Yesterday on IHeartRadio's The Herd, host Colin Cowherd suggested that the CFL is a great place for clipboard carrying NFL Quarterbacks like Tim Tebow and Johnny Maziel to revive their languishing careers. For whatever reason, the CFL has done a lousy job of selling the benefits of playing in the CFL. I will leave the reasons as to why, to the Rick Moffat's and Bob Irving's of the world, but it's time for both leagues to come up with the quarterback strategy that benefits both leagues. "I don't understand this. Go to the Canada..." Colin had Warren Moon on the air as well and they touched on the CFL. While Warren Moon says the league is in good shape, TSN suffered through some low ratings this summer, and a big part of the CFL problem is lousy quarterback play. AUDIO: I have saved all 4 three segments of the show dedicated to the CFL talk. Think of it as a 15 minute endorsement for the CFL. Have a great Grey Cup week! #cfl #cowherd #manziel #radio #cjad #cjob

In 2000, I was introduced to Julian Taylor and the band Staggered Crossing through their song "Further Again". In the years that past, Julian went on to run a music label and I had number of interactions and musical discussions over projects on the Bent Penny Records label. Here is Julian playing the song for Heartstrings TV in the front room at Dora Keogh's In Toronto. In this morning's daily FYI Music Newsletter, in a segment called "Five Questions with... Julian Taylor", he revealed that the band had a hand in changing Canadian bankruptcy law. "Only a handful of people know this, but back when I was still in Staggered Crossing, my bandmates and I actually had a hand in amending Canadian bankruptcy law. This is something that benefits not only musicians, but anyone who is considered a curator with rights to intellectual property. We were one of the acts that got caught up in the Song Corp bankruptcy and at the time the law stated that if a company went out of business then they would be allowed to use and sell unpublished works as an asset. Alongside our management (Bumstead) at the time, and (Peter Steinmetz) one of the country’s most respected lawyers, we argued that the ownership of unpublished compositions should revert back to the composers. We won, and since then that is what the law states. It also includes demo recordings, lyrics and lead sheets. It was a big win for us, and a big win for Canadian artists." You can read the other 4 questions here, and I would encourage you to subscribe to the FYI daily Newsletter and get the latest info delivered to your inbox daily.

The following is a collection of opinion based articles I found on the internet regarding the recent changes at Bell Media. A nationwide Summary from Steve Faguay. Toronto Star opinion piece by Mark Bulgutch who teaches journalism at Ryerson University. Rob Kemp's response to beling eliminated on Facebook via Airchecker. CHOM-FM Listener on finding out the job cuts included overnight host Ron MacKinnon. (Part 1) And part 2 on the heels of hearing Rob Kemp was let go: Part 3 wondering what would happen if Bell paid attention to a petition that asked them to reinstate those affected by the cuts. The Petition to bring back CJOH's Carol Anne Meehan NEW! Carol Anne Meehan says goodbye because she didn't get a chance to on air. NEW! Carol Anne Meehan says goodbye on CBC Ottawa. Opinion piece by Kelly Egan on CJOH news anchor Carol Anne Meehan being told she is no longer employed. Official Statement from CJIM - Montreal's Rock Station. A podcast from Kenton Larsen discussing the media moves. Free advice for the media companies on how they can save themselves: Article on CTV Barrie weatherman Bob McIntyre's Retirement: Steve Garrison's last day at AM1290 London. And it Appears Kristy Knight from 97.7HTZ-FM in St. Catherines is gone after 27 years. If you come across any other opinion pieces on the Bell Media Layoffs, please e-mail me and I will add them to the list.

Every week I say, "I must remember to ask that question the next time the CRTC decides to conduct their review of radio." I will be keeping a running tab of questions on this site. It is better than scribbling it onto a restaurant napkin and trying to read it the next morning. Feel free to submit your questions to the CRTC Commissioner here. 1. Why do radio stations that play more than 99% music from an era that required 30% Cancon, need to play 35%? And who does that benefit? 2. We know that listeners are more apt to tune out from a newer unfamiliar song. So why does the CRTC place the same value on old Canadian Content as new Canadian content? Would not it be smarter to offer new songs released in the last 18 months a Cancon credit of 1.5? How about a double credit if it played during peak listening of hours of 7-9am and 4-6pm? It's time to get the "E" for Emerging, into the MAPL Cancon criteria. 3. Acknowledging that content is expensive, (music and spoken word) why haven't you asked radio stations to fund content creators beyond musician funds like FACTOR and StarMaker? There are radio and journalism schools that need money and upgrades to the digital age. Given that nearly everyone born into our social media world and has an audience, shouldn't we be enhancing the skills of willing broadcasters to suit the public's needs? 4. Do you think it is in the public's interest that radio and TV stations be owned by phone companies? Thirty years ago, the local newspaper could not own the local radio or TV station, and vice versa. Today, the phone company which distributes all the media information also controls the TV station, and Radio station. Those same owners own the rights to sports broadcasts and clearly play favourites in how that content is distributed. Frequently, TV viewers are playing hide-and-seek to find the broadcasts. 5. Not a radio related question but why do so many phone calls drop out? Is it because the phone company is jamming too many phone signals through its system? Phone calls in the early 1900's had better connectivity. Albeit, there was a chance the operator could be listening in. 6. How come phone companies have not activated the FM Chip in the phones they sell? Is it because they stand to make streaming dollars by not activating it? If that's the case, would not the CRTC be in a position to tell the phone companies to either activate it or remove it from phones altogether? The CRTC already acknowledges that radio is vital in an emergency and if a cell network goes down, Canadian radio has already been equipped to aid in such emergencies. It should not take petitions to spur this action. 7. That hit/non-hit thing in Ottawa and Montreal - can you get rid of that? As one Australian programmer (now residing in Canada) described it: "It's like going to the counter of your favourite book store with 10 books and being told to take half of them back and get non-sellers." Outside of a Cold War Communist nation, who legislates the broadcasting of failed product? Again, please add your questions to the list and I will be sure to bring it to the attention of the CRTC Chairman if and when there is a review on radio rules and regualtions. #CRTC #Regulations #Radio #MAPL #Cancon

There's a lot of similarities between running a political campaign and programming a radio station. Let's assume your station is a political party and your lead personality is the party leader. Behaviours such as interpreting polls, choosing words carefully, and acknowledging the gap between perception and reality can lead to victory or disappointment. Here are some lessons for radio station programmers and on airs from the 42nd Canadian general election: If you want to know why your lead personality is not resonating with the audience, ask yourself: "Would they want to go to lunch with them? Have a beer with them?" Or would they rather do that with another radio show in the market? I know I would have a good time having a beer with Justin Trudeau. Not sure I would have fun with Thomas Mulcair or Stephen Harper. My time is valuable so Justin and I will have a round of Molson Ex. What tone is your lead personality setting and how is it affecting the rest of the station? Stephen Harper operated in a tone that left many negative perceptions. Choose your word: Mean, underhanded, uncooperative, xenophobic, and controlling. Normally, we evaluate: At the end of each break on the radio, what feeling does the listener experience? However consider the tone of each break and listen from that perspective. Do Your Research on an ongoing basis! You know that Niqab issue? The Conservatives did a fair amount of research asking Canadians what they thought about the issue and found a range between 72 and 93 percent respondents would be in favour of removing it before a citizenship ceremony. You know what turns people off? The tone it brought to the election campaign. Speaking of research, stop researching the audience on what they think about, and ask them what they think about your station and your morning show. If the Conservatives had polled the question: "What do you think of Stephen Harper?" - and acted upon the answers properly, they probably would not be looking for a new leader. For those who have been on the air or in a market for a long time: You are who you are, and your reputation precedes you. So if you are repeatedly known for something questionable, perception can be a hard thing to change. Stephen Harper accumulated a fair amount of baggage over the last 10 years. Ongoing research on people's perceptions of him and keeping a consistant image should have been a top priority. If your audience embraces social media, you should too: In 2011 at the Winnipeg Jets first home game, the world's biggest Jets' fan Lauren Robb saw the Prime Minister and wanted to take a picture with his phone. The PM's rep offered to take their own picture and e-mail it to him. The reasons rank anywhere between safety and media control. Now that the selfie generation has come of age, we are beyond the idea of controlling what the image looks like and letting the selfie be what it is: Today's Poloroid. Embrace it along with InstaFace and TwitterSnap. (This photo was posted on Terry Dimonte's Facebook page about an hour before the election result was declared.) Don't speak to your audience like they are idiots: A simple Tweet with the hashtag #NoNetFlixTax would have saved embarassment of being "gloriously awkward". Looks and Experience do not matter: Making mention of it makes you look desperate and petty. By extension, do not underestimate your direct competition. They have plenty of time to fix it. Getting out and meeting people is as important on day 1 of your job as it is on day 1000. Do not disenfranchise the people who got you where you are. Ten years ago, Stephen Harper won by engaging 30-40 year old suburban families. Those people are now 40-50 and felt disposed and that they no longer fit into the Conservative Party any longer. The erosion of the "blue" vote in cities where those people live speaks to that. In short, no radio station that targets families ever achieves a top ranking by upsetting either parent. Do not overserve the core. Those issues of taxes, and the economy that were repeated over and over were targeted at an audience that was going to vote for them anyway. Target the listener who has choices at their fingertips; not the listener who is already committed to your station/show, bought the shirt and has been caller 9 three times this week. Do not use the same strategy that you used 10 years ago to win, that you used 7 years ago to win, that you used again 4 years ago to win. Times change. People evolve. You should too. #radio #election #politics #Trudeau #Dimonte #Harper #Twitter #Personality

Earlier, this year, the Conservative government removed Elections Canada's ability to advertise. In the past Elections Canada would advertise voter information and encourage participation in the electoral process. Depending on your political perspective, you either believe it's because the move is beneficial to the Conservatives or because the empirical evidence shows it was not working anyway as voter turnout has been sliding for years. Every Canadian citizen over the age of 18 has the right vote and most radio stations have listeners somewhere between 18 and 118. Ergo, there are campaigns radio stations can undertake that can involve voter engagement, and connecting listeners to voter information. The team at NL Radio in Kamloops recognized the void in the Elections Canada information (and revenue) and created a campaign to engage their audience and create a sales opportunity. The campaign also fills the gap for clients who are looking beyond the typical 30 second spot. Creative Writer Chris Dougherty wrote ten 20-23 second pieces that speak candidly about the democratic process and voting. After he shared the copy, I was impressed with how it spoke directly to students, the disenfranchised and the apathetic, without speaking down to them. The NL Radio sales department sold the campaign locally, replaced perceived lost revenue in the aggregate, and fulfilled a public service to the democratic process. The total strain on programming time was nil on all stations in their cluster. If you think about, radio and TV have a moral obligation too. Radio is licensed to use the public airwaves and produce content in the listeners' interest. At your next staff meeting, ask your team if you have an election strategy in the days leading up to October 19. The ten spots are available are available here: If you would like to discuss election day ideas that won't get your station on the wrong side of the Election Act and generate connectivity with your audience, contact me. Credits: Writer: Chris Dougherty. Producer: Jeff Bolt Voice 1: Nadia Lawand Voice 2: Matt Cundill #election #sales #promo #kamloops #law #NLRadio

The federal election campaign is well underway and the first group to hit the campaign trail June 3 is not even running. The Friends of the CBC launched a lawn sign campaign showing support for the CBC. Since it was launched, thousands of signs have sprung up on lawns across the country. While the signs are predominately apolitical, the website clearly is not. This is an ABH (Anyone but Harper) campaign to the max. In today's media world where everyone is outraged by present moment, the truth is that every fiscally responsible government is going to be painted as inhospitable towards the CBC. While Stephen Harper gets to wear the devil's horns today, the fact is that no one made more cuts to the CBC than Jean Chretien's Liberals in the 1990's. Looking back to the 2000 election campaign, the Friends of the CBC issued a press release reminding voters, "CBC funding had been cut by more than $400 million – or about 33%. The Liberals' post-election cuts to CBC even exceeded the Reform Party’s 1993 campaign promise to cut $365 million from CBC." The cuts of the 1990's were deep and left visible scars. It was not just jobs, it was entire communities and transmitters that had their regional voices silenced. Going forward, tough decisions will need to be made about a broadcaster that lost its hockey cash cow to Rogers and missed their Radio Two/Espace Musique ad budget by $13-million dollars. Before you think this is an anti-CBC rant, I want to say that we need the CBC. Their budget should be dedicated to creating innovative programming in an era when TV and radio are confronted with time shifting and less time consuming. CBC Radio One has made progressive changes over the years, including moving to FM in many major markets, resulting in great ratings. They are doing a better job at creating content that can be consumed anytime. They are also better at social media than their competitors. Private broadcasters should be ripping pages from their playbook and investing some of their profits into the areas the CBC are succeeding at. And whilst you thought the CBC signs were about the upcoming federal election, there is a second election underway in many radio markets across Canada. Outside of Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton, radio ratings are determined by Numeris. Radio listeners fill out a diary listing their radio listening. Under the terms of this ratings system, there are marketing rules that prohibit broadcasters from saying things like "Mark it down" and making references to voting or the ratings system itself. Does the Friends of the CBC lawn sign campaign affect the integrity of the Numeris diary procedure? No one has complained publicly yet but you can bet that if a private broadcaster had a marketing campaign featuring the word "vote", it would be viewed unfavorably and probably result in the station having its rating reduced. #cbc #podcasting #election #rating #Numeris

