CJTK 106.5 FM, Sault Ste. Marie’s first Christian radio station, hit the airwaves on Sept. 27. The station was officially launched at an interdenominational luncheon. For now, CJTK (Christ Jesus The King), will act as a repeater for the KFM Radio network, based in Sudbury. The station has no paid employees and will operate with the help of 30 volunteers. Bill and Brenda Ansley are the acting volunteer station managers.
The Edmonton Broadcasters Club salutes Terry Jones on Oct. 11. In addition to being an Edmonton Sun sports columnist since 1982, Jones has been covering sports since 1967, including more Olympic games than any other Canadian journalist (16), well over 500 Stanley Cup playoff games, 37 Grey Cups, 20 Super Bowls and Briers, and every Canada Cup/World Cup hockey tournament dating back to ‘76. Over the years, Jones was also a contributor to CFCW-AM Edmonton and hosted Sportstalk on CFRN 1260, alongside Gord Whitehead, who will interview Jones at the Broadcasters lunch. Tickets are on sale at edmontonbroadcasters.com.
Bill Evanov, president and CEO of Evanov Communications, was honoured this week with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Small Business Summit Awards Gala in Caledon, ON, marking 50 years in broadcasting. Evanov celebrated his 75th birthday last week.
Backstreet Boys, Fifth Harmony, Kelly Clarkson, Ria Mae, Virginia To Vegas, Jessie Reyez, and Noah Cyrus headline the 2nd annual iHeartRadio Canada Jingle Ball at Toronto’s Air Canada Centre on Dec. 9. Tickets go on sale Oct. 6.
The Slaight Family Foundation is gifting the National Arts Centre (NAC) in Ottawa $500,000 to support up-and-coming Canadian artists who will appear as part of contemporary music series NAC Presents. Among those who’ll appear during the 2017-18 season on Slaight Music Saturdays are Erin Costelo, Maude Audet, Her Harbour and Catherine Leduc. Since 2012, the Slaight family has donated $1 million to the NAC.
Momentum Media Networks has teamed with the UK’s Wireless Group Media (talkSPORT) to bring the English Premier League to Canada. A full slate of soccer matches for the 2017/18 and 2018/19 seasons are now available to stations for play on-air and online. For a full schedule and affiliation details, contact Michael Olstrom at Momentum.
Radio-Canada’s ICI Musique has launched MUSE, its new digital radio channel dedicated to classical music. Available via ICIMUSIQUE.ca and through the mobile app, tenor and Radio-Classique host Marc Hervieux joins the channel this month, in addition to Frédéric Trudel, Frédéric Cardin, Marc-André Doran and Jacques Kuba Séguin.
SiriusXM Canada’s NHL Network Radio (ch. 91) has started its coverage of the 2017-18 NHL season. Now in its 13th season, the channel welcomes back hosts Gord Stellick, Rob Simpson, Steve Kouleas, Scott Laughlin, Patrick O’Sullivan, Jim Boomer Gordon, Mick Kern and Nick Alberga. Analysts and insiders Mike Johnson, Jeff Marek, Pierre McGuire, Bob McKenzie, Mike Rupp and Bill Watters will also make regular appearances.
Erin Trafford, former Global Halifax anchor and News 95.7 (CJNI-FM) talk show host, has a new podcast called In The Storyhouse. Co-hosted by Jennifer Flores from Rambling Renovators in Toronto, the podcast touches on influencer marketing, blogging and digital content creation. Trafford has helmed her blog DIY Passion since 2013 and is also a contributor to the Ehm & Co Facebook Live show.
Reach FM (CJGY-FM) Grande Prairie hosted another successful Radiothon for Rising Above on Sept. 27, raising $107,506 for counselling programs, employment initiatives and housing for those stuck in cycles of defeat. Over the last seven years, the GoldenWest station has raised more than $700,000 for the Rising Above organization.
News Talk 980 (CKNW-AM) Vancouver host Simi Sara has earned her Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Simon Fraser University, 28 years after she first enrolled at SFU. The former co-host of City Vancouver’s Breakfast Television abandoned her studies a year-and-a-half in after her mother passed away. Sara later transferred to Langara College where she pursued their two-year journalism program. Determined to finish her SFU degree, she enrolled in the SFU NOW (Nights or Weekends) program, while continuing to host The Simi Sara Show and raise two teenagers.
SiriusXM Canada has crowned Gavin Matts of New Westminster the winner of the eighth annual SiriusXM Top Comic competition. Matts took home the grand prize of $25,000 and guaranteed spots at three of Canada’s biggest comedy festivals in 2018 – JFL42 in Toronto, JFL NorthWest in Vancouver and the Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal, which includes a spot in televised special JFL: All Access on The Comedy Network. Runners-up, Sterling Scott of Edmonton and Graham Chittenden of Brantford will receive TV spots at the 2018 Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal, as well as a co-headlining show at JFL42 2018.
The CRTC has renewed the broadcasting licence for English-language Christian music radio station CJLU-FM Halifax and its transmitter CJLU-FM-1 Wolfville until 2024. The commission also renewed specialty Christian music radio station CHVI-FM Campbell River.
News Talk Radio CJAD 800, CTV Montreal and the Montreal Gazette are teaming up to host a cross-platform mayoral debate on Oct. 23 at 7 p.m. ET. Taking place before a live audience at Concordia University’s Oscar Peterson Hall, the debate airs in real time on CJAD 800 and CJAD.com, and via livestream on Montreal.CTVNews.ca and MontrealGazette.com. CJAD 800 host Leslie Roberts moderates.
Jeff Woods has added his first American affiliate for his Records and Rockstars-branded three-hour weekly program and daily 60-second features. Homeslice Media’s Classic Rock 100.3 the Fox (KFXS-FM) Rapid City, SD starts airing Woods immediately via Momentum Media Networks.
