Radio & Podcast News – Stingray introduces TODAY RADIO to Toronto

Stingray has introduced 93.5 TODAY RADIO (CFXJ-FM) to the Toronto market, a Gold-based Hot Adult Contemporary format it says will be built around listener conversations, stories and experiences. Stingray announced last week it was relinquishing the iconic Flow brand to G98.7 (CKFG-FM) to make way for the new format. 93.5 moves away from Urban/Hip Hop to a playlist transcending traditional radio formats that spans Ed Sheeran, Queen, Keith Urban, The Weeknd, Gordon Lightfoot, and Doja Cat. The new brand is accompanied by a new talent lineup with mornings helmed by Scottish DJ Paul Harper, who has been heard on 93.5 sister station boom 97.3 (CHBM-FM), and Nikki Balch, who up until last September was part of the morning show on Montreal’s The Beat 92.5 (CKBE-FM). Tyler Barr, who previously helmed afternoon drive at Virgin Radio (CJFM-FM) Montreal, takes over middays, while afternoon drive sees Paul McGuire, currently midday host across Stingray’s small market New Country stations, paired with Vanessa Newman (who’ll also continue to be heard on afternoons at Z95.3 (CKZZ-FM) Vancouver). Stingray network personalities Katie & Ed, the morning show team from AMP Radio (CKMP-FM) Calgary, are being heard in evenings. Read more here. 

Corus Radio’s 101.5 The Wolf (CKWF-FM) in Peterborough celebrated its 30th anniversary on Feb. 14. Originally licenced as CHEX-FM in 1947, the station went through a number of ownership and format changes before rebranding as The Wolf on Feb. 14, 1992, assuming a Rock format and the call letters, CKWF-FM. The station is marking its 30th anniversary with a number of special initiatives, including a collection of 30 interviews with past and present on-air hosts like TJ Connors, Brad Dryden, Griff Henderson, Dani Stover, Marty “The White Beaver” Silvestri, Jay Sharp, and Alana Cameron. Read more here.

Randy Bachman’s long-running radio show, Vinyl Tap, is set to re-launch next month across Corus Entertainment’s Rock and Classic Hits stations. Dropped by the CBC in early 2021 after a 16-year run, Orbyt Media is partnering with Corus to bring the eclectic show full of personal anecdotes from The Guess Who and Bachman Turner Overdrive alum, whose music career has spanned six decades. Starting Sunday, March 6 at 9 p.m. local time, Vinyl Tap will be heard on stations across Canada including Rock 101 (CFMI-FM) Vancouver, BIG 101.1 (CIQB-FM) Barrie, Q107 (CFGQ-FM) Calgary, boom 101.9 (CJSS-FM) Cornwall, The Chuck 92.5 (CKNG-FM) Edmonton, Y108 (CJXY-FM) Hamilton, BIG 96.3 (CFMK-FM) Kingston, 107.5 Dave Rocks (CJDV-FM) Kitchener, FM96 (CFPL-FM) London, 101.5 The Wolf (CKWF-FM) Peterborough, and Power 97 (CJKR-FM) Winnipeg. Read more here.

Acadia Broadcasting’s Saint John stations Country 94 (CHSJ-FM) and 97.3 The Wave (CHWV-FM) held their 10th annual Love Your Hospital Radiothon on Thursday, Feb. 10 in support of the Saint John Regional Hospital Foundation. Together, they raised a record-breaking $351,610 over 12 hours.

ReelWorld has partnered with Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) in Calgary to provide hands-on instruction to  students in SAIT’s Radio, Television and Broadcast News program and award a scholarship to the top graduating student of the program each year. The 2021 scholarship recipient is Emily Morrison. ReelWorld’s Ron Tarrant, Director of RED Hits and a 2008 SAIT alum, who coaches students on imaging production, voiceover techniques and radio station workflows, recently spoke with Emily who shared details of her experience with the program and what she learned.

World Radio Alliance, the newly-formed initiative collectively working to spread love and awareness of radio globally, has released its first initiative – a video produced by Radiocentre UK highlighting the power of the medium. Radio Connects President Caroline Gianias is serving as Vice President of the Alliance, supporting Lucy Barrett of Radiocentre in her role as President.

The Podcast Academy has announced the nominees for the 2022 Ambie Awards. Among the Canadian podcasts receiving nods are CBC Podcasts’ Life Jolt for Best Documentary Podcast and Malcolm Gladwell for Best Host for Revisionist History. The Ambies will take place March 22 and streamed live exclusively on Twitch from The Mayan Theater in Los Angeles.

LISTEN: With the recent misinformation controversy around The Joe Rogan Experience that led Spotify to jettison more than 40 episodes of the podcast, Signal Hill Insights decided to dig deeper into the court of public opinion. On the latest episode of Broadcast Dialogue – The Podcast, we welcome back Jeff Vidler to talk about their latest research, Spotify, and the state of podcasting in Canada. Listen on your favourite podcast app or here:

LISTEN: Will Nash is the afternoon drive host on Fresh 93.1 (CHAY-FM) Barrie as well as the midday host on Energy 95.3 (CING-FM) in Hamilton and Toronto. On the latest episode of the Sound Off Podcast, Nash talks about moving to a small town in northern Alberta for his first full on-air gig and his struggle coming out as an on-air personality. He also shares his experiences teaching Radio Broadcasting at Mohawk College, giving us some insight into the changes the radio industry has gone through and the way schools are adapting. Listen on your favourite podcast app or here: