Jenny West, the co-host of afternoon drive on Pattison Media’s The Zone @ 91-3 (CJZN-FM) Victoria, has been named the 2023 Allan Waters Young Broadcaster of the Year. The 14th year for the award, presented in memory of the late Steve Young, West is currently one-half of the Pol & Jenny afternoon drive show, alongside Pol Plastino. This year’s runners up are Brock Lewis, co-host of the Brock & Dalby Show, which airs on Rogers Sports & Media’s K-Rock (CIKR-FM) Kingston, 92.7 Rock (CJRQ-FM) Sudbury, 101.9 Rock (CKFX-FM) North Bay, and 92.1 Rock (CJQQ-FM) Timmins; and Roxanne Guérin from Torres Media’s Max 103 (CKOD-FM) Valleyfield, Que. Read more here.
Rogers Sports & Media and former 92 CITI FM morning show host Dave Wheeler have settled a $1.4M lawsuit filed following his high-profile dismissal from the company in 2018. The suit claimed Rogers Sports & Media violated Wheeler’s employment contract and publicly defamed him. It sought lost wages – based on the morning show host’s $355,000 annual salary – plus $80,000 in bonuses and benefits he would have received had his contract not been cancelled. Winnipeg Court of King’s Bench documents show Wheeler’s lawyer filed a notice of discontinuance last week, with the dispute recorded as “settled” earlier in the month. Rogers Sports & Media confirmed to Broadcast Dialogue that the matter is now closed. Wheeler is currently heard in mornings on Evanov Communication’s Energy 106 (CHWE-FM) Winnipeg, alongside Jasmin Laine and Tyler Carr. Read more here.
University of Ottawa assistant professor Dr. Jada Watson has co-authored recent study “They Won’t Play a Lady-O on Country Radio: Examining Back-to-Back Plays by Gender, Race, and Sexual Orientation” with Texas-based journalist Jan Diehm showing country radio is still reluctant to play songs by women, especially back-to-back. The study analyzed 24-hour daily logs from Mediabase for 29 major market country stations in the U.S. throughout 2022, corresponding to release dates for songs by women artists that charted in the same year. Of 6,474 songs, the study found only 64 (0.99%) were back-to-back songs by women. Back-to-back songs by men amounted to 4,231 (65.53%). Data from the 29 stations shows that women artists are often played during the evening (7 p.m. – midnight) and overnight (midnight – 6 a.m.) hours. Just under 80% of songs by women played back-to-back were “gold” or “recurrent” songs.
The Sound Off Podcast Network, in collaboration with executive producer Sarah Burke, has launched Trust Me…I’m a Decorator, a new podcast from designers Debbie Travis and Tommy Smythe. Both well-known television personalities, their foray into podcasting is an extension of a weekly Instagram series begun out of boredom during the pandemic, with Smythe in Toronto and Travis in Tuscany, where she’s now primarily based. The podcast will go beyond decorating, discussing travel, relationships, food and health and wellness, featuring special guests along the way. It will also pick up on themes from Travis’ 2018 book, Design Your Next Chapter, in which the veteran host explores her decision to take the leap to leave television to buy a rundown, 13th century villa, renovate it into a hotel, and begin running retreats where visitors absorb the Italian lifestyle. Read more here.
Deadman’s Curse: Slumach’s Gold, a follow-up to The HISTORY Channel original series, Deadman’s Curse, drops June 6. The historical true crime podcast investigates the curse and legend surrounding the lost gold mine of Pitt Lake in British Columbia. Hosted by The HISTORY Channel’s Kru Williams, and featuring members of the the Stó:lō and Katzie First Nations, historians, and cultural experts, listeners will be taken on a journey through Slumach’s past – an Indigenous prospector and accused murderer, who set a curse on his hidden gold. Produced by GPM, Curiouscast and Corus Entertainment, new episodes will be available every Tuesday.
TPX (The Podcast Exchange) says French-language podcast Sexe Oral is the best-kept secret in Canadian podcasting. Touting data from the 2022 Canadian Podcast Listener, TPX says with more than half a million monthly downloads in Canada alone, Sexe Oral is the #1 podcast in French Canada, the #1 women’s podcast in the country and the #2 podcast among 18-34 year olds. It features co-hosts Lysandre Nadeau and Joanie “Dre Point G” Grenier – who also boast a large following on TikTok and Instagram – discussing sexuality from all angles. It’s produced by Studio SF, which also publishes the popular Sans Filtre.
Stingray’s Ocean 100 (CHTN-FM) and HOT 105.5 (CKQK-FM) Charlottetown broadcast live from the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Foundation’s Big Day of Giving from early morning until evening May 24, raising more than $861,000. Donations to the QEH Foundation directly support the purchase of priority medical equipment for the Island’s largest hospital, including the PEI Cancer Treatment Centre, provincial NICU, and soon, the Island’s new Mental Health & Addictions Emergency Department and Short Stay Unit.
ReelWorld has announced the recipients of its scholarship program at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT). Excelling in the highly-competitive Radio, Television & Broadcast News program, ReelWorld says Riley Martens and Gavin Anshelm were selected from a vast group of graduates representing the next wave of new talent.
The Jim Beam National Talent Search, presented by Canadian Music Week (CMW), has revealed the five finalists for the 2023 Jim Beam Showcase on June 6 at the Drake Underground in Toronto. The five finalists are Reini B (Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC), A Short Walk to Pluto (Toronto), FKB (Edmonton), Cody Lawless (Mission, BC) and Nicolina (Toronto). Selected from their virtual submissions by a panel of Canadian industry professionals, they’ll receive a paid trip to CMW. One winner will be determined and play the 2023 Jim Beam INDIES on June 8 at HISTORY.
LISTEN: On a special edition of Broadcast Dialogue – The Podcast, listen in on a conversation from the recent BC Association of Broadcasters (BCAB) Conference between Pattison Media President Rod Schween and Jimmy Pattison, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Jim Pattison Group. Now 94, Pattison still goes into the office six to seven days a week, overseeing one of Canada’s largest privately-held companies, which in addition to 48 radio and three television stations, encompasses automotive, grocery and entertainment, among other ventures. In this abridged conversation, the business magnate talks about his journey to becoming Canada’s third-richest man, addresses some urban legends, and more.
LISTEN: If you’ve ever been in radio in North America, either as a producer or as talent, you’ve probably heard about Morning Show Boot Camp, which has been training radio talent since the ‘80s. One of its founders, Don Anthony, is on the latest Sound Off Podcast talking about how the program has evolved and why it’s still relevant. Among other things, he discusses the draw of radio in 2023, the importance of a good host, and shares some of his favourite experiences from the last 35 years.
