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November 30, 2022 2:25 pm  #1


Would You Advertise A Competitor On Air? CityNews 680 Did

I never thought I'd hear the day when a Toronto radio station would run an ad pumping up a potential competitor. But on the way back from an appointment on Wednesday, I tuned the car radio to CityNews 680 to hear the weather and was surprised by an ad they were running. 

It was for SiriusXM, advertising a cut-rate subscription deal and boasting how it offered more than 200 channels for a pittance a month for 24 months, as part of a special lure for would-be new customers.

OK, it's a legit advertiser and I'm sure Rogers is happy to take the money. But my old P.D. once noted that anything that takes ears from your radio station and tells you to go listen to something else is not something you want those tuned in to hear about. Why would you accept a spot from someone whose very existence is to take away your audience?

Speaking of SiriusXM:

SiriusXM Commissions a Pair of New Satellites

 

November 30, 2022 2:54 pm  #2


Re: Would You Advertise A Competitor On Air? CityNews 680 Did

680 isn't music + Sirius isn't local for traffic and weather or news.  Even their own promos say tune to 680 3, 4 or 5 times a day for updates.  I really don't see an issue... speaking as old PD

 

November 30, 2022 2:56 pm  #3


Re: Would You Advertise A Competitor On Air? CityNews 680 Did

Well, of course, you're right but my concern would be if I go over to sample my SiriusXM and its 200+ channels, I might get so involved in it, that I wouldn't come back to 680 in any hurry. That's the worry. 

     Thread Starter
 

November 30, 2022 2:56 pm  #4


Re: Would You Advertise A Competitor On Air? CityNews 680 Did

CBC Radio used to advertise on private TV about a decade ago

 

November 30, 2022 3:14 pm  #5


Re: Would You Advertise A Competitor On Air? CityNews 680 Did

CBC Gem advertises on CTV and some of the Bell specialty channels occasionally.  I have noticed CHFI and 680 News ads (now CityNews) on CBC TV.  During the Olympics you would regularly see and hear CBC promos on TSN and Sportsnet Olympic coverage.  Didn't City TV use to run some CBC TV promo during the Saturday night NHL hockey a few years back? 

 

 

November 30, 2022 5:20 pm  #6


Re: Would You Advertise A Competitor On Air? CityNews 680 Did

paterson1 wrote:

Didn't City TV use to run some CBC TV promo during the Saturday night NHL hockey a few years back? 
 

Pretty sure they still do; that was part of the agreement whereby Rogers gets all of CBC's commercial time during the broadcast.

 

November 30, 2022 5:51 pm  #7


Re: Would You Advertise A Competitor On Air? CityNews 680 Did

RadioActive wrote:

I never thought I'd hear the day when a Toronto radio station would run an ad pumping up a potential competitor. But on the way back from an appointment on Wednesday, I tuned the car radio to CityNews 680 to hear the weather and was surprised by an ad they were running. 

It was for SiriusXM, advertising a cut-rate subscription deal and boasting how it offered more than 200 channels for a pittance a month for 24 months, as part of a special lure for would-be new customers.

OK, it's a legit advertiser and I'm sure Rogers is happy to take the money. But my old P.D. once noted that anything that takes ears from your radio station and tells you to go listen to something else is not something you want those tuned in to hear about. Why would you accept a spot from someone whose very existence is to take away your audience?

Speaking of SiriusXM:

SiriusXM Commissions a Pair of New Satellites

I heard that same ad today and was surprised as you were.
 


I started out with nothing and I still have most of it.
 

November 30, 2022 6:46 pm  #8


Re: Would You Advertise A Competitor On Air? CityNews 680 Did

I remember CP24 aired ads like 98.1 CHFI, Boom 97.3 and Flow 93.5 which they are not owned by Bell Media.

 

November 30, 2022 7:01 pm  #9


Re: Would You Advertise A Competitor On Air? CityNews 680 Did

I just heard the Sirius spot on AM 640, as well. 

     Thread Starter
 

November 30, 2022 8:52 pm  #10


Re: Would You Advertise A Competitor On Air? CityNews 680 Did

haydenmatthews14 wrote:

I remember CP24 aired ads like 98.1 CHFI, Boom 97.3 and Flow 93.5 which they are not owned by Bell Media.

I've seen Rogers Radio advertise on competitors in different platforms (eg. Corus' Global TV). 

 

November 30, 2022 9:33 pm  #11


Re: Would You Advertise A Competitor On Air? CityNews 680 Did

I think it's a bit different when one medium advertises on another. But a radio station pumping another separate and unaffiliated radio station? That still seems bizarre to me.

That said, I well remember when WCFL Chicago was giving up Top 40 to go "Beautiful Music" in 1976 and accepted ads from others stations in the market, especially WLS, urging listeners to tune their dial to ensure they kept getting their favourite songs. Have to admit, given the rivalry between the two, that it was pretty surreal to hear WLS being advertised on Super CFL. 

     Thread Starter
 

November 30, 2022 9:37 pm  #12


Re: Would You Advertise A Competitor On Air? CityNews 680 Did

And wouldn't you know it, it's on YouTube.

     Thread Starter
 

November 30, 2022 9:43 pm  #13


Re: Would You Advertise A Competitor On Air? CityNews 680 Did

SXM has probably hit its peak for the audience it can get as a 'radio' alternative. They've been aggressive in pivoting to podcasts and on-demand audio. They're still a competitor, of course, but these days competition is being re-framed as "share of attention."  Some argue that radio stations should compete less with each other and unite to promote the medium. Radio accepts a ton of advertising from "share of attention" clients. For example, Amazon's "Audible" audiobook service has been all over radio the past few years.

Lots of ways to dissect all that and the inherent contradictions, but in short promoting SXM is not equivalent to what promoting a competing radio station would have been a couple decades ago.

Last edited by RadioAaron (November 30, 2022 9:46 pm)

 

December 1, 2022 1:29 am  #14


Re: Would You Advertise A Competitor On Air? CityNews 680 Did

RadioAaron wrote:

paterson1 wrote:

Didn't City TV use to run some CBC TV promo during the Saturday night NHL hockey a few years back? 
 

Pretty sure they still do; that was part of the agreement whereby Rogers gets all of CBC's commercial time during the broadcast.

They promote each other on various platforms.  I have heard CBC news clips on Rogers podcasts.

 

December 1, 2022 3:43 am  #15


Re: Would You Advertise A Competitor On Air? CityNews 680 Did

RadioActive wrote:

That said, I well remember when WCFL Chicago was giving up Top 40 to go "Beautiful Music" in 1976 and accepted ads from others stations in the market, especially WLS, urging listeners to tune their dial to ensure they kept getting their favourite songs.

When someone's leaving (changing format) it's normal to run ads for competitors and collect the revenue for doing so.

Country 59 did it: 
http://rockradioscrapbook.ca/ckyc-end-feb6-95.mp3


 


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

 
 

December 1, 2022 3:49 am  #16


Re: Would You Advertise A Competitor On Air? CityNews 680 Did

Here's the issue: While one may like to argue that 680 is saying "when you want local news weather and sports there's us, when you want music there's Sirius XM"  
They are also saying that maybe one doesn't want or need CHFI or Kiss 92...that Sirius XM is the place to be when one is done with their local news and weather fix.
 


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

 
 

December 1, 2022 11:14 am  #17


Re: Would You Advertise A Competitor On Air? CityNews 680 Did

Times have changed....and CityNews 680 is still free!!
 

 

December 1, 2022 11:49 am  #18


Re: Would You Advertise A Competitor On Air? CityNews 680 Did

I'm not sure I see the issue.   Sirius XM is a paid service, that is not local, but national platform, does not have any local based programming, but plays more music styles and music formats than over the air ever could vs Local Radio, which is all local, has local personalities (mostly) and standard music formats that work locally, that is ad supported and free to the listener.

I just don't consider the two the same enough that local radio should be threatened enough to throw away ad dollars because someone may pay for the ability to have no commercials or content they can't currently get to add to what they already get for free with ads.      The market is very fragmented and not running SXM, or Spotify or Apple's spots isn't going to change that.   I also think if LOCAL stations focus on Local, they are going to win on that, as that's really why people listen to them... not because of the music they play. 

People no longer turn to their local station for just the music... they have choice...   Local news, Local personalities, local content that's something no one else has the edge on... and it's FREE to the listener.   Local Radio is still the go to for most with SXM for their local needs... Always will be as long as programmers remember it's not always about music they play.   

Last edited by radiokid (December 1, 2022 11:53 am)

 

December 1, 2022 1:18 pm  #19


Re: Would You Advertise A Competitor On Air? CityNews 680 Did

Crave has been advertising their Christmas programming on CTV lately.  However Disney+ has also been on CTV, CBC and Global with ads for their Christmas specials and shows.  Pretty hard to compete with Walt.  Disney+ by far has the best Christmas programming.  The three OTA networks, even though they do compete with Disney+ with their own streamers, naturally will take the revenue.  They would be very foolish not to.

Last edited by paterson1 (December 1, 2022 1:20 pm)

 

December 2, 2022 9:47 pm  #20


Re: Would You Advertise A Competitor On Air? CityNews 680 Did

This makes me chuckle because it reminds me when I used to op for Ed Needham and he would go absolutely ballistic every time we ran an ad for CBC tv.

 

December 11, 2022 11:45 am  #21


Re: Would You Advertise A Competitor On Air? CityNews 680 Did

RadioActive wrote:

I think it's a bit different when one medium advertises on another. But a radio station pumping another separate and unaffiliated radio station? That still seems bizarre to me.

That said, I well remember when WCFL Chicago was giving up Top 40 to go "Beautiful Music" in 1976 and accepted ads from others stations in the market, especially WLS, urging listeners to tune their dial to ensure they kept getting their favourite songs. Have to admit, given the rivalry between the two, that it was pretty surreal to hear WLS being advertised on Super CFL. 

Just found this ad. It's an unusual shoutout to both ratings and a competitor in Montreal. Not sure of the year, but imagine if CFRB had run this in the days it was competing against CHUM for the top of the rating charts in Toronto. An interesting idea or completely misguided?

     Thread Starter
 

December 11, 2022 12:28 pm  #22


Re: Would You Advertise A Competitor On Air? CityNews 680 Did

RadioActive wrote:

You went back to a VERY DIFFERENT TIME when radio did not want teens. They wanted responsible adults and possibly a lucrative 18-24 audience. 
"teens" can be viewed as teasing or insulting as it suggests that they have an audience that is too young while the "Adult" station has an audience at just the right age. 
 
 


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

 
 

December 11, 2022 12:53 pm  #23


Re: Would You Advertise A Competitor On Air? CityNews 680 Did

CFRB may have done one even better.  The late Gordon Sinclair would do a comment every weekday before noon hour.  One of his comments was on the lack of Canadian music heard on the radio.  This was in the mid sixties and he scolded radio stations including his own for the lack of airplay for domestic music.
 
The only radio station he said that was playing any decent amount of Canadian music was CHUM radio.  He praised and congratulated CHUM for regularly playing Canadian bands and artists. This was before on air talent was micro managed, and since Sinclair was so popular and his comment had huge ratings, he likely was allowed to comment on anything he wanted. 

I agree with Radiowiz, it is just as easy to take the above ad as a slam against CKGM by CJAD.  Backhanded compliment!  I am sure the ad was noticed and talked about. 

Last edited by paterson1 (December 11, 2022 12:55 pm)

 

December 11, 2022 1:31 pm  #24


Re: Would You Advertise A Competitor On Air? CityNews 680 Did

Oh, I have no doubt that it was meant as a slam against their closest ratings rival. Just like Ed Sulivan always used to call teenagers "the children," when introducing a group they'd like, such as The Dave Clark Five or The Supremes. It was condescending and snobbish, but there were few other choices back then. (Sullivan was lucky he didn't live in the social media age or he would have gotten hammered online!)

But my point was that it's unusual to mention any competitor, let alone in an ad you're paying for. I don't recall the Sinclair thing, but it sounds like something he'd do. As far as I know, there was no muzzle of any kind of him. Management would not have dared to try and he would have defied them anyway. That's how important he was to the station at the time. That 5:50 PM newscast was, I think, the highest rated thing on RB in those days. 

     Thread Starter
 

December 12, 2022 12:48 pm  #25


Re: Would You Advertise A Competitor On Air? CityNews 680 Did

RadioActive wrote:

Oh, I have no doubt that it was meant as a slam against their closest ratings rival. Just like Ed Sulivan always used to call teenagers "the children," when introducing a group they'd like, such as The Dave Clark Five or The Supremes. It was condescending and snobbish, but there were few other choices back then. (Sullivan was lucky he didn't live in the social media age or he would have gotten hammered online!)

But my point was that it's unusual to mention any competitor, let alone in an ad you're paying for. I don't recall the Sinclair thing, but it sounds like something he'd do. As far as I know, there was no muzzle of any kind of him. Management would not have dared to try and he would have defied them anyway. That's how important he was to the station at the time. That 5:50 PM newscast was, I think, the highest rated thing on RB in those days. 

Higher than Jack Dennett's 8AM newscast? Probably not.

 

December 14, 2022 12:00 pm  #26


Re: Would You Advertise A Competitor On Air? CityNews 680 Did

I just saw an ad on Global for Disney+ promoting the new Criminal Minds: Evolution series. I think that's the first time I've ever seen a streaming service (other than their own app) advertised on an OTA television network.



PJ


ClassicHitsOnline.com...If you enjoy hearing the same 200 songs over and over again...listen to the other guys!