Corus Radio has rebranded Q107 (CFGQ-FM) Calgary to QR Calgary: Talk on FM.
The pending format flip of the Classic Rock station, that had been a staple on the city’s airwaves for nearly two decades, was first announced Dec. 16, the last day Q107 featured on-air announcers, including local talent Tarzan Dan and Cam Sullivan.
Simulcast of 770 CHQR began Monday morning. The news/talk station has been a high ratings performer for Corus, tied with CBC Radio One for first place, A12+, in the fall PPM ratings with a 9.7% share, down from 10.3% in the spring book. By comparison, Q107’s ratings had been soft, particularly with women in the key 25-54 demo.
John Vos, Regional Program Director, told Broadcast Dialogue in an email that attracting a wider audience was the main motivator behind the decision to simulcast.
“Our desire is to bring our news talk format to the FM audience. Our goal is to reach as wide an audience as possible. The FM offering will allow us to broaden our reach to a new and younger demographic while continuing to serve the audience on the AM radio band at 770,” said Vos.
Vos said core talent will remain the same weekdays and weekends, adding that there are no plans to drop the AM signal.
“The AM signal will always be part of our radio station offering along with the new addition of FM Talk,” asserted Vos.
When asked if Corus has plans for similar FM rollouts for high-performing talk properties in other markets, given the recent CRTC radio review changes allowing broadcasters to operate an additional FM station under certain conditions, Vos said Calgary is the company’s only focus right now.
“At Corus Audio our strategy is to position our first-class content across all of our platforms – AM, FM, and podcast,” added Brad Phillips, Senior Vice President of Corus Audio, in a press release. “We are excited about this unique opportunity in this dynamic market.”
QR Calgary is launching with the Crack the $10K QR Code contest, powered by Deerfoot Inn & Casino, where the station will give away $10,000 to one lucky listener.
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