The CRTC has approved an application by Gospel Media Communications (GMC) to acquire religious AM radio station CJRS Montréal from not-for-profit broadcaster Radio Shalom. GMC has been cooperating with Radio Shalom since 2017 to offer programming serving both the Jewish and Christian communities. As a result of the financial support it has provided to Radio Shalom in recent years, GMC would acquire its assets for $0.
Northern Native Broadcasting has begun testing CJNY-FM Vancouver, branded as Journey FM. Originally approved in 2017 and then shelved due to financial challenges, the organization recently revived the project after receiving an extension from the CRTC in late November. NNB has until Aug. 31 to launch the English- and Indigenous-language Type B Native FM, but has plans to start broadcasting as early as February.
Numeris has released the Fall 2022 Diary ratings, covering the period from Fall 2021 to Fall 2022. David Bray offers a breakdown for Ottawa-Gatineau, Winnipeg, Hamilton, Victoria and Halifax. CBC Radio One was #1, A12+, in all of the aforementioned markets with the exception of Hamilton where Bounce 102.9 (CKLH-FM) led the way, followed by KX94.7 New Country (CHKX-FM). Read more here.
Corus Radio has announced that JUNO Award-winning and nine-time Canadian Country Music Association Award winners The Washboard Union will host their third annual “Washboard Union Christmas” on Corus country stations across Canada. Hosted by Chris “Dunner” Duncombe, David Roberts and Aaron Grain, the program will feature Dallas Smith, Meghan Patrick, and Tim and The Glory Boys, among other special guests. The two-hour radio special will air on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day on Corus’ Country 105 Calgary, CISN 103.9 Edmonton and Country 104 London, in addition to Durham Radio’s KX 94.7 Hamilton and KX 96 Oshawa; Pattison Media’s QX 104 Winnipeg and 93.7 JR Country Vancouver; and all Stingray Real Country and New Country stations.
JAZZ.FM91 (CJRT-FM) Toronto has shared its Top 25 Jazz Albums of 2022. Based on consultation with 15 knowledgeable and passionate on-air hosts who shared the releases that impressed them most this past year, the list features breakout stars including Samara Joy’s Grammy-nominated Linger Awhile and Caity Gyorgy’s JUNO-winning full-length debut Featuring. There are also promising debuts by emerging acts like Luis Deniz’s El Tinajon and The Ostara Project’s self-titled release. JAZZ.FM91’s top albums of 2022 also shines a spotlight on Canadian talent, featuring 11 recordings by domestic acts, including Neil Swainson, the Cookers Quintet, Alexis Baro, Roberto Occhipinti, and Michelle Willis, among others.
CBC British Columbia’s Food Bank Day raised $1,874,841.43 for local food banks with donations open until the end of the month. The Dec. 2 event featured special programming throughout the day, including stories about the impact of food banks across B.C. and the many individuals that rely on them. As part of a gradual return towards in-person events, the CBC Vancouver Broadcast Centre opened its doors to studio audiences for live broadcasts of local CBC Radio One programs. For 36 years, British Columbians have been donating to Food Bank Day, raising more than $17 million for food banks in B.C. since its inception in 1986.
Evanov Communications’ Winnipeg stations held 12-hour radiothon Hope for the Holidays on Friday, Dec. 9, raising over $30,000 and hundreds of pounds of food donations. Energy 106 (CHWE-FM), HOT 100.5 (CFJL-FM), and 92.7 FM CKJS teamed up to ensure everyone in Manitoba could have a holiday celebration, broadcasting live from 6 a.m. – 6 p.m. Through food and cash donations, they helped prepare Harvest Hampers to help feed a record 90,000 Manitobans.
Audible has released its first Canadian holiday original, Mistletoe Murders, featuring the voice of Vancouver native Cobie Smulders, who stars as sleuth and owner of a holiday-themed store, Emily Lane, in addition to Canadian actors Raymond Ablack and Anna Cathcart. Set in the fictional Northern Ontario town of Fletcher’s Grove, the murder mystery podcast is made up of three, two-part seasonal stories and was written by writer/producer Ken Cuperus (Happy House of Frightenstein, Stargate: Atlantis).
OP-ED: Canada’s non-profit radio sector has launched a new national awareness campaign, focused on bringing direct funding to community radio stations. “Today there are more than 235 community-based stations, many operating in small town, rural Canada, and others serving populations who would never hear their voices on Canadian radio,” writes Barry Rooke, Executive Director of the National Campus & Community Radio Association (NCRA/ANREC). “The Canadian broadcasting system is based on three pillars, Community, Public, and Commercial. Unfortunately, only one of those pillars, still to this day, gets no government support at all. These stations are vital to the Canadian voice, and our proposal to the federal government for budget 2023 is aimed at addressing this imbalance.” Read more here.
LISTEN: If you’ve listened to sports radio in Alberta anytime in the last three decades, you probably know Bryn Griffiths. He joins Matt Cundill on the Sound Off Podcast to talk about his lifelong passion for sports and broadcasting, including his favourite interviews, the usual sports talk, and of course, a long chat about the current state of sports radio (and radio in general). Griffiths is currently the Director of Podcast and Audio Production at Edmonton production house, Road 55. Listen on your favourite podcast app or here:
