PBS has struck a deal with Canadian producer-distributor HighballTV to broadcast the documentary "CFNY: The Spirit of Radio" in the United States, with the film airing in September and streaming via PBS Passport and BPTM+. The documentary tells the story of CFNY, a pioneering Toronto-area alternative radio station, and its US arrival follows a community screening tour and an earlier Canadian launch via TVO Docs.

Directed by Matt Schichter, the film traces CFNY's rise from a small station launched out of a suburban house north of Toronto in 1976 (now known as 102.1 The Edge and owned by Corus) to a major force in punk, new wave and alternative music broadcasting. It features interviews with musicians including Rush's Geddy Lee and Jim Kerr, Barenaked Ladies' Steven Page, Metric's Emily Haines, Peter Hook of New Order/Joy Division, and Sum 41's Deryck Whibley, alongside an original score by Broken Social Scene members Brendan Canning and Ohad Benchetrit recorded at studios including Abbey Road. Matthew Campagna produced for HighballTV, with the PBS deal negotiated with Kathryn Larsen.