Have you noticed how little attention radio gets from the mainstream media? Newspapers seem to all but ignore the format now. I never understand this, because from my vantage point, Torontonians still listen to an awful lot of terrestrial radio.
The lack of MSM interest in radio is why I noticed this article in the Toronto Star about Corus's Q107 and 102.1 The Edge. Corus, apparently, is experiencing a decline in advertising revenue, and longtime president and CEO John Cassaday had some 'splaining to do.
Here are a few of the excuses provided:
- The Dean Blundell Show was cancelled
- Both stations caught in widespread "rock downturn"
- Lack of awareness that Q107 now plays some current rock music
The fix, as Cassaday sees it, is to get the right music, develop the right talent and market the shit out of it. Expect to be pummeled with Q107 ads.
He's right, of course. The right music with the right talent and better awareness of both is exactly what will improve these stations. I'm less sure, however, that these stations currently have the right music with the right talent.
What do you guys think?
