The Sound Off Podcast

This week Jay Stone, station manager and program director of 102.3 NOW! Radio and 99.3 Up in Edmonton, shares his journey from the Air Force to radio. Jay highlighted the NOW!'s various successes, including winning Major Market Station of the Year and Best Community Service Initiative for the Alberta Day of Caring for Jasper, which raised over $3 million. Jay himself also took home the award for Major Market Program Director of the Year. You can see all the station's awards, as well as a full list of winners, at the Canadian Radio Awards website.

Jay emphasized the importance of emotional connection and unique content, such as the Swiftie-oke contest, which drew 2,000 participants to the River Cree Resort & Casino to sing Taylor Swift songs (in front of a live band) for the chance to win tickets to her next show in Vancouver. He also discussed the station's focus on live, local programming and the community's support, exemplified by a listener donating $5,000 for the Pay It Forward initiative. This year, the station was able to donate $1000 each to 12 deserving nominees from the NOW! Radio community, telling their stories live on air from December 9th to 24th.

Please sign up for the SOUNDING OFF Newsletter. Full of all the verbal diarrhea you never knew what you were missing in your life.

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.

Thanks to the following organizations for supporting the show:

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.

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

Dani Stover is back on the show for a 3rd time and she discussed her experience with AM 640's "Let's Talk with Dani Stover," a non-live, pre-recorded radio show that curated content from across The Corus Radio Network. The show, which involved creating six to seven new segments daily, was well-received but faced challenges, including a shift in station direction and a negative climate during the pandemic. Sadly, Corus decided to end the show and part ways with Dani last month. Merry Christmas I guess.

In this episode you will hear Dani express her mental shift from live radio to assembling a fully recorded show, and express her disdain for radio's reliance on text lines for audience engagement. (Can we stop this now?) She also criticized the use of AI and the negative impact of social media.

Dani plans to continue writing on Substack and is considering a future podcast.

Please sign up for the SOUNDING OFF Newsletter. Full of all the verbal diarrhea you never knew what you were missing in your life.

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.

Thanks to the following organizations for supporting the show:

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.

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

Our fearless leader, Matt Cundill discusses the challenges and outlook for radio and podcasting in 2025. He criticizes the current state of radio, noting its lack of innovation and the disinterest of station owners. He advocates for a CRTC-led consultation to enhance radio for listeners, not record companies. Matt warns podcasters against adopting every new trend, particularly the shift to video, which can dilute the audio experience and complicate monetization. He highlights the stringent requirements for Spotify's video monetization and emphasizes the importance of maintaining audio quality. Cundill encourages podcasters to strategically use platforms without compromising their core content.

Please sign up for the SOUNDING OFF Newsletter. Full of all the verbal diarrhea you never knew what you were missing in your life.

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.

Thanks to the following organizations for supporting the show:

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.

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

Way back in my 1990's radio days, I got to work alongside Terry Evans. He is the same Terry Evans that wakes Edmontonians up on K97. Terry had a 5 year stint where in worked at the Bear together, we later worked against one another on competing radio stations. He loves music and has been a champion of the Edmonton music scene since he arrived there from British Columbia in the 1980's. One of the things I like about Terry is that he is unwavering. One of the things I dislike about Terry is that he is unwavering. He was unwavering about starting a podcast - until his position shifted "Reluctantly".

Earlier this year, Terry launched his new show Reluctantly, and what follows is one of our famous "Feed Drops" where we feature an episode from another show we know you will enjoy. Terry recorded an episode a few months back with comedian Craig Gass, who has appeared on TV shows like King of Queens, and Sex in the City. Craig tells a few stories from his time writing jokes on the Howard Stern show which I know you will find interesting.

If you like this episode, you will find value in Terry's other interviews with former Edmonton Oiler Kevin Lowe, Musicians Darby Mills from the Headpins, and Tom Cochrane from Red Rider.

We featured Terry on this podcast way back in 2016... you can check that out here.

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

Matt Cundill and Terry Dimonte get together for their annual Christmas podcast tradition, which began in 2016. Terry explains the difficulty in scheduling a meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau due to his busy schedule and Terry's travel plans to England. They reminisce about their radio days, including Terry's time at CITI FM, CHOM-FM and his experiences with new wave music. Both of them watched the Yacht Rock Dock and loved it.

