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Radio
Executive of the Week: iHeartRadio's Sarah Cummings on the Evolving Role of Radio in the Canadian Music Industry
Overseeing more than 350 radio stations under the Bell Media umbrella, Cummings breaks down the transition to "frictionless" audio and the importance of trust in the age of AI.
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For decades, radio has been at the centre of the Canadian music industry — fundamental to the evolution of Canadian Content, artist development and chart performance.
Modern industry conversations often revolve around streaming and social media, two technological sea changes in the way music is consumed worldwide. In Canada, however, the influence of radio remains vital.
For Sarah Cummings, it’s the foundation of a massive, evolving audio ecosystem. As the director of radio content for iHeartRadio Canada and Orbyt Media under the umbrella of Bell Media, Cummings oversees more than 350 stations — a footprint that spans major market powerhouses, independent partners, community and campus stations, and countless podcasts and playlists.
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It's a modern evolution of the role of radio, one that adapts to fit changing technological trends, listening habits and ownership models. But it's also refreshingly old-school. "Radio has always been built on trust," she avows.
In the United States, iHeartRadio has introduced a "Guaranteed Human" program, a seal of trust that the music and personalities on the dial are not AI-generated. In Canada, too, it's an important concept. Listeners can trust that the voice behind the music and its curation is a person and not a generative algorithm.
Cummings has a long and influential history with radio, becoming the first female programming director for legendary Toronto station CHUM in 2017, before taking on her current role which revolves around evolving audio strategy amidst an always-transforming digital landscape.
As a member of the board of directors at FACTOR, Cummings is also following the conversations surrounding the Online Streaming Act and the debate over how Canadian content should be supported in a globalized market. She advocates for a holistic approach — one where Canadian artists are supported, not just by CanCon quotas, but by coverage, curation and emerging music programs. There's a lot of goodwill for Canadian creators right now, she says, and the opportunities are wide open.
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In this Executive of the Week conversation, Cummings discusses the strategy behind iHeartRadio’s massive consolidation, the "clear lines" her team won't cross with AI, the inspiring success of Heated Rivalry, and the move behind a "frictionless" radio landscape that moves beyond the dial.
You oversee English radio stations for Bell Media, plus iHeartRadio’s stations, app, podcasts, playlists and syndication. What does a typical day look like for you?
Two days are never the same. I've got a great team of people in Toronto and a few across the country. We do all the music programming for all of the radio stations across Bell Media. We do all of the imaging, national contesting, everything from start-to-finish for anything that goes under one of our brands. I also work closely with the on-air talent and the program directors at each of our radio stations. I also work with our teams developing podcasts, both on the radio side and across Bell Media, which is a big focus for us in 2026.
There are over 300 Canadian stations on iHeartRadio. What is the strategy behind that consolidation?
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There's over 350 now across Canada, plus we work closely with our partners in the U.S. We’ve got a majority of the major broadcasters available on iHeartRadio, but also a lot of independents and college radio stations. It's really something for everyone. That was our goal, to really make iHeartRadio a destination — for live radio, but also audio content in general. People can design their own playlists, they can listen to podcasts, to digital stations. We launched a station with Bryan Adams last year, for instance. We have a new music station that we fill with all the new music that comes out every Friday. We have playlists based on genres and decades. Made In Canada is one of our favourites.
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How are you adapting the medium to maintain its relevance in a personalized, on-demand audio world? You have the word “radio” in your title, but radio means something very different from what it meant 15 or 20 years ago.
It's so true, and it's fun and interesting to watch. However, as times change and evolve, what we're really seeing is a resurgence of what made radio great in the early days. That’s personalities, connecting with people, and the importance of a local focus. The trustworthy factor is major. Radio has always been built on trust.
There’s also a desire for expertly curated music on radio. For a long time personalization has been huge, and that's still very important, but people turn to radio to know that somebody put thought and effort into this. They thought about choosing this song, and choosing this song to go after that song.
