by RUPERT BOTTENBERG

“Igotta give kudos to K103,” says Kahnawake’s Hiio Kirby. “I was there back 10 years ago, and I was doing the late nights. At the time, we couldn’t attract flies. We didn’t know where to go with it, because we just didn’t know how to compete.

“Jeez, out of nowhere, I picked up a Wu-Tang Clan CD and just threw it on. Okay, it sounds pretty good, so I started throwing more stuff like that. Little did I know, I had an underground audience listening all the while! That’s how K103 grew—underground!”

Today, of course, Kahnawake’s K103.7 FM is not only the Mohawk community’s spot on the radio dial, but also the Montreal region’s best source of urban and hip hop vibes (and pertinent bingo information). And while Kirby wishes them the best, he’s now applying his upfrom- the-underground strategy to a new station—in a whole new broadcast mode.

In September, Kirby launched mohawk-radio.com, the Internet station he founded and owns with his brother, Daniel Kirby Jr., and James Jacobs. “James and myself are old radio-heads from way back. We used to work for K103. We’d pretty much reached the wall as far as expansion and where it could go. We needed another outlet, and we’re somewhat irreverent, in a sense…”

Kirby’s robust laugh punctuates that understatement. “We figured, you know what? Let’s put something new together. We checked out the technology and saw where it was heading. Satellite radio’s doing its thing, and coming quickly behind it is Internet radio.”

The Genesis apocalypse

Being a Web-based operation has its benefits. The first is fiscal, of course. The second is, there are no constraints to their programming. As a community station, K103 has to follow certain CRTC guidelines. Mainstream radio, on the other hand, has its own harsh set of barriers. “Unfortunately, we look at the way Montreal radio is shaped, and it’s not where it should be. Let’s face it, I grew up listening to CHOM, and at the time, in the ’80s… look, in the ’70s, they were great, they played some really good rock ’n’ roll. Then corporations got involved, and I got sick and tired of hearing Phil Collins, Mike Rutherford, Peter Gabriel and Genesis all in the same frickin’ hour. It drove me up the wall.”

After giving props to TooTall for championing indie acts on CHOM, Kirby reveals his own tactic for onair quality—delegate content control to the hosts themselves. “I’m not gonna go, you have to play this and this and this, and I expect it in this order.”

Mind you, he does so with a firm but gentle nudge towards independent, Canadian and First Nations material—provided they meet Kirby’s artistic and technical standards. In his book, the listener is the boss, and the boss seems happsy so far. “We had one ‘This site sucks’ e-mail, but other than that, the response has been great. We’re averaging about 3,000 hits a day, easy.”

Wild style on the dial

Furthermore, mohawk-radio.com has sought out hosts, from Kahnawake or otherwise, who can bring some much-needed edge, vivacity, character and nutty on-air shenanigans to the mix. “There are a lot of talented announcers in Montreal, but the format and their bosses won’t allow them to really find out who they really are. It’s unfortunate—I know a few of them and they’re funny as hell, but they can’t do it. They’re not allowed to. Here, I want these young guys to come out and find out who they are, mistakes and all.”

There’s no mistaking the gutbusting bite of the Morning Mayhem show, with Kirby and co-host Java, or the noon-to-three lunacy of Nicky G and Matty P. And between their audio antics and the rock-solid playlist (another host, Blackheart, is a hog-straddling connoisseur of classic rock), there’s still room for local flavour. “Especially on Sundays, we’re gonna relax it, have elders from our community come on and speak the language. We already tried it, just recently, and it was a blast for them. Once again, we’re not a community station, but we are somewhat community- oriented. We do want to take care of who we are.”