The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum » BOOM All Hip All Day This Saturday

paterson1 · August 20, 2026 9:35 pm

97.3 BOOM remembers the 10th anniversary of The Tragically Hip's final concert in Kingston this Saturday. From 9am to 7pm the music and memories of the band all day long. As mentioned earlier CBC is also rebroadcasting the concert on Saturday beginning at 7pm. Ten years ago the final concert attracted over 11 million viewers across the country.

RadioAaron · August 20, 2026 10:00 pm

Well that's a terrible idea. This station has totally lost its mojo.

On the plus side, they were able to make the 70s@7 just 8% Cancon last night as a result.

paterson1 · August 20, 2026 10:21 pm

Today from 12noon to 2pm they were 42% cancon. Is Maie Pauts noon hour request show one or two hours?

RadioAaron · August 20, 2026 10:27 pm

paterson1 wrote:
Today from 12noon to 2pm they were 42% cancon. Is Maie Pauts noon hour request show one or two hours?

They can't use the Hip day to help middays. Cancon is calculated in two time periods: Mo-Fri 6am-6pm and Sun-Sat 6am-Mid.

Weekday middays will run higher Cancon to help the prime dirve shifts.

Also, "all-request" shows...never are.

RadioAaron · August 20, 2026 10:32 pm

Also, the 12-1 hour was 36% Cancon.

torontostan · August 20, 2026 10:33 pm

boom is projected to have its worst summer ratings in many years..... questionable tactic to go CanCon heavy towards the end of the month

RadioAaron · August 20, 2026 10:37 pm

torontostan wrote:
boom is projected to have its worst summer ratings in many years..... questionable tactic to go CanCon heavy towards the end of the month

It's not just Cancon heavy; it's divisive artist heavy.

Sorry, I love The Hip...I can't tell you how many times I've seen them, and I went to Kingston for their final show. All day on a (former) top-rated station in Toronto? Crazy.

Paul Jeffries · August 21, 2026 2:47 am

RadioAaron wrote:
Cancon is calculated in two time periods: Mo-Fri 6am-6pm and Sun-Sat 6am-Mid.

I thought CanCon was measured from 6am - midnight every night of the week? Or are those old regs?

PJ

Radiowiz · August 21, 2026 4:55 am

If CHFI is doing another 80's and 90's week-end they just might gain a boost in listenership from people who don't care to hear Hip over and over.

torontostan · August 21, 2026 8:37 am

Paul Jeffries wrote:
RadioAaron wrote:
Cancon is calculated in two time periods: Mo-Fri 6am-6pm and Sun-Sat 6am-Mid.
I thought CanCon was measured from 6am - midnight every night of the week? Or are those old regs?

PJ

It's an average over the week. So if you're low on Tuesday, you have to make it up on one of the other days, but each individual day doesn't have to be above 35%. You also have to do the same Monday-Friday 6 am-6 pm

Saul · August 21, 2026 9:47 am

Radiowiz wrote:
If CHFI is doing another 80's and 90's week-end they just might gain a boost in listenership from people who don't care to hear Hip over and over.

It's an interesting idea worth considering. But in the end I think 10 hours is seriously pushing it. I was totally invested, musically and even emotionally, in watching that last concert on TV, and would gladly have been there if possible. And it's certainly worth something decent on the 10th anniversary. Much better would have been to air a one-hour tribute. Better yet, make an event of it at a public space like Yonge-Dundas Square, where the station and its effort would be visible to people not otherwise listening or even highly tuned to the station. Same with any of their other properties which might also airing the same... (noting that Stingray isn't in Kingston - or Peterborough, thinking an event in Bobcaygeon would be cool if they owned anything nearby, but they don't).

paterson1 · August 21, 2026 11:44 am

Ten hours straight of almost any group is a risk since there are always regular listeners that aren't big fans. I will listen likely in and out during the day tomorrow. But I can't really see the station attracting a lot of new ears for this. However, I do give BOOM props for doing this. It will be interesting to see how much content they have beyond the music. If the content is solid and entertaining, then it could be surprising. The promo on air is well written.

mace · August 21, 2026 12:37 pm

Not a fan, so count me out.

markow202 · August 21, 2026 5:09 pm

Thats way too much for one band and yes, I know Gord Downie was Canadian but there is so much noise for over band its insane. They are good, not THAT good.

pinto · August 21, 2026 5:44 pm

I'm out

SpinningWheel · August 21, 2026 10:27 pm

.I didn't live or die by The Hip, but Gord wrote amazing songs and Drummer Johnny Fay was not just good, he married Kathryn Humphreys! One of the best f**king sports reporters I've ever seen.

I still miss her.

