Beyond the largest global enterprise businesses, it’s nearly impossible to cover the world as a manufacturer without the assistance of in-country partners. Dielectric has long relied on the professional services and relationships of dealers and integrators in Asia, South America and elsewhere to get closer to the end customers.

While most North American broadcast manufacturers favour this strategy, there has been a tendency to “go it alone” on our continent, where direct sales are traditionally more successful. But seasons change as do business opportunities, and there comes a time where it makes strategic sense to align with companies you know and trust for a specific mission.

That moment arrived last year when FM Radio business opportunities escalated in the United States and Canada. While no stranger to radio, our North American business had largely been focused on TV opportunities over the previous decade, fueled through the U.S. spectrum repack and early ATSC 3.0 trials and technology developments. As those opportunities wrapped up and gave way to expanded FM activity, the moment for strategic partnerships arrived.

Enter SCMS (United States) and Pippin Technical Service (Canada), Dielectric’s valued FM Radio partners in North America.

SCMS Success

Much of Dielectric’s recent FM radio business success is owed to SCMS, widely recognized through North America as a leading distributor of radio’s strongest brands. Since hitting the pavement on behalf of Dielectric and its FM antenna systems, SCMS has boosted FM sales by a very large margin over the first year, leveraging its strong industry relationships and knowledgeable sales team to secure major wins with Minnesota Public Radio and Maine Public Radio, among other commercial and public radio projects. 

On the commercial side, SCMS will soon close a major deal with a large commercial FM broadcaster involving a master FM antenna system in Michigan. Beyond partnerships, Dielectric’s engineering efforts over the past 18 months have birthed innovative solutions for enterprise-level master antenna projects, including a range of FM manifold combiners with clever modular designs.

“The number of master antenna products that enter our view is rising as the leading tower companies continue to buy more real estate, and broadcasters continue to consolidate,” Matt Cauthen, Vice President, SCMS. “The tower companies bring the most opportunity as they court more stations onto their towers. That creates the demand that’s spinning up industry wide.”

SCMS’s brand reputation in radio was always on the radar of Dielectric executives, and the cyclical nature of the transmission business inspired them to bring SCMS on board to build their FM presence.

“SCMS has been instrumental in introducing the merits and expanse of our FM product line to executives and engineers unaware of our research, development and engineering efforts for radio,” said Keith Pelletier, President and General Manager, Dielectric. “Moving forward, we anticipate that SCMS will specify us into more installation-based projects with complete RF system buildouts.”    

Progress with Pippin

Broadcast Dialogue readers are by now familiar with the Dielectric brand as the company has been a consistent voice on Canadian RF activity over the past two years. The success of its SCMS partnership inspired the company to enter into a similar partnership in Canada. 

Pippin Technical Service (PTS) was clearly the right choice for several reasons, including the opportunities for FM radio business taking shape through Pippin’s most active regions. That includes the majority of Western Canada, beginning in Manitoba and extended west through four provinces, as well as Yukon and Northwest Territories to the north. PTS’ Saskatchewan headquarters offer an ideal central access to point to all six regions, including Alberta and British Columbia.

For PTS President and CEO Tyler Everitt, Dielectric’s FM product depth – including an expanded line of cost-efficient and lightweight FM ring antennas – signals new opportunities for Dielectric, PTS, and radio broadcasters.

“We see a lot of opportunity for the FM replacement market coming together where we can refresh aging broadcast infrastructure,” said Everitt. “These projects usually begin with the transmitter and soon extend into the rest of the RF chain. That means new combiners, filters, transmission line and antennas, and the opportunities to modularly build onto exciting systems as new frequencies are added.”

The PTS partnership, which effectively was set in motion around the beginning of this year, has quickly developed as the companies consider new equipment which included modifying a combiner system to be able to operate five high-power stations in HD radio plus the addition of a new station. Dielectric’s clever new technologies with manifold combiners and RingMaster antennas are going to be instrumental in the expansion market as new signals are added to existing sites.  

PTS’ initial strategy includes developing presentations that will breed familiarity with the Dielectric brand and its range of products. Beyond sales and marketing, PTS’s turnkey services for Dielectric will include RF site planning, system design, integration, commissioning, and post-sales technical support and maintenance. This full suite of services, along with PTS’ RF expertise, territorial reach and long-standing industry relationships, makes PTS the ideal Canadian partner for Dielectric.

“PTS’ impressive reach has already taken the Dielectric brand into some of the further reaches of the country, while their strong reputation brings us closer to more broadcasters throughout western Canada,” added Daniel Bizet, International Sales Manager, Dielectric. “That creates new opportunities for the existing replacement market as well as with new FM licenses that we anticipate will surface this year and and beyond.”

Dielectric President Keith Pelletier joined Broadcast Dialogue – The Podcast to talk about the evolution of the industry and the importance of broadcast industry partnerships. Listen on your favourite podcast app or here:

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Evanov Communications (ECI) has announced it’s shuttering three of its FM radio stations in Ontario, citing the difficult media climate and residual impact of the pandemic. Set to cease operations on Sept. 20 are Hot Country 92.5 (CHRC-FM) Clarence-Rockland. Hot Country 107.7 (CKHK-FM) Hawkesbury, and Lite 98.5 (CJWL-FM) Ottawa. CJWL-FM signed on-air in 2006, while CKHK-FM went to air in 2008, and CHRC-FM in 2013. The company says since then, the media landscape has evolved with new outlets and platforms eroding traditional radio revenues, and the COVID-19 pandemic leading traditional radio listeners to park the car for a few years, the number one source of radio listening. Read more here.

Numeris’ summer PPM release completes the 13-week period covering May 27 – Aug. 25, 2024. According to Numeris, radio remains consistently popular with an average weekly reach of 83% for Canadians, A12+. Find David Bray’s breakdown of the top performers in Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Edmonton and Calgary here.

