Editing CFNY-FM (section)

===Turbulence and expansion===
In 1979, the station's original owners were involved in court action unrelated to CFNY and forced to sell the station. In spite of its problems, CFNY garnered praise from its listeners and other broadcasters alike. Referring to its free-form format, the station was called "one of the last truly alternative radio stations in North America". When the new owners went bankrupt in 1979, the station received 6,200 letters and tens of thousands of names on a petition lobbying the [[Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission]] to "save real radio."<ref>Ian Pearson, [http://www.spiritofradio.ca/Articles/Ramshackle.asp "ramshackle radio"], ''The City'', October 1979</ref>

With the Canadian economy in [[recession]] and interest rates high, the station's owners sold the station to media conglomerate [[Selkirk Communications]]. Selkirk moved the station's transmitter to the [[CN Tower]] in Toronto, thereby greatly increasing the broadcasting power and range of the station.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.spiritofradio.ca/Articles/NewspaperArticle.asp|title=CFNY 102.1 Articles: newspaper, 1981|publisher=Spiritofradio.ca|access-date=2012-03-16}}</ref> By 1985, the station had reached new heights of popularity, capturing over 5.4% of the Toronto area listeners and becoming internationally famous for its music mix, due to its availability via [[satellite]]. By this time, the station's dance party tradition had evolved into a large video dance party, hosted by [[Martin Streek]], who joined the station as a DJ and on-air personality in 1984. This event regularly toured throughout southern Ontario and expanded the station's influence well beyond its actual broadcast range.<ref name=reynolds/> For a brief period, it was also available on satellite across North America, although this also led to the introduction of more "popular" music.

Through the early and mid-1980s, CFNY was well-respected for introducing new performers that other stations wouldn't play due to not being well-known names, including Canadian artists such as [[Martha and the Muffins]], [[Rough Trade (band)|Rough Trade]], [[Blue Rodeo]], [[Jane Siberry]], [[54-40 (band)|54-40]], [[Skinny Puppy]], and [[Spoons (band)|Spoons]].

CFNY also created Canada's first independent music awards, the [[U-Knows]], the name of which was a pun on Canada's mainstream [[Juno Award]]s. In 1986, the station held a listener contest to rename the awards, which were re-dubbed the [[CASBY Award]]s, for "Canadian Artists Selected By You".

In 1987, after nine years in the position, David Marsden stepped down as program director. He was succeeded in the role by on-air personality Don Berns.<ref name="broadcasting-history.ca">{{cite web|url=http://www.broadcasting-history.ca/index3.html?url=http%3A//www.broadcasting-history.ca/listings_and_histories/radio/histories.php%3Fid%3D397%26historyID%3D179|title=Canadian Communications Foundation &#124; Fondation des Communications Canadiennes|publisher=Broadcasting-history.ca|access-date=2012-03-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150226214312/http://www.broadcasting-history.ca/index3.html?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.broadcasting-history.ca%2Flistings_and_histories%2Fradio%2Fhistories.php%3Fid%3D397%26historyID%3D179|archive-date=2015-02-26|url-status=dead}}</ref> Marsden moved to Vancouver, where he created and launched the variety series ''[[Pilot One]]'' for [[CBC Television]] and became program director of [[CKST|Coast 800]].

One notable broadcast was their worldwide period of silence for [[John Lennon]], followed by "[[Remember (John Lennon song)|Remember]]" for the recently slain singer. More than 500 radio stations, including one in each Canadian province and American state, plus one in [[Sydney, Australia]] played this Dream Network tribute broadcast.<ref>{{cite news|title=Thousands of Canadians join to pay tribute to Lennon|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=f41VAAAAIBAJ&dq=brampton%20city%20hall&pg=1098%2C4963104|access-date=15 July 2011|newspaper=The Leader-Post|date=15 December 1980|agency=The Canadian Press|location=Regina SK}}</ref>