Radio & Podcast News – Pattison stations join iHeartRadio Canada app

Sher E Punjab Radio AM 600 (CKSP-AM) Vancouver made history on Sunday, hosting the first Grey Cup broadcast in Punjabi. Harpreet Pandher and Taqdeer Thindal – both staples on Hockey Night in Canada Punjabi – had the call. The duo have been broadcasting BC Lions games in Punjabi all season.

Pattison Media’s 51 radio stations are now available on the iHeartRadio Canada platform. Listeners across Canada can now listen to Pattison Media radio stations on iHeart.com and the iHeartRadio Canada app. Pattison stations will also continue to be available on the Radioplayer Canada app and platform.

New Metric Media is expanding into podcasting and standup comedy, with SiriusXM veteran Ben Miner joining the Toronto studio as Vice President, Standup & Podcasts. Best known for producing Crave/Hulu series Letterkenny and its spinoff Shoresy, Miner – a more than 25-year standup veteran himself – will lead development and programming of live standup opportunities, while working with talent to produce audio and video content for New Metric’s direct to consumer channels. He’ll also support its new digital studio operations at its Queen St. West headquarters. Miner arrives from SiriusXM Canada where he’s had a two-decade run as a producer, programmer and host, most recently holding the title of Manager, Comedy, Sci-fi and Gaming Content. Read more here.

Spotify has renamed its Spotify for Podcasters program, Spotify for Creators. Eligible creators in Canada, the U.S., UK, and Australia are able to join the new Spotify Partner Program, which will pay out based on podcast audio ads and how much your video podcast is streamed by Premium users, starting in the New Year. The platform is also introducing video clips for creators to enhance discoverability and promote podcast episodes.

Canadian Music Week (CMW) is being rebranded as the Departure Festival + Conference,  following its recent acquisition by Loft Entertainment and U.S.-based venue developer and management company Oak View Group. Taking place May 6-11 at Hotel X in Toronto, the reimagined event is set to feature new programming including music, art, comedy and tech, alongside Radiodays North America.

LISTEN: Lisa Brandt is on the Sound Off Podcast talking about her early days in small-town radio to her time at some of Toronto’s most iconic stations, navigating the evolving landscape of the industry with determination. Among other things, she touches on her openness to try new things, her approach to managing the constant influx of news and information and prioritizing her own well-being over obsessing over current events, and her venture into podcasting, alongside Erin Davis.

ADVERTORIAL: The radio industry is facing a significant challenge in proving its return on investment (ROI) in today’s digital age. Advertisers, drawn to the measurable results and precise attribution capabilities of digital platforms, are increasingly shifting their budgets away from traditional media. Radio, specifically, has struggled to demonstrate its effectiveness in a landscape now dominated by clicks and impressions. That’s where Validate comes in. Validate is a specialized radio attribution tool designed to overcome this challenge by providing quantifiable data that showcases radio’s true impact on conversions and sales. Read more here.