Don Cherryhas told the Toronto Sun that the long-running Grapeline radio show won’t see a 36th season. Cherry and Brian Williams have been helming the show for 35 years, which at its peak was heard on 100 stations. Sportsnet PR has confirmed to Broadcast Dialogue that the show, which it says was drawing one million listeners a week, won’t be returning.
The Biggs & Barr Show with Pastey Jamie will debut on 106.1 CHEZ Ottawa on Tuesday, Sept. 3. Chris Biggs and Jason Barr left HTZ-FM (CHTZ-FM) St. Catharines in June to replace CHEZ’s retiring morning team Doc & Woody. Biggs & Barr had been helming mornings at HTZ-FM for the past eight years.
99.3 County FM (CJPE-FM) Prince Edward County, ON is continuing its broadcast partnership with the OJHL Wellington Dukes for the 2019-20 season. The community station will continue as the official voice of the Dukes, with play-by-play provided by former OHL broadcaster and County FM news voice Craig Foster. The production team includes lead Pat Larkin, Ken Murray, and Mark Despault. The station will broadcast all weekend road games and road playoff games, starting Sept. 8.
Neil Hedley, program director and morning show co-host at Zoomer Radio AM 740 (CFZM-FM) Toronto, has a new podcast called The Snooze Button that’s set to launch Sept. 2. Inspired by Hedley’s many sleep-deprived years doing morning radio, the podcast will essentially turn the host into a lab rat as he makes his search for slumber a public experiment. In each weekly nine-minute episode, Hedley will feature the latest in sleep science and research, including conversations with the world’s leading neuroscientists, celebrities and others who’ll share the tips that help them sleep. Hedley will then try those tips for himself. The nine-minute length of the podcast references how much ‘extra sleep’ one gets when they hit the snooze button on an alarm clock. The podcast is part of research Hedley is doing for an upcoming book on the subject.
The Tragically Hip Radio is now live online and on the SiriusXM app. The new channel, available via SiriusXM Streaming, will feature curated music from across The Tragically Hip catalogue, including never-been-aired live recordings from the band’s personal vault; archived interviews and track-by-track sit downs with Gord Downie, Rob Baker, Johnny Fay, Paul Langlois and Gord Sinclair; solo work from all members; plus the band will host and program specialty shows from Bathouse Studios. The channel will also feature hosted programs with and music from other artists who have been influenced by the band.
Rebel 101.7 (CIDG-FM) Ottawa and Big Rig Brewery will make Rebel 101.7 Lager available for sale, starting Aug. 28. Available at the Big Rig Brewery Kanata Tap Room and Big Rig Restaurant in Ottawa, brewmasters describe the new brew as “Slow and cold fermented to make this pale lager brilliantly smooth and refreshing. Brewed for The Love of Rock.”
The City of New Westminster, British Columbia has proclaimed Aug. 26 George Garrett Intrepid Reporter Day. Prior to his retirement in 1999, Garrett was an investigative reporter with CKNW NewsTalk 980 for 43 years, working for much of that time out of the station’s original studios in New Westminster. Also named an honorary constable with the New Westminster Police Department, Garrett now dedicates his time to working with Vancouver’s Volunteer Cancer Drivers Society. He released memoir George Garrett: Intrepid Reporter earlier this year.
The 2019 Radio Show is approaching Sept. 24-26 in Dallas. Co-produced by the Radio Advertising Bureau and National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), this year’s event features a new format that will see bigger sessions on broader topics around the theme of Leveraging Transformation addressing the ever-changing audio landscape. They include “You’re Not in the Radio Business Anymore” led by Jacobs Media; and a fireside chat on “The Podcast Revolution” featuring panelists from iHeartMedia, Vox Media, NPR, and United Talent Agency (UTA).
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