They also discuss the decline of traditional radio, the rise of podcasts, and the importance of local community connections. Terry highlights the success of his local podcast, "The Standing By Podcast," and its growing audience. They conclude with reflections on their upcoming trip to England and their love for Christmas traditions.

Please sign up for the SOUNDING OFF Newsletter. Full of all the verbal diarrhea you never knew what you were missing in your life.

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.

Thanks to the following organizations for supporting the show:

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.

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

Podcast Pioneer Rob Greenlee is a podcast Hall of Famer (Class 2017), host of the New Media Show (along with Todd Cochrane), Podcast Tips, Trust Factor, Spoken Life Show and Behind the EV Wheel. That's a lot of shows. Over the course of his career Rob has worked on the Zune Marketplace, where he helped develop and grow podcasting on the Zune platform. The first time I met him, he was at Spreaker and Voxnest where served as VP of Content and Partnerships, contributing to the development of tools and services for podcasters. (Spreaker was all about going Live back in the day) He also had a stint at PodcastOne as a VP, focusing on podcast content and monetization.

Rob continues to be an advocate for podcasters, frequently speaking at industry events, hosting panels, and educating others on podcasting trends, best practices, and technology.

As mentioned above, he co-hosts this popular podcast with Todd Cochrane. He was kind enough to ask me to guest-host the program while Todd was on assignment.

Rob Greenlee’s long-standing presence and contributions have made him a respected voice in the podcasting community, particularly for his focus on innovation and advocacy.

Please sign up for the SOUNDING OFF Newsletter. Full of all the verbal diarrhea you never knew what you were missing in your life.

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.

Thanks to the following organizations for supporting the show:

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.

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

Annalise Nielsen is the head of podcast strategy and development at Lower Street. We talked about the college years at Queen's University and how her professor was an early podfader in an attempt to create lecture podcasts. We also spent some time discussing her work at a Television station and later, Rogers and Pacific Content. She emphasized the importance of newsletters and targeted social media for podcast promotion. Nielsen also discussed the shift from video-heavy podcasts to clips and the potential for independent creators to thrive in the future.

Lower Street is a leading podcast production company and makes award winning branded podcasts.

Please sign up for the SOUNDING OFF Newsletter. Full of all the verbal diarrhea you never knew what you were missing in your life.

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.

Thanks to the following organizations for supporting the show:

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.

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

Thanks to our group sponsors: Rogers, Pattison Media, Corus Entertainment, iHeartRadio, Stingray, Vista Broadcasting, Harvard Media.

The Following summary of winners is from Broadcast Dialogue.

Pattison Media’s 102.3 NOW! Radio (CKNO-FM) Edmonton is among the multiple winners at the 2024 Canadian Radio Awards.

NOW! won Major Market Station of the Year, and Best On-Air Promotion (Major Market) for its “Swiftie-oke” contest, while Program Director Jay Stone captured Program Director of the Year (Major Market). The station was also the catalyst behind Best Community Service Initiative winner Alberta Day of Caring for Jasper, which saw the province’s radio stations come together to raise more than $1.5M to support those impacted by this summer’s wildfire.

Evanov Communications’ stations in Winnipeg won in multiple categories. Evanov Winnipeg’s Adam West captured Program Director of the Year (Medium Market), while the Energy 106 (CHWE-FM) morning show, Wheeler in the Morning, won Best On-Air Team (Music) (Medium Market). Energy 106 and Z103.5 (CIDC-FM) Toronto also won Best Imaging Production (Large Market), while their joint entry for HOT 100.5 (CFJL-FM) Winnipeg and LITE 92.1 (CKPC-FM) Brantford won in the Medium Market category.

Rogers Sports & Media’s CHEZ 106 Ottawa also captured two awards, including Station of the Year (Medium Market) and Best Community Service Initiative (Medium Market) for its DEEDS promotion.

In the small market categories, Fort St. John, BC independent station 100.1 Moose FM (CKFU-FM) picked up two awards. Program Director Chris Walker won Program Director of the Year (Small Market), while the station also won Best Podcast (Small Market) for Before the Peace, focused on telling the stories of the Indigenous and Métis peoples of B.C.’s Peace Region.

Kahnawake, Que. community station K1037 The Monster (CKRK-FM) also claimed two awards. Paul Graiff won Best Anchor/Reporter (Small Market), while Mitch Craig captured Best Imaging Voice (Small Market).

By network, Rogers Sports & Media led wins with 14, followed by Pattison Media with eight, while Evanov picked up a total of five wins. Bell Media won in four categories, with Corus Radio and Harvard Media each earning three awards. Vista Radio won two.

Find a full list of this year’s winners below. To listen to their award-winning audio and view this year’s runners-up, head to CanadianRadioAwards.com.

Best Anchor or Reporter – Sponsored by Burli 

Major Market

Richard Southern, 680 NewsRadio, (CFTR), Rogers Sports & Media, Toronto

Medium Market

Richard Duggan, VOCM-AM, (VOCM), Stingray, St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador

Small Market

Paul Graif, K103.7 The Monster, (CKRK), Mohawk Radio, Kahnawake

Best Canadian Multi-Market Network Program

Major Market

Fearless Fred, Q107 / Power 97 / Edge / Big 101, (CILQ / CFQC / CJKR / CIQB ), Corus

Medium Market

Sam McDaid – Country Nights, (CKQC / CJOK / CKXC / CKBY / CIKZ / CJQM / CKAT / CJDL), Rogers Sports & Media

Small Market

Nick Liard – Regional Midday Show, (CJRQ / CJQQ / CKFX ), Rogers Sports & Media

Best On-Air Team or Host (News/Talk/Sports)

Major Market

Andrea Montgomery / Kelly Turner / Logan Stein / Tanya Blakeney / Phil Wood / Lauryn Heintz – Calgary Morning Show, 660 NewsRadio (CFFR), Rogers Sports & Media, Calgary, Alberta

Medium Market

Brett Megarry / Greg Mackling – The Start, 680 CJOB (CJOB), Corus, Winnipeg, Manitoba

Best On-Air Team or Host (Music)

Major Market

The Roz & Mocha Show, KiSS 92.5 (CKIS), Rogers Sports & Media, Toronto, Ontario

Medium Market

Wheeler in the Morning, Energy 106 (CHWE), Evanov Communications, Winnipeg, Manitoba

Small Market

Jason McCoy / Carey Moran, Pure Country 106 (CICX), Bell Media, Orillia, Ontario

Best On-Air Solo Host (Music)

Major Market

Lauren Hunter, Sonic 102.9 (CHDI), Rogers Sports & Media, Edmonton, Alberta

Medium Market

Katherine Dines, MOVE 100 (CJMJ), Bell Media, Ottawa, Ontario

Small Market

Robyn Thomson, KiSS 99.3 (CKGB), Rogers Sports & Media, Timmins

Music Director of the Year

Major Market

Katie Stanners, KiSS 91.7 (CHBN), Rogers Sports & Media, Edmonton, Alberta

Medium Market

Ian Sharek, Rogers Rock Radio, Rogers Sports & Media, Multiple Markets

Small Market

Courtney Rae, 106.1 The Goat (CKLM), Vista Radio, Lloydminster, Alberta

Program Director of the Year – Sponsored by Momentum Media 

Major Market

Jay Stone, 102.3 NOW! Radio (CKNO), UP! 99.3 (CIUP), Pattison Media, Edmonton, Alberta

Medium Market

Adam West, Energy 106 (CHWE), HOT 100.5 (CFJL), Evanov Communications, Winnipeg, Manitoba

Small Market

Chris Walker, 100.1 Moose FM (CKFU), Moose Media, Fort St John, British Columbia

Station of The Year – Sponsored by David Kaye / Kayeman Productions 

Major Market

102.3 NOW! Radio (CKNO), Pattison Media, Edmonton, Alberta

Medium Market

CHEZ 106 (CHEZ), Rogers Sports & Media, Ottawa, Ontario

Small Market

100.5 Cruz FM (CHFT), Harvard Media, Fort McMurray, Alberta

Sound of Success – Sponsored by Validate Audio Attribution

Major Market

What’s In A Name / Booster Juice, Rogers Sports & Media, National Campaign, Canada-wide

Small Market

Go Rock Campaign (CFLB), Novacast Media, Lunenburg, Nova Scotia 

Best Achievement in Engineering – Sponsored by leanStream 

All Markets

Daryll Donais, Hot Country 103, (CKHZ), Acadia Broadcasting, Halifax, Nova Scotia

Best Community or Campus Station – Sponsored by Community Radio Fund of Canada 

Major Market

VIBE 105 (CHRY), Canadian Centre for Civic Media and Arts Development Inc., Toronto, Ontario

Small Market

100.1 BayFM (CKVB), Bay of Islands Radio Inc. , Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador

Best Community Service Initiative – Sponsored By Broadcast Dialogue 

Major Market

Alberta Day Of Caring For Jasper, 102.3 NOW! (CKNO), UP! 99.3 (CIUP), Pattison Media, Edmonton, Alberta

Medium Market

DEEDS, 106.1 CHEZ (CHEZ), Rogers Sports & Media, Ottawa, Ontario

Small Market

Spirit Day, 101.3 the River (CKKN), 99.3 REWIND Radio (CKDV), Pattison Media, Prince George, British Columbia

Best Imaging Production – Sponsored by Benztown 

Major Market

Z103.5, (CIDC), Energy 106, (CHWE), Evanov Communications, Toronto, Ontario / Winnipeg, Manitoba

Medium Market

LITE 92.1, (CKPC), HOT 100.5, (CFJL), Evanov Communications, Brantford, Ontario / Winnipeg, Manitoba

Small Market

Pure Country 105, (CKQM), Bell Media, Peterborough, Ontario

Best Imaging Voice

Major Market

Corri English / Allan Peck / Jeff McKnight, STAR 95.9, (CHFM), Rogers Sports & Media, Calgary, Alberta

Medium Market

David Kaye, 104.9 The Wolf, (CFWF), Harvard Media, Regina, Saskatchewan

Small Market

Mitch Craig, K1037, The Monster, (CKRK), Mohawk Radio, Kahnawake

Best Performance in a Commercial

Major Market

Bob Johnstone, Amore Pasta – Love Pasta Again, The Eagle, (CKLR), Pattison Media, Courtenay, British Columbia

Medium Market

Dave Hiltz, FoCheezy, 107.5 Dave Rocks. (CJDV), Corus, Kitchener, Ontario

Small Market

Brian Viggiani, Georgian Bay Storage, LITE 99.3, (CJGB), Evanov Communications, Meaford, Ontario 

Best Commercial

Major Market

Oodle / Noodle – Improve Your Noodle, Play 107, (CKPW), Harvard Media, Edmonton, Alberta

Medium Market

Healthy Smiles / The Tooth Is Out There, BIG105 FM, (CHUB), Pattison Media, Red Deer, Alberta

Small Market

Fouillard Carpets, POWER99, (CFMM), Pattison Media, Prince Albert, Saskatchewan

Best On-Air Promotion – Sponsored by vcreative 

Major Market

102.3 NOW! Radio, (CKNO), Pattison Media, Edmonton, Alberta  

Medium Market

103.7 Virgin Radio, (CHBE), Bell Media, Victoria, British Columbia

Small Market

94.1 CJOC, (CJOC), Vista Radio, Lethbridge, Alberta

Best Podcast

Major Market

Sweethearts: Island Crime, Season 6, Rogers Frequency Network

Medium Market

Radio des Petits Hiboux, U Multicultural, U Radio

Small Market

Before The Peace, 100.1 Moose FM, (CKFU), Fort St. John, British Columbia

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

We love having Fred Jacobs from Jacobs Media on the show to discuss things like Tech Survey and the AQ Study. What do listeners come to radio for? Well since 2018 it has been for personalities first, then music. I'm not sure what you are being told from your program director, but depending on the market or format, they could be working off some old thinking. We also spoke about the lack of women in various radio roles including on air and the need for more female program directors. We also discussed the disconnect between AI and innovation, and some of the perceptions that "podcasting is taking over" when in fact, most radio P1 listeners are not that interested in the medium. One of the more successful formats is Christian Radio when has all the things commercial radio strives for... an emotional connection with listeners. We also discussed the financial struggles of public radio.

If your radio station is interested in participating in the Tech Survey Study for 2025, click here.

Deadline is December 19.

Please sign up for the SOUNDING OFF Newsletter. Full of all the verbal diarrhea you never knew what you were missing in your life.

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.

Thanks to the following organizations for supporting the show:

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.

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