I'm always interested in the PPM rating results for our local radio stations. Often, when I learn the numbers, I'll even write about it. I just assumed PPM (Portable People Meter) dependably measured stations encountered, but apparently it has "blind spots". This article was enlightening for this radio fan. Depending
I attended the Canadian premiere of I Am What I Play at The Royal last night. You might recall me writing about this documentary. It features Meg Griffin, Charles Laquidara, Pat O'Day and our very own David Marsden. Marsden was at the premiere, and we chatted before the curtains went
Demographics are everything to a station. Performances in a targeted demo determine a station's revenue generation potential. Dave Shoalts writes in today's Globe and Mail about Dean Blundell's rating improvement in The Fan's targeted demo of men aged 18-34. I have it on good authority that The Fan is actually
Toronto radio ratings came out yesterday, and I was interested in what effect recent changes at The Fan 590 and Virgin 999 have had. The Fan 590 recently moved Brady and Walker to 1pm and brought in long-time Edge 102 morning man Dean Blundell to host their morning show. Virgin
I love compelling audio. I love a good story and learning new things. Yesterday, while driving the family home from my son's hockey game, I tuned into CBC Radio One and heard Jonathan Goldstein on Wiretap airing an episode he originally recorded for the Gimlet Media podcast Reply All. Goldstein
Reporter Amber Gero was let go by Newstalk 1010 last summer. She, along with morning anchor Evelyn Macko and Queen’s Park reporter Katie Franzios, were dismissed due to what Bell Media calls "synergies". Gero had spent 14 years at Newstalk 1010, and now she's letting loose on Twitter about
With the passing of Don Berns earlier this week, it seems like an appropriate time to jump in the time machine back to 1989 when CFNY 102.1 had changed its progressive and alternative new music format to something more mainstream. How mainstream? Think Janet Jackson and Bryan Adams. CFNY
I'm very sorry to learn Jay "Maddog" Michaels has been let go from Virgin Radio 99.9 FM. He had been there since August 2006. Former partner Bilie Holiday was let go back in 2011. If you haven't yet heard Maddog on episode 92 of my podcast, give it a
He was the longtime Toronto radio personality best known for his seven years at CFNY from 1985 to 1992 and his many years as Dr. Trance, Godfather of the Toronto rave scene. I was hoping to have Don Berns on my podcast, and when he came in, I was going
This little relic from Toronto's radio history was sent to me by Frank. It was circulated back in '92 when there were rumours CFNY was returning to top 40, as it did briefly in the late 80s. These types of campaigns remind me of David Marsden's original call to arms
I didn't know I Am What I Play existed until David Marsden told me about it in episode 106. It's a documentary about rock radio DJ's featuring Meg Griffin, Charles Laquidara, Pat O'Day and our very own David Marsden, best known as the driving force behind CFNY in the 1980s.
A whole bunch of Spirit of Radio Sunday fans only learned their favourite show on 102.1 was cancelled when they tuned in yesterday and couldn't find it. Checking this site's referral log, the sequence of events typically went like this for an SRS listener: tunes in 102.1 expecting
Launched last February, Spirit of Radio Sunday on 102.1 the Edge, hosted by Scot Turner, was mighty popular in my circle. Scot and I spoke a great deal about the concept in episode 102 of my podcast. Essentially, the show was an homage to the legacy of CFNY, playing
On the heels of hiring Dean Blundell as their new morning man, The Fan 590 is looking for a few more good men or women Well, at least two. There are at least two job openings at The Fan 590 for on-air positions. MORNING SPORTSCASTERJob posting Sportsnet 590 The FAN
A tip of the hat to TSM for some solid sleuth work today. It seems Dean Blundell is returning to mornings on Toronto radio, becoming the new morning man at The Fan 590. Greg Brady (hear him on episode 76 of my podcast) will move to 1-4pm as Tim and
Have you noticed how little attention radio gets from the mainstream media? Newspapers seem to all but ignore the format now. I never understand this, because from my vantage point, Torontonians still listen to an awful lot of terrestrial radio. The lack of MSM interest in radio is why I
In this 103rd episode, re-branded episode 102.1 by marketing, Mike chats with George Stroumboulopoulos about his years at The Fan 590, CFNY Edge 102, MuchMusic, CBC and his current gig at Hockey Night in Canada. There are laughs, tears, The Wire references and almost two hours of open and
In this 102nd episode, Mike chats with Spirit of Radio Sunday host Scot Turner about his many years on CFNY and Energy 108, what's next for Spirit of Radio Sunday on Edge 102 and why he keeps changing the spelling of his first name. This episode is exactly 1:03:
In this 101st episode, Mike chats with NEWSTALK 1010 reporter Siobhan Morris about all things CFRB, her reporter voice, her visit to Fordfest and why she adopted the Red Sox as her team. This episode is exactly 1:11:37. You can listen to this episode in a variety of
A tweet from @Scroll includes PPM Top-line Radio Data for Toronto from September 1, 2014 through November 30, 2014. Here it is. I'll share some observations and thoughts on the other side. That 2.7% share for CFNY sticks out. This entry I wrote about PPM radio ratings five years
In this 100th episode, Mike chats with Humble and Fred about their 25 years together as they share more Toronto radio stories than you can shake a stick at. In fact, if you work in Toronto radio, we likely talked about you. This episode is exactly 1:30:51. You
There have been a few Toronto radio developments I thought we might want to discuss, so here's a big fat juicy three-fer. Indie88 PD Vacancy The first involves Indie88. They're looking for a new Program Director. I've exchanged emails with their old Program Director, Adam Thompson, and he even promised
In this 97th episode, Mike chats with GTA radio personality Colleen Rusholme about her life in Toronto radio, my Rick Hodge incident, the irony of Stu Jeffries and more. This episode is exactly 1:03:48. You can listen to this episode in a variety of ways: Subscribe in iTunesSubscribe
In this 96th episode, Mike chats with Blue Jays broadcaster Mike Wilner about his career in radio, the Cito controversy, whether he's condescending and arrogant to BlueJaysTalk callers and when and why he'll block you on Twitter. This episode is exactly 1:11:24. You can listen to this episode
In this 92nd episode, Mike chats with Jay "Maddog" Michaels about his life in radio, why Billie was fired, Dean Blundell's trash talking and much, much more. This episode is exactly 1:37:21. You can listen to this episode in a variety of ways: Subscribe in iTunesSubscribe directly to
