The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum » Zoomer Media Expands Again

RadioActive · February 20, 2024 8:24 pm

It's becoming pretty clear Moses Znaimer doesn't think the future of his company is in either radio or TV. He's betting a lot on digital instead. Which explains the acquisition announced Tuesday of something called "Curiocity," a website based in Alberta that covers a lot of local Edmonton and Calgary news and events. (I note the irony that it has the word "city" in its name.)

That adds to his existing storehouse of online publications, including BlogTO.

According to Moses:

“When I launched CityPulse in 1977, I said, “The best TV tells me what happened to me, today.” Now, digital is how Millennials and GenZ get their local info. With blogTO, we own local in Toronto and the GTA; with Daily Hive we own local in Vancouver and the GVA; and now with both Hive and the much-admired Curiocity, we own local in Calgary and Edmonton. Curiocity, along with Daily Hive and LudwigVan, also have contributors in Ottawa and Montreal."

I'd say the word "own" may be a bit much, but it's clear where the company sees the future of media and it's not broadcasting, although they did acquire one FM station in Owen Sound during Bell Media's fire sale earlier this month.

ZoomerMedia announces acquisition of Curiocity amplifying its digital presence in Canada

paterson1 · February 20, 2024 10:40 pm

Moses will need to keep the group 2 music for a while until they apply to change the format for CJOS to classical. Maybe the price was so low it was too hard to pass up even if Zoomer Media is looking elsewhere for their investments.

Friends in Owen Sound are expecting the Owen Sound station to eventually be more or less a repeater of Collingwood which is largely a repeater of Toronto's CFMZ. There is a fair bit of commonality between Owen Sound, Collingwood and Southern Georgian Bay. Nobody else has a full time classical format in Grey/Bruce/Simcoe counties. The area has a large arts community and CBC radio is popular. Evanov is also in the market with a Lite FM in Meaford.

Lots of radio stations in an area that didn't have many not that long ago.

turkeytop · February 20, 2024 10:52 pm

paterson1 wrote:

Friends in Owen Sound are expecting the Owen Sound station to eventually be more or less a repeater of Collingwood which is largely a repeater of Toronto's CFMZ. There is a fair bit of commonality between Owen Sound, Collingwood and Southern Georgian Bay. Nobody else has a full time classical format in Grey/Bruce/Simcoe counties. The area has a large arts community and CBC radio is popular. Evanov is also in the market with a Lite FM in Meaford.

Lots of radio stations in an area that didn't have many not that long ago.

For many years I lived in the Owen Sound area and always felt deprived when it came to radio. Since 1996 we've been living in London. It seems that now Owen Sound has a richer choice in Radio than we have in London.

Radiowiz · February 21, 2024 11:35 am

paterson1 wrote:
Moses will need to keep the group 2 music for a while until they apply to change the format for CJOS to classical.

I don't think he's changing it to Classical.

Saul · February 21, 2024 12:03 pm

Radiowiz wrote:
paterson1 wrote:
Moses will need to keep the group 2 music for a while until they apply to change the format for CJOS to classical.
I don't think he's changing it to Classical.

I can't see classical either. Something along the lines of an AM-740 format with some of the same content could work quite well, with some local focus to replace what's about Toronto.

turkeytop · February 21, 2024 2:52 pm

Saul wrote:
Radiowiz wrote:

I can't see classical either. Something along the lines of an AM-740 format with some of the same content could work quite well, with some local focus to replace what's about Toronto.

That would be the same reasoning used by the Toronto elitists at CBC to flip Radio II from a classical and jazz format to its All Garage Band format. They don't believe the listeners in small town Canada are capable of appreciating fine music. They had to dumb it down for us rubes out here.

Last edited by turkeytop (February 21, 2024 3:26 pm)

Saul · February 21, 2024 3:03 pm

turkeytop wrote:
Saul wrote:
Radiowiz wrote:

I can't see classical either. Something along the lines of an AM-740 format with some of the same content could work quite well, with some local focus to replace what's about Toronto.
That would be the same reasoning used by the Toronto elitists at CBC to flip Radio II to its All Garage Band format. They don't believe the listeners in small town Canada are capable of appreciating fine music. They had to dumb it down for us rubes out here.

I should have explained my reasoning ... that there's already 102.9 in Collingwood - adding Owen Sound might be overkill. Their other format -- AM 740ish -- would work quite well in any market, urban or rural. Znaimer's classical format is hardly highbrow. It kind of reminds me of the original CHAY 93.1 Barrie when it was called Chay back in the day... I'd possibly categorize the old CHAY as somewhere in the middle of Znaimer's two formats.

