Radio & Podcast News – CRTC opens consultation on local radio news fund

The CRTC has opened its consultation on a temporary fund to support local radio news. The commission announced in June that new funding collected from online streaming services under the Online Streaming Act would be directed at areas of immediate need in the broadcasting system. It subsequently determined that a new temporary fund for commercial radio stations in smaller markets should be created. The fund will be administered by the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) and be available to stations outside of Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, and Ottawa-Gatineau. The CRTC is now welcoming comments as part of its public consultation until Dec. 19. Read more here.

Torres Media has rebranded Lite 98.5 Ottawa as The New Mix 98.5 FM Ottawa’s Perfect Music Mix. The station is one of three in Ontario recently divested by Evanov Communications, pending CRTC approval. Formerly carrying the call letters CJWL-FM, Torres is proposing changing the station’s call sign to CITM-FM.

iHeartRadio Canada has launched Bryan Adams Radio, a dedicated streaming channel hosted by the one-time Grammy and 20-time JUNO Award winner. Available 24/7 on the iHeartRadio Canada app and iHeart.com, the channel’s launch coincides with Adams’ 65th birthday and the 40th anniversary of the release of his 1984 album Reckless, which spawned six singles that charted in the Top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100. CTV and Crave will present Reckless Live at Royal Albert Hall on Saturday, Nov. 9, which will air at noon ET on CTV, CTV.ca, the CTV app, and Crave, in which Adams will perform Reckless in full. Orbyt Media will also be making the weekly, syndicated Bryan Adams Radio Show available to broadcasters across North America. Read more here.

Rogers Sports & Media has expanded Sam McDaid’s on-air footprint. The host of Country Nights with Sam McDaid, weeknights on Rogers’ Country stations, will now also be heard on Nights with Sam on KiSS 92.5 (CKIS-FM) Toronto, KiSS 91.7 (CHBN-FM) Edmonton and Star 95.9 (CHFM-FM) Calgary from 7 – 10 p.m. Prior to joining Rogers in May, McDaid was heard in mornings on Ottawa’s Pure Country 94 (CKKL-FM) and Pure Country 99 (CKLC-FM) Kingston, alongside Gord St. Denis.

Podtrac’s new Top Podcasts by Country list is a comprehensive monthly ranking of the top 100 podcasts in each of 30 countries. The New York Times’ The Daily tops the Canadian ranker, followed by The Joe Rogan Experience, Armchair Expert with Dax Shepherd, Dateline NBC, and CBC daily news podcast Front Burner. CBC is the top publisher with seven podcasts in the Top 100.

The Pro Bono Group and the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness (CAEH) are launching a seasonal message titled “Christmas Tree.”  It can replace the current PSA “Lucky.” A new PSA will follow after the Holidays. 

LISTEN: Creative professionals, including those of us in media, have become accustomed to hearing that our jobs may soon be replaced by artificial intelligence. Ronit Novak’s new podcast The Grain is encouraging honest conversations in the creative community – from filmmakers to those in advertising, design and photography – about the impact of AI on their careers. She joins Broadcast Dialogue – The Podcast to talk about why creatives need to start talking openly about AI and the future of creativity.

LISTEN: Steve Goldstein of Amplifi Media returns to the Sound Off Podcast to make a compelling case for why every podcast needs a well-crafted audio promo. While promos are often overlooked, sitting low on the priority list for many podcasters, Goldstein says this is a missed opportunity, as an effective promo can hook listeners and drive them to tune in. Goldstein touches on focusing on storytelling and emotion, emphasizes the importance of frequency, and encourages podcasters to “burn in” their promos rather than worrying about overexposure.