Scarboroughbluffsradiof99 · August 22, 2026 8:38 am

I know it was a huge concert, but I don't listen to the radio to hear 1 single band all day, If I want to do that, I can just stream.

Scarboroughbluffsradiof99 · August 22, 2026 8:40 am

SpinningWheel wrote:
.I didn't live or die by The Hip, but Gord wrote amazing songs and Drummer Johnny Fay was not just good, he married Kathryn Humphreys! One of the best f**king sports reporters I've ever seen.

I still miss her.

Me to.
For me, my canadian icons are gorden litefoot, the rankins, and neil young.

boom boy · August 22, 2026 10:48 am

boom doesn’t do these “all-in” days for ratings. boom does them for branding, for cultural moments and public vibe. 11.7 million+ people watched their last concert, 10 years ago, surely that’s a few fans that would appreciate a Hip salute.

Oh, and… at least they are doing something. A few IDs and a couple songs an hour doesn’t get people talking. If more stations made big deals about events or days, maybe radio would be in a better spot as “same old, same old” gets boring.

Last edited by boom boy (August 22, 2026 11:16 am)

paterson1 · August 22, 2026 11:19 am

I have been listening for the past hour, and the program is good. Maie Pauts is doing a great job. Andy Kim talking about having dinner with Gord Downie and the band, quoting lyrics from New Orleans Is Sinking. Who knew Andy Kim would be such a fan? The side stories about Gord have been really interesting. Again props to BOOM. For many but by all means not all, a novel and unexpected change. This is something that you would think Q107 would have done.

Radio.Intern · August 22, 2026 11:20 am

Maie Pauts on a Saturday is certainly a nice extra touch I turned Boom on this morning and for the first few seconds, thought I got my days mixed up and needed to get to work!

Scarboroughbluffsradiof99 · August 22, 2026 4:05 pm

boom boy wrote:
boom doesn’t do these “all-in” days for ratings. boom does them for branding, for cultural moments and public vibe. 11.7 million+ people watched their last concert, 10 years ago, surely that’s a few fans that would appreciate a Hip salute.

Oh, and… at least they are doing something. A few IDs and a couple songs an hour doesn’t get people talking. If more stations made big deals about events or days, maybe radio would be in a better spot as “same old, same old” gets boring.

There makeing a day of 1 artist interesting with the stories.
I still don't get why someone wants to just hear 1 artist all day, I go to radio to listen to a variety of artists and bands and descover new ones and new genres, that's what I like about rural non-campus community stations and northern indipendent stations such as CJTT in temiskaming.
But, I'm not a hip fan, maybe I would listen for great big sea or someone like that.

Scarboroughbluffsradiof99 · August 22, 2026 4:08 pm

Radio.Intern wrote:
Maie Pauts on a Saturday is certainly a nice extra touch I turned Boom on this morning and for the first few seconds, thought I got my days mixed up and needed to get to work!

Stingray does a good job about being canadian and showing real canadian culture.
Boom had a Canada day program, they still play traditional newfie music onVOCM and new country newfoundland, and they have lots of cancon on stingray music.
If it were rogers, they would make there stations in newfoundland sound so boring and american like they do here in Toronto.

Last edited by Scarboroughbluffsradiof99 (August 22, 2026 4:09 pm)

ckg927 · August 22, 2026 6:42 pm

Cripes, with all the complaining I'm seeing in this thread you'd think these were Bills fans dissecting every little thing wrong with New Highmark.

I'm not a BIG Hip fan, but I'm aware of their music. It's kinda nice to see Boom play stuff that normally doesn't get airplay

And, much like what Boom did a few weeks ago with yacht rock all day, it's fun to see a station take chances.

Scarboroughbluffsradiof99 · August 22, 2026 7:02 pm

ckg927 wrote:
Cripes, with all the complaining I'm seeing in this thread you'd think these were Bills fans dissecting every little thing wrong with New Highmark.

I'm not a BIG Hip fan, but I'm aware of their music. It's kinda nice to see Boom play stuff that normally doesn't get airplay

And, much like what Boom did a few weeks ago with yacht rock all day, it's fun to see a station take chances.

What they are doing is great, but do you listen to the radio just to hear 1 artist?
I don't but that's my preference.
But its nice that they have stories to go along with it.

Saul · August 22, 2026 11:29 pm

Sad to watch but you can feel the love. Thanks for posting.

dmcjeff · August 23, 2026 2:35 am

When I first glanced at the topic of this post, I thought to myself: Boom 97.3. (Classic 70s 80s 90s) Hip Hop all day and thought ..that's interesting...

Radiowiz · August 23, 2026 4:42 pm

I'm still listening to CHFI's 80's 90's weekend. I forgot to switch back...