Bell Media to Close CFRW Funny 1290 AM

Bell Media laid off 1,300 staff on June 14, 2023. In Winnipeg, it means CFRW Funny 1290 AM has been closed down. The 60 year old station had one of three top stations for decades and had regained some mojo as TSN Sports Radio with Winnipeg Jets coverage till 2020. But the station gave up the rights and wet to a low cost comedy format. However, even lower ratings and poor ad sales, Bell shut the station along with five others and sold three more.

This was not the only bloodletting. Bell shut down foreign bureaus, fired senior reporters and unified the news room for all radio and TV stations across the country. London and Los Angeles bureaus are shut down, Washington Bureau majorly cut. Ottawa Bureau Chief Joyce Napier, chief international correspondent Paul Workman, senior political correspondent Glen McGregor and London news correspondent Danielle  Hamandjian and Los Angeles Bureau Chief Tom Walters were all fired.

The loss of CFRW will generally only be felt by those with nostalgia. The comedy format on the AM dial was not compelling enough for audiences. However, back in the day CFRW, CKY, CKRC and CJOB battled it out. Eventually CFRW and CKY led a multi-year battle for top 40 radio listeners through the 1970s and 1980s. I was partial to CFRW myself but would flip back and forth between CKY and CFRW in the case. The yellow CFRW offices on Main Street were recognizable there for years. In recent years they have been on Pembina Highway with sister stations Virgin 103 and Bounce 99.

The growing strength of FM music station eventually led to format changes or stages where AM players moved to the FM dial. CKY was one station that jumped to GM and changed formats. CBC carries a signal on both and FM. CJOB remains the one large holdout.

In recent news, it has been announced that new cars will not have AM stations anymore. Only FM and HD Radio will be automatic (although many cars also have Sirius XM built in). and  It seems the writing is on the wall is for AM and makes you wonder when CJOB will move to FM. Stations with only an AM signal will lose audience for every new car that goes on the road. There are no HD Radio channels in Manitoba presently. For those who see it on their new cars, it is a curiosity unless they have travelled to the United States recently. Then a station will pop up and say HD radio and can have at least three other stations off the same signal. Public radio in the U.S. seems to have taken advantage of this quite well where they will have their main signal but run classical music and other fare on the other channels. A top 40 radio station might have sub-channels of Spanish or oldies.  There are a number of other provinces that have dipped their toes into this. Quebec Radio-Canada channels seems to have caught on with it. Might we see this in Manitoba?

The big concern is the combined newsroom Bell Media is talking about. Does it mean a Toronto anchor for local broadcasts in Winnipeg? Or do local news broadcasts just stop because local stations are closed and we only get a Toronto broadcast? What we do know is that CTV National news is going to be less international, less experienced and less unique in what it broadcasts. The answer for revenue is one news group for all platforms with the goal of increasing profits. But to what end? Is a sale to a U.S. hedge fund for the whole company in the works? To create the circumstances for a Rogers/Bell merger? What? Is the answer one big giant company for all of Canada for media?

In the mean time, we can reflect on the end of a 60 year old radio station in CFRW that is gone. If Canada is about to approach 40 million people, how is it that we can support less local media?

Sarah Orlesky Leaves TSN for Winnipeg Jets

In retrospect, we probably had no idea how lucky we were with the TSN broadcast crew assembled for the return of the Winnipeg Jets. Dennis Beyak, Sara Orlesky and Brian Engblom, all former Manitobans, jumped at the change to be part of the broadcast team.

Given how professional the broadcast team was, it is worth noting the huge changes going on at TSN in 2010 as it went from a single cable channel to a TSN 2 feed just in time for Jets inaugural season. At the same time a race was on to get HD signals in place. The first HD broadcast began in Toronto in 2003 but that didn't mean TVs or cable companies were capable of getting it into your home. In 2011 when CBC was to broadcast the Jets for the first time, the HD signal wasn't ready. I recall I got the Toronto Maple Leaf game instead. The problem was corrected by next time an it has been HD signals since.

TSN 2 though was a regional broadcast that required filling time because there were so few sponsors in the beginning.  In 2011, CFRW which had just started sports radio a short time before was re-branded TSN 1290 so that both radio and television were under one brand. The sporting department of CJOB was raided to fill content for both. It was a glorious time for hockey broadcasts in Winnipeg. In 2014, Shane Hnidy joined the broadcast and Engblom was increasingly being called upon by American broadcasters. He was a wonderful Manitoba addition.

Despite the Jets struggles, broadcasting was a strength and up till 2017 was running without changes. That is until Las Vegas Golden Knights came. A raid of our broadcasters saw Shane Hnidy and Gary Lawless headed to the city. Daren Millard is also there. Plus hockey management people who came originally from Manitoba. This resulted in a rotation of colour analysts of Ray Ferraro, Jamie McLennan and Dave Poulin. It was only 2018 when they settled on Kevin Sawyer.

There will be opinions galore on the broadcasting teams in both radio and TV. I think it is certain that the departure of Beyak and Orlesky in the same year is the end of a great era. It will be interesting to see who is part of the broadcast team for this year. You'd have to assume they will be announcing soon as pre-season games are only weeks away.

I have nothing against content sports teams produce. In the far past, it was limited to team photos and stats. Then videos and filler for in between periods. Then came break downs of what happened in a game. It may be written and produced by people who come from journalism but it is not journalism. For example, former journalists will not write content for the Jets about what the worst trades the Jets have ever made. Or the missed players in signing. Or egregious ref calls or failures from the national desk on player safety. That is the in the domain of journalists from media not owned by NHL teams.

NHL teams have every right to produce positive spin on their product but the moment they try to put a shine on things where it is not deserved, it will blow up. Or if they control journalist access to players, managers and owners, expect only the worst to happen. And the worst is lose your audience.

