CBC Radio One satirical current affairs show This Is That will end its nine-year run following this season. Creators and hosts Pat Kelly and Peter Oldring made the announcement during their Sept. 27 show. New episodes will continue to air Thursdays and Saturdays at 11:30 a.m. (3:30 NT), with the final episode scheduled for Dec. 29. Kelly and Oldring will tour Canada with a live show for the 2018/19 season. Read more here.
Golden West Radio has launched 104.5 MORE Country (CKOV-FM) Strathmore, AB, in partnership with Clear Sky Radio Ltd. The station also operates digital news site StrathmoreNews.com. Led by station manager Dave Hanni, the on-air team includes Natalie Johnstone and Rolfe Johannson, news announcers Chris Mulder and Monique Massiah, office manager Tammy Dubray, and sales representatives Shannon McAuley and Elisha Smith.
CBC/Radio-Canada is offering digital-only service ICI Musique Classique on HD Radio. Already available on ICIMUSIQUE.ca and the mobile app, the channel is being offered to motorists with HD radios in the greater Montreal area on HD2 CBF-FM 95.1.
The CRTC has issued a call for comments on market capacity and the appropriateness of issuing a call for radio applications to serve Timmins, ON. The commission has received an application from Vista Radio to establish a new commercial station at 100.3 MHz FM with ERP of 16,400 watts. A call has also been issued for North Bay, ON where Vista has applied to operate a commercial FM at 90.5 MHz with ERP of 45,800 watts. The deadline for interventions is Oct. 29.
The CRTC has approved an application from CBC to install a CBC Radio One rebroadcasting transmitter at Belleville, ON. The new transmitter will operate at 104.7 MHz (channel 284B1) with an average effective radiated power (ERP) of 3,020 watts (maximum ERP of 10,000 watts with an effective height of antenna above average terrain of 117.3 metres). The new antenna will be co-located with CJBC-1-FM (ICI Radio‑ Canada Première) to optimize operating costs. There is currently no Radio One service in Belleville.
Jazz.FM (CJRT-FM) Toronto has filed a statement of defence in response to a $420,000 lawsuit from former morning show host Garvia Bailey. Bailey’s suit alleges wrongful and constructive dismissal, claiming she was terminated for joining a group of current and former employees known as “the Collective,” which outlined complaints against former CEO Ross Porter and other senior staffers in a March letter. Bailey had been with the station since 2014 and according to Jazz.FM court filings was making $90,000 when she resigned in April. In its statement of defence, Jazz.FM says Bailey’s morning show was under-performing in the ratings and that management met with the host a number of times to discuss improvements, including the option of pre-recording parts of the show.
Tammy Moyer, the former News 1130 (CKWX-AM) Vancouver anchor who died from pancreatic cancer in 2016, is having her memory honoured with the renaming of Metro Vancouver’s Woman of Worth Awards (WOW). The Tammy Moyer Woman of Worth Awards will take place Oct. 27 at the Sheraton Guildford Tynehead. Moyer MC’ed the event for years which annually recognizes women in categories including Leader of the Year; Business Mom of the Year; Business and Prosperity; Health and Wellness; Spirit Success and Soul; and Sustainable Living.
Greg Hetherington, one of the owners of Five Amigos Broadcasting which operates 99.1 CKXS-FM Wallaceburg, ON, plans to seek the Conservative nomination in the riding of Lambton-Kent-Middlesex. Before coming on board the independent station in 2009, Hetherington was previously a morning show host with Blackburn Radio in Chatham.
900 CKBI Prince Albert’s annual fundraiser the Two Miles For Mary Radiothon raised more than $27,000 on Sept. 28. Now in its 31st year, the event raises funds to subsidize the local Seniors Transportation Program.
Google’s podcasting app – Google Podcasts – has added Chromecast support. The update allows listeners to enjoy podcasts on their TVs and connected speakers.
Apple has shared Podcast Authoring Best Practices. The best practice guide elaborates on compression formats, bit rates, and optimal signal levels to create the best possible quality and file size tradeoffs, while ensuring a pleasant and distortion-free listening experience.
Spotify has established a dedicated podcasters portal. The platform now allows content creators to add a podcast, even if they’re not with a partner host. It also offers daily stats on how your podcast is performing. Unlike Apple Podcasts, there is no editorial approval process. Spotify says podcast listening on the platform is growing with global growth rates of 367 per cent year-on-year.
Western Academy Broadcasting College in Saskatoon has awarded its 2018 Tyler Bieber Memorial Scholarships in memory of the Bolt FM (CHBO-FM) Humboldt broadcaster, killed along with 15 others in April’s tragic Humboldt Broncos bus crash in Saskatchewan. This year’s winners are students Angela Reay, Shaun Foss, Samantha Matechuk, and Kyra McGonigle. Bieber’s mother Marilyn Hay assisted with the presentation.
SiriusXM Canada started coverage of the 2018-19 NHL season on Wednesday. All NHL games throughout the season will air nationwide on SiriusXM radios, the SiriusXM app and at SiriusXM.ca for subscribers with the SiriusXM All Access package. In its 14th season, SiriusXM NHL Network Radio (ch. 91) will include contributors Gord Stellick, Rob Simpson, Scott Laughlin, Steve Kouleas, Boomer Gordon, Mick Kern, Peter Berce,Rob Higgins, Michelle Sturino, Nick Alberga, and Dave McCarthy, plus NHL alumni Mike Johnson and Matthew Barnaby. Expert insiders Jeff Marek, Pierre McGuire, Bob McKenzie and Mike Rupp also return weekly for another season. Schedules can be found at siriusxm.ca/sports/nhl.
SiriusXM Canada has crowned Winnipeg’s Chanty Marostica as the winner of the ninth annual SiriusXM Top Comic competition at JFL42. Along with receiving the coveted Top Comic title, Marostica took home the grand prize of $25,000; guaranteed performances at four Just For Laughs Festivals; as well as a spot in a Just For Laughs television special to air on a Bell Media property in the 2019/2020 broadcast season. The two runners-up – Sophie Buddle of Vancouver and Nick Reynoldson of Scarborough – each received cash prizes of $2,500. They will also receive TV spots at the 2019 Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal, as well as a co-headlining show at JFL42. Top Comic is one of SiriusXM Canada’s ongoing initiatives to provide exposure to Canadian talent.
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