Radio Connects commissioned Angus Reid to poll 1,564 Canadians 18+, asking them how they feel about returning to work, whether they’ve managed to save money, and where they plan on spending in the next few months. The results show Canadians who are listening to AM/FM Radio on an average day have money to spend, know where they want to spend it, and are ready to move on. Specifically, 72% of Canadians say they are resuming regular activities. 77% of those planning on discretionary spending report listening to radio daily, as do 84% of those commuting to work. Read the full report here.
imager, formerly IMGR, has announced a rebrand and restructure as the radio imaging partner continues to evolve. Updated daily, the imager library services CHR and Hot AC stations, while all other formats will be delivered via a new service, imager Custom. imager is now being offered at imager.us on an entirely new user platform the company bills as more intuitive and user-friendly. imager is available in Canada via Orbyt Media.
CBC Calgary and CBC Edmonton have announced that Tarik Robinson has been named the new producer and host of KEY OF A, airing Saturdays from 5 to 6 p.m. on CBC Radio One and on CBC Listen. Robinson, known for his work with hip hop group Dragon Fli Empire and as a solo artist, calls Calgary home. He succeeds longtime CBC Calgary producer Katherine Duncan in the role. Robinson says he intends on shaping each episode of the show like the cassette mixtapes he made growing up, “curating journeys through the musical landscape of Alberta every Saturday.”
boom 97.3 (CHBM-FM) Toronto has had to reimagine its infamous Halloween programming with the departure of longtime producer and character voice Derek Welsman earlier this year, the station’s primary host of its “Boo 97.3” spooktacular for the past seven years in the role of Igor. Left with the challenge of reinventing its Halloween programming, Program Director Troy McCallum says the station decided to incorporate iconic/memorable scenes from blockbuster Horror, Thriller, and Sci-fi films into songs that not only have a Halloween vibe but also speak to the subject matter of the scene. Dubbed “fused intros,” the station used a similar approach in the production of its Apollo 11 tribute in 2019. Produced by new Senior Imaging Producer Dan Macintosh, the five-hour Halloween special will be broadcast across Stingray’s Classic Hits stations.
LISTEN: South Asian broadcasting trailblazer Shushma Datt will be recognized at the upcoming Jack Webster Foundation Awards with the 2021 Bruce Hutchison Lifetime Achievement Award, which honours an exemplary B.C. journalism career. Datt, who faced significant racism from mainstream media, persevered and started her own 24-hour South Asian radio station on a sub-carrier frequency, later becoming the first Indo-Canadian woman to be granted a CRTC licence with the launch of Sp!ce Radio AM 1200 in Burnaby in 2005. On this episode of Broadcast Dialogue – The Podcast, we welcome Datt to talk about her media journey, how far the industry has come and how far it still needs to go.
LISTEN: On the latest episode of the Sound Off Podcast, Matt Cundill welcomes Montana Getty to talk media, sport and politics. The granddaughter of late Alberta Premier and former Edmonton Eskimos quarterback Don Getty, she talks to Matt about why she chose a career in broadcasting which has thus far taken her to Edmonton, Dawson Creek and now Saskatoon. Listen on your favourite podcast app or here:
