Radio & Podcast News – CRTC approves sale of Kelowna’s CKOO-FM

The CRTC has approved former Clear Sky Radio President Paul Larsen’s bid to acquire the broadcast licence for Kelowna’s CKOO-FM. An early pandemic casualty, the station – formerly branded as Soft 103.9 and owned by Castanet founder Nick Frost – filed for bankruptcy in late March. Broadcast Dialogue caught up with Larsen to talk about his plans for the station, which he hopes to have back up and running by this spring. Read our Q&A here.

Apple Podcasts is out with its Best of 2020. Broken down by region (and available to view in app), Frequency Podcast Network’s The Hopeful was named Show of the Year for Canada. A podcast about the Canadian dream, it tells the story of Amir Omidvar, who fled Iran in the throes of the revolution, and is hosted by his daughter Shayda. Don Cherry’s Grapevine Podcast made the list of Biggest New Shows, while Canadian True Crime and CBC’s Uncover, were named among the Biggest Shows of 2020 for Canadian Apple listeners overall.

The Apostrophe Podcast Network has added new podcast series Surviving Life with Les Stroud. The Survivorman host, whose latest series Wild Harvest is currently airing on PBS, explores how his guests navigate life. Podcast guests so far include Bruce Cockburn, David Suzuki, George Stroumboulopoulos and music producer Mike Clink, among others.

CHEK-TV Vancouver Island is celebrating its 64th anniversary with its first podcast. Our Native Land focuses on Indigenous culture on Vancouver Island and beyond. It’s hosted by Tchadas Leo, a broadcaster from the Homalco First Nation. The first episode of the weekly series features an interview with Melanie Mark, BC’s first female Indigenous MLA. The independent station says it has plans to produce more original podcasts and vodcasts from its new podcast studios in Victoria. It’s also making the studios available to other content creators, including both non- and for-profit podcasters. CHEK says it will help amplify and distribute some of that work to make it more discoverable.

630 CHED Santas Anonymous is celebrating 65 years delivering toys to children in need. Starting with 600 children receiving packages in its first year, the team now delivers toys to up to 20,000 Edmonton children. Donations can be made at santasanonymous.ca. Until Dec. 23, donation bins will also be located at all IKEA, Superstore, Canadian Tire, and Costco locations in the Edmonton area. 

The 17th Annual Rhyason Contracting ‘Light A Moose’ Radiothon raised more than $80,000 for the Fort St. John Hospital Foundation. Airing Nov. 18-20 on 100.1 Moose FM (CKFU-FM), the three-day event broadcast remotely from the Murray GM parking lot. This year, NorthRiver Midstream matched the first $20,000 in donations raised, with proceeds supporting equipment needs as well as Peace Villa care home.

St. Boniface Radiothon of Hope & Healing, heard on 680 CJOB Winnipeg on Nov. 27, exceeded its fundraising goal of $155,000. Thanks to donations and sponsors from across Manitoba, the event raised $165,001 for patient care and research. This year’s Radiothon was held virtually as the hospital makes efforts to contain a COVID-19 outbreak among patients and staff.

SiriusXM and the family of Bob Marley are collaborating on new year-round channel Tuff Gong Radio (channel 19) which features the icon’s entire music catalog, including rare recordings, some of which have never been made public. The channel, to be curated by the Marley family, will include a wide range of Caribbean music from its inception to present day. It will also highlight the branches of Marley’s still-growing musical legacy including The Wailers, I-Threes, Tuff Gong International, the record label he founded in the ‘70s, as well as his children and grandchildren as they continue to make their own mark on reggae and popular music. The channel will also present specialty programs and takeovers led by family members from three generations, with shows also originating from Tuff Gong Studios in Jamaica.

LISTEN: Erica Ehm joins Matt Cundill on the Sound Off Podcast to talk about her new podcast Reinvention of the VJ where she reconnects with MuchMusic alumni like Steve Anthony, Rick Campanelli, and others to explore the challenges of reinvention. Listen on your favourite podcast app or here:

FEATURE: Every programmer should have the experience of scheduling an all-Christmas format at least once. Sean Ross of Ross on Radio shares some notes from his programming toolkit on the delicate balance of editing your staton’s holiday “yule log.” Read more here.