By David Farrell
Edison Research and Triton Digital expand the Infinite Dial Study to Canada
Triton Digital and Edison Research announced on Tuesday that the two companies are expanding their digital media study of consumer adoption, The Infinite Dial, to Canada. The new research, much like the American version, will examine the digital media consumption habits of Canadians, including time spent with digital audio, podcasts, smart speakers, social media, video, mobile, and other platforms.
As reported by eMarketer, mobile ad spends in Canada are predicted to reach $4 Billion in 2018.
The full results of the Infinite Dial Canada study will be made available in both a free online webinar and as a downloadable report. Edison Research and Triton Digital will unveil the results of the survey on April 4.
Rogers acquires Clear Sky radio asset
Rogers Media announced Tuesday that it has agreed to purchase the radio broadcasting license CJCY-FM (102.1 CJCY Classic Hits) from Clear Sky Radio Inc. The FM services communities in Southeast AB, including Medicine Hat along with Redcliff, Dunmore, Seven Persons and Bow Island. The closing of the transaction is expected to occur in the coming months, subject to approval from the CRTC.
“CJCY has earned a strong local listener base in the community, and we’re excited to have the opportunity to build on the station’s legacy and continue its success,” said Julie Adam, Senior Vice President, Rogers Radio. “Complementing our existing local station – 105.3 ROCK – this acquisition allows us to double down on our promise to offer high-quality local programming across multiple platforms to listeners and better serve the community.”
CJCY-FM will join Rogers CKMH-FM (105.3 ROCK) in Medicine Hat, rounding out the company’s radio portfolio of 55 stations across the country. The acquisition also serves to strengthen Rogers Media’s roster of radio and television brands in Alberta, including 14 radio stations in the genres of Rock, Country, Top 40, and Multicultural, along with TV properties City, OMNI Television, and Sportsnet.
“We're proud of the quality of programming and customer service that we have provided to our listeners and advertising partners in Medicine Hat over the past decade," said Paul Larsen, President, Clear Sky Radio. “With Rogers's reputation for delivering the highest quality radio services, we have no doubt that CJCY joining forces with 105.3 ROCK will provide significant benefits to the community, our employees, listeners and clients."
Vista sells Niagara stations to Byrnes Media
On Monday, the CRTC approved an ownership change for CFLZ-FM and CJED-FM in Niagara Falls and Fort Erie, transferring control of the licences from Vista Radio to Byrnes Communications.
In approving the transfer, the CRTC stated that CJED-FM and CFLZ-FM are the only stations with a local presence in the twinned markets and considers that the transaction will help “preserve the diversity of voices in the market.” The regulator also stated that it finds that the transaction is in the "public interest" and "provides benefits for the broadcasting system and the residents of Niagara Falls and Fort Erie.”
No tangible benefits are tied to the sale. Conditions of licence details can be found on the CRTC website. According to CARTT.ca, the transaction cost was $800K.
Corus launches new late-night talk show, The Shift with Drex
Beginning Monday, January 22, The Shift with Drex will hit the airwaves on talk radio stations across Canada.
Hosted by Justin “Drex” Wilcomes, this late-night program promises “a fresh take on the day’s biggest headlines and the untold stories that matter to listeners.”
According to a Corus press-release, the four-hour show will be “packed full of interviews with newsmakers, columnists and celebrities” and be “a go-to source for late night banter and lively debate with content driven by its audience. From listener calls to comments online, Drex will interact with audiences every night, to get them involved in the conversation.”
“It’s stories, it’s opinion, it’s culture, it’s irreverent, and it’s Canadian,” said Troy Reeb, Global News and Corus Radio Sr. VP. “The Shift with Drex will tap into the common humour, pride and honesty that pulls our country together.”
“I’m looking forward to a fun ride ahead hosting a show where the phone lines are always open,” said Wilcomes, Host of The Shift with Drex. “My goal is to challenge the status-quo by delivering a program that’s both entertaining and thought-provoking.”
Known for witty candour, curiosity and off-the-cuff style, Drex has been on radio airwaves since 1993. He joined the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s Triple J in Sydney in 1995 and came to Canada in 2009, making a name for himself on British Columbia radio. Most recently, he has co-hosted on the weekday afternoon show Steele & Drex alongside Lynda Steele on 980 CKNW Vancouver.
CIBL Montreal has saviours, but it needs a business plan
Montreal community radio station CIBL-FM 101.5 is in a financial crisis. On Jan. 5, it laid off all 13 of its employees and cancelled all programming, replacing all its shows with an automated music playlist.
Its board of directors has launched a committee to try to figure out how to get the station back on track. Its now-former employees, meanwhile, are mobilizing to save it. Their efforts can be seen on the Facebook page they’ve started. More than 200 people have signed up for memberships, and other groups have raised money or attention for their cause; but, as Montreal media critic Steve Faguy reports, the goodwill the station has engendered needs a serious business plan to save it from itself.
RIP
Edwin (Ted) Bolwell, an Australian who moved to Canada and worked for the CBC, the Globe and Mail and The Star, died Sunday at age 85.
