Radio and Podcast News In Brief – Evanov launches Jewel format in Halifax ahead of Stingray’s expansion of The Breeze

Stingray has revealed it’s expanding the Canadian footprint of The Breeze “easy, relaxing, and familiar favourites” format to Halifax. This Thursday (Jan. 17), Mix 96.5 (CKUL-FM) will be relaunched as 96.5 The Breeze…Halifax’s Relaxing Favourites. The rebrand follows Stingray’s move to flip Classic Hits stations LG 104.3 (CHLG-FM) Vancouver and 96.3 Capital FM (CKRA-FM) Edmonton on Boxing Day to The Breeze format, which has been meeting with success in several U.S. markets, including San Francisco, Philadelphia, and Detroit. Dan Barton, Stingray’s Director of Contemporary Programming for Nova Scotia, told Broadcast Dialogue, in a tight market with 10 commercial radio stations, it’s been an ongoing search “to find that proper niche.” Read the full story here.

Evanov Radio Group preemptively pushed up the launch of its Soft AC format The Jewel in Halifax, on news of Stingray’s plan to introduce an easy listening station to the market. The format flip comes almost six months to the day Evanov rebranded Rock 105 (CKHY-FM), a tweak of the Alternative/Active Rock LIVE 105, in a bid to go head-to-head with its biggest competitor, Stingray-owned Classic Rock ratings powerhouse Q104 (CFRQ-FM). Evanov already operates The Jewel format in seven markets, including Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal West Island, and Brantford. Jewel 105 signed on at 7 p.m. AT Tuesday. Afternoon drive host Gina Kennedy, aka Gina K, is a casualty of the format flip. Kennedy arrived in Halifax just this past September from CHOM 97.7 Montreal. Read more here.

The CRTC will hear applications for new radio licences in Atlantic Canada on Mar. 19.  The deadline for submissions is Feb. 15. Stingray has applied to operate an English-language commercial FM station in Marystown, NL to replace its English-language commercial AM station CHCM, maintaining the station’s current Classic Hits format; Exploits Valley Community Radio Inc. has applied to operate an English-language, low-power community FM station in Grand Falls-Windsor, NL. The applicant proposes to broadcast 126 hours of programming per broadcast week, of which at least 106 hours would be local; Caper Radio Incorporated in Sydney, NS is seeking a licence to operate an English-language, low-power campus FM. The applicant is currently operating a developmental campus station on frequency 107.3 MHz, the non-renewable licence for which expires Aug. 31; New Song Communications Ministries Ltd. is proposing an English-language community FM station in Saint John, NB. The station would operate at 96.1 MHz (channel 241A) with an average effective radiated power (ERP) of 1,726 watts (maximum ERP of 2,500 watts with an effective height of antenna above average terrain of 29.8 metres).The applicant currently operates a low-power specialty Christian music radio station at the same frequency.

Global News Radio 980 CKNW Vancouver will launch the second season of Mayors Day on Tuesday, Jan. 22. The second iteration of the monthly series offers listeners access to mayors from across Metro Vancouver, with each mayor co-hosting a CKNW program, interviewing guests and taking calls from listeners. The Jan. 22 Mayors Day schedule includes Mike Hurley, Mayor of the City of Burnaby, co-hosting The Jon McComb Show; Kennedy Stewart, Mayor of the City of Vancouver, co-hosting The Simi Sara Show; and Linda Buchanan, Mayor of the City of North Vancouver, co-hosting The Lynda Steele Show. Mayors Day will continue one weekday per month, with the next event Feb. 28.

Fairchild Radio Toronto’s December radiothon in support of Princess Margaret Cancer Centre raised $268,034. The 11-hour event was broadcast live on-site Dec. 6.

SiriusXM Canada has announced the return of SiriusXM Top of the Country in partnership with the Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA). This nationwide search for Canada’s next big country music star provides emerging artists with a national platform, performance opportunities at some of Canada’s biggest country music events, SOCAN songwriting camps, and industry mentorship, in addition to $25,000 cash. Canadian country solo artists and groups can register until Feb. 1 at topcountry.siriusxm.ca. The grand prize winner will be chosen live during the CCMA’s Country Music Week, being held this year in Calgary, AB Sept. 5-8.

Expect Theatre’s PlayME, the podcast that turns Canadian plays into audio dramas, has tackled playwright Hannah Moscovitch’s What A Young Wife Ought To Know. Available now on CBC Podcasts as an audio drama in three chapters, additional episode featuring an interview with Moscovitch, will be available Jan. 22. This is PlayME’s second audio drama to be released as part of its new partnership with CBC Podcasts. The remainder of the season will feature The Fish Eyes Trilogy by Dora Award-winner Anita Majumdar: a teen’s fury about consent, cultural appropriation and colonialism in Port Moody, BC, available Mar. 5; Huff by writer and performer Cliff Cardinal: an unflinching look at brothers on a reserve who struggle with solvent abuse and suicide, available April 16; and Between Breaths by Governor General’s Award-winner and Newfoundland-based playwright Robert Chafe: the final moments of the “Whaleman” of Newfoundland as he reflects on a life dedicated to rescuing trapped whales, available June 18.

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