By David Farrell
Sonos Radio launches in Canada
Tuesday, the network-connected home audio system launched Sonos Radio with over 60,000 stations on offer from various streaming partners including TuneIn and iHeartRadio. Additionally, the app-based player is offering original Sonos programming. The company says radio accounts for nearly half of through its speaker system, while over 10 million homes stream audiobooks. – Wired
Rogers says Covid’s impact is manageable, braces for worse Q2
Overall, Rogers reported Wednesday that it had a $352M net profit for the first three months of 2020, with net income of 68 cents per share, down from $391M and 76 cents per share a year earlier. – David Paddon, The Canadian Press
TSO, Toronto Star team up to offer exclusive weekly Musical Moments
The Toronto Symphony Orchestra has teamed up with the Toronto Star to offer an exclusive weekly Musical Moment — a new short performance by one of the TSO’s musicians every week that is offered as a “respite from the hard headlines and tough news we hear every day”.
Below, TSO Concertmaster Jonathan Crow performs J.S. Bach's Air from Orchestral Suite No. 3, BWV 1068 ("Air on a G String") with Philip Chiu on piano.
How podcast producers are dealing with remote broadcasting
Commutes to work and gyms have disappeared, forcing the podcast industry to adapt, Stitcher executive Chris Bannon says. – Samson Amore, The Wrap
In crisis, radio should be bigger than ever – so why isn’t it?
In trying to compete with streaming services, satellite radio, and podcasts, terrestrial radio seems to have lost something of its original mission: Familiarity, flexibility, localization, and interactivity. – Samantha Hissong, Rolling Stone
Listeners want to talk, so radio needs to connect with its audience … by phone
People are back on their phones. Sure, they may still be connecting with a favourite radio station or personality via social media.
But the stats indicate this may, in fact, be a great time to open those phone lines, take a request or two, and have a conversation with a caller from your town – off the air. It's something that Spotify, SiriusXM, Netflix, and even your local TV station simply cannot do. – Fred Jacobs, Jacobs Media
Coleman Insights
Recapping the findings of Coleman Insights’ 2nd annual “Contemporary Music SuperStudy 2,” presented on (4/23), Pop continues to lead consumers’ tastes, Hip Hop/R&B generates polar reactions and Country titles are experiencing an increase in popularity. – All Access
How the troubles may redefine the types of movies that play in theatres
While stuck indoors under lockdown, consumers have grown even more accustomed to streaming movies from the comfort of their home. Movie executives suggest those habits could make moviegoers more unwilling to buy tickets to midlevel films in the future. – Rebecca Rubin, Variety
The last days of Cirque du Soleil: How Covid-19 brought down an entertainment empire
The global circus brand remains optimistic that it will reopen once the pandemic ends. It may not be the same company by then. – Christopher Zara, Fast Company
The man on the phone: What's it like making history's highest auction bid?
In November 2017 at Christie's New York, Alex Rotter uttered a phrase never before heard at an art auction: "Four hundred million."
His bid was in dollars, and the lot in question was the last known Leonardo da Vinci painting in private hands. Audible gasps gave way to applause, and, less than a minute later, the gavel fell to make history.
After fees, the "Salvator Mundi" sold for US$450.3M, obliterating auction records for a work of art. – Oscar Holland, CNN
