Indie 88 (CIND-FM) Toronto is the winner of the inaugural Nielsen Cutting Edge Award at the 21st Annual Canadian Radio Music Awards (CRMA)

Indie 88 (CIND-FM) Toronto is the winner of the inaugural Nielsen Cutting Edge Award at the 21st Annual Canadian Radio Music Awards (CRMA) on May 9 in Toronto. The award is presented to the station first to play the most Canadian songs that went on to reach the top 20 on the weekly Nielsen BDS format charts.

The Canadian Music and Broadcast Industry Awards (CMBIA) were handed out May 10 at Rebel Entertainment Complex in Toronto. Régine Chassagne and Win Butler of Arcade Fire were on hand to receive the 2018 Allan Slaight Humanitarian Spirit Award in recognition of the band’s humanitarian efforts. Paul Anka received the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award, while Robert “TooTall” Wagenaar, Patti-Anne Tarlton, David Farrell and Jeff Craib were the 2018 inductees to the Canadian Music & Broadcast Industry Hall of Fame. Broadcast Industry award winners included:

Music Director (Major): Julie James, CHFI Toronto
Music Director (Secondary): (Tie) Sarah Christie, 105.3 Virgin Kitchener; Mark Cameron, FM 96 London.
Music Director (Small): Scott McGregor, 98.1 The Bridge Lethbridge       
On Air Talent (Major): Garner Andrews, Sonic 102.9 Edmonton
On Air Talent (Secondary): Biggs & Barr, HTZ FM St. Catharines
Program Director (Major): Christian Hall, X92.9 Calgary
Program Director (Secondary): Karen Steele, 105.3 Virgin Kitchener
Program Director (Small): Jeff Winskell, Sun 99.9 Kelowna
Promotion: Secret Boarding Pass, 102.1 the Edge Toronto
Station of the Year (Medium): FM 96 London
Station of the Year AC: 98.1 CHFI Toronto
Station of the Year CHR: 99.9 Virgin Toronto
Station of the Year Classic/Gold: Boom 97.3 Toronto
Station of the Year Country: Country 105 Calgary  
Station of the Year Multicultural: CHIN Toronto
Station of the Year News/Talk: 680 News Toronto
Station of the Year Rock: Indie88 Toronto
Station of the Year (Small): (Tie): K Rock 105.7 Kingston & Country 104 Woodstock

The On Air For Health Care Radiothon on May 11 raised $217,000 for a new cardiac telemetry unit at the Battlefords Union Hospital. The live 12-hour radio broadcast was simulcast on Jim Pattison Broadcast Group stations 1050 CJNB, Q98 (CJCQ-FM) and 93.3 The Rock (CJHD-FM) North Battleford.

Bolt FM (CHBO-FM) Humboldt, SK and Discover Humboldt helped raised $75,067 over four days during the Humboldt District Hospital Foundation Equip To Care Radiothon. Wrapping up on May 3, this was the fundraiser’s seventh year.

Jaspal Atwal, the man at the centre of the controversy around Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s trip to India, has been charged with uttering threats against a BC radio host. Atwal is accused of threatening Gurvinder Singh Dhaliwal, who hosts a daily Punjabi-language talk show broadcast on Ethnic Internet Radio in Surrey, operated by Media Waves Communications. Atwal showed up at a reception during Trudeau’s state visit to India in February, despite his conviction for his involvement in a 1986 assassination attempt on an Indian cabinet minister on Vancouver Island.

The CKNW Orphans’ Fund has been rebranded as the CKNW Kids’ Fund after 73 years. The Vancouver station started the charity in 1944 to buy gifts for kids at a local orphanage. It’s since expanded its mandate to fund programs and other services for vulnerable kids living with physical, mental and social challenges in B.C.

Radio-Canada has announced that Carleton University’s MacOdrum Library in Ottawa will preserve the public broadcaster’s entire collection of 113,000 commercial music scores comprising 46,000 titles. Radio-Canada will retain long-term usage rights to meet its production needs. Radio-Canada is also on the verge of signing an agreement with Library and Archives Canada for the preservation of 4,000 handwritten scores in its possession. In the meantime, the broadcaster has issued a call for interest to cultural or educational institutions willing and able to acquire, maintain and showcase its vinyl record collection comprised of 119,000 unique titles, including approximately 83,000 33 RPM, 23,000 45 RPM and 10,000 78 RPM records. The deadline for expressions of interest is May 24. 

On this week’s Broadcast Dialogue podcast, publisher Shawn Smith talks to Fred Vail of Treasure Isle Recorders Inc.