Country Radio Seminar (CRS) opened with a bang last evening in Nashville

RADIO/AUDIO/PODCAST:

Country Radio Seminar (CRS) opened with a bang last evening in Nashville with Grand Ole Opry-themed performances from a who’s who of Country music, hosted by WSM’s Bill Cody. The stellar line-up included Zac Brown Band, Lady Antebellum, Crystal Gayle, LOCASH, Cam, Michael Ray, Chris Lane, Carly Pearce, Dailey & Vincent, and Trace Adkins. CRS continues today through Friday with learning sessions and tons of live music.

91X-FM (CJLX-FM) at Loyalist College in Belleville, ON is marking 25 years on the air this year and is looking to hear from alumni of the Radio Broadcasting and Journalism programs. A 25th Anniversary Dinner & Awards Night is planned for March 22 at Loyalist. Alumni, past volunteers and supporters of the radio station are encouraged to attend. The station is also calling on alumni to send 15 – 30 second audio greetings, which will air throughout the year. MP3 greetings can be sent to production@91x.fm.

Six Lethbridge, AB radio stations came together to raise more than $234,000 during the Care from the Heart Day radiothon in support of the Chinook Regional Hospital Foundation on Feb. 16. 98.1 The Bridge (CKBD-FM), 94.1 CJOC-FM, 106.7 Rock (CJRX-FM), Kiss 107.7 (CFRV-FM) and Country 95.5 (CHLB-FM) broadcast live from the hospital’s atrium from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Jewel 100.5 (CFJL-FM) Winnipeg flipped formats last Friday to Hot 100.5. Evanov Radio Group is billing the station as Winnipeg’s first and only “90s and More” station. Hot 100.5 will offer fan-favourite music programming from the 90s and 2000s including artists like Usher, Spice Girls, Alanis Morissette, Madonna, N’Sync, Destiny’s Child, Britney Spears, Nelly and Backstreet Boys. Norm Foster, who was most recently doing mornings, is out as a result of the change.

Community radio station CKMS-FM Kitchener/Waterloo held a New Frequency Party on Feb. 17 to celebrate the move from 100.3 to 102.7. The station has now been serving the Waterloo Region for 40 years.

Le Journal de Montréal has sent its second complaint in two months to Radio-Canada, saying that several of its investigative pieces were taken over without proper attribution by the public broadcaster. The complaints relate to reports on Inquiry and The Fifth Estate, covering stories first appearing in Le Journal by investigative journalist Jean-François Cloutier. The initial complaint to the CBC ombudsman maintains no credit was given to the journalist who unearthed the story on the so-called “wolf of Montreal,” millionaire John Babikian, and additionally a photo belonging to Le Journal was used in the Fifth Estate piece. Jean Pelletier, senior director of information at Radio-Canada, submits CBC used different sources and thus was not required to credit Le Journal. Cloutier’s other complaint was sent last week related to an Inquiry story on Annette Laroche, the legal secretary who served as nominee for many companies related to the Panama Papers.

Edmonton radio host Rob Christie will be in the hot seat on March 8 for the Rotary Roast of Rob Christie. Organized by the Rotary Club of Edmonton, funds will go to Boys & Girls Clubs and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Edmonton & Area. Among those roasting the longtime announcer will be Edmonton Sun columnists Marty Forbes and Graham Hicks, Bruce Bowie and Bryan Hall of 630 CHED (CHED-AM) and Susan Reade and Sean Burke of 840 CFCW (CFCW-AM). Christie started out in radio in Montreal in 1968 and has worked at CKXL-FM Calgary, CKGM-AM Montreal, 630 CHED, Power 92 (CKNG-FM) Edmonton, Mix 99.9 (CKFM-FM) Toronto, CTV News Vancouver, KiSS FM (CKKS-FM), JACK FM (CJAX-FM) Vancouver and JACK-FM (CJAQ-FM) Toronto. He returned to Edmonton in 2005 to help launch Magic 99.3 (CIUP-FM). Since 2008, he’s been hosting the morning show at Capital 96.3 FM (CKRA-FM).

A GoFundMe page has been set up for Craig Fox, longtime morning man at Country 107.3 (CJDL-FM) Woodstock, ON. Fox, 49, suffered a heart attack last October and continues to experience unstable angina as he awaits triple bypass surgery. Due to the length of time he’s been off work, he has just a few weeks of benefits left. The goal is to raise $5,000.

Momentum Media Networks is handling Canadian distribution of the new Westwood One/ Entercom Media overnight paranormal show Beyond Reality Radio. Hosted by Jason Hawes, co-creator of Ghost Hunters, and JV Johnson, publisher and editor of TAPS ParaMagazine, the duo explore all things paranormal from ghosts to conspiracy theories. The show aims to bring a more youthful approach to the medium popularized by hosts like George Noory and Art Bell. Show starts Mar. 7.