starting the station.

Gordon had a stroke in 2017. He passed away on April 30, 2019, in Toronto, at the age of 65. When he died, Gordon was working on starting a television station. This station would also be for Black and Caribbean communities. Important leaders shared their sadness about his death. This included the Prime Minister of Canada, a leader from the NDP political party, and the Mayor of Toronto. Many people attended his funeral service in Scarborough. This included members of Ontario's first Black Caucus, who are politicians elected to the provincial parliament.