Then there’s the extension of that, which is the ability to, if you miss your favourite morning show, pick it up on demand. Then from there, maybe they branch out. Maybe that host also hosts a podcast, and then they want to hear that. Having that all available in one platform has been really beneficial for us. It feels like there’s an endless amount of opportunities.
A recent Numeris survey found that a majority of Canadians are still listening to radio, but many are streaming it or listening to it differently, not necessarily tuning in on the airwaves. How do you adapt to that?
Our goal is to make it frictionless to get your content wherever you want it, whenever you want it. We see people listening differently depending on where they are. We know a lot of radio listening still happens in a car. We want to make it easy to go from there to your phone and then on your commute to work or at the gym.
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Regardless of where people are listening, how can we make it easily accessible? Some of our stations have shows available on YouTube, some of our stations have incredible TikTok followings and are producing content there.
In the U.S., iHeartRadio has taken a hardline stance against AI with its “Guaranteed Human” program, pledging not to play AI music or use AI generated personalities. As you talk about the importance of human curation, are those conversations also happening in Canada?
We're having those conversations all the time: the proper use of AI, where it makes sense and where it doesn't. But all of our hosts are real people! They're hosting the shows and scheduling the music. When it comes to voices and producing the imaging that we run on our stations and executing content, that's all still something that we have expert, talented, incredible people doing.
I think there are responsible ways to use it, like using AI tools to make your days easier, or to help prep or something like that – but there are also clear lines that we don't cross.
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How are we being responsible? What are we using it for? What are we not using it for? What are we trusting? What do we have people double checking? I think it's a conversation that will continue to be had daily.
Are you also thinking about how to reach Gen Z and Gen Alpha listeners, who might be more used to listening to music on streaming services like Spotify? How do you make sure radio still appeals to younger listeners?
I remain optimistic and yet at the same time realistic. It's not an easy path. We just have to figure out the way forward.
When it comes to audio, there's no question, there's a boom. The amount of content that's being produced on a daily basis — I can't even begin to imagine the billions of hours of new podcasts or video content that's being produced all the time. That’s exciting, and there’s a big opportunity.
There is a narrative that young people won't listen to radio because there's music accessible on streaming. But there is still something about a completely free service that’s giving you trustworthy information, entertainment, curated music, the opportunity to win contests — and it’s right there in front of you.
You’re on the board of directors at FACTOR, which is one of the biggest funders of Canadian music. One of the big conversations that’s happening right now is the application of the Online Streaming Act. Canadian Content regulations have been a pivotal part of radio and building the music industry here in Canada over decades. How are you engaging with the conversations around it?
A strong Canadian musical industry is an extremely important thing, and that hasn't changed. There were rules and regulations put in place at a time when it needed to happen. At the same time, everything evolves. The competitive landscape has changed drastically. And I think that radio is in a challenge position right now.
At iHeartRadio, we do hundreds of interviews a year, probably more than that. We interview up-and-coming Canadian artists, we have new music stations, we have people on air, we've got an emerging music program, we've got a future star program. There are so many ways in which, beyond a specific amount of exact airplay, we're supporting Canadian artists.
The industry is best supported if radio stations are driving ratings, driving revenue, dedicating the appropriate amount of money back into the landscape. It’s not always just a specific percentage of airplay. We need to think about it more holistically. There are so many layers to it.
While these conversations are happening, there also seems to be a new support local mindset growing in Canadian music — especially as some Canadians choose not to travel to the U.S. What excites you about the growth of Canadian content?
There’s a groundswell of support for Canada and our creators. The great content they’re producing, the stories that can be told, that's something I get really excited about. There’s more of an opportunity than ever to tell those stories, to have people tune and listen.
Look at Heated Rivalry, which is a Bell Media series on Crave. I watch it just take over the world, and I think, this is so great — not because it's just a great show, but because this is a Canadian author, a Canadian company, and it’s blown up across the world. People want to hear these stories, and I think Canada can tell them through a lens that is different but that connects with the rest of the world.
Not knowing exactly what's ahead, but seeing these different opportunities is very exciting to me.
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Published by ARTSHOUSE MEDIA GROUP (AMG) under license from Billboard Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Media Corporation.
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