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Media Beat: March 27, 2020

By David Farrell

Radio listening soars during coronavirus crisis

Radio listening figures have experienced a boom as a direct result of coronavirus, new figures suggest.


Global, which owns Capital FM and LBC, has said online listening rose by 15 percent in the last week, with many favouring the radio over streaming apps.

In contrast, data from US analytics companies suggests that the use of streaming apps such as Spotify has dropped by about 8 percent.

Journalism has become an essential service during COVID-19 crisis

It’s clear that our reliance on the professional media will only grow in the difficult months to come, even as the commercial viability of these news gathering companies becomes increasingly dire. The massive demand destruction that looms ahead will kill advertising, subscriptions, cash-flow, etc. This is a giant problem.

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So what should we do? – John Lorinc, The Star

Government’s promised help for media leaves news orgs disappointed

“We didn’t expect to be singled out but we also didn’t expect to be shunted aside, and that’s what’s going on here,” Bob Cox, publisher of the Winnipeg Free Press and News Media Canada chair said, noting the federal program in place to aid the industry still hasn’t started operating.

“We haven’t got the (program) money so we don’t actually have this cash to operate our businesses (and) until we get that, we’re screwed,” Cox continued. – Mary Ormsby, The Star

NPR station dumps Trump briefings for spreading disinformation

“KUOW is monitoring White House briefings for the latest news on the coronavirus — and we will continue to share all news relevant to Washington State with our listeners,” the station tweeted Tuesday. “However, we will not be airing the briefings live due to a pattern of false or misleading information provided that cannot be fact-checked in real-time.” – Ted Johnson, Deadline

Edison Research: Streaming inches up in share of AM/FM radio listening

The report found that at its most recent update, streaming now holds an 8% share of Americans’ AM/FM radio listening. Traditional over-the-air listening accounts for the remaining 92%. – Anna Washenko, RAIN News

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How Covid-19 can negatively impact rental property rates

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Neil Young
Courtesy photo

Neil Young

FYI

Music Biz Headlines: Canadian Stars Unite to Celebrate Neil Young, Justin Bieber Sets a Coachella Record

Other stories making headlines this week include the new Lilith Fair film documentary, the CCMA Award winners, Lee's Palace's 40th birthday and more.

This week, a star-studded cast of Canadian performers is announced for a Massey Hall concert tribute to mark the 80th birthday of rock 'n roll icon Neil Young.

Cameron Whitcomb and Josh Ross confirm their star status with major wins at the 2025 Canadian Country Music Association Awards in Kelowna, M for Montreal unveils its impressive 2025 lineup and Coachella announces its lineup very early.

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