Media Technology Monitor (MTM) has released new data suggesting that in an increasingly crowded entertainment landscape, Albertans and those 50+ are listening to radio more than other demographics. Looking at radio listenership among adults 18+, the Station To Station – Radio in Canada report found that interest in radio peaks among those aged 50-64, accounting for 83% of listeners. The study found those residing in Alberta (78%) are more interested in the medium, as are households earning more than $75K (78-80%), and those with children in their household (77-78%). Among French speakers, interest in radio peaks among those aged 35-64 (85%), households with incomes over $75K (86-89%), and households with children (87%). Read more here.

Rogers Sports & Media has launched the Seekr app for both Android and iOS, rolling its radio, sports, news and podcast offerings into one app. Seekr offers access to Rogers Sports & Media’s 50+ radio and digital audio brands, including KiSS and JACK FM, network shows like Roz & Mocha, and podcasts like The Big Story and Island Crime. The new platform will feature digital and audio sponsorship and integration opportunities for advertisers, including co-branded contests, customized giveaway experiences, and prizing opportunities. Rogers Sports & Media stations will also continue to be available on the Radioplayer Canada streaming app. Read more here.

Rogers Sports & Media has announced an exclusive ad sales collaboration that will see it represent the Wondery podcast network in Canada. Rogers Sports & Media will handle all ad sales in Canada for Wondery’s portfolio that boasts shows like Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard, Business Wars, New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce, true crime podcast 48 Hours, and Scamfluencers. Wondery has previously had ad sales arrangements in Canada with Dax Canada and Toronto-based TPX (The Podcast Exchange). Read more here.

John Donabie is being inducted into the Oshawa Walk of Fame. Donabie, an alum of Toronto’s CHUM, CKFH, CFRB CKFM-FM; CKLG-FM Vancouver; CFGM-FM Caledon; CKYC-FM Owen Sound; and CISS-FM Ottawa, will be among those receiving plaques set into the sidewalks at the Four Corners in downtown Oshawa. A gala dinner and induction ceremony will take place at the Jubilee Pavilion at Lakeview Park on Nov. 7. 

Chris Ash and Chris Steffler have made it into the Top 10 in On-Air Coach’s Radio Star 2024 competition. Ash parted ways with Pattison Media’s NOW! Radio (CHNW-FM) Winnipeg last year where he’d been the host of middays, arriving from afternoon drive on Kool FM (CKMB-FM) Barrie. Steffler is a 2022 Conestoga College grad and weekend host at The Grand @ 101 (CICW-FM) Centre Wellington, ON.

The CRTC will hold a hearing in November, following a complaint from Dufferin Communications’ Winnipeg multi-ethnic station CKJS-FM that a tourist information station was carrying on programming without a broadcast licence. Gill Broadcasting operates CKYG-FM Winnipeg at 90.5 MHz as an exempt low-power tourist information radio station. Following commission monitoring, the station was found to be in non-compliance. Baldev Gill will be required to show cause why a mandatory order should not be issued to cease and desist. Comments are being received until Sept. 16.

The Pro Bono Group has released another PSA for the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness (CAEH). “Lucky” can replace the current spot, “Camping.”

LISTEN: Over a year after Matt Cundill recorded his Sound Off Podcast episode “Summer of Discontent,” he reflects on a second summer of discontent which featured more radio stations closures on AM, small FM size stations and one FM station in Canada’s #4 market. Also layoffs in Kingston and London, and across iHeart in the U.S. He also ponders why no one in radio seems to talk much about the audience.

SIGN OFFS:

The post Radio & Podcast News – Evanov set to shutter three Ontario FMs appeared first on Broadcast Dialogue.

Set to cease operations on Sept. 20 are Hot Country 92.5 (CHRC-FM) Clarence-Rockland. Hot Country 107.7 (CKHK-FM) Hawkesbury, and Lite 98.5 (CJWL-FM) Ottawa.

CJWL-FM signed on-air in 2006, while CKHK-FM signed on in 2008, and CHRC-FM in 2013.

The company says since then, the media landscape has evolved with new outlets and platforms eroding traditional radio revenues, and the COVID-19 pandemic leading traditional radio listeners to park the car for a few years, the number one source of radio listening.

“The situation has proven a drain on cash and personnel resources,” the company said in a press release. “All broadcasters are now contending with the challenges of increased competition, a difficult media climate, and the residual effects of the pandemic. Like them, ECI is continuing to assess the ongoing impact of these factors on our business, and is readjusting, realigning and reinventing itself as necessary.” 

“I, together with the consensus of my leadership team, have determined that, under the circumstances, our resources and some key employees with these stations would better serve the company if deployed to our other stations,” said Evanov President & CEO Paul Evanov. “I regret that the media industry, still regulated and a trusted source of news and information in a quagmire of fake news, misinformation and open social media borders, has not received the necessary support and relief sought during the crises or as a pre-emptive and insurance measure that would have us and our fellow broadcasters at a different place at this point. Nevertheless, we will persevere and are confident in the integrity and capability of our company to remain competitive in the markets we  continue to serve along with actively pursuing new strategic opportunities.“ 

Among the employees being retained are programmer Ted Silver, who will shift to helping program in Evanov’s Quebec division at Lite 106.7 (CHSV-FM) Hudson-St. Lazare and Montreal multilingual station CFMB AM 1280; Danielle Cyr, Regional Sales Manager, Eastern Ontario & Quebec; and Brian Sylvester, who’ll continue to work in the company’s news division. The company told Broadcast Dialogue a total of six employees have lost their jobs.

Evanov says it is welcoming inquiries from anyone interested in operating any of the frequencies.

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