Edison Research and Triton Digital have released the 2021 Infinite Dial – the longest-running survey of consumer digital behaviour. Conducted in January, it found that after years of growth, online monthly audio listening plateaued at 68% or 193 million Americans. Weekly consumption saw a slight increase, while average time spent listening saw a seven per cent increase from 15 hours and 12 minutes a week in 2020 to 16 hours, 14 minutes a week this year. Weekly podcast listening saw growth from 24% of the U.S. population to 28% (80 million Americans, 12+). Weekly listeners averaged eight podcast episodes per week with those listeners averaging 5.1 different podcast shows. Read more of the survey’s findings, here.
Zoomer Radio AM 740 (CFZM-AM) has launched new morning show, The Morning Zoom with Sam and Jane, airing weekday mornings from 6 – 10 a.m. Samantha Houston has worked with ZoomerMedia for the last three years, after stints on the 1050 CHUM morning show and as an anchor for CTV News Channel. Jane Brown, who formerly anchored morning news on CFRB for a decade, has been with Zoomer Radio since 2009 as a news anchor and associate news director.
Sportsnet 650 (CISL-AM) Vancouver appears to have picked up about 40% of the TSN 1040 (CKST-AM) audience following Bell Media’s move to drop the format in Vancouver, Winnipeg and Hamilton in February. According to the latest PPM ratings release, every 650 show saw a bump in its 25 to 54 listenership, with Scott Rintoul’s 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. show pulling in a 5.2 share with men, 25-to-54, in February, quadrupling his previous 1.3 ratings performance. TSN 1040 personalities Don Taylor and Bob Marjanovich previously garnered a 6.1 share in the timeslot.
Buffy Sainte-Marie, Nile Rodgers and Timbaland are among those set to take part in the upcoming 2021 Canadian Music Week (CMW) Virtual Conference & Festival, May 18-21. Registration is now open. The 20th Anniversary Independent Music Awards will be streamed live from the El Mocambo on Friday, May 21, hosted by Matt, Carlin and Josie Dye of Toronto’s Indie88 (CIND-FM) and feature performances by 2019 Indie Award-winners Monowhales, July Talk, Sam Roberts Band, Walk Off The Earth, and CZN, the winners of the 2020 Jim Beam National Talent Search. The Canadian Music Week Festival will be free to the public this year, featuring both Canadian and international artists. It will stream on the CMW Festival website from May 18-21 and be available to view on-demand. Learn more about this year’s speaker’s lineup, here.
LISTEN: Lauren Hunter of Edmonton’s SONiC 102.9 (CHDI-FM) is the winner of this year’s Allan Waters Young Broadcaster of the Year Award, an honour annually presented during Canadian Music Week in memory of radio programmer Steve Young. On this episode of Broadcast Dialogue – The Podcast, we talk to the Young Broadcaster of the Year about finding creative inspiration, aspiring to be the Jimmy Kimmel of Edmonton jokes, and her advice for other young broadcasters looking for their break.
LISTEN: On the latest Sound Off Podcast, Howard Kroeger talks about the birth of the Classic Hits format, which is now celebrating its 20th year. Kroeger discusses how the BOB FM format came together, why Winnipeg was the place to make it happen, and the growth of the format across North America.
