Mega Music Canada is winding down after seven years in business. The company provided radio stations with online music stores that made 95 per cent of any radio format’s playlist available for digital download. Mega Music says the decision to close centres around uncertainties with its supplier’s ability to guarantee the level of digital content required to meet the needs of its radio partners.
MBS Radio has laid off all of its on-air staff at its three radio stations in Saint John, NB – K100 (CIOK-FM), Kool 98 (CJYC-FM) and CFBC-AM. The stations will be voice-tracked from out of market. The stations are the same that unionized in 2012, resulting in a nearly two-year lockout.
Corus Radio, CBC and other networks have suspended airplay of Hedley following sexual misconduct claims. The Junos have also dropped the Vancouver-based band from the awards broadcast. Led by Jacob Hoggard, who rose to fame after appearing on the second season of Canadian Idol, the band calls the allegations “unsubstantiated.”
The CRTC has approved an application by Bell Media to acquire English-language commercial radio stations CICZ-FM Midland, CICX-FM Orillia, CJOS-FM Owen Sound and CICS-FM Sudbury, from Larche Communications for $15.64 million. The commission has granted full licence terms to the stations through Aug. 2024.
The 9th Annual Care from the Heart Radio-a-thon raised $233,662 for the Chinook Regional Hospital Foundation on Feb. 15 with Lethbridge stations B93.3 FM (CJBZ-FM), 94.1 CJOC-FM, Country 95.5 (CHLB-FM), 98.1 THE BRIDGE (CKBD-FM), 106.7 Rock (CJRX-FM) and KISS 107.7 (CFRV-FM) donating air time. Personalities from the stations converged on the hospital atrium as part of the fundraising effort.
Vista Radio president Geoff Poulton will be awarded a Leadership Excellence Award from Women in Communications and Technology. WCT’s annual awards gala will be held at Ottawa’s Fairmont Chateau Laurier on Apr. 16.
Newcap has rebranded CKRV-FM Kamloops, changing the station’s handle back to K97, the name it launched with in 1984 and held through 1993. The New K97-5 features similar music to what was heard on the original K97, from the 70s, 80s, and 90s.
Bill Anderson, host of Bill’s Classical Jukebox on The New Classical FM (CFMZ-FM) Toronto, is now broadcasting his show from a new studio in Collingwood, ON. The midday show formerly originated from the Toronto studio at 96.3 FM, with coverage of Collingwood at 102.9 FM (CFMO-FM) and Coburg at 103.1 FM (CFMX-FM). With Anderson contemplating retiring to Collingwood permanently, the Zoomer Media-owned station says the decision was easy to build him a studio to keep him on the air.
The National Campus and Community Radio Association (NCRA/ANREC) will host its annual Canadian Homelessness Marathon on Feb. 22, airing on 15 stations in seven provinces. Local 107.9 (CFMH-FM) Saint John is hosting and coordinating the 18-hour broadcast, which will also be offered as an online stream at localfm.ca. Programming covers topics related to homelessness such as poverty, financial insecurity and the reality and experiences of homeless Canadians from coast to coast.
CKTO-FM Truro has been rebranded to 100.9 Big Dog Rocks, moving to a full out rock format. The Bell Media station previously played a mix of CHR, Hot AC and Classic Rock.
CBC has announced a new slate of original podcasts for Winter 2018, including second seasons of Alone: A Love Story, On Drugs, CBC News’ Missing & Murdered and Season 4 of true crime hit Someone Knows Something, which boasts over 50 million downloads since its debut in Apr. 2016. New original podcasts include Personal Best, a humorous journey into self-improvement, and Other People’s Problems, a fly-on-the wall podcast of real-life therapy sessions.
Stingray Music says says it’s reaching a record number of Canadians, according to the latest Canadian Listenership Study conducted by Maru/Matchbox. Stingray says it’s mobile app reached 2.5 million downloads in January with 50 per cent of Canadians with access to Stingray Music tuning in during the past month, a 14 per cent point increase over Sept. 2017 results.
