Editor’s note: As of Feb. 3, U.S. President Donald Trump has paused his plan to levy tariffs on Canada for at least 30 days.
Numerous Canadian radio stations transitioned to an all-Canadian playlist Monday morning in the wake of pending U.S. tariffs set to be applied to Canadian goods at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday.
President Donald Trump has used his powers under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose a 25% tariff on all Canadian imports, with the exception of petroleum, which will be subject to a 10% tariff. In turn, Canada has announced its own 25% counter-tariffs.
Canadian media have responded to the U.S. move with stations, including Cogeco’s Montreal group of stations – The Beat 92.5 (CKBE-FM), Rythme FM (CFGL-FM), and CKOI – moving to play 100% Canadian music all morning.
“With the many changes happening around us, I encourage people to make a conscious effort in their media consumption: stream Canadian artists, attend local shows, listen to your local radio stations, visit Canadian websites…These seemingly mundane acts actually make a huge difference in the success of Canadian arts and entertainment,” morning show co-host Mark Bergman wrote in a post to Instagram.
Barrie’s Kool FM (CKMB-FM) also turned up the volume on homegrown artists, hosting an All-Canadian Edition of its All-Request Listener Lunch. Other stations were quick to jump onto the “Buy Canadian” bandwagon with listeners encouraged to share their favourite Canadian-made brands and goods.
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The Pro Bono Group, headed by production veterans Mike Occomore and Larry MacInnis, is also set to go into the recording studio Tuesday to produce a 30-second PSA for Canadian radio promoting buying Canadian goods.
Titled “Stand” and set for release this week, the “Pro Canada Project” – as Occomore and MacInnis have dubbed the campaign – is aimed at every Canadian regardless of their political beliefs.
“This idea just naturally happened on the weekend as the news about the impending tariffs started to really sink in,” Occomore told Broadcast Dialogue. “We wanted to do something to help Canadians keep their jobs and their companies – and remind everyone to buy Canadian.”
“We certainly didn’t invent the ‘buy Canadian’ idea; it’s a grass roots thing,” he added. “The important thing is all Canadians are being impacted by this, and they’re feeling at least some anxiety about what could happen to this country.”
@paula_sand okay kids. time to shop the den 🇨🇦 @Dragons Den 🇨🇦 ♬ original sound – nicole
Additionally, CBC’s Dragons’ Den – an incubator for countless homegrown companies over the past 20 seasons – is inviting those in the Toronto area to “Shop the Den” on Thursday, Feb. 6 from noon to 6 p.m. The one-day marketplace offers the chance to shop products from past Dragons’ Den entrepreneurs.
