Vancouver’s 102-7 The Peak has laid off its talent, six months after pulling the alt-rock brand off FM and moving it onto HD Radio and online.
Part of a format flip that saw The Peak’s former home at CKPK-FM rebranded as NOW!radio in July, the move marked Pattison Media’s first foray into the HD Radio space.
The company announced Wednesday it had released morning show duo Jeremy Baker and Charis Hogg, in addition to Jason Manning, who had worn various hats at the station over the last eight years, including afternoon host, Music Director and Assistant Program Director.
“It’s still early days for HD radio in Canada and while we have the most technically sound and dynamic sounding HD signals on 102-7, it’s just not something Canadians are used to finding in their cars, and it’s a smaller group of people who own cars with HD enabled radios at this stage,” said James. “The PEAK continues on 102-7 HD2 and online with a loyal audience.”
Canadians have been slower to adopt the in-car tech. Of the roughly 2,400 HD Radio stations in North America, fewer than 100 signals originate north of the border (about half of those multicast). There are now an estimated four million HD Radio-equipped vehicles in Canada, with one in three new cars sold equipped with an HD receiver.
“Our industry is facing some revenue challenges right now, and this unique platform combination is still new, but we continue to find ways to innovate in a world where traditional ratings is still largely, the currency,” said James, adding that there are no plans to have live announcers on The Peak going forward.
James said the station will continue to maintain a presence in the community “at events, supporting local artists, and keeping the indie and community spirit alive through produced content.”
To my radio friends. @Jeremy_Baker @CharisHogg and @jasonmanning pic.twitter.com/cTbk3wmRte
— Adam Baldwin (@fatandbrown) January 11, 2023
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