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We're still waiting to see what Neeti P. Ray is planning to do with the stations he bought from Bell Media - CKOC, CHAM and CKWW. Hopefully, we'll know soon.
Ray already owns several stations in the GTA - CINA 1650 and Flow 98.7. On the CINA website's "About Us" section, there's this claim:
"Neeti P. Ray first started Radio India in Toronto in 1990. Over the next decade or so, Radio India changed the broadcasting standard in Ontario. Radio India dominated the airwaves during the 90s -at one point, having more listeners than 680 News! The program broadcasted 8.5-11 hours a day, 7 days a week. Radio India was taken off the radio when the new owners at 610 CKTB did not want ethnic programming. It was then that Neeti P. Ray knew he had to own his own radio station to go on the air."
O.K., I know there is a huge Indian diaspora in the GTA. But more listeners than what was then called "680 News?" I find that claim very hard to believe.
Too bad Whiteoaks Communications bought CKTB St. Catharines. Imagine the revenge that would have been had Ray managed to get his hands on 610!
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At night, in the Niagara book full-coverage, maybe.
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Don't laugh he may be right. Back in 2010, I did a radio interview for a newcomer entrepreneur program I was running for a local Toronto based non-profit. It was on a Punjabi AM radio station, a short 5 minute interview. I shared my work phone for any listeners interested. Within 1 minute of ending the interview I got 3 calls. I have done many interviews and never got that kind of response.
The ethnic radio stations have a captive audience and promote within their communities quite well. So, perhaps he is not far off the mark.