The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum » Bell's new national brand: "Move Radio"

RadioAaron · December 27, 2020 3:23 am

Bell has re-branded its Hot AC and AC stations across the country (except CHUM-FM) as Move Radio. Stations that have flipped are EZ-Rock St Kitts, Majic 100 Ottawa, C100 Halifax, Energy 997 PTBO, FLY-FM Kingston and QM/FM Vancouver.

Those are (were) mostly big heritage brands in their markets.

None of these re-brands have appeared online or on social media yet.

Last edited by RadioAaron (December 27, 2020 3:35 am)

citats · December 27, 2020 10:28 am

CILK Kelowna, CJMG Penticton, CIBX Fredericton and JR Brockville. 10 in all.

ckg927 · December 27, 2020 12:03 pm

105.7 EZ Rock's website is now reflecting that it's known as Move 105.7; its Twitter feed hasn't reflected this as yet. They do have their Facebook page up and running.

Last edited by ckg927 (December 27, 2020 12:07 pm)

MJ Vancouver · December 27, 2020 1:32 pm

QM-FM in Vancouver had used that branding since the 1960s, according to a post I saw on another forum.

As a marketing and advertising professional I have never understood the dumping of longtime successful brandings that have a lot of equity in a local market, especially in the case of QM which has strong ratings in the Vancouver market. It seems more like a way to simplify things at the national corporate level than to be about retaining listeners and local advertisers.

Scorpio42 · December 27, 2020 3:21 pm

Very sad to hear the longtime "C-100" (possibly known at some point "Sea 100") branding disappeared from CIOO-FM 100.1 Halifax after nearly 40 years or so thanks to a national corporate company that took over many locally owned and operated and some locally produced radio stations across the country years ago. I'm not talking just Bell Media, I'm talking about other national corporate broadcasting companies. Radio and even television is not the same anymore!

Last edited by Scorpio42 (December 27, 2020 3:22 pm)

RadioActive · December 27, 2020 3:49 pm

ckg927 wrote:
105.7 EZ Rock's website is now reflecting that it's known as Move 105.7; its Twitter feed hasn't reflected this as yet. They do have their Facebook page up and running.

Bell has a page up that links to all the new stations, depending on where you live.

https://www.iheartradio.ca/move

Chrisphen · December 27, 2020 5:30 pm

Thoughts and prayers, as is tradition.

radiokid · December 27, 2020 5:38 pm

Oddly Klite in Hamilton has been left out of this "move". Makes one wonder what's the plans. Chum 1045 I can see leaving alone based on a change not long ago, but Klite in Hamilton seems odd to leave unless there is other changes coming there.

Scorpio42 · December 27, 2020 5:44 pm

radiokid wrote:
Oddly Klite in Hamilton has been left out of this "move". Makes one wonder what's the plans. Chum 1045 I can see leaving alone based on a change not long ago, but Klite in Hamilton seems odd to leave unless there is other changes coming there.

They should of left C100 Halifax alone rather than dropping the longtime branding. It was so fitting with the CIOO-FM call letters!

RadioAaron · December 27, 2020 5:51 pm

radiokid wrote:
Oddly Klite in Hamilton has been left out of this "move". Makes one wonder what's the plans.

Paging Mr. Kirk....

radiokid · December 27, 2020 6:41 pm

torontostan wrote:
radiokid wrote:
Oddly Klite in Hamilton has been left out of this "move". Makes one wonder what's the plans. Chum 1045 I can see leaving alone based on a change not long ago, but Klite in Hamilton seems odd to leave unless there is other changes coming there.
Probably because it's too close to CHRE/St Catharines. Significant overlap in coverage. A couple other Bell AC/Hot ACs didn't change either.

I think K-Lite will stick around.. it does too well in the market.

Klite does very well in Hamilton, but I don't think Bell cares if they can save money using a national brand. QMfm is a huge station in Vancouver for example and still flipped. Heritage and ratings mean zero to them if they can pool and save money. For years 1029 and 1057 have been the same station with slightly different music mixes and some different hosts, yet people always went for one over the other... I bet should Move work, you may see others like klite join the network, like Pure Country and Virgin. Perhaps they didn't want to blow up everything at once, until they see. Again.. only guessing here.

RadioAaron · December 27, 2020 7:05 pm

I'm going to go full wild speculation since we haven't done much of that around here in a while: They're not keeping it.

Stand-alone FM with a couple dead-weight AMs dragging it down, no local TV. Not exactly the way Bell likes to operate.

A successful independent owner also with a single FM, who's bought from the big guys before.

Meanwhile, Bell wants Aiko to be part of their future.

Radiowiz · December 28, 2020 6:31 am

torontostan wrote:
Durham Radio is probably bleeding badly right now.. they don't have the benefit of vertical integration methods like the big guys.

I'm honestly not sure if Durham radio inc is interested in selling their stations.
Revenue: 4 million Durham radio inc: https://www.zoominfo.com/c/durham-radio-inc/130089815

I like RadioAaron's thoughts on this, but who would buy? Channel Zero?
Is news for Hamilton already coming from CFRB?
If not, then maybe selling to Channel Zero could mean the radio news content would come from the Channel 11 news room...?

RadioActive · December 28, 2020 10:55 am

Bell finally issued a press release Monday confirming the changes first reported here by Radio Aaron on the weekend. It notes that all the morning shows will be retained in each market, which is kind of unusual when you're launching a new brand. In the case of St. Catharines, that's Lori & Curtis in the Morning.

They also add this: (apparently MOVE is always in all capitals)

"Beginning Monday, Jan. 4, weekdays on MOVE feature 60 minutes of non-stop music every hour from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., giving Canadians the perfect workday companion. Weekends on MOVE offers listeners a mix of great local programming as well as MOVE RADIO’S EXCLUSIVE AT40 WITH RYAN SEACREST, featuring the Top 40 songs of the week on MOVE Radio stations across Canada."

Hmm, how do you promise 60 minutes of no commercials every hour from 9-5. Last I looked, 60 minutes IS an hour, so where do the spots run? Anyway, here's the release:

iHeartRadio Canada Launches New National Brand MOVE Radio

Radiowiz · December 28, 2020 1:07 pm

torontostan wrote:
I wouldn't be surprised if they cut CHKX loose.

There's room to let Durham radio inc's KX 96 & 94.7 to be one at select times if need be, (ie week-end count down could air at same time on both stations) but outside of that, ratings are pretty good.
With no Country station in Toronto and the loss of CHAM as a Country station, I'm sure they're still doing quite well.
Remember, you're talking about a company that somehow survived with very low ratings as a Smooth Jazz station in Hamilton. (less than half of what they have with Country)

splunge · December 28, 2020 1:23 pm

Radiowiz wrote:
torontostan wrote:
I wouldn't be surprised if they cut CHKX loose.
There's room to let Durham radio inc's KX 96 & 94.7 to be one at select times if need be, (ie week-end count down could air at same time on both stations) but outside of that, ratings are pretty good.
With no Country station in Toronto and the loss of CHAM as a Country station, I'm sure they're still doing quite well.
Remember, you're talking about a company that somehow survived with very low ratings as a Smooth Jazz station in Hamilton. (less than half of what they have with Country)

Remember as well that Durham will shore up their hamilton operation with the yet-to-be-launched grimsby station. time will tell whether they use that new signal to target hamilton.

RadioAaron · December 28, 2020 10:08 pm

Radiowiz wrote:
torontostan wrote:
Durham Radio is probably bleeding badly right now.. they don't have the benefit of vertical integration methods like the big guys.
I'm honestly not sure if Durham radio inc is interested in selling their stations.
Revenue: 4 million Durham radio inc: https://www.zoominfo.com/c/durham-radio-inc/130089815

I like RadioAaron's thoughts on this, but who would buy? Channel Zero?
Is news for Hamilton already coming from CFRB?
If not, then maybe selling to Channel Zero could mean the radio news content would come from the Channel 11 news room...?

Durham would be the buyer in my scenario.

Gets them a second FM. They leave K-Lite essentialy as is (if it an't broke...) Like when they bought 94.9 Oshawa when Corus didn't want a stand-alone. With The Grand and their yet-to-launch station, you've got a regional cluster.

As for the AM's -- try The Grand 820 and Wave 1150 -- if that doesn't work, shut 'em down.

Last edited by RadioAaron (December 28, 2020 10:20 pm)

RadioActive · December 29, 2020 8:53 am

Not much new in this article about the change from the Niagara Falls Review, but at least they covered an actual radio story. And there's a great pic of the outside of CKTB's H.Q. - the so-called "White House Of Talk."

Niagara radio station rebranded

markow202 · December 29, 2020 11:10 am

They are having Ashley Greco from CHUM 1045 doing the afternoons on Move Radio across country while still staying with Chum. When I looked up her social media page, she also mentioned changes coming to CHUM but didnt say what.

paterson1 · December 29, 2020 11:39 am

Here's the story from Broadcast Dialogue with a bit more information, and a TV spot for Move 100 in Ottawa.
https://broadcastdialogue.com/bell-media-rebrands-10-stations-under-move-radio-banner/

RadioActive · December 29, 2020 12:39 pm

So once again, a local morning show and then nothing centric to the market they're supposed to be serving the rest of the day, with one personality on 10 stations at the same time, every one of them sounding exactly the same. Things never change, except, it seems, when it's for the worst.

Welcome to the future of radio, where there's no future for on-air talent.

markow202 · December 29, 2020 12:41 pm

RadioActive wrote:
So once again, a local morning show and then nothing centric to the market they're supposed to be serving the rest of the day, with one personality on 10 stations at the same time, every one of them sounding exactly the same. Things never change, except, it seems, when it's for the worst.

Welcome to the future of radio, where there's no future for on-air talent.

Looking also at the playlist of MOVE, its very CHFI. I mean atleast that variety is there but its the same paltry lists.

Radiowiz · December 29, 2020 5:09 pm

Bentwater wrote:
Did Stingray change FLOW 93.5 to The Move and back to FLOW 93.5? Presumably, Bell may have owned the name? Can anyone clarify?

Stingray did exactly that. When 93.5 was the Move, no Bell station had that name in use.
With Stingray abandoning the name, it is available for use, but maybe Bell does not wish listeners to associate with the idea that "move is back" when the format is not identical.
(that, or Stingray still holds rights to the name in the Toronto market, possibly...)

December 29, 2020 6:32 pm

markow202 wrote:
RadioActive wrote:
So once again, a local morning show and then nothing centric to the market they're supposed to be serving the rest of the day, with one personality on 10 stations at the same time, every one of them sounding exactly the same. Things never change, except, it seems, when it's for the worst.

Welcome to the future of radio, where there's no future for on-air talent.
Looking also at the playlist of MOVE, its very CHFI. I mean atleast that variety is there but its the same paltry lists.

It looks like there are AC and hot AC versions of the format. Peterborough, Kingston and Halifax are hot AC with more of a Chum playlist.

RadioActive · December 29, 2020 10:09 pm

The Bell Media press release issued earlier this week said this: "Each MOVE station across Canada retains local morning shows and welcomes new upbeat programming."

So how then to explain what's going on out west?

Kelowna's longest-running radio morning show cancelled

"The morning hosts of Move 101.5 (formerly 101.5 EZ Rock) in Kelowna announced the show's termination via Facebook today, Dec. 29.

iHeartRadio Canada announced, Dec. 28, the launch of a new national radio brand Move Radio in 10 markets across Canada including in Kelowna and Penticton."

I'm beginning to wonder how many more will follow - or rather MOVE out - despite Bell's assurances that each morning crew will keep their jobs.

Brad · December 29, 2020 10:38 pm

Just checked out every one of the MOVE websites. Most, not all, have Ashley Greco after the morning show. But it looks like the drive show (1-6 or 2-7) will be a local person on air. Well, local-ish.

Radiowiz · December 30, 2020 2:07 am

RadioActive wrote:
The Bell Media press release issued earlier this week said this: "Each MOVE station across Canada retains local morning shows and welcomes new upbeat programming."

So how then to explain what's going on out west?

Kelowna's longest-running radio morning show cancelled

"The morning hosts of Move 101.5 (formerly 101.5 EZ Rock) in Kelowna announced the show's termination via Facebook today, Dec. 29.

iHeartRadio Canada announced, Dec. 28, the launch of a new national radio brand Move Radio in 10 markets across Canada including in Kelowna and Penticton."

I'm beginning to wonder how many more will follow - or rather MOVE out - despite Bell's assurances that each morning crew will keep their jobs.

Key words "Longest running". Bell most likely wants to do something fresh and new for (a lot) less money.
The CHUM morning show remains the same because a body from that show doubles as TV content.

So, maybe the best way in today's times to last forever is to also have a TV show?
Even if Marylin is gone any time soon, she will still have had an amazing run.

Scorpio42 · January 1, 2021 3:23 am

Radiowiz wrote:
Bentwater wrote:
Did Stingray change FLOW 93.5 to The Move and back to FLOW 93.5? Presumably, Bell may have owned the name? Can anyone clarify?
Stingray did exactly that. When 93.5 was the Move, no Bell station had that name in use.
With Stingray abandoning the name, it is available for use, but maybe Bell does not wish listeners to associate with the idea that "move is back" when the format is not identical.
(that, or Stingray still holds rights to the name in the Toronto market, possibly...)

There were two "Majic" branded stations in Ontario owned by two different broadcasting companies. The current Corus-owned station "Magic 106.1" CIMJ-FM Guelph, Ontario while Bell Media's former was "Majic 100.3" CJMJ-FM Ottawa. Note the two different spellings in "Magic" and "Majic" but sounded the same with similar call letters.