Bell Media has rebranded 10 of its iHeartRadio Canada stations, adding MOVE Radio to its lineup of national radio brands. The stations making the branding flip to the Adult Contemporary/Hot AC format include:

• Vancouver’s MOVE 103.5 (CHQM-FM), formerly QMFM
• Ottawa’s MOVE 100 (CJMJ-FM), formerly MAJIC 100
• Halifax’s MOVE 100 (CIOO-FM), formerly C100
• Brockville’s MOVE 104.9 (CFJR-FM), formerly JR FM
• Fredericton’s MOVE 106.9 (CIBX-FM), formerly Capital FM
• Kelowna’s MOVE 101.5 (CILK-FM), formerly EZ Rock
• Kingston’s MOVE 98.3 (CFLY-FM), formerly FLY FM
• St. Catharine’s MOVE 105.7 (CHRE-FM), formerly EZ Rock
• Penticton’s MOVE 97.1 (CJMG-FM), formerly SUN FM
• Peterborough’s MOVE 99.7 (CKPT-FM), formerly Energy 99.7

Each station will retain a local morning show. For most of the stations under the MOVE umbrella, middays will be voicetracked from adjacent markets. In Ottawa, Halifax, Fredericton, and Peterborough for example, CHUM 104.5 Toronto personality Ashley Greco will helm middays. Ryan Seacrest’s syndicated show will air across the MOVE brand evenings with Seacrest to also host an exclusive “MOVE Radio AT40” countdown on weekends. Read more here.

The Jim Pattison Broadcast Group has completed its acquisition of Merritt Broadcasting Ltd. and its associated radio station licence (and related assets) for Q101 (CKMQ-FM) Merritt, BC, following CRTC approval. In awarding approval, the commission granted Pattison an exception to the Common Ownership Policy, permitting it to own and control three FM presences in the Merritt market, subject to certain conditions of licence. Pattison says the current local programming team will all be offered employment and continue to produce distinct programming for the Merritt marketplace. With the transfer of ownership, Leo Baggio of Kamloops will oversee the operation as General Manager in addition to his duties in Kamloops. The acquisition grows Pattison’s radio footprint to 45 FM and three AM radio stations in Western Canada, along with 17 online news portals, three conventional television stations and one outdoor video signage division.

AM 740/Zoomer Radio (CFZM-AM) is celebrating its 20th anniversary this week. The Toronto station launched Jan. 8, 2001 with the first song played Frank Sinatra and Celine Dion’s ‘All the Way.’ Originally licensed to broadcaster Michael Caine, the station was sold to Moses Znaimer in 2008 with its dedication to serving the 45+ audience a good fit with his existing media portfolio which already included New Classical FM (CFMZ-FM) and Zoomer Magazine, among other properties. He successfully applied for a rebroadcaster at 96.7 FM in 2015. Znaimer made a special appearance this past Sunday on a 20th anniversary edition of Vintage Favourites, speaking with host Gene Stevens on a variety of subjects, including the value of radio when times are tough.

Amazon Music has inked a deal to acquire podcast producer and publisher Wondery in a deal estimated to be worth more than $300 million. Amazon Music, which launched podcasts last September, said in an announcement that it hopes the acquisition will help accelerate “the growth and evolution of podcasts by bringing creators, hosts, and immersive experiences to even more listeners across the globe, just as we do with music. This is a pivotal moment to expand the Amazon Music offering beyond music as listener habits evolve. Our commitment to podcasts, our focus on high quality audio with the Amazon Music HD tier, and our recent partnership with Twitch to bring live streaming into the app, make Amazon Music a premiere destination for creators.” CEO Hernan Lopez will step down from his position to focus on his Hernan Lopez Family Foundation, with Wondery COO Jen Sargent to take over day-to-day operations. 

Netflix has started rolling out an audio-only update for the Android version of its app that allows users to turn video off and use a playback bar that features speed adjustments, among other features. Netflix already offers audio description for select series and movies.

Apostrophe Podcast Company drops new podcast Alone Together on Jan. 11, an exploration of loneliness through time, history, art, science and culture. The series is hosted by Peg Fong, Vancouver correspondent for The Economist and a former reporter for The Vancouver Sun, The Globe and Mail and the Toronto Star.

Stingray Business has concluded a deal to provide curated streaming music services for ClubCom, a division of Zoom Media, a leading provider of digital entertainment and marketing networks within the fitness industry. The new partnership seeks to deliver an immersive experience for members of fitness centres across Canada and the U.S. ClubCom services more than 4,000 health clubs across North America. 

Canadian Music Week (CMW) has announced dates for a planned virtual offering of its industry conference and music festival. The virtual edition of the festival is set for May 17-21, while the concurrent radio and music industry conferences are slated to take place May 18-21. CMW says more information on speakers, panels and registration info will be released soon.

LISTEN: On the latest Sound Off Podcast, Matt Cundill speaks with BC Association of Broadcasters (BCAB) Performer of Tomorrow award winner Vanessa Newman of Stingray’s Z95.3 (CKZZ-FM) Vancouver. Listen on your favourite podcast app or here:

boom 97.3’s (CHBM-FM) Stu Jeffries $1000 Make-A-Wish Minute in support of Make-A-Wish Toronto & Central Ontario exceeded this year’s goal, raising over $365,000 between Nov. 30 and Dec. 23. Running Monday to Friday at 6:45 a.m., 7:45 a.m. and 8:45 a.m., every dollar won during play of Make-A-Wish Minute is matched by boom and donated back to Make-A-Wish. In the five years boom has running the campaign, it’s now raised over $1 million.