Radio & Podcast News – Major changes coming to Canadian radio measurement

Numeris has announced it’s making major changes to the way Canadian radio in small and medium markets is measured. Starting this summer, those 95 stations will join Canada’s major cities in being in ratings year-round. The result will see audience data releases reflect a rolling average. Data will be collected over 24 weeks, essentially every other week, excluding the last two weeks of December and first two weeks in January, during a 12-month period, and reported in the fall and spring. The move comes following consistent recruitment challenges in recent years to achieve sufficient sample levels, created in part by the shift to mobile-only households (currently 40 per cent and projected to reach 50 per cent by 2020), and the public’s increasing reluctance to participate in consumer surveys. Those issues came to a head in Spring 2018 when Numeris had to suppress ratings results for five television and 10 radio markets, including Saint John, NB; Kingston; Windsor; Regina; Saskatoon; Lethbridge; Red Deer; Kelowna; Kamloops and Prince George. At the order of Numeris’ board of directors, an industry advisory panel was struck to find immediate solutions, chaired by former Corus Radio and RNC Media President Mario Checchini. Read the full story here.

Ross Davies, Director of Member Engagement, Radio, for Numeris, was a guest on the latest Broadcast Dialogue – The Podcast.

Cat Country 98.1 (CIAT-FM) the first-ever radio station in Assiniboia, SK, population 2,389, launched at 1 p.m. last Friday with a montage of country hits from the 90s, 2000s and today. Former Saskatoon Media Group program manager Steven Huber is behind the 20,000 watt venture, which was approved over the objections of Golden West, Harvard Broadcasting and Rawlco. Cat Country 98.1’s grand opening and studio open house will be held in May.

The CRTC has rejected Vista Radio’s bid for a new station licence in Timmins, ON. Vista already owns one of the market’s four commercial stations, which it told the commission accounts for more than 76 per cent of all commercial tuning. Rogers estimated that a new commercial station would result in a 20 per cent loss in audience share for its two stations, resulting in roughly $500,000 in lost revenue and requiring a reduction in its staff of three positions. Rogers also noted that Timmins falls below the provincial average for population growth, employment and household income and that ad revenue growth in the market has stagnated. 

The CRTC has granted Points Eagle Radio Inc. a requested revocation of its broadcast licence for Type B Native radio station The Eagle 103.3 (CKCI-FM) Sarnia. Points Eagle Radio was originally granted the licence in 2007 to rebroadcast The Eagle 107.7 (CKTI-FM) Kettle Point, ON. CKCI-FM had been off-air since May 2017.

Gerry Forbes has revealed that he’ll be inducted into The Canadian Broadcasting Hall of Fame on May 9 during Canadian Music Week in Toronto. “Thanks to all my co-hosts along the long journey we call radio! I was shocked to receive a phone call to inform me that I will be inducted into The Canadian Broadcasting Hall of Fame alongside my Dad! All the great folks I have worked with and all the amazing listeners made this happen. So appreciative to all of you who helped me achieve the pinnacle of my career,” Forbes wrote in a Mar. 13 Facebook post. Forbes retired from CJAY 92 (CJAY-FM) Calgary last year after 25 years with the station. Forbes, 62, started his broadcasting career in 1975 in Kamloops, eventually landing at CHUM Toronto where he did middays and mornings before moving to Calgary.

SiriusXM Canada will once again offer subscribers live play-by-play coverage of every 2019 regular season and postseason Major League Baseball game, as well as news, talk and analysis on its MLB Network Radio channel. Through SiriusXM’s digital agreement with MLB, the SiriusXM app offers a suite of 30 play-by-play channels dedicated to streaming the official radio broadcasts of every MLB team, giving fans access to both the home and visiting team broadcasts for every game. The 2019 MLB season begins Mar. 20-21 with the 2019 Japan Opening Series featuring the Oakland Athletics hosting the Seattle Mariners at the Tokyo Dome in Japan. MLB’s traditional Opening Day is Mar. 28, when all 30 teams will be in action. MLB Network Radio hosts include former GMs Jim Bowden, Jim Duquette, Steve Phillips, former players Matt Diaz, Cliff Floyd, Jensen Lewis, Brad Lidge, CJ Nitkowski, Carlos Pena, Eduardo Perez, Rico Petrocelli, Ryan Spilborghs, Steve Sax, Mike Stanton and Josh Towers, former manager Kevin Kennedy, national baseball writers Mel Antonen, Tyler Kepner, Scott Miller and Jon Morosi, as well as Casey Stern, Mike Ferrin, Jeff Joyce, Jim Memolo, Scott Braun, Dan Graca, Grant Paulsen and Jody McDonald.

Google has opened a second round of applications for its Google Podcast Creator program, which aims to lower barriers to podcasting and to increase the diversity of voices in the industry. The six teams selected will receive up to $40,000 USD, mentorship, and 20 weeks of training, both in Boston and virtually between July and December. Applications will be accepted until Apr. 14.

Globe Content has launched its first branded podcast #AIMeetsWorld, sponsored by Microsoft. In the debut episode, pop culture aficionado Becky Shrimpton and tech journo Navneet Alang explore the world of AI personal assistants.

Cumulus CEO Mary Berner says the company’s digital business grew by more than 60 per cent last year, outpacing the radio industry. During the company’s Q4 2018 earnings conference call, Berner said digital revenue in Q4 grew by 76 per cent with the Westwood One Podcast Network hitting its strike. The network includes show from Ben Shapiro, Suze Orman, and Dennis Miller, among others. Berner says Cumulus’ podcasting division has gone from generating $100,000 in revenue in 2016 to $12.5 million in revenue in 2018.

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