The Sound Off Podcast

One of the first questions I ask people when they make a decision to leave their radio job under the guise of retirements is: "Were you pushed or did you jump?" Unlike the Terry Dimonte "retirement" where he was clearly pushed, Ken Connors is leaving his weekend morning job at CJAD 800am on his own terms.

In this episode, you will hear all about Ken's career which started at McGill Radio, continued throughout Ontario, to Ottawa and back to Montreal. Ken spent most of the 90's at CHOM and then he shifted to Standard Broadcasting's CJFM where he remained for 6 years before moving to 940 News, Q92 and then it was back to CJAD where he has been since 2016. A fairly remarkalbe career in North America's most unique radio market. Ken and I spent a little bit of time reminiscing about those days at CHOM, and some of things we learned about the broadcast business. Ken is well liked, a nice guy and was fun to work with on and off the air.

A transcript and video of the show is available here.

Thanks to our supporters!

Nlogic - TV & Radio Audience Data Solutions

Mary Anne Ivison at Ivison Voice. - Make her the female voice of your radio station.

Matt Fogarty Voiceovers - It's great to have Matt back for 2024 supporting our show. Make him the imaging voice for your radio station by contacting him through his website.

Megatrax - Licensed Music for your radio station or podcast production company.

Things to know! Please Take the 4 question survey here.

Also we added the Sound Off Podcast to the The Open Podcast Prefix Project (OP3) A free and open-source podcast prefix analytics service committed to open data and listener privacy. You can be a nosey parker by checking out our downloads here.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Alan Grego shared his journey from corporate training to becoming an award-winning podcast host and communications manager at Moneris. He discussed how he got interested in podcasting and started an internal podcast at Moneris to share opportunities. This led to him creating branded podcasts for Moneris full-time. In this episode, you will hear us discuss Alan's background in audio engineering, his use of tools like the Zoom H5 for recording, and how he draws inspiration from shows like This American Life to achieve that perfect podcast sound. Alan also talked about traveling across Canada for his podcast Yes We Are Open to interview small businesses.

A transcript of the show is available here,

Thanks to our supporters!

Nlogic - TV & Radio Audience Data Solutions

Mary Anne Ivison at Ivison Voice. - Make her the female voice of your radio station.

Matt Fogarty Voiceovers - It's great to have Matt back for 2024 supporting our show. Make him the imaging voice for your radio station by contacting him through his website.

Megatrax - Licensed Music for your radio station or podcast production company.

Things to know! Please Take the 4 question survey here.

Also we added the Sound Off Podcast to the The Open Podcast Prefix Project (OP3) A free and open-source podcast prefix analytics service committed to open data and listener privacy. You can be a nosey parker by checking out our downloads here.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Who is John?

John "The Milkman" Mielke is a pioneer when it comes to bringing radio to the world wide web. John has two websites that any radio-head should be tuned into: MilkmanUnlimited.com is an incredible resource for keeping up with radio industry news. It also curates work for voiceover artists, including a few you may recognize from this show's credits, like Mary Anne Ivison and Matt Fogarty. On the other hand, BlastTheRadio.com is basically a 24-hour radio station without the "radio station" part. Meaning, there's no callsign or frequency to tune into. It's all online, but it still looks, feels and sounds just like your favourite radio stations.

We discuss both sites, as well as the importance of the radio community in John's life (and his importance to the community). We also talk about John's public battles with depression and anxiety, the ways he's given back to local charity resources that helped him, and his plan to become an even more involved community service partner. Here's a hint: It involves a souped-up RV.

Despite Milkman Unlimited being the premiere place to learn about radio layoffs for the last 30 years, John remains optimistic about radio's future, which I suppose means the rest of us should be too.

If you want to know more about John, keep an eye out for his aptly-titled book, "Who Is John?" It'll go in-depth on some of the radio stories that made him who he is today, and should be coming out soon.

John is still an active voiceover artist and radio host himself. You can catch him Monday to Friday, 10am-2pm on WSRQ in Sarasota, Florida.

A transcript of the show is available here,

Thanks to our supporters!

Nlogic - TV & Radio Audience Data Solutions

Mary Anne Ivison at Ivison Voice. - Make her the female voice of your radio station.

Matt Fogarty Voiceovers - It's great to have Matt back for 2024 supporting our show. Make him the imaging voice for your radio station by contacting him through his website.

Megatrax - Licensed Music for your radio station or podcast production company.

Things to know! Please Take the 4 question survey here.

Also we added the Sound Off Podcast to the The Open Podcast Prefix Project (OP3) A free and open-source podcast prefix analytics service committed to open data and listener privacy. You can be a nosey parker by checking out our downloads here.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Matt Vettese's career journey in radio has lasted 13 years... so far. He was caught up in layoffs last November when he was an unexpected budget cut at Big 101.1 in Barrie, Ontario. Over his time in radio, he worked in places like Peace River, Alberta and Thunder Bay, Ontario, and what he learned was the importance of connecting with listeners regardless of station size. We also spoke about the strength of social media a in a medium and smaller size market, where you are literally the only media game in town.

We also geeked out a bit about music, podcast and his studio set up - which is very cool!

Matt is currently teaching radio skills at Mohawk College while remaining open to new career opportunities.

A transcript of the show is available here,

Thanks to our supporters!

Nlogic - TV & Radio Audience Data Solutions

Mary Anne Ivison at Ivison Voice. - Make her the female voice of your radio station.

Matt Fogarty Voiceovers - It's great to have Matt back for 2024 supporting our show. Make him the imaging voice for your radio station by contacting him through his website.

Megatrax - Licensed Music for your radio station or podcast production company.

Things to know! Please Take the 4 question survey here.

Also we added the Sound Off Podcast to the The Open Podcast Prefix Project (OP3) A free and open-source podcast prefix analytics service committed to open data and listener privacy. You can be a nosey parker by checking out our downloads here.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We're back with another radio star this week- one whose career I actually contributed to.

Sarah Christie has been in radio for well over a decade, and currently serves as the National Music Manager for Virgin Radio Canada. We discuss her rise through the radio ranks, from a humble intern who moved to Winnipeg for an internship as soon as she was able, to one of the most important folks on Virgin's team. We also discuss how I hired Sarah myself back in the day, but didn't actually meet her until 5 years later. Radio is funny like that sometimes.

Sarah shares some in-depth insights on the changing state of radio programming over the last decade. Things sure ain't the way they used to be, and stations have had to adapt to a whole truckload of new technology to stay on top of current music trends, including trolling TikTok for the newest surprise hit. She also discusses why she spent most of her career in Winnipeg, and what makes the city so special to her.

Late in the show, we shift towards talking about Sarah's other interest, climate change. Sarah's got her own podcast, Earth Care, which provides listeners with a bevy of tips and ideas to help reduce their carbon footprint. You'll hear lots about it in this interview, but you should also check out the show for yourself if you want to, well, care for the earth.

You can find Earth Care on iHeart and Spotify.

Find the Sound Off Podcast on YouTube, Facebook & Instagram.

Transcription of this episode is available here.

Thanks to our supporters!

Nlogic - TV & Radio Audience Data Solutions

Mary Anne Ivison at Ivison Voice. - Make her the female voice of your radio station.

Matt Fogarty Voiceovers - It's great to have Matt back for 2024 supporting our show. Make him the imaging voice for your radio station by contacting him through his website.

Megatrax - Licensed Music for your radio station or podcast production company.

Things to know! Please Take the 4 question survey here.

Also we added the Sound Off Podcast to the The Open Podcast Prefix Project (OP3) A free and open-source podcast prefix analytics service committed to open data and listener privacy. You can be a nosey parker by checking out our downloads here.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Mark Asquith is the British Podcast Guy. He is also the co-founder of Captivate which was purchased by Global in December of 2021. Mark has been Helping podcasters to grow their audience. What I really like about Mark is his thinking when it comes to monetization and growing your audience; he is not beholden to things podcasters hold sacred.

In this episode he shares insights from over a decade of experience in podcasting. He discussed the founding of Captivate to provide superior customer service and problem-solving for podcasters. Asquith emphasized understanding diverse revenue streams beyond just sponsorships. He challenged the sole focus on monetization and viewed podcasting also as a platform for enjoyment, explored the evolution of podcasting and adaptation to changes, and analyzed the benefits of displaying podcast metrics like downloads transparently while acknowledging individual decision-making based on goals. Mark also discussed work-life balance, releasing episodes when competition is lower, and the support of his team across time zones.

A video of the show is here.

A Transcription can be found here.

You might remember we had Danny Brown from Captivate.fm on our show last year. Now Danny and Mark have combined to start a new podcast called "In & Around. Podcasting" which will higlhight how podcasting is for everyone. While there are other shows for the enthusiasts, the techies, the business side... In & Around Podcasting will be for podcasters by podcasters. You can learn more about the show here - and do follow or subscribe.

Thanks to our supporters!

Nlogic - TV & Radio Audience Data Solutions

Mary Anne Ivison at Ivison Voice. - Make her the female voice of your radio station.

Matt Fogarty Voiceovers - It's great to have Matt back for 2024 supporting our show. Make him the imaging voice for your radio station by contacting him through his website.

Megatrax - Licensed Music for your radio station or podcast production company.

Things to know! Please Take the 4 question survey here.

Also we added the Sound Off Podcast to the The Open Podcast Prefix Project (OP3) A free and open-source podcast prefix analytics service committed to open data and listener privacy. You can be a nosey parker by checking out our downloads here.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Seth Resler joins to explore the dynamic intersection of podcasting and community marketing. Reflecting on radio's digital evolution, Resler discusses content overload and the challenges of standing out in a saturated market. The conversation dives into the pivotal role of community building, particularly in the pandemic era, as a means of fostering engagement and connection. Insights on podcast monetization and social media dynamics add depth to this conversation, offering valuable strategies for content creators seeking to navigate the evolving digital landscape.

Our conversation is on Youtube as well.

Full Show Notes compiled by the AI Machine.

Podcasting and Community Marketing: Seth Resler introduces his latest venture, Community Marketing Revolution, and shares insights from his extensive experience in radio and podcasting.

Radio's Digital Strategy and Content Overload: Reflecting on his time at Jacobs Media, Ressler discusses frustrations with radio's digital strategy and the challenges of creating and distributing content in a fast-paced media environment.

Content Abundance and Consumer Choice: Cundill and Resler delve into the impact of content oversaturation on creators and consumers, highlighting the struggle to find quality content amidst an abundance of options.

Community Building and Virtual Events during the Pandemic: Resler emphasizes the importance of community building, especially during the pandemic, and shares insights on fostering connections through virtual events.

Podcasting, Community Building, and Monetization: Resler discusses the significance of community building in podcasting and explores opportunities for monetization through sponsorships and collaborations.

Social Media Platforms and Community Building: Cundill and Resler examine the evolving role of social media platforms in community building, discussing recent changes and trends in content creation and distribution.

Building a Community for Arts and Entertainment Brands: Cundill and Resler explore strategies for building communities around arts and entertainment brands, emphasizing the importance of identifying target audiences and tailoring content to their needs.

Community Building and Rewards in Podcasting: Cundill and Resler discuss the value of incentives and rewards in community building, sharing insights on fostering engagement and strengthening relationships with listeners.

In this engaging discussion, Cundill and Resler offer valuable insights and practical strategies for navigating the evolving landscape of podcasting and community marketing.

Find the Sound Off Podcast on YouTube, Facebook & Instagram

Thanks to our supporters!

Nlogic - TV & Radio Audience Data Solutions

Mary Anne Ivison at Ivison Voice. - Make her the female voice of your radio station.

Matt Fogarty Voiceovers - It's great to have Matt back for 2024 supporting our show. Make him the imaging voice for your radio station by contacting him through his website.

Megatrax - Licensed Music for your radio station or podcast production company.

Also we added the Sound Off Podcast to the The Open Podcast Prefix Project (OP3) A free and open-source podcast prefix analytics service committed to open data and listener privacy. You can be a nosey parker by checking out our downloads here.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We have had Sarah Burke on the show a couple of times before, the first when she was at SiriusXM and the second when she launched the Women in Media Podcast. The podcast has now morphed into a network which includes shows like "Trust Me I'm a Decorator", "The Jann Arden Podcast, More Money with Jessica Morehouse, and Beyond the Sale with Cynthia Ostos... and there are more to come.

Sarah is now taking applications to join.

Full disclosure: Matt Cundill is an advisor to the Women in Media Network.

Thanks to our supporters!

Nlogic - TV & Radio Audience Data Solutions

Mary Anne Ivison at Ivison Voice. - Make her the female voice of your radio station.

Matt Fogarty Voiceovers - It's great to have Matt back for 2024 supporting our show. Make him the imaging voice for your radio station by contacting him through his website.

Megatrax - Licensed Music for your radio station or podcast production company.

Things to know! Please Take the 4 question survey here.

Also we added the Sound Off Podcast to the The Open Podcast Prefix Project (OP3) A free and open-source podcast prefix analytics service committed to open data and listener privacy. You can be a nosey parker by checking out our downloads here.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Matty Staudt is the owner of Jam Street Media, a board member of the Podcast Academy, about to launch Podle.co and .... looking for his next opportunity. All at once.

In this episode, we are going to talk about podcasting growth and opportunities with industry experts, the pros and cons of remote work in the podcast industry, and his experience of starting a network, despite initial reservations, and the importance of cross-promotion within the network.

As two radio veterans, we expressed our frustration with working alone in the podcast industry, desiring more human interaction and creative collaboration, the challenges of building a podcast network in today's industry, including the need for dedicated sales and content that resonates with listeners.

And naturally, Matty expressed concern about the lack of monetization in podcasting, particularly in comparison to video content, and the potential for low-quality ads to harm the industry. He pulls no punches and that it why we love having him on the show.

A transcript of this episode is available here.

We also discussed his upcoming business venture called Podle.co which pairs creators and producers. Matt Cundill Voiceovers might just get involved with this. As well the value of the Podcast Academy and our uncertainty around celebrity podcasts, with many failing to gain traction or provide valuable content.

Thanks to our supporters!

Nlogic - TV & Radio Audience Data Solutions

Mary Anne Ivison at Ivison Voice. - Make her the female voice of your radio station.

Matt Fogarty Voiceovers - It's great to have Matt back for 2024 supporting our show. Make him the imaging voice for your radio station by contacting him through his website.

Megatrax - Licensed Music for your radio station or podcast production company.

Things to know! Please Take the 4 question survey here.

Also we added the Sound Off Podcast to the The Open Podcast Prefix Project (OP3) A free and open-source podcast prefix analytics service committed to open data and listener privacy. You can be a nosey parker by checking out our downloads here.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.