Sara Orlesky is a serious sports person and I expect her to ask serious questions. She had a pretty good interview with Scheifele. The real test for the Jets is when journalists who see that content and ask direct questions about things like plus/minus and what changes will made to improve that. Don't wait for fans to wear paper bags over their heads because you believe your own PR. Teams have completely failed by the time that happens. Each team has to have tough questions asked of it. And that is what journalists do.

Winnipeg Radio Ratings Fall 2021

The latest Numeris ratings of Winnipeg radio stations has been released. It shows CBC in number 1 spot with CJOB right behind. Even with changes at both top stations and with the pandemic going on, talk radio has a very solid hold on their positions over the music stations.

• CBC Radio — 15.7 (16.7)
• 680 CJOB — 13.8 (12)
• QX 104 — 8.7 (9.1)
• Bounce 99.9 — 6.4 (6.6, last rated as 99.9 BOB FM)
• Virgin 103 — 5.4 (4.9)
• 92 CITI-FM — 4.9 (4.8)
• Peggy 99.1 — 4.5 (3.9)
• Energy 106.1 — 4.1 (4.4)
• 94.3 Now! — 4.1 (3.8, last rated as 94-3 The Drive)
• Power 97 — 4.1 (4.2)
• CBC Music FM (Radio 2) — 4.0 (3.8)
• Hot 100.5 FM — 2.8 (2.5)
• Kiss 102.3 FM — 2.7 (3.7)
• Funny 1290 — 0.8 (1.9, last rated as TSN 1290)

It is difficult to compare ratings as last year everything was shut down and there was no ratings performed. Add to this format changes, retirements, mass firings, staff changes, return of sports/music releases and tours and there is a lot to unpack. For radio programmers, this is a new baseline albeit one with a big asterisk. The pandemic continues and if a radio station has depended on work commutes, it might not be happening at full force for a while.

It is the new normal and radio like the rest of industry has to figure it out. It is sad to see that TSN 1290 gutted itself. Giving up the Jets radio broadcasts and the heavy local personalities in sports left a gaping hole and the new comedy channel has ratings lower than non commercial radio. Plus, it is has very little local content.

Some big corporations have radio stations in Winnipeg. It is surprising how some of those stations produce so little content in Manitoba. It might be cheaper but those stations tend to huddle near the bottom of the dial. It is a wonder the CRTC considers them local at all. A few do try to be consistent with hosts. More on that later.

Not all stations are listed in the ratings period. The two university radio stations are not listed nor the three French broadcasters. The multilingual station is not listed and classic jazz and nostalgia radio aren't either. How much do they account for? Probably not a huge amount but I listen to Goldeyes games on nostalgia and there are many others too. The Christian radio station is not listed either. And let's not forget the native owned station as well. In all 25 stations exist in the Winnipeg market with some bleed over from rural stations to boot.

Recently, while talking to a convention runner, they said they had no idea who to approach in Winnipeg radio market for promotional tie-ins. They said in other markets there was real dominance  by one or the other big media companies but in Winnipeg there was Corus, Bell, Rogers, Evanov and now Pattison to consider. In other cities, the choice was obvious for a corporate tie-in. In other words, Winnipeg is a competitive market which is a good thing. However, the bad thing is that too many are grouped at the center and don't make bold choices. Some programmer somewhere is writing the songlists.

The only place to be a bit different is your hosts. Winnipeg radio has always had some syndicated material but sense of place requires a DJ who knows the territory. Some of the most successful stations in town know this and pay well for the host who is known in the community. CBC, CJOB, Power 97 and Virgin Radio really emphasize the hosts and continuity in their positions.

The station 94.3 recently fired their entire staff to come back as Now! At one time 94 was the top station way back. They have done format changes in the past and seen middling responses. Their format never really changes enough and their on air staff are too controlled to become a marketing force on their own. And stations routinely try to save money so you never know where the axe will fall. 92 CITI has no morning hosts at the moment even though a strong morning show can keep people on your station all day.

While Bell Media gutted sports radio TSN and has paid for it by even lower numbers with a comedy channel, they have kept Burpee and Beau and their teams in place at Virgin and Bounce and it generally pays off. Likeable and engaged hosts in the community help your brand more than a show broadcast from Toronto. Corus has done this recently with Anderson, Stevens and Aiello and their teams at CJOB, Peggy and Power 97.

The pandemic has hurt touring and music producers from promoting their material. While a lot has been produced music-wise, there is a connection when an artist is in a region and radio stations get interviews, have contests for tickets and access to to the stars. It helps the musician and it helps the radio station. For talk radio such as CJOB and CBC, much depends on sports. For CJOB, it is how well the Jets and Bombers do. For CBC, it will be Olympics. Having good regular content and hosts will help but there is a real burst of interest in the teams. It will be interesting to see if Anderson can make some inroads on CBC that former host Currier kept close. And for CBC, it will be if changes for weekend hosts are embraced.

We will only know in 2022 where things are going for the pandemic, music industry and radio. Satellite radio, Spotify, podcasting and people's own curated music will still play a huge part. But local content is key. Lose it and you lose any reason why people will read you, watch you or listen to you with any loyalty.   

Winnipeg Radio Ratings Spring 2018

Spring 2018 radio ratings

(previous rating period in brackets)

1. CBC Radio One — 14.2 (14.2)
2. 680 CJOB — 10.9 (11.2)
3. QX 104 — 10.3 (8.1)
4. 92.1 CITI — 5.9 (6.5)
5. 99.9 BOB FM — 5.7 (6.3)
6. 103.1 Virgin Radio — 5.5 (7.3)
7. TSN Radio 1290 — 5.4 (3.3)
8. 94.3 The Drive — 5.2 (6.6)
9. KiSS 102.3 — 4.3 (4.5)
10. Energy 106 — 4.0 (4.8)
11. Power 97 —  3.5 (4.4)
12. Peggy @ 99.1 — 3.2 (2.1)
13. CBC Radio 2 — 3.1 (4.1)
14. Hot 100.5 — 1.6 (2.2)
15. Now Country 104.7 — 0.4 (0.4)
16. Radio-Canada Espace Musique — 0.1 (0.1)

CBC Radio One continues to dominate Winnipeg's radio market according to the Spring radio ratings book. For the last number of years CBC has held this commanding position ever since it surpassed CJOB. The two primarily talk based stations rank 1 and 2 with 680 CJOB slipping from their last ratings period.

The station that took a big jump was TSN Radio 1290 and the reason for that is probably the long run of the Winnipeg Jets into the play-offs. It was enough to elevate the station to the heady territory of 7th place on the list.

The highest rated FM music station is QX 104. Country music remains strong with women and has gained ground against the classic and rock stations in the city. They have taken number 3 on the dial while 92.1 CITI and 99.9 Bob FM have 4th and 5th. New popular music station 103.1 Virgin too had a big drop.

Only two music FM radio stations had gains in this period, That was QX 104 and Peggy @ 99.1 which features adult contemporary such as 1980s pop to more recent releases. A few other stations chase that dynamic and it is hard to appear different to competitors.

It is difficult to know if the latest book will trigger firings and format changes. The importance of having the right on air talent and content seems to escape the tall foreheads elsewhere who react to these things. A little luck helps too. TSN floated upward on Jets coverage. 

People still love their talk and music and don't mind curated stations but it better be delivered through apps, Google Home, Alexa and on satellite. They want to visit the websites, enter contests and see their DJS at events or online.

Today's programmers need to get their signal on every device there is and not be surprised when people are listening and responding from all over the world. And somehow that reach has to be measured and sold to advertisers.

I have said often enough here that if CJOB wants to take back number 1, they have to offer a FM signal as well as a AM signal. They locked up Winnipeg Blue Bomber football which helped them last year. If they are not looking at locking down the new soccer broadcasts, they would be fools not to.

As far as music stations go: on air talent that isn't paid pennies and wasted on canned programming would go a long way. Good talent can educate and introduce more music if a format starts to go stale. Instead of a wholesale format change it could be that songs not in rotation but by loved artists are played. Or songs covering a certain theme or season. It is the lack of originality and flexibility that is sometimes staggering.

In any event, it will probably be fall before we see a shake-up once again in Winnipeg and it will probably be firing people and a format chance by someone named Harold in Toronto who has launched 20 other stations that year. That probably isn't going to work. Assume that people will go anywhere to listen to music they like and if you want to keep them, it will have to be at a personal level on the devices they like.

Stella's Cafe and Patio Coming to Pembina Highway

Stella's on Pembina by radio station

Stella's Cafe and Patio is coming to 1463 Pembina Highway right next to the TSN 1290 radio offices. The popular chain of Winnipeg eateries takes over a recently constructed and updated building with a fair sized parking lot in the back.

The company website lists January as the opening date but it will likely be spring when they open their latest attraction: a rooftop patio. Since 1999, Stella's has grown in leaps and bounds and now the very busy stretch on a main route south to the university will have a large restaurant with a patio to enjoy the incredible view north to the cityscape.

Stella's has been instrumental in revitalizing areas wherever they move whether it Osborne, Sherbrook or Portage Avenue. They are likely to be a welcome addition to the area.

2015 Fall Radio Ratings

In the spring radio book, CBC Radio 1 did what would have been thought impossible only a few years ago: It surpassed CJOB in the ratings. The fall radio book has confirmed and emphasized the gains CBC has made in the Winnipeg market. The parenthesis is the 2014 fall figures.

1. CBC Radio One –15.3 (12.8)
2. 680 CJOB — 10.9 (13.6)
3. 92 CITI FM — 9.4 (6.6)
4. 103.1 Virgin Radio — 9.0 (8.3)
5. QX 104 — 7.4 (9.8)
6. 99.9 BOB FM — 6.0 (5.8)
7. KiSS 102.3 — 4.9 (5.0 as 102.3 Clear FM)
8. Energy 106 — 4.5 (5.3)
9. CBC Radio 2 — 4.0 (3.4)
10. FAB 94.3 — 3.9 (5.0)
11. TSN 1290 — 3.5 (3.2)
12. 97.5 BIG FM — 3.1 (2.6 as Power 97)
13. 99.1 Fresh Radio — 2.5 (2.2 as 99.1 Fresh FM)
14. Jewel 100.5 — 2.2 (1.8 as Jewel 101)
15. Radio-Canada — 0.2 (0.2)

CJOB still maintains a number 1 hold on the 6 AM to 10 AM slot and that is where the music stations offer the most competition as well. However, CBC Radio 1 is strong in so many other places that it climbs into the number 1 spot for daily listeners.

There have been many programming and brand changes in the Winnipeg radio market. Charles Adler has left for SiriusXM Radio on Satellite. And four of the 15 radio stations including one dominant Power 97 have changed call letters, staff and music formats.

The CBC is not without problems. It has excellent national programming that helps it stay original but just this past weekend the Globe and Mail pointed out to problems of the show Q. Once again the issue is hosting and how rigid the program is to reading off question cards. The interview will Adele is given as an example of missed opportunities in the form of an intuitive follow-up questions.

Setting aside quibbles about CBC radio programming, it has been successful where CBC TV has not: winning the ratings.

So is all lost for CJOB? The answer is no. There are some possibilities available to increase their ratings without a lot of pain. The first thing is to move to FM. Or at the very least run dual signals like CBC. One of the reasons CBC has gained in the local ratings is that people continue to favour FM. Another thing the station can do is to find a broadcast partner like 92 CITI FM and CBC Radio 1 have for television. The Wheeler show broadcasts on both 92 CITI FM and City TV and the ratings are solid.

It hasn't helped CJOB that the Winnipeg Blue Bombers didn't even make the play-offs. It is a sure bet that had the team made a run for the Grey Cup, the ratings may have looked very different. As it is, the fall book reflects continued strength of the TSN 1290 and the continued love affair with the Winnipeg Jets return. It is not hard to imagine that a CJOB with Winnipeg Jets on it would not have lost the number 1 position.

Still, not the first time CJOB has lost the Jets. They can survive but the question remains whether Corus Entertainment wants to give their local station the resources to pursue a more solid ratings outlook.

As for all of the music radio stations? It would seem to be that radio DJs will be the main attraction if music can be sourced from so many other places. In short, the people doing original material on the station matter.

I have migrated to satellite radio for all but TSN to CBC to CJOB. A lot of people don't listen to anything they haven't downloaded or haven't connected to via streaming. Will that audience come back? Maybe only for live sports broadcasts.

It is a tough market but original material still has a market. For a long time many radio stations chased the same music or talk formats with the same people and thought they had a captive market. They don't. Local and original could be what changes where the radio stations stand in the next years.

TSN Radio To Broadcast Manitoba Moose Games

TSN 1290 is already a powerhouse in local sports broadcasting and will continue to be so with the addition of the Winnipeg Jets' AHL affiliate , the Manitoba Moose, to their radio roster. It was announced earlier that former CBC sports broadcaster Mitch Peacock would be doing the play by play for the Manitoba Moose but no word on what radio station. Now we know.

The addition of the Manitoba Moose to TSN's radio broadcast means that almost every night of the week will feature hockey in Winnipeg. Mitch Peacock adds incredible strength to the station and it is not hard to imagine the cross guesting that will happen over all the hockey coverage.

Peacock was with CBC Winnipeg six years and is an experienced play by play broadcaster. Given the loss of the hockey at CBC and the shortened news at the station to one hour, it must have been appealing to jump to a place where sports rules 24 hours a day.

TSN Sports Radio has been locking down all the sports writing and broadcasting talent in Winnipeg. Gary Lawless from the Free Press made the jump and now Mitch Peacock had done so as well. In short, the amount of local coverage and employees TSN has in Winnipeg is large.

The first broadcast of the season starts this Friday against the Toronto Marlies. Expect to hear more about the broadcast and format in the next days

Charles Adler Leaves CJOB

Charles Adler

The most recent ratings period for radio knocked CJOB off the top of the pedestal for the first time in decades. Possibly no station has had such dominance time in Canada.The only time they were knocked off their perch was by a music station but they quickly re-gained their dominance and maintained it for ratings period after ratings period.

Until now.

There are a lot of factors in play so let's list where things may have slipped.

The most joyous time for a conservative radio station is when government is composed of a left or centrist party. It is the fuel that boosts the engine. Having an NDP government helped CJOB in the ratings in the past but when Adler moved to afternoons for a national broadcast, it was no help. With the federal Conservative party in power and especially when they got a majority, there was big power to rail against.

Deriding Liberal, NDP and Greens had always been catnip but since they had no power in a majority government, listeners were at a loss when they had a grievance. This left the culture war as a windmill to tilt against. The Harper Tories were unable to get things done because of the CBC, environmentalists, unelected courts and Senate and just no-good ratnicks on the left. At least this was the narrative that was spun.

Eventually that dog didn't hunt when something like the Senate and Mike Duffy happened. The spin on it still circled back to Harper. The culture wars in Canada were not working very well for ratings because many felt their disgust in a majority government lay with the party in power. It was hard to pursue a left versus right agenda when the right was doing less than optimally. Subsequently Charles Adler's national programming was less popular than returning to more local based programming

Charles Adler moved back to local morning broadcasts on CJOB. For a time it was business as usual but there was a constant re-shuffling but fortunately in other time slots. Hal Anderson in the morning was let go. News director Richard Cloutier slid into the spot before the Adler program. Other changes happened in the noon and afternoon programming.

The recession starting in 2008 hurt a lot of businesses dependent on advertising. The Free Press, CBC, The Sun, CJOB and CTV have all done tinkering to improve ratings and the bottom line. Many people have lost jobs. Meanwhile, competition has emerged on a lot of media fronts. For newspapers it is The Metro. For radio it is XM satellite radio and streaming music services, podcasts and downloaded music.

Still CJOB held a lead but things were changing ever still.

It can't be understated how badly losing the Winnipeg Jets broadcast rights hurt the station in 2011. The station had been the broadcaster for Manitoba Moose from 1996 to 2011 and hockey was considered one of the reasons why the station dominated. It is interesting to note that when the Jets left CJOB briefly fell below Q94 in the ratings before recovering.

The station put a very good bid for the new Jets broadcasting rights in 2011 only to be outbid by TSN TV's regional TV and radio combination play. CJOB's parent didn't have a cable sports broadcaster to do a tandem bid for more money. The money TSN put in was a surprise to most but then net effect over the last years has been excellent ratings for TV and steady climb up for traditional last place finisher TSN Radio.

At one point in the 1980s, CJOB lost the Jets 1.0 broadcast rights to CKY. Ken Nicolson and Kurt Kielback actually left CJOB to continue their work as radio hosts on the new station. Coincidentally, Charles Adler worked at CKY for a time in news in the 1980s. CJOB didn't take the loss of Jets lightly though. They built up a before and after hockey broadcast that was near a popular as their rival.

To some extent CJOB had attempted to beef up their sports department to beef up their sports department beyond woeful Blue Bombers to be part of the hockey talk in town. The last ratings period saw one of their sports staff lose their jobs.

It is a good bet that if CJOB had not lost the Winnipeg Jets, they still might be the number 1 station in Winnipeg.

Still, there are so many other factors going on aside from recession, Conservatives in Ottawa and losing the Jets that have contributed to CJOB's ratings. It is possible the stations ratings would have dropped earlier had it not been the fact that commercial radio, especially in music, has far more competition than ever before. There are now more stations including college broadcasts. There is recorded devices that hook up to your car so you can listen to your own choices. There is XM satellite radio. All of this likely helped CJOB stay atop. However, it also helped its longtime nemesis: the CBC.

