Bell Media launches a new national talk radio show Sept. 5. The Evan Solomon Show will air at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT on the network’s full slate of talk stations including CFAX 1070 Victoria, CKFR-AM Kelowna, CKLW-AM Windsor, Newstalk 1290 CJBK London, Newstalk 610 CKTB St. Catharines, Newstalk 1010 Toronto (CFRB-AM), 580 CFRA Ottawa and CJAD 800 Montreal. The show will focus on breaking news and in-depth interviews with national and international newsmakers, in addition to listener opinion via call-in, email, text and social media. Based in Ottawa, the show complements Solomon’s existing role as National Affairs Specialist for Bell Media Radio. He’ll also continue to host CTV’s Question Period, which begins its new season Sept. 10.
Longtime CHOM 97.7 Montreal DJ Tootall will be inducted into the Canadian Broadcast Industry Hall of Fame in May. Neill Dixon, president of Canadian Music Week, broke the news live on the air to an unsuspecting Tootall last week during the CHOM morning show, with host Terry DiMonte. Tootall is set to retire next month after a 40-year career.
The CRTC can’t reach Native radio station CKBK-FM Thamesville, ON, but has renewed its licence for a two-year period anyway. The commission notes that no annual returns for the 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15 broadcast years were submitted. Moreover, the licensee hasn’t responded to any CRTC letters, emails or phone calls. The commission has set a deadline of Sept. 30 for CKBK-FM to file annual returns and a date of Oct. 31 to implement a public alerting system.
The CRTC has granted a short-term renewal of the broadcasting licence for predominantly religious French-language radio station Radio Ville-Marie (CIRA-FM) Montréal and its transmitters CIRA-FM-2 Trois-Rivières, CIRA-FM-3 Victoriaville and CIRA-FM-4 Rimouski, through Aug. 2022. The commission says the short-term renewal will allow for a review of compliance issues including broadcasting messages soliciting funds that violate the Religious Broadcasting Policy, absence of program logs for some time periods and late or incomplete filing of annual returns.
The JUNO Awards category for Comedy Album of the Year has been reinstated after a 33-year hiatus. The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) has re-established the award, with sponsorship from SiriusXM Canada. Albums eligible for submission must be recorded by a comedic performer or performers of any of the following disciplines: stand-up, sketch, improvisation or musical comedy. Submissions for the 2018 JUNO Awards open on Oct. 2 and close Nov. 10.
Sitting in chairs: Heidi St. Onge, Taylor Charette, Kathy Foley, Bonnie Desjardins, Nicole Bryant, Gisele Sauve, Kathryn Fraser and Lindsay Smylie Smith
Standing: Cliff Connelly, Mark Taylor, Walter Lawrence, Jack Morin, Julian Tuck, Kailyn Shreiner, Mike Cutting, Mike McArthur, Jeff Turl, Wally Lennox, Michael Strah
Back row: Rob Connelly, Mike Hall, Shannon Manary, Suzanne Ramsay, Gail Moore, Stephen Morin and Brian Matheson
Hidden: Allan Huisman
1230 CJTT-AM Radio emerged as the voice of South Temiskaming, ON, 50 years ago this month in Aug. 1967. To mark the milestone, an alumni 50th Anniversary Reunion Dinner was held with current and former staff. Since 1998, CJTT has been at 104.5 on the FM dial, with a format of Today’s Hits and Yesterday’s Classics.
Ottawa’s Real Rock REBEL 101.7 (CIDG-FM) celebrated its 1st anniversary Aug. 30. Operations director Tim Wieczorek says support for the station has proven there is a huge appetite for rock radio within the city. REBEL 101.7 is owned and operated by Torres Media Ottawa.
