The best radio stations in Canada to stream online

Updated October 21, 2026 · World Radio Stations · 6 min read

The best Canadian radio stations to stream online start with the public broadcaster: CBC Radio One for news and talk, CBC Music for music, and Radio-Canada’s ICI Première for French-language listeners. Add the big city favourites (CHFI in Toronto, 98.5 and CJAD in Montreal, CKNW in Vancouver) and Alberta’s CKUA, and you have the core of Canadian radio. All of them stream free, and you can listen in your browser or browse the full list on our Canada page.

Top Canadian radio stations at a glance

CBC Radio One: Canada’s national conversation

CBC Radio One is the English-language news and talk network of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It is made up of local stations across the country, each with its own morning and afternoon shows, joined by national programmes the rest of the day. Its best-known shows include The Current (current affairs), Q with Tom Power (arts and culture interviews), the evening show As It Happens and the documentary series Ideas.

It is also one of the most-listened-to stations in the country. In Numeris audience ratings, CBC Radio One has often been the No. 1 station in Vancouver and has also topped the charts in Toronto and Calgary.

Main frequencies: 99.1 FM in Toronto, 88.1 FM and 690 AM in Vancouver, 88.5 FM in Montreal and 91.5 FM in Ottawa.

Best for: Canadian news, current affairs and thoughtful interviews. Stream it on its station guide.

CBC Music: Canada’s public music network

CBC Music is the CBC’s English-language music network, with its flagship on 94.1 FM in Toronto. Its schedule mixes classical, jazz, pop and singer-songwriter shows, with a strong focus on Canadian artists. The free CBC Listen app adds more than 100 curated music streams, and the CBC says live Radio One and CBC Music streams work from outside Canada too.

Best for: discovering Canadian musicians, plus a good dose of classical. See also our best classical radio stations.

French-language favourites: ICI Première, ICI Musique and 98.5

Quebec and Canada’s francophone communities have a radio scene of their own, with its own stars and its own ratings battles. These stations are also great listening if you’re learning French.

ICI Première

ICI Première is Radio-Canada’s French-language news and talk network, the counterpart to CBC Radio One. Its Montreal flagship broadcasts on 95.1 FM, and regional stations serve francophones across the country. Together with 98.5 (below), it is one of the two stations that usually compete for first place among French-speaking listeners in Montreal.

Best for: French-language news, culture and debate.

ICI Musique

ICI Musique is Radio-Canada’s French-language music network, broadcasting from Montreal on 100.7 FM. It began in 1974 as Le FM de Radio-Canada, was called Espace Musique from 2004 to 2014, and took its current name in 2014. Expect an ad-free mix led by classical music and jazz, with world music and pop in the schedule too. Both ICI stations stream free in Radio-Canada’s OHdio app.

Best for: classical and jazz presented in French. Find it on our Canada page.

98.5 Montréal

98.5 (CHMP-FM) is Cogeco’s French-language talk and sports station in Montreal. It switched to talk in January 2004 and has often been the most-listened-to station among francophone Montrealers in the Numeris ratings.

Best for: Montreal talk, politics and sports in French.

The big commercial stations: CHFI, 680 NewsRadio, CJAD and CKNW

CHFI 98.1 (Toronto)

CHFI is Rogers’ adult contemporary station in Toronto and one of the most-listened-to stations in the city, often finishing first in the Numeris ratings. It switches to Christmas music for part of November and December.

Best for: easy, familiar hits at work or in the car.

680 NewsRadio Toronto

Toronto’s all-news station, CFTR, is also owned by Rogers. It was branded CityNews 680 until 2024, when Rogers moved its news stations to NewsRadio names. Expect rolling news around the clock.

Best for: quick Toronto news updates.

CJAD 800 (Montreal)

CJAD is Montreal’s English-language news and talk station, owned by Bell Media and broadcasting on 800 AM. It has frequently ranked first among English-speaking Montrealers in the Numeris ratings, and it celebrated its 75th anniversary in December 2025.

Best for: English-language news and talk in Montreal.

CKNW (Vancouver)

CKNW is Vancouver’s best-known news and talk station, owned by Corus. After decades on 980 AM, it moved to 730 AM on 24 February 2025, a frequency Corus says gives it a stronger signal across Vancouver and the Lower Mainland.

Best for: British Columbia news and talk radio.

CKUA: Alberta’s listener-supported original

CKUA went on the air on 21 November 1927 from the University of Alberta campus in Edmonton and calls itself Canada’s first public broadcaster. Today it is a non-profit, listener-supported network: listeners give about 70 per cent of its annual budget. It broadcasts on 94.9 FM in Edmonton, 93.7 FM in Calgary and through 16 transmitters across Alberta, with a focus on music, arts and culture.

Best for: music and arts radio with an Alberta accent. Find it on our Canada page.

How to listen to Canadian radio online

Open our player and choose Canada, or go straight to the Canada country page, to see Canadian stations streaming live. Search by name for any station above, star your favourites, and try Surprise me to stumble on something new. CBC stations also stream in the CBC Listen app, and Radio-Canada stations in OHdio.

Listening from abroad? Our guide on how to listen to radio from another country explains how. For more North American radio, see the best US radio stations.

FAQ

What are the best Canadian radio stations?

For news and talk, CBC Radio One (English) and ICI Première (French). For music, CBC Music and ICI Musique. Among commercial stations, CHFI in Toronto, 98.5 and CJAD in Montreal, and CKNW in Vancouver are city favourites, and CKUA is Alberta’s best-loved independent network.

What is the most popular radio station in Canada?

Canada has no single national chart: Numeris measures each city separately. CBC Radio One often leads in Vancouver and has topped Toronto and Calgary, CHFI often leads Toronto, and 98.5 and ICI Première compete for first place among francophones in Montreal.

Can I listen to Canadian radio stations online?

Yes, for free. Choose Canada in our player, or use the CBC Listen and Radio-Canada OHdio apps. The CBC says its live radio streams also work outside Canada.

What frequency is CBC Radio One on?

It depends on the city: 99.1 FM in Toronto, 88.1 FM and 690 AM in Vancouver, 88.5 FM in Montreal and 91.5 FM in Ottawa. Online, it streams on its station guide.