David Bray is President of Bray & Partners Communications.

Feel free to forward questions and inquiries:

Phone: (416)431-5792  

E-mail : davidbray@brayandpartners.com  

Websites: brayandpartners.com, davidbray.ca

In terms of radio measurement, we