There was a time where CBC trailed everyone in the ratings. Nearer the bottom than to the top, it has climbed to the point where it was a consistent top 3. The amount of music stations and splitting of listeners allowed the CBC to have a certain distinctiveness than a station playing country/pop did not have. The move of CBC to have both a AM and FM signal was probably the final push the station needed. Truth be told, there were too many dead spots in parts of the city for the AM signal. The FM signal travels well in the canyons of the downtown. In some cases, better than satellite radio.

The latest Numeris BBM ratings had the CBC finish first over CJOB. If someone had suggested this possibility 10 years ago, they would have been laughed at.

To be sure CBC Radio One is not without without its own programming tweaks.  They have shuffled hosts, not re-newed some of their local hosts. And their national programming with Q went through the worst of what you ever want one of your show's to have: loss of a host due to scandal. Somehow, despite all this the CBC ended up in first place.

Charles Adler left his job after 17 years. That is a pretty good run for anyone and all of this in private radio and without the Jets in the schedule at any time while he was there. He garnered honours during his broadcast career and he attracted both fans and foes. However, in the end a fair custodian of a show that was one that had influence all way back to Peter Warren.

The media has looked less and less like a career that might span a few decades. Print, radio and TV and online are all hardscrabble now. Maybe they were always like that but it seems to me that many only last a short time in the profession.

The morning show has been taken over by Geoff Currier who has a long radio career in the same type of radio broadcasting in Winnipeg. He has tried his hands at politics a few times so some will  be looking to see about he approaches things. One of the better guests on Adler was Warren Kinsella, a Liberal. Better to have a little bit of fire crackers in a broadcast to liven things up that to pursue ideology.

It is difficult to see where radio will go. It is obvious that being free is not enough. It has to be unique and it has to have a voice. The sameness to music radio is killing it. Radio talk can be immediate and local. We need more of it, not less.

As Charles Adler heads to B.C., it is good to remember that CJOB has toughed it out before.

Winnipeg Jets on TV Tonight TSN 3

TSN 3 is the host of the Winnipeg Jets regional games this year and this means that people who used to pay $10 a month for the right to see the games will see them as part of their overall cable package. This should result in far more people in Winnipeg and beyond watching the Jets this year.

Exhibition games will also appear on the network starting with tonight's against the Minnesota Wild at 7 PM. This will be of special interest to people who have no desire to see fall season premieres that are as thick as thieves this evening.

Expect to see a lot of the young guys trying hard to crack the line-up in pre-season.

One thing everyone agrees with is that the Winnipeg Jets have drafted well since the move. Many of the players picked are some of the most exciting to see on the team.

Go Jets go!

Paul Edmonds New Voice of Jets

Some months ago, I mentioned how good it was of TSN 1290 in Winnipeg to hold on to Paul Edmonds after the Goldeyes radio broadcasts moved to a different radio station.

Paul Edmonds will become the new play by play guy for TSN Jets broadcasts. The long time voice of play by play hockey Brian Munz is changing to colour analyst and reporter for the Jets radio broadcast.

For the last while, Edmonds has helped anchor the The Big Show morning program with Troy Westwood and Matt Leibl on TSN 1290. Edmonds will be leaving that show at the end of August. No word yet on who will fill the morning spot that Edmonds was still very new to after replacing Jay Richardson who left the show.

This past year, Edmonds had a chance to fill in at play by play for hockey for the Jets and this obviously made program directors see him in a different light from his baseball broadcasts.

So what does this all mean? Well, according to the station TSN is expanding their Jets broadcasting to year round.  Dennis Beyak and Brian Munz were sharing radio broadcasts. It appears Beyak will only do TV now. Shane Hnidy will still cross between radio and TV broadcasts.

I liked Brian Munz's work as play by play guy. He was really good. I am not sure what led to the decision to make him colour guy and reporter.

A good pairing is worth its weight in gold. The old Jets were overseen by Curt Kielback and Ken Nicholson. From 1979 to 1982, Nicholson was play by play and Kielback was colour but then they switched in part due to Nicholson's health related to diabetes.

Could the pairing of Edmonds and Munz be the next legendary twosome of Jets radio? I'd like to think so.

The increase in Jets coverage year round for TSN is a good move. It is a way for the network to ensure the best people cover hockey and if there ever is a chance again at national broadcast of NHL hockey for TSN, it will because they have done the hard work at the local level.

It will be a real dogfight for radio ratings this fall.

Spring Radio Ratings Broken Down

CBC has been slowly climbing year after year on CJOB. Now...they are in a virtual tie for ratings.

This past year, CBC tweaked their line up by moving to one host for their morning show. Winnipeg had been one of the last stations in Canada to have two morning hosts for CBC so Marcy Markusa was to fly solo. Beloved co-host Terry McLeod was moved to weekends and rising star Ismaila Alfa was moved to afternoons replacing Larry Updike.

CJOB was also going through changes. The nationally syndicated Charles Adler show on afternoons ended and Adler resumed his local morning show on CJOB. This entailed Richard Cloutier as news director moving to a noon hour slot in addition to his other duties. A revolving door of hosts in the afternoon from Laurie Langcastor to Karen Black have tried to make the timeslot work. Dahlia Kurtz was called in as a specialist to get the station back on track.

The big surprise for some was that Hal Anderson and his producer Olivia Billson were let go from the early morning show leading to Charles Adler's program. Anderson, a well liked host, has probably suffered from CJOB's loss of hockey broadcasting since the Winnipeg Jets return.

The switch to sport for TSN radio and capturing the broadcasting rights for Winnipeg Jets games as peeled away people who turned to CJOB for their hockey fix. How much? You would have to compare to the bottom ratings for oldies CFRW. It is possibly a consistent 2 points that CJOB has lost to sports radio. Heaven forbid if the Jets had gotten into the play-offs as CJOB might have done worse.

A temporary host has replaced Hal Anderson but in the grand scheme of things, CBC out tweaked CJOB. And TSN now battles it out with CBC 2.

In terms of music radio, it is safe to say that country is climbing back up as it seems to do every ten years or so. Classic rock, top 40 and hard and soft rock seem to be bouncing around although Power 97 has seen better days.

All is not lost for CJOB. The civic election may prove to be good for their fall book if they are the go to station for candidates. A few listeners might peel off from music stations to news radio. A major news story can make people switch. A good host can win over audiences.

CBC Radio has been rising steadily across Canada the last decade. In many markets it is in the top 3. It will be interesting to see if they can hold on with significant cuts in programming happening this year.

The next ratings period will definitely be hard fought. Expect to see lots of ads on billboards and TV during the fall. It will almost seem like there is an election going on.

The Goldeyes

Shaw Park, Home of Goldeyes

Back a number of months ago, I lamented that I would miss the fact that Paul Edmonds and his baseball broadcasts would be moving from TSN Winnipeg to the FM dial and Jewel 101. I noted then that Edmonds had proved his worth as a broadcaster for years covering the Goldeyes. But he also became a reliable and professional guy for TSN Sports overall. At one point this year, he was called in to help with hockey play by play when they really needed it.

It would appear that and other good work landed Paul Edmonds a job at TSN Sports on their morning program The Big Show. Along with Troy Westwood and Matt Liebl, Edmonds gets to sports every morning on a wide range of topics.

Paul Edmonds replaced Jay Richardson at the Big Show who for reasons unknown is not there anymore. Richardson continues to do work for the Winnipeg Jets.

The loss of Paul Edmonds from the Winnipeg Goldeyes after 19 seasons is enormous. Not only was he doing the radio play by play but in the off season was an account manager in the front office. Talk about a huge role!

It was obvious the Goldeyes would have the work cut out for them. It would appear they found their guy. They have signed Steve Schuster to be their new radio guy on Jewel 101 FM. He will also do front office work for the Goldeyes operation in the off season.

Schuster comes to the Goldeyes via the Wichita Wingnuts where he was their play by play guy and front office guy for six seasons. With a broadcasting degree and a MBA, it would be difficult to say that many people would be able to fit the bill as aptly.  The kicker is that Schuster also has hockey broadcast experience as well.

Wichita is a similar size city as Winnipeg with a large aircraft industry. Nevertheless, the move to Winnipeg is probably considered more big market for sports. Schuster will find there is great interest in all the sports teams in the city.

I have no idea what prompted the move of baseball from TSN Radio to Jewel 101 FM. I can only hope that the broadcast has found a home that will make it successful.

This is a big year for the Goldeyes. On July 28-29, they host the American Association All-Star game.

And if past years are any indication, the Goldeyes will have a hard fought season with a major goal of making the play-offs and beyond. It should be a wonderful time in one of the most gorgeous ball parks in North America.

Goldeyes Broadcast Moves from TSN Radio to 100.7

It really hasn't sunk in yet but the sports broadcast that began on TSN Radio before it became a sports radio network has been dropped from the 1290 AM dial.

Why? I have no idea. It could have come from the Goldeyes or TSN. In the end, it probably does matter.

The broadcast itself won't really change. Paul Edmonds remains at that the helm for this 20th season as the radio broadcast switches from AM to FM. Compared to hockey and football, baseball play by play guys are Iron Men when it comes to broadcasting. Edmonds will call 100 games plus pre and post game shows with an additional four extra baseball episodes tossed in. That's a lot of hours.

In some respect it is too bad that baseball left TSN Radio. Edmonds sometimes was brought in for other sports duties and he was able to guest on a number of the local sports talk shows on the network. In truth, no other broadcaster has the knowledge or the love of the sport that he does.

I first thought that TSN had to let baseball go because of schedule conflicts with some of their other properties. Alas, TSN has picked up 100+ Toronto Bluejays broadcasts. It would seem timeslots were not the issue.

It is very possible that the Goldeyes simply wanted a FM station to broadcast from. Hard to say.

There is probably confusion about what FM station 100.7 is. There is a distinct lack of a call sign in the announcement. The owner of the station Evanov went to the CRTC to change formats. The company already had a successful launch of Energy 106, a hit radio station. They also own 810 CKJS, the successful ethic radio broadcaster.

In the end, we now have three radio station covering the three main sports in Winnipeg. CJOB has football. TSN has hockey and now 100.7 has baseball. I'd say that is good for competition.

Winnipeg Radio Ratings Spring 2012

CJOB Still Tops But Winnipeg Loves Sports


Back in January, I guessed there was going to be some movement when it came to radio ratings. The Spring BBM listings have indicated as much.

1. CJOB - 13.0 (16.6)

2. CBC Radio 1 - 9.2 (10.6)

3. Hot 103 - 9.1 (15.6)

4. Power 97 - 7.7 (7.2)

5. Citi - 7.2 (5.6)

6. Energy - 7.1

7. QX-104 - 6.8 (8.7)

8. Fab - 6.6 (6.7)

8. Clear - 6.6 (6.3)

10. Bob - 6.4 (5.2)

11. CBC Radio 2 - 3.1 (2.1)

12. TSN Radio 1290 - 2.7 (0.7)

13. Fresh - 1.5 (1.6)

14. Breeze - 1.0 (0.9)

CJOB and Hot 103 both took a major hit from their dominant position. And why not? Strip away some major sports fans and you see a drop of a couple of points right away for CJOB. As for Hot 103, they had a big target on their back with a massive lead in ratings.

The biggest winner by far is Energy who have gone from bottom dwellers to a shade under the top 5. It could be in the next six months that they finally grab top 5 and continue closing the gap with Hot 103.

TSN Radio 1290 has its sights clearly focused on CJOB's sports fans. There is no doubt that when Blue Bomber broadcasting rights come up again in six years that TSN will try to grab it. CJOB is probably counting their lucky stars that they sealed up that deal otherwise they might be looking at dropping out of first place in fall of 2012 for the first time.

My early complaints about lack of local content on TSN have been remedied by early morning and drive home local sports radio shows. On game day, it is all Winnipeg Jets all the time. CJOB has beefed up their hockey coverage and it has helped them from bleeding as many fan as they could have lost.

The Breeze is probably pouting a bit after bringing in Don Percy and not budging in the ratings. They still have their eye on Clear and now Breeze. Might have to wait another ratings period or two to see if there is any movement in the softer side of music.

Winnipeg loves its rock stations. Power 97 and Citi are right up there. Older pop stations like Fab, Clear and Bob are in the middle of the pack.

It has to be mentioned how resilient the two CBC radio stations are. It must be a shock to some that CBC Radio One is a respectable second and has been sitting in a top 5 position for some time. If only their TV stations had such similar strengths.

What can we expect in the fall of this year? Look for no major format changes but expect to see lots of promotion of morning shows and that means TV ads and contests. 

I think it behooves me to say radio station advertising is dreadful on TV. Stop going down to the States and having some content developer put your ad together from some generic plan. Please. And no more testimonials from actors talking about how they listen in the car, at work, etc. 

BOB FM. Your ads are not funny.

Do something different.

Case in point. Tourism ads. Some are quite good but try to find the difference between North Dakota and South Dakota ads. Don't get me wrong but similar vistas, music and western drawl don't look much different on TV. Then look at Minnesota's ad.

Now, that is good.

So listen up radio broadcaster: Here are some suggestions.

Lip dub can be fun. Radio broadcasters doing a broadcast from a desk at Portage and Main or something like that. Or an actual jingle like we saw with Minnesota. No more snippets of songs and and logo crapola.

Example of NBC's Today show having some fun.

Okay, have fun, play safe and come back and wow us in the fall.

Don Percy Back on Winnipeg Radio

Ever wonder where Stan Kubicek and Don Percy ever went to?

Until the conversion of 1290 to TSN Sports Radio, Don Percy was spinning oldies.

I wondered back then if he would land a job in the multitude of radio stations in the city.

Well, looks like he has found a home at Breeze along with Stan Kubicek.

At 100.7, Breeze is not exactly tearing up the charts. Bringing in Don Percy will get noticed and the newspaper ads certainly indicate they think he has a fan base.

It is hard to keep up with the changing formats of 100.7. It was The Lounge over Christmas, HANK FM before that and Cafe 100.7.

Way back, it was nostalgia radio.

New ownership has come out with a little spirit. The Evanov Group started up Energy 106 to poke an eye at Hot 103. Until very recently, it must have been quite clear that 103 had the top 40 pop hip hop market to itself. Not anymore. Interestingly, it looks like the intention was to call 106, The Jewel before settling on Energy.

Now we are seeing an attempt to move into 102.3 Clear FM's territory for another Evanov property. Breeze has probably got a long way to move past the Rogers owned station but you never know.

The complaints on Winnipeg radio are many. Never has so much been offered in such a limited range. We'll see if anyone breaks from the pack.

It will be interesting to see the new radio ratings and whether TSN Radio is big.

In any event, welcome back to two Winnipeg broadcasters.

TSN Radio

Sports Radio 1290 has re-branded itself TSN Radio 1290.

It is quite the change from from CFRW days to home of the Winnipeg Jets.

TSN and Bell Media have put out a lot of money grab radio and TV rights for the Jets and increase local programming dramatically.

Bravo to them and bravo to all local media who have upped their game to cover the Winnipeg Jets.

I complained loudly about the lack of local content at first but this a job well done so far.

Winnipeg Jets TV and Radio Broadcasts

The Winnipeg Jets continue to prepare for the new season.

In terms of the radio broadcasts, it is confusing. CJOB's Brian Munz is moving to Sports Radio 1290 to share the radio broadcast with Dennis Beyak

Dennis Beyak is TSN's man and will be doing all the regional TSN TV broadcasts of the Jets and all radio broadcasts on Sports Radio 1290 when he is not on TV.

In other words, Munz is the fill in host when Beyak is not around.

I don't know how this is going to work but it does have to be disappointing to Munz who has been the radio voice of the Manitoba Moose all on his own and now will be sharing that role.

Overall, it is shaping up to be a great year in terms of Jets broadcasts. The national exposure is pronounced. The Jets will appear in the top tier when it comes to total games. The interest seems to be coast to coast in terms of viewing the games.

It is a big difference from 1996 when there were only a few times to watch the Jets nationally and locally, the coverage was fairly limited. With fives years of sell-outs, there is no such thing as a black out. Every game will be on the tube and in high definition, it will be glorious.

CJOB who lost the radio rights have hired a reporter as well former Manitoba Moose play by play guy Kelly Moore to cover the Jets. The plan is for a pre and post game offering. This is similar to when CJOB lost the NHL to CKY and did the same thing. The station was well positioned later on to take the broadcast rights back again.

I suspect that we will see a full court press from the media when it comes to Jets coverage. One wonders if Global and CTV will kick it up a notch as well with Jets programs or NHL reports.

The expanded TV coverage is good for bars and restaurants as well. What makes a good sports bar? Lots of hockey coverage and now the Jets might pack them in.

Big screens, high definition, wall to wall coverage and no black outs. It certainly isn't 1996 anymore.

Winnipeg Jets national TV broadcasts.

Sunday, Oct. 9th vs. Montreal, CBC/RDS/NHLN, 4 pm.

Thursday, Oct. 13th @ Chicago, TSN, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 15th @ Phoenix, CBC, 5 p.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 19th @ Toronto, TSN, 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 22nd vs. Carolina, CBC, 6 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 29th @ Tampa Bay, CBC, 6 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 5th @ New Jersey, CBC, 6 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 12th, @ Columbus, CBC, 6 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 19th vs. Philadelphia, CBC, 2 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 26th, @ Boston, CBC, 6 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 3rd vs. New Jersey, CBC, 6 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 10th vs. Detroit, CBC, 6 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 17th vs. Anaheim, CBC, 6 p.m.

Thursday, Dec. 22nd vs. Montreal, RDS, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 31st vs. Toronto, CBC, 6 p.m.

Wednesday, Jan. 4th @ Montreal, TSN/RDS, 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 7th @ Buffalo, CBC, 6 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 14th vs. New Jersey, CBC, 6 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 21st vs. Florida, CBC, 7 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 5th @ Montreal, CBC/RDS, 1 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 11th @ Pittsburgh, CBC/NHL, 1 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 17th vs. Boston, TSN, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 25th vs. St. Louis, CBC, 1 p.m.

Monday, March 5th vs. Buffalo, Versus, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 24th @ Nashville, CBC, 6 p.m.

Wednesday, March 28th vs. New York Rangers, TSN, 6 p.m.

Saturday, March 31st @ Tampa Bay, CBC, 6 p.m.

Saturday, April 7th vs. Tampa Bay, CBC, 6 p.m.

CJOB Will Prevail

It is being reported that TSN has completed an agreement for Winnipeg Jets broadcasts. This would include TV and radio broadcasts and push CJOB for only the second time in its history out Winnipeg Jets broadcasting. Three years after the Jets got into the NHL in 1979, CKY won the broadcast rights and Curt Keilback and Ken (The Friar) Nicolson were allowed to leave from one broadcaster to go the other. They would make the return trip a number of years later when CJOB regained the broadcast rights. 

I still can't remember the exact dates they moved back and forth nor can I remember about the TV broadcasting. I re-call the CKY years for local Jets broadcasts but the WHA had CKND broadcasts. Any help here would be appreciated. CJOB has been the broadcaster of the Manitoba Moose the last 15 years. No one has done hockey more than they over the last years.

If CFRW had not converted over to sports radio broadcasting in the last year, CJOB might have been a shoe in. However, Sports Radio 1290 with the backing of Bell and the TSN sport network had the one-two punch of TV and radio broadcasts under one roof. Something that CJOB just didn't have.

CJOB's parent company Corus Entertainment does not have a national sports broadcaster for TV. Well, at least nothing that does hockey broadcasts. For Manitoba Moose broadcasts, this was not a big impediment but in today's NHL where every game is televised, it is. Unlike in the past when CJOB wrested the broadcasts back to their station, it seems the loss of hockey will be permanent unless Corus acquires a sports broadcaster or if some sort of partnership is formed with another TV network.

I have no idea how long the Blue Bombers radio contract is tied up but CJOB is no doubt going to find they face the same problem of a radio/TV connection. TSN already does CFL football. Is it really a stretch to think that 1290 Sports Radio might eventually buy the radio rights too?

CJOB will prevail. However, the loss of hockey broadcasts is huge. One wonders if this the event that knocks the station out of first place in the radio ratings.

More Local Content on 1290 Sports Radio

I complained about how little local content there was when the station started and it has slowly started to carve out a niche in that area in the last months. 1290 Sports Radio first picked up the Illegal Curve radio program from Kick FM for a weekend show. Next, they brought In Leah Hextall for a program called Amateur Hour featuring the unsung heroes in sport.

However, the best was yet to come: Winnipeg Free Press sports columnist Gary Lawless and co-host Andrew (Hustler) Paterson jumped from their evening timeslot on CJOB to the same timeframe on 1290 Sports Radio.

CJOB has moved quickly to fill the spot with Bob Irving, one of the most respected people in Winnipeg sports.

It is going to be interesting comparing the two sports shows over the next months.

It is a lot of content for one man to fill on CJOB given the rest of the responsibilities on his shoulders. Bob Irving is quite good but it one heck of a lot work that he will be doing. Of course, the same can be said for Gary Lawless who in addition to the Free Press puts in huge hours on radio.

Is this a battle of stamina now?

At the very least CJOB should seek a co-host for the Irving show.

Sports radio has gotten very hot all the sudden.

List Time - Arts, Culture and Entertainment

Here is a list of what I thought were major achievements in arts, culture and entertainment this year.

1. The Winnipeg Art Gallery announced a major expansion of their gallery. Not only is the art gallery an architectural treasure but it is the foremost exhibitors of Inuit art. It has been a good year for the gallery with an amazing painting donated, some great exhibits and now the expansion.

2. Le Cercle Molière’s new théâtre opened in October. Canada's oldest theatre on Provencher Boulevard gets the street presence that it richly deserves and the venue to continues presenting French plays and culture.

3. Plug-In Art Gallery and the University of Winnipeg get together for a major presence of a well know gallery onto Portage Avenue and and a continued expansion of the university eastward to downtown.

4. Astron 6, a moviemaking collective from Winnipeg markets itself in Toronto and lands a film deal for Father's Day, a horror film put together by famed studio Troma of Toxic Avenger fame. Look for these guys for more films over the years.

5. Manitoba Theatre Centre get a royal designation from Queen Elizabeth. The continued strong showing year after year for Canada's first regional theatre deserves a salute.

6. Manitoba Museum wins international award for Beneath the Seas and hosts a retrospective of Manitoba rock, country, folk and French language music in Alloway Hall.

7. The Great Canadian Talk Show is cancelled by Kick FM at the behest of Red River College. The timing after the civic election is suspect.

8. Oldies rock station is killed on CFRW and becomes 1290 Sports Radio, the second time in a number of years sports radio tries to make a go of it in Winnipeg. Not to be outdone, Curve 94 FM kills their alt-pop music format and goes oldies as Fab 94.

9. Bachman and Turner go back on the road. Randy Bachman and Fred Turner might not be in overdrive but they are back to making rock music on tour across Canada.

10. ITV Brandon goes off the air. After the death of CKX in Brandon, it looked like the only alternative to the print media was ITV Brandon. Now it too has gone off the air.