The Spring 2020 Radio Diary release, the second where Continuous Measurement has been used in all Radio Diary markets, is scheduled for Thursday, May 28. Numeris says data from the COVID-19 period won’t be included as a result of not being able to enumerate and measure in the last few weeks of March and April due to the move to work from home. This week’s release will include 12 weeks of sample from last Fall 2019 (six measurement weeks) and eight weeks of new sample for a total of 20 weeks of sample. The remaining four weeks will consist of diaries from the previous Radio Diary release (either Spring 2019 or Fall 2018) as needed, chosen at random. Consistent with last fall’s release, Numeris says weekly, Radio is reaching 84.5% of Canadians 12+ and 87.3% Adults 25-54 (vs 85.1% and 88.1% respectively in Fall 2019). Canadians 12+ spend an average of 16.1 per week listening to the Radio (vs 16.4 in Fall 2019). In Quebec, weekly reach is stable overall compared to Fall, 85.6% for 12+ and 90% for 25-54. Time spent listening is also stable for 12+ at 17.1 per week.
The CRTC has approvedVista Radio’s application for a new commercial station in North Bay, ON. The station would operate at 90.5 MHz (channel 213C1) with an effective radiated power of 45,800 watts. Vista is proposing an Oldies format, with the station to operate jointly with Vista’s existing North Bay station, Moose FM (CFXN-FM). The commission approved the new station above objections from Rogers, which owns three stations in the market. Rogers asserted that the market is stagnant, with limited opportunity for growth, and that a new station would have an undue financial impact on existing operators in the market and undermine their ability to sustain local news and information services.
The CRTC has granted one-year extensions to three stations that were set to go live this summer. The Aboriginal Multi-Media Society of Alberta now has until June 2021 to get its new 100,000 watt Aboriginal station CIWE-FM Edmonton on-air due to delays caused by the current pandemic. Northern Native Broadcasting has a similarly revised timeline to get its 9,000 watt Aboriginal station CJNY-FM Vancouver to air. Durham Radio has also been granted an extension until July 2021 to get its Classic Hits station, CKLK-FM, Grimsby-Beamsville, ON on the air. An application for technical changes is behind that delay.
Bob McCown resurfaced this week for the first time since his June 2019 release from Sportsnet 590 The FAN (CJCL-AM) Toronto and television simulcast Sportsnet 360. McCown debuted YouTube segment Ok, You’ve Got 5 Minutes with Bob McCown on Monday, in which he offered his take on the NBA and NHL coming back. The daily feature, which he billed as a ”mini podcast,” includes sponsorship from McCown-owned Stoney Ridge Estate Winery.
CBC Podcasts’ new limited-run series will explore the Toronto hip-hop scene through the lens of the city’s favourite son, Drake. Debuting June 3, THIS IS NOT A DRAKE PODCAST will look at the history and evolution of hip-hop, R&B and Black culture in five parts. It will be hosted and co-produced by Ty Harper, a radio producer and documentarian who has been covering Toronto’s hip-hop and R&B scenes for well over a decade. Harper was the co-host and creator of O.T.A. Live!, which aired on FLOW 93.5 FM(CFXJ-FM) Toronto from 2005-11 and established itself as the destination for weekly interviews with those in the under-represented hip-hop scene. He’s currently a producer on CBC Radio’sq with Tom Power. Read more here.
iHeartRadio Canada has introduced a newiHeart K-Pop station, available atiHeartRadio.caand the iHeartRadio Canada app, featuring the best of Korean pop music. iHeart K-Pop plays hits from some of the biggest K-pop musicians, including 2NE1, BTS, BlackPink, BoA, Big Bang, EXO, Girl’s Generation, Monsta X, Psy, Super Junior, and more.
JACKstock will be heard on Rogers’ JACK-branded stations from coast-to-coast Friday and Saturday on JACK 103.1 (CHTT-FM) Victoria, JACK 96.9 (CJAX-FM) Vancouver, JACK 96.9 (CJAQ-FM) Calgary, JACK 102.3 (CHST-FM) London, JACK 92.3 (CJET-FM) Smith Falls, and JACK 92.9 (CFLT-FM) Halifax. Airing from 7 p.m. – 11 p.m. local time on May 29 and 3 – 7 p.m. May 30, the two-day “festival” will feature a compilation of live performances fromBon Jovi, Fleetwood Mac, AC/DC, Adele, Duran Duran and Journey on night one, while Saturday features Madonna, U2, Elton John, Queen, and Rolling Stones. National Format Director Troy Scott says JACK’s take on a virtual music festival will be complete with “at least 20 stages, choppers, green rooms, beer gardens, food trucks, celebrities, overpriced bottles of water, and a secret act.”
LISTEN: On the latest Sound Off Podcast, Matt Cundill’s guest is Kim Blair, Content Director for the Magic Talk Radio Network in New Zealand, who talks of his time working in Australia and now Auckland. Listen on your favourite podcast app or here:
