I was looking for some info on CHOM FM from Montreal and came across this article from 2013. Some interesting observations on topics that have been discussed on this forum.

The full article is here. Some excerpts:

MW: Is the radio landscape changing for the better or worse with the Astral sale to Bell?
AF: Consolidation is inevitable. There are some very talented people programming stations in the big Multi-media groups. But big companies tend to be slow to react and more homogeneous in outlook. The independents usually foster creative invention if only because it is the nature of the beast and a necessity for survival. This week radio saddens me when there is a natural disaster and local radio has to shut down because it lacks resources to serve the public during their time of utmost need. In the nineties during the great ice storm Montreal radio showed what a unified industry could do to help pull their community together. NewCap also responded to the Community of Slave Lake last year but in general I fear radio has lost touch with the how it can and must serve the community.MW: As you look at the radio ratings today what has changed if anything in general?
AF: Time spent listening has decreased with the arrival of new technological distractions and without any plan to engage teens they are no longer a force in listenership. PPM is passive way of extracting radio listening data but sample size is a problem. At the end of the day to do well in PPM (only in 5 Canadian markets) or Diary the winning tactic is to communicate to the audience in a meaningful and emotive manner.MW: Does Radio as we know it have a future beyond news?
AF: Certainly it will survive if it provides emotional attachment and companionship along with a sense of curatorship.

Last edited by Fitz (August 4, 2017 9:31 am)