CBC has earned the Broadcaster of the Year Award at the New York Festivals Radio Awards, recognizing podcasts, audiobooks, dramas, documentaries, breaking news coverage and entertainment and music specials created by storytellers around the globe. Among the CBC’s Gold award-winning entries were CBC Podcasts’ Tai Asks Why, Uncover: The Village, Alone: A Love Story – Season 3, The Band Played On and PlayMe. CBC investigative podcast Hunting Warhead, a co-production with Norwegian newspaper VG that delves into the world of online child abuse, was also recognized with a prestigious Grand Award for Best Investigative Reporting. Hunting Warhead also won Best Serialized Podcast. Among other CBC programming recognized was Cross Country Checkup’s coverage of the final report of the Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls inquiry; Q host Tom Power’s interview with Margaret Atwood; and CBC Vancouver profile, Eleanor Collins at 100.
Jazz.fm.91 (CJRT-FM) Toronto won Gold at the New York Festivals Radio Awards for its documentary Journey to Jazz and Human Rights. Hosted by Alana Bridgewater, the documentary looks at how music and the men and women who made music laid claim to human rights around the world. Funding for the series was provided by the Maytree Foundation. An expansion of the documentary project is currently being developed as an education template for schools. Read more here.
The Banff World Media Festival’s Rockie Awards nominations are out which for the first time include a Podcast category. Up for Podcast of the Year are CBC Kids’ podcast The Story Store; CBC/Verdens Gang investigative collaboration Hunting Warhead; This Sounds Serious from Vancouver’s Kelly&Kelly; Call Me God: The Untold Story of the DC Sniper Investigation (Audible) and Wondery’s Confronting: O.J. Simpson.
CTV has launched the CTV National News with Lisa LaFlamme podcast. New episodes will be made available every weeknight immediately following the televised edition of the network’s flagship evening newscast. Led by LaFlamme, CTV Chief News Anchor and Senior Editor, the podcast features daily reports from CTV News correspondents and promises to keep listeners up-to-date on the most significant stories unfolding both in Canada and internationally.
News 1130 (CKWX-AM) Vancouver and 680 News (CFTR-AM) Toronto have temporarily picked up All News Radio, a live news program produced and anchored out of 660 News (CFFR-AM) Calgary that airs overnight on Rogers’ “green brand” stations 660 News, 570 News (CKGL-AM) Kitchener, 1310 News (CIWW-AM) Ottawa and News 95.7 (CJNI-FM) Halifax. Rogers initially launched All News Radio in February. Vancouver is airing the show midnight to 5 a.m. daily, while Toronto is only picking up the show on weekend overnights.
Brooke & Jeffrey, formerly known as Brooke & Jubal, is no longer airing in the morning time slot on 92.5 The CHUCK (CKNG-FM) Edmonton. Corus Radio has yet to announce a new morning show. The syndicated Brooke & Jeffrey, which originates out of MOViN 92.5 (KQMV-FM) Seattle, is continuing to air on JUMP! 106.9 (CKQB-FM) Ottawa and Energy 95.3 (CING-FM), serving Hamilton and Greater Toronto.
Rock 101 (CFMI-FM) Vancouver’s Willy in the Morning will air a 12-hour show Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., in honour of all healthcare heroes working long hours to protect those in need. Broadcasting live for the full duration of a typical hospital shift, the morning show trio of Willy, Kim and Alece are encouraging healthcare workers to request songs and share their stories on the show. Friends and family members of healthcare workers are also welcome to dedicate songs of support for their loved ones. Derringer in the Morning on sister station Q107 (CILQ-FM) Toronto will similarly broadcast a live, 12-hour, request show in support of healthcare heroes from 6.a.m. to 6 p.m. ET. In Ottawa, boom 99.7 (CJOT-FM) will broadcast a show with hosts Tim and Colleen on Monday, Apr. 27.
