By David Farrell
Bell Media announces launch date for BNN Bloomberg Radio
The announced partnership between Bloomberg News and Bell Media becomes official on April 30 with the launch of BNN (Broadcast News Network) Bloomberg Radio that cab be heard on various platforms including Bell’s all-news stations, the iHeartRadio app and feeds integrated into Google Home and Amazon Echo Spot.
The partnership will give BNN exclusive rights to air Bloomberg's television content in Canada, add weight to the BNN website – which will be renamed BNNBloomberg.ca, and launch a new radio channel on iHeartRadio that will combine BNN audio content with Bloomberg radio shows.
Additionally, Bell Media Radio will integrate a broad array of short- and long-form radio reports from BNN Bloomberg Radio into its news/talk stations across Canada, led by The Takeaway with Amanda Lang, a daily radio update from the BNN Bloomberg host featuring updates on significant business news of the day.
TSN Radio 1410 Vancouver becomes BNN Bloomberg Radio, with TSN Radio 1040 Vancouver retaining its all-sports format. TSN 1040 expands its live radio broadcast schedule to feature content previously delivered by TSN 1410.
“We are proud to expand on BNN Bloomberg’s innovative approach to business news with the launch of Canada’s first business-focused radio station,” Bell Media Western division VP James Stuart Hewson said in a statement yesterday.
Bloomberg TV Canada launched in November, 2015, with high-profile hires such as journalist Amanda Lang. By early 2016, it had more than 200,000 subscribers, a small fraction of BNN's 5.36 million subscribers. By passing that threshold, Bloomberg TV Canada triggered an increase in its Canadian programming spending requirements, which took effect with the approval of a new licence for the channel in August of 2017. In August, however, licence holder Channel Zero announced that it would cut production of its two Canadian-made shows and eliminate 22 jobs. Lang returned to BNN in November.
Since September, the US Bloomberg TV channel has replaced Bloomberg TV Canada. That will now cease distribution and the TV content will be available only through BNN.
iHeartRadio launches Boots and Hearts Radio
IHeartRadio Canada has signed-on as the official radio sponsor of the Boots and Hearts Music Festival
The partnership includes the launch of Boots and Hearts Radio on its streaming music mobile app, which includes music from this year’s line-up of performers – like Florida Georgia Line, Alan Jackson, Thomas Rhett, Dallas Smith and Billy Currington.
IHeartRadio will have an installation at the festival grounds. Various Bell Media country music radio stations will also carry live coverage of the event.
The festival runs Aug. 9 to 12 at the Burl’s Creek Event Grounds in Oro Medonte, just north of Toronto. iHeartRadio will be on location all weekend and will feature interviews with artists, iHeartRadio’s Rob Farina reports.