A few weeks ago I was having lunch with a long time radio personality and he asked me, "Do you think if I had a podcast it would help or hinder getting back on the air?" I had two answers for him: I said "Yes, of course!". But then we slowly talked our way to a no; unable to see an increase in immediate brand value for his personality. (The keyword being immediate) Since then, I have spent the time wondering if out-of-work radio personalities should be investing their time in podcasting. Podcasting is quite simple for those working in radio. Take your morning show and condense all the audio and post it to iTunes, then add any extra stuff that did not make it to air. It meets all the demands for younger radio listeners who just want to hear their favourite radio shows on their time. Talk based formats like NPR and CBC have embraced podcasting and made their content readily available, and in some cases it is the only way some listeners interact with those brands. I still had podcasting on my mind during my fishing trip with my cousin when he and I started talking about one of his colleagues, Jen Ringoen, who was travelling to Dallas for Podcast Movement 15. "Wait! There's a conference for podcasting? And there was one last year?" Last weekend in Fort Worth, PM15 promised participants, "You can expect to find a place where not only will you leave motivated and inspired, you’ll leave a BETTER PODCASTER." That's right: Podcasting talent is gathering on their own volition to share ideas to better themselves. When was the last time your morning show or drive show got on a plane for something similar? This brings me to Jen Ringoen who is simply a podcast fan who paid her own way from San Francisco to the PM15 Conference in Fort Worth. By day, Jen Ringoen works at the San Francisco based media services firm, Kingman & Co, specializing in advertising sales and recruiting. Jen's latest project is called The Podcast Hunt, and Jen writes in her first e-newsletter: "How have podcasts moved me enough to travel to Fort Worth, Texas in the middle of summer to attend a conference dedicated to them? Perhaps it’s the bond I’ve formed with my favorite hosts-- no surprise given that they are literally in my head (via my headphones) for several hours per day. Or maybe it’s because I'm not forced to make time to consume audio. While I walk to work, wait at a bus stop, cook dinner and run errands, I listen. Podcasts weave themselves seamlessly into my life. They bring joy and productivity to otherwise lame, arduous tasks. Of course, not all podcasts touch our hearts and blow our minds. For every auditory masterpiece, there are two guys in a basement talking into microphones à la Wayne’s World. And, like a good book, finding the right episode can be time consuming and frustrating. The idea behind The Podcast Hunt is simple: to build a community of listeners to share, discover and discuss podcasts. Though we’ll start as an e-newsletter, my hope is to eventually provide a platform that’s more social and collaborative. Let’s help each other find our next listen." I highlighted the important part in case you missed it: Written by someone in radio's most coveted demographic, Jen has pinpointed the exact thing that makes (or made) your radio station famous, and the exact reason why people under 30 have less passion for terrestrial radio than they should. Take a look at your product: Do you "force" 18-39 year olds to make time to consume audio? Do you tell them to listen tomorrow at 7:10am for the big announcement that they could win Selena Gomez tickets if they qualify to qualify to win? Do you make any additional content available from your most compelling artists or hosts, that can be listened to anytime? If you are not making a podcast, are you listening to any? There are ideas, talent, and programming opportunities all available for free. Podcast Movement 16 is less than a year away in Chicago. That's a direct flight for most of us. See you there. #podcast #radio #PM15

The WWE taught me a lot about show business, branding and creating a successful broadcast. Just about everything you need to know about broadcasting is contained in a WWE TV show. As an example, one of the greatest things I learned was that the entrance is key. Whether you have ever watched the WWE before or not, you know EXACTLY who the wrestling character is from the entrance. I'll use Shawn Michaels as an example: Through a recent leak that was published on Reddit, it is clear that Vince McMahon has spent a little time with Valerie Geller or her books. Vince himself was an announcer during the WWE's great ascension in the 1980's and is most qualified to write this guide for his company. Anyone who has worked with me knows I love WWE and have preached its many of the items found in this unofficial WWE announcers guide. My favourites are posted and I have highlighted in red the one that is the most important to having a successful broadcast career: Interaction between the broadcasters: "Play by play announcers need to set up Color Commentary" "Assist the audience in clearly understanding storylines." "Announcers cannot be emasculated by their broadcast partners. If the play by play person loses their credibility then why should the audience believe the play by play people? It is imperative that the audience do believe. Telling one's partner that they are "ill-informed" is much better than telling them that they are "an idiot." "Announcers should rarely lead ours fans. Let them decide for themselves if they like a Superstar or dislike him." "Announcers ARE NOT THE STARS. It's not about them, it's about the Superstars. The announcer's job is to enhance THE SUPERSTARS stories. To help our fans learn more about the characters and develop emotional attachments to them. If announcers focus too much on "US" it takes away from the valuable time in which we could be bringing our current stars or stars of the future. Fans do not buy tickets to see announcers." "All announcers must read WWE.com all week." "Do your homework. An announcer should never, ever do a show in which they have not done research on. "Announcers should critique themselves. They should watch a replay of their shows. They should be their own worst, most nit-picky critics." "Listen to other Announcers and styles. WE ARE ALWAYS LEARNING." "Whenever possible it is important to know exactly what you are throwing to and coming out of. What is the first thing that fans will hear when you are done talking? Knowing this makes for better segues and will make your work better."

Here are five reasons (in no particular order) why it is harder to program than other radio formats: Talent: If you don't have a morning show that stands out in your market – it's going to be tough sledding. Rock music alone does not drive numbers after 9am. You also need an up and coming or established afternoon drive personality. It's not enough to provide music, traffic and commercials on the drive home. Listeners can get those first two things on their own and they don't want the third. You can count the number of successful stations that do not have engaging personalities on no hands. The schools that used to churn out future talent desperately need upgrades to the digital world. One solution that needs some serious consideration was tabled by Marty Forbes of Radio Wise. The format's gold library skipped a generation: (Does not pertain to Classic Rock) Around 2005, listeners began connecting with the songs through other means. (Think TV Commercials, TV Shows and other product placement) Even if they did hear it first on your station, they can have it on demand once they buy it or they can stream it for free. Rock radio never provided an adequate home for heavier sounding rock and now Spotify is sending out press releases bragging about it. The rules are not the same for Top 40 stations because their music is shuffled along after a year. When Rock listeners love a song, it's for life. Inevitably listeners will hear it more on another device than on a traditional radio - so the media device gets the emotional credit. If you think it's no big deal, there's a reason the smallest era on radio's gold playlist is from 2005-2013. It also does not help that big acts like Metallica, and Tool go on a decade long hiatus. Marketing issues: Face it: You do not know who this person is. Just so you know - he makes wine. He also does not want his band associated with your station. Ever tried to get Foo Fighters, Zeppelin, the Stones, Tool, Metallica, or AC/DC onto your radio station's TV ad or bus board campaign? It's like pulling teeth. (Rockford, Illinois's WXRX managed to get Metallica on) Meanwhile Country radio's outdoor campaigns feature Carrie Underwood and Blake Shelton. Top 40 stations have no problem decorating the skyline with Rhianna, Bruno Mars and Katy Perry. It would appear that country and CHR artists understand that being visible is in their best interests. Score one for the beautiful people. One Buffalo station let their listener's do their TV ad. (Probably because the 30 seconds could not be populated with its core artists. Perhaps the tide is turning with U2's recent takeover of Rock 101, who realized they need to be out there. As much as rock artists do not think they need radio, the medium still carries huge legitimacy. Program directors tell their air talent to make as many appearances as possible and show up to the swearing in of the local dog catcher. Inversely, radio needs to find better ways than a 90 second interview and sending listeners to the website for the rest of the conversation when they do interviews. (See the part above creating compelling content) If radio does not make it worth the artist's time, they won't bother to come. Rock's Failure to promote the format from within: Ever watch the Country Music Awards? There are appearances from country acts who promote and thank radio for their contributions over the course of the year. The artists have remained loyal to the radio medium and radio has reciprocated accordingly. Most of rock radio's listener defections have come at the expense of country. By the way, Steven Tyler and Don Henley are recording country records. Country has essentially raided rock's talent and sound. The industry has a history of this: At rock radio's peak in 1989 when Metallica were releasing their best material, they managed to lose the Grammy's Best hard rock award to Jethro Tull. Yes that happened. Metallica still wasn't over it in 1992 when they did win a Grammy. That moment told rock fans the industry was out of touch with the their product and busy counting George Michael's money. The Rock station is way too cool for the listener: This happens more often than you think. On air personalities pick on country and pop stars on a regular basis. People under 35 do not give a crap about formats or what your station plays or doesn't play. The songs co-exist on people's iPods. It's paramount to me scrolling through your iPod playlist and telling you all the songs that suck. Stop it. If you would like to talk more about rock radio and making it better, I can be reached at 204-414-5541. There's lots more great reading available if you are interested in this subject: * Greg Diamond of Byrnes Media wrote in-depth on the "State of Rock Radio" just over a year ago. * Fred Jacobs of Jacob's media had a wonderful 4 part series printed in 2012. Most of which is still relevant today.