Last edited by Saul (February 21, 2024 3:05 pm)

turkeytop · February 21, 2024 3:28 pm

I was in Owen Sound recently. The Collingwood signal isn't availabe there, at least, not on the car radio.

Marc1178 · February 21, 2024 4:08 pm

92.3 might became Soft Adult Contemporary. That's because CJGB Meaford puts a weak signal into Owen Sound.

RadioAaron · February 21, 2024 6:01 pm

If they plan to go classical we’ll know soon since, as noted above, that would require a license amendment. They would file that amendment with the purchase application which the CRTC will make public soon.

Fitz · February 21, 2024 9:12 pm

turkeytop wrote:
Saul wrote:
Radiowiz wrote:

I can't see classical either. Something along the lines of an AM-740 format with some of the same content could work quite well, with some local focus to replace what's about Toronto.
That would be the same reasoning used by the Toronto elitists at CBC to flip Radio II from a classical and jazz format to its All Garage Band format. They don't believe the listeners in small town Canada are capable of appreciating fine music. They had to dumb it down for us rubes out here.

TT Using Little Steven's definition of Garage rock to include 60's bands such as The Standells, Chocolate Watchband, The 13 Floor Elevators or the Syndicate of Sound or 70's garage such as DMZ or The Dead Boys, or 80's neo garage such as the Chesterfield Kings or Fleshtones. Don't think the CBC Radio two plays much of that.

or is your definition of garage anything that fits the triple A/Alt rock format which is the largest chunk of their format. Nevertheless you can very occasional hear classic garage rock or even top 40 on CBC Radio Two but I wonder when was the last time they played Psychotic Reaction by the Count Five ?

RadioAaron · February 21, 2024 9:17 pm

Fitz wrote:
turkeytop wrote:
Saul wrote:

I can't see classical either. Something along the lines of an AM-740 format with some of the same content could work quite well, with some local focus to replace what's about Toronto.
That would be the same reasoning used by the Toronto elitists at CBC to flip Radio II from a classical and jazz format to its All Garage Band format. They don't believe the listeners in small town Canada are capable of appreciating fine music. They had to dumb it down for us rubes out here.

TT Using Little Steven's definition of Garage rock to include 60's bands such as The Standells, Chocolate Watchband, The 13 Floor Elevators or the Syndicate of Sound or 70's garage such as DMZ or The Dead Boys, or 80's neo garage such as the Chesterfield Kings or Fleshtones. Don't think the CBC Radio two plays much of that.

or is your definition of garage anything that fits the triple A/Alt rock format which is the largest chunk of their format. Nevertheless you can very occasional hear classic garage rock or even top 40 on CBC Radio Two but I wonder when was the last time they played Psychotic Reaction by the Count Five ?

Yep, they're the closest they've ever been to fulfilling what a public broadcaster should be doing with their music property: a wide range of genres and sounds just below the radar of commercial radio, with a strong emphasis on Canadian content.

RadioActive · June 25, 2024 7:15 pm

The latest bauble in the ZoomerMedia jewelry case is Mobile Syrup, a website that updates consumers and reports news on the tech industry. The price: $950,000 cash.

Moses Znaimer's company has been trying to expand its audience past its traditional older demo and has been acquiring a host of online services, including BlogTO and The Daily Hive.

ZoomerMedia Expands With Purchase Of Mobile Syrup

RadioAaron · June 25, 2024 9:02 pm

RadioActive wrote:
The latest bauble in the ZoomerMedia jewelry case is Mobile Syrup, a website that updates consumers and reports news on the tech industry. The price: $950,000 cash.

Moses Znaimer's company has been trying to expand its audience past its traditional older demo and has been acquiring a host of online services, including BlogTO and The Daily Hive.

ZoomerMedia Expands With Purchase Of Mobile Syrup

Their move to pivot and completely redefine "Zoomer" is bold but necessary if they're ever going to get back to profitability. Their bread-and-butter, cable fees, are going to dry up at an accelerated pace. They also need to continue their efforts to divest of assets that are dragging them down.

homewithbrian · June 26, 2024 7:50 am

I suggested this purchase when I was under the Zoomer umbrella and they didn't seem interested. Glad they ended up going for it as MobileSyrup is a solid tech/consumer news site and perfectly aligns with what The Peak is doing.