sowny.net | The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum


You are not logged in. Would you like to login or register?

November 5, 2019 7:09 pm  #1


Corus Sues Radio Rival In Edmonton Over Disused Branding

What a weird story coming out of Edmonton, where Corus has sued a rival station in the same market for resurrecting a brand it abandoned in 2004. 

POWER struggle: Edmonton radio stations to battle over naming rights in court 

 

November 5, 2019 7:21 pm  #2


Re: Corus Sues Radio Rival In Edmonton Over Disused Branding

RadioActive wrote:

Corus has sued a rival station in the same market for resurrecting a brand it abandoned in 2004. 

Good for Harvard Broadcasting! They are using the collective "Power" of rival Corus for free publicity! Intellectual Property rights, in Canada, do not last in perpetuity and Corus will fight a losing battle. It would be vastly different if "Power" was a known brand with Corus' stations elsewhere waving that moniker.

Let's lay it on the power lines here... the AVERAGE listener doesn't know or care who or what company owns their favorite station. With the radio-based loses that Corus is experiencing, it a power-ful wonder why they'd waste money on this? To what end? 
 

 

November 5, 2019 8:04 pm  #3


Re: Corus Sues Radio Rival In Edmonton Over Disused Branding

TheConsultant wrote:

With the radio-based loses that Corus is experiencing, it a power-ful wonder why they'd waste money on this? To what end? 
 

Their former home of Power, 92.5 "The Chuck", is currently experiencing the worst ratings of any commercial FM in the country, especially since they added that terrible (and completely incompatible with Chuck's 'format') syndicated Seattle morning show. They probably want to bring "Power" back themselves, especially after seeing some of Harvard's initial success with the reboot. 

Last edited by RadioAaron (November 5, 2019 8:05 pm)

 

November 5, 2019 9:28 pm  #4


Re: Corus Sues Radio Rival In Edmonton Over Disused Branding

The Edmonton Journal has also picked up the story. 

     Thread Starter
 

November 5, 2019 11:46 pm  #5


Re: Corus Sues Radio Rival In Edmonton Over Disused Branding

Corus hasn't used the "Power" branding in Edmonton for 15 years, and they have had various opportunities to bring back the name and didn't. Since dropping Power in January 2004 they have rebranded four different times. The latest is "The Chuck" and as Aaron mentioned they brought in a new imported morning show, Brooks and Jubal a few weeks back. B&J hail from Seattle, and their show has also been on Jump 106 in Ottawa for over a year. 

Looks like Corus has been snookered by a smarter, smaller and more nimble company.  Good on you Harvard Broadcasting!

 

November 6, 2019 12:32 am  #6


Re: Corus Sues Radio Rival In Edmonton Over Disused Branding

WOW! The Power 92/Power 88five war back in the late 90's here in Toronto made more sense.
 


RadioWiz & RadioQuiz are NOT the same person. 
RadioWiz & THE Wiz are NOT the same person.

 
 

November 6, 2019 10:36 am  #7


Re: Corus Sues Radio Rival In Edmonton Over Disused Branding

Another thing that is strange is the fact that Corus wasn't the company to name the original Power 92.5 in Edmonton. The station became Power 92.5 around 1990 when it was owned by Moffat and later WIC Communications. So it is odd why Corus would be claiming some sort of legal right to the branding.
According to Wiki, Power was first used in the US around 1986.  KPWR in Los Angeles became Power 106 back in '86 and this is the first known use of it in radio. The Power branding is also used extensively in Europe. 

 

November 6, 2019 10:47 am  #8


Re: Corus Sues Radio Rival In Edmonton Over Disused Branding

How about instead of Corus wasting their dwindling warchest of cash on this futile and baseless battle, they actually spend the coin on making their current products better?! 640 desperately needs a raise in their allowance.

 

November 6, 2019 11:34 am  #9


Re: Corus Sues Radio Rival In Edmonton Over Disused Branding

"We thought of this crappy format first!"

Sorta like a bald man fighting another bald man over a comb.

Last edited by Chrisphen (November 6, 2019 11:35 am)

 

November 6, 2019 11:42 am  #10


Re: Corus Sues Radio Rival In Edmonton Over Disused Branding

....or rebrand NT1010 to Mojo1010?! 😏

 

November 6, 2019 11:47 am  #11


Re: Corus Sues Radio Rival In Edmonton Over Disused Branding

TheConsultant wrote:

....or rebrand NT1010 to Mojo1010?! 😏

That's the best example right now. AM 960 isn't Toronto, but if THEY suddenly called themselves Mojo 960 would Corus care? 


RadioWiz & RadioQuiz are NOT the same person. 
RadioWiz & THE Wiz are NOT the same person.

 
 

November 18, 2019 10:29 pm  #12


Re: Corus Sues Radio Rival In Edmonton Over Disused Branding

Well, It wasn't the ruling I expected, but Corus won the claim that it owns the POWER moniker and brand and a court has ruled that it retains those rights, even though it abandoned the name and format almost two decades ago. 

Harvard Broadcasting, which had used it successfully to make a mark in the market, has decided not to "consume any more of the court's time" on it, and will have to seek a new identity. According to the Edmonton Journal article, it plans to ask listeners what they think it should be called. 

That can't end well. Just ask Boaty McBoatface.

The story doesn't say when they have to drop the name, but they obviously can't be expected to relinquish it overnight. Their website remains Power 107.

Corus Radio wins injunction in station naming 'power' struggle

     Thread Starter
 

November 18, 2019 11:31 pm  #13


Re: Corus Sues Radio Rival In Edmonton Over Disused Branding

Well I am sure that Harvard Broadcasting will have the best revenge in a few weeks when the ratings come out. The Chuck is going nowhere and their imported Seattle morning show is bombing big time in Edmonton.

 

November 19, 2019 2:35 pm  #14


Re: Corus Sues Radio Rival In Edmonton Over Disused Branding

Harvard has already won with all the media attention surrounding the lawsuit.

 

December 2, 2019 6:13 pm  #15


Re: Corus Sues Radio Rival In Edmonton Over Disused Branding

 

December 21, 2019 10:41 pm  #16


Re: Corus Sues Radio Rival In Edmonton Over Disused Branding

And the new name is...Play 107. Not the fanciest name, but when Corus cut the "Power" there wasn't a lot of time to be exceptionally creative.

Harvard Broadcasting redubs CKPW-FM Edmonton as ‘Play 107’

     Thread Starter
 

December 21, 2019 11:00 pm  #17


Re: Corus Sues Radio Rival In Edmonton Over Disused Branding

RadioActive wrote:

And the new name is...Play 107. Not the fanciest name, but when Corus cut the "Power" there wasn't a lot of time to be exceptionally creative.

Harvard Broadcasting redubs CKPW-FM Edmonton as ‘Play 107’

WOW! Lucky for them "Play CHAY" has not been said in years AND it's not the same market anyway, lol

HOWEVER...has Corus ever used the word "Play" out that way??  lol...
 


RadioWiz & RadioQuiz are NOT the same person. 
RadioWiz & THE Wiz are NOT the same person.