Radio Connects is leading the search for a new third-party audience measurement provider for so-called “C Market” diary cities like Lethbridge, Prince George, and Saint John. Numeris will continue providing PPM measurement and continuous measurement for the top 22 radio markets. Radio Connects says a third-party provider is being sought to measure 56 smaller markets that have largely gone unmeasured as of late. Radio Connects President Caroline Gianias said discussions around the prospect of a new third-party measurement provider were initiated following Numeris’ announcement this past summer that it was moving the Fall 2020 Radio Diary online only and would focus solely on the top markets. The agency later announced the cancellation of the Fall radio release due to low online diary returns. The three companies vying for the small market measurement contract are Australia’s Xtra Insights; Quebec City-headquartered startup StatsRadio; and Microtherapy, the software company behind Radius audience analysis and broadcast sales software. Gianias said the details of how the additional measurement will be funded will be part of the stakeholder committee’s discovery process. Read more here.
Stingray Radio has rolled out the regional “Q Network” across four of its Classic/Active Rock stations in the Maritimes, anchored by shared morning and evening shows out of Q104 (CFRQ-FM) Halifax. In addition to Q104, the stations under the Q Network umbrella include Q103 (CJMO-FM) Moncton, NB (formerly branded as C103), Q97.9 (CKEZ-FM) Pictou County, NS (formerly Z97.9), and Q88.9 (CHNI-FM) Saint John, NB, which was already under the Q banner. As of Monday, each station’s day is “bookended” by BJ & The Q Morning Crew, hosted by BJ Wilson, Bobby Mac, and Allie McKinnon, and regional evening show Rock of the Atlantic with Adam Marriott, which has aired across all four stations since 2018. In Moncton, Brock Gallant and Mandy MacDonald remain hosting daytime shows, while Alex Theriault and Scott George continue to anchor locally-based shows in Pictou County. There are no personality or music changes in Halifax and Saint John.
The Aboriginal Multi-Media Society of Alberta (AMMSA) is in the midst of its testing phase ahead of the Feb. 1 launch of 89.3 The Raven. The Raven will play the best of Pop, Classic Rock, and Hip Hop with a focus on Canadian Indigenous talent, in addition to Indigenous language programming in Cree, Dene, Nakoda Sioux and Michif. The station’s launch was initially supposed to happen last April, but was delayed by the pandemic. The Raven joins the media group’s other properties which include CFWE-FM Edmonton and CJWE 88.1 FM Calgary, as well as online site, Windspeaker.com.
CBC Music is launching two new national radio shows: The Block (Feb. 1), a two-hour show highlighting music of Black origin from Hip Hop to Reggae and R&B, airing weeknights from 7 – 9 p.m., hosted by Angeline Tetteh-Wayoe; and Frequencies (Feb. 2), hosted by Errol Nazareth, airing Tuesday evenings at 6 p.m. on CBC Music and CBC Listen. Building on the format of his popular Toronto radio show Big City, Small World, Frequencies will highlight musical storytelling from cultures and communities across Canada that aren’t always reflected in mainstream media. “We are expanding our range of music programming to amplify voices and genres that have not consistently had a home on mainstream or national airwaves,” said Steve Jordan, Senior Director of CBC Music, in a release. “Adding The Block and Frequencies to our schedule is a part of our evolving strategy to connect and reflect a wider range of musical interests and communities across Canada.”
Expect Theatre and CBC Podcasts have announced a new season of PlayME, the podcast that turns Canadian plays into audio fiction. The Gold Medal winner of the 2020 New York Festival’s Radio Award for audio drama kicks off its new season with a lineup of plays that speak to these uncertain times, exploring themes like privilege, connection, the urban/rural divide and mental health. The season begins with Marcus Youssef and James Long’s Winners And Losers. The 2021 season is also set to feature Other Side of the Game by Amanda Parris, the 2019 Governor General’s Award winner for English-language drama; and Between The Sheets by Jordi Mand, among other productions.
SiriusXM NHL Network Radio™ (ch. 91) is bringing subscribers live play-by-play of every game for a 16th year. This year’s roster of former players joining the broadcasts include Mike Johnson, Mike Rupp, Martin Biron, Shane O’Brien, Kris Versteeg and Anthony Stewart. Among this season’s new hosts are Gord Stellick, Scott Laughlin, Steve Kouleas, Boomer Gordon, Mick Kern, Linda Cohn, Dave McCarthy, and Jonathan Davis. Returning are insiders Brian Burke, Elliotte Friedman, Bruce Boudreau, Pierre McGuire, Craig Button and Jeff Marek.
LISTEN: On the latest episode of the Sound Off Podcast, Evan Degenhardt, General Manager and Content Director at 106.1 The Goat (CKLM-FM) Lloydminster, talks about celebrating the station’s 20th anniversary, how alumni can get involved, and more. Listen on your favourite podcast app or here:
