Jeff Vidler: "Retired"

When it was announced at Podcast Movement last year that Paul Riismandel would become the new President of Signal Hill Insights, it marked the beginning of a well-earned transition for Jeff Vidler—stepping back from the day-to-day grind and moving towards retirement.

But if you’ve ever met Jeff, you know that word retirement doesn't quite mean retiring. Musicians never stop being musicians. Writers never stop writing. And researchers? Their minds never stop asking why. Jeff Vidler may be easing away from leading a research company, but his curiosity remains fully engaged—especially when it comes to audio.

Jeff has been a familiar voice on this podcast before, helping us unpack the numbers and trends behind podcasting, radio, and listener behaviour. But we’ve never gone back to the beginning—until now.

In this episode, we trace Jeff’s journey through the ever-evolving world of audio. Starting in the 1980s, he worked at legendary radio stations like CKDA and Calgary’s CJAY 92. He transitioned to Joint Communications, where his programming instincts helped define music formats across Canada. At CJFM in Montreal, he led a successful ratings turnaround and rebranded the station as Mix96. Eventually, Jeff co-founded Audience Insights, and later, Signal Hill Insights—two firms that have shaped the way we understand audio audiences today.

And yes, we looked to the future too. We talked about the growing role YouTube is playing in podcast discovery, and the ongoing challenges Canadian podcasters face in securing ad revenue in a smaller market. We didn’t solve every problem—but we solved a few.

Jeff’s story is one of curiosity. It’s a reminder that even when you step back, you never really step away—not when your passion is asking the next big question.

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