The CRTC has released Attitudes and Opinions Towards Commercial Radio in Canada, the Ipsos-conducted research report on Canadian listening habits and attitudes toward commercial radio. It finds that four in 10 Canadians are listening to commercial radio daily – the most of any broadcast platform – while seven in 10 (68%) say they’re listening weekly. Key findings included that Canadians consider commercial radio to be the most important broadcast platform to have access to (45%), specifically for music (64%) and local news content (57%). Only 28% put the same importance on having access to CBC Radio/ICI Radio-Canada, while 28% placed more import on music streaming services and 19% on podcasts. When it comes to CanCon requirements, 62% of those surveyed strongly or somewhat agreed that it’s essential to promote Canadian artists, while sentiment towards promoting French-language music was stronger among Francophones at 72%. Most also agree streaming music services should be required to support the Canadian broadcast sector (53% strongly/somewhat agree), but feel any future regulations should not interfere with consumer choice (68%). Read more here.
Humble & Fred announced Thursday they are leaving terrestrial radio behind for good, revealing that their show on Bell Media’s Funny 820 (CHAM-AM) Hamilton, was also a casualty of the company’s recent operational streamlining. The veteran Toronto radio duo, also known as Howard Glassman and Fred Patterson, were lured back to the terrestrial morning show airwaves after a 13-year absence in Sept. 2018. They’ve been dabbling in podcasting since 2006 and resurrected their show online in 2011, building an audience and a group of committed advertisers. The Funny 820 show was a reimagined version of the podcast, featuring five breaks. Newstalk 1010 (CFRB-AM) Toronto was also re-airing half hour segments, in addition to community station 88.7 The River (CIWN-FM) in Mount Forest, among others. While they had agreed to stay on with Funny 820 until April 10, the duo announced live on-air Thursday it would be their last show. As of Monday, they’re livestreaming their podcast four days a week on their Facebook page. Read more here.
Dick Williams makes his return to 980 CFPL-AM London, 60 years after first joining the station in 1960. At 81, Williams retains his status as a local radio legend and one of the first DJs in North America to spin The Beatles. Dick Williams’ Solid Gold Rock and Roll will air Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m, starting Feb. 27. While CFPL airs a news/talk format as part of the Global News Radio network, the station is introducing the show as a weekend “pick me up” for listeners, featuring music of the 1960s and 70s, as well as a look back to London’s past with news headlines, trends and listener memories, accompanied by Channel 98 jingles – the brand CFPL carried during those decades. The charge to get Williams back on air at CFPL was led by his son and local Corus sales rep, D.J. Williams. Read the full story here.
The CRTC has granted the owners of Vancouver’s 98.3 CIRH-FM, formerly Roundhouse Radio, a short term licence renewal through August of this year. Pushor Family Holdings of Kelowna remains in control of the station, which has been off the air since May 2018, after a deal with South Fraser Broadcasting – the owners of Surrey’s 107.7 Pulse FM (CISF-FM) – to purchase the station fell through. The short-term licence renewal is intended to give the Pushor family time to secure a new buyer.
The CRTC has granted Montreal ethnic station 102.9 CILO-FM a short term licence renewal through Aug. 2024 due to several compliance issues. Among them, failure to file financial returns dating back to 2015 and failure to implement the National Public Alert System. It also has not followed through on its proposedCanadian content development (CCD) contributions.
The CRTC has revoked the licence for Indigenous station Membertou Radio C99.9 (CJIJ-FM) Sydney, NS at the licensee’s request. The station received CRTC approval in 2002 and went on-air the following year. No reason has been given for the Native Type B English- and aboriginal-language FM station’s departure from the airwaves.
Gimlet Media has released details of Connie Walker’s first project for the Spotify-owned podcast publisher. Stolen: The Search for Jermain Charlo dives into the 2018 disappearance of the 23-year old woman from the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes in Montana. Walker, the former host of CBC Podcasts’ Missing & Murdered, which focused on cases involving missing and murdered Indigenous women, joined Gimlet in late 2019 after almost 20 years with the public broadcaster. Stolen: The Search for Jermain premieres March 1.
CBC British Columbia has released original podcast, Pieces, exploring Indigenous identity. Hosted by 19-year-old Jeremy Ratt, who self-identifies as half Indigenous and half Caucasian, the podcast follows Ratt’s journey to discover his Indigenous roots and explore what it means to be Indigenous.
LISTEN: On the latest episode of Broadcast Dialogue – The Podcast (which incidentally broke into the Top 25 on Apple Podcasts’ Business News – Canada chart this week), we chat with Nails Mahoney. A veteran of radio on both sides of the pond, including stations in Vancouver and Toronto, Mahoney now runs talent coaching business OnAir Coach with partner Tracey Lee. OnAir Coach is behind the Radio Star international talent competition. If you’re looking for performance advice, motivation or among those who find themselves looking for work in the current radio landscape, this podcast is for you.