StokeFM, the not-for-profit community radio station in Revelstoke, BC, has raised over $10,000 to stay on-air. The independent station, which has no campus or organizational affiliation, organized a March GoFundMe fundraiser to stay afloat in order to meet the station’s basic needs like paying rent.
iHeartRadio’s CHUM 104.5 Toronto is launching new segments, contests, and programming and adjusting the length of its morning show in response to COVID-19. Marilyn Denis & Jamar has been extended one hour from 5 – 10 a.m. The station has also introduced the CHUM Listener Benefit Program, a new online and on-air contest that gives listeners the chance to win daily prizes of $200 and be entered into a grand prize draw of $10,000. Also new is “Hey We’re Open” – a feature where local businesses are encouraged to call in and promote how they’re operating during this time. Additionally, Fridays at 8 p.m., Jamar McNeil is hosting two-hour live DJ set, JAMAR’S HOUSE PARTY, on CHUM 104.5 and CHUM 104.5’s Instagram.
iHeartRadio stations in Nova Scotia have been recognizing people in the community who are going above and beyond to help others. C100, Virgin Radio Halifax, 100.9 BIG DOG, and Pure Country 99.5 are asking listeners to nominate heroes for on-air shout outs to let them know how much their work is appreciated. C100 and Virgin Radio Halifax have also launched Feed The Need, a charitable campaign encouraging listeners to donate to Feed Nova Scotia. Similar to Nova Scotia, iHeartRadio stations in New Brunswick have launched several campaigns to highlight their community heroes, including The Fox 105.3’s Everyday Champions, and 106.9 Capital FM, K93, CJ104, MAX 104.9, and Pure Country 103.5’s Everyday Heroes campaigns. They’re also highlighting the many businesses still open with Buy Local webpages on iHeartRadio.ca.
Sonos has launched Sonos Radio, a free, ad-supported streaming radio experience, available to customers worldwide. Complementing the 100+ streaming options available on Sonos, the new service brings together more than 60,000 stations from multiple streaming partners including internet radio services like TuneIn and iHeartRadio. Ad-free artist stations feature current influences and inspirations, starting with a personal station from Thom Yorke and artist curated stations from Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes, David Byrne, and Third Man Records to debut in the coming weeks. Customers can listen worldwide via the Sonos app. Sonos original programming will be available in Canada, the U.S., UK, Ireland, and Australia.
StatsRadio has reviewed listener data looking at the impact self isolation has had on tuning, finding that while most people are no longer commuting, they’re still listening. Aggregating listener data (18+) for all 65 of the audience measurement startup’s stations in Québec, Ontario and New Brunswick, across all regions and formats, StatsRadio says overall there was an increase in reach of over 1% and overall tuning was down less than 1%. Three-quarters of stations saw an average increase in listeners of 15%, while the others saw a decrease of less than 10%. Half of the stations saw an increase in tuning of approximately 8%, the other half experienced a decrease of roughly 14%.
FEATURE: David Bray looks at some of the Numeris radio tuning data for March, which suggests 95% of weekly reach in February was retained. Conversely, the average time spent listening per day A18+ is greater in March than the two months that preceded it, showing growth in both the A18-24 and A25-34 demos. From Feb. 24 to Mar. 30, at home listening to AM/FM increased 29%. Read more here.
LISTEN: On this week’s Sound Off Podcast, Matt Cundill explores radio’s response to the weekend tragedy in rural Nova Scotia that’s now claimed 23 lives. Stingray Radio’s rock stations are specifically highlighted, including Q104 Halifax, K-Rock in Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley and C103 Moncton, NB.
LISTEN: The Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) Radio, Television and Broadcast News program, is among the post-secondary broadcast courses that found itself quickly transitioning online last month. Television instructor and industry veteran Lisa MacDonald and student Hannah Lepine join us on the latest episode of Broadcast Dialogue – The Podcast to talk about the new virtual reality that’s been thrust upon journalism as the Class of 2020 prepares to enter the industry in an uncertain time.
CHOM 97.7 Montreal announcers, including Terry DiMonte, Randy Renaud, Sharon Hyland, Pierre Landry, Bilal Butt, Jason Rockman, Pete Marier, Hal Jaques, Esteban Vargas, Mathew Wood, and others are keeping the Spirit of Rock alive virtually, showcasing their talents in a socially-distanced rendition of Tom Petty’s I Won’t Back Down, released on social media.
We won’t back down! No, we won’t back down! Ft. @TerryDiMonte, @randyrenaudchom, @buttshow, @jasonrockmansod, @TheSharonHyland, Pete Marier, Hal Jaques, @PierreLandry, @EstebanWasEaten, Mathew Wood, @MaccaJess, and @funkodactyl pic.twitter.com/u7n91rOCzD
— CHOM 97 7 Montreal (@CHOM977) April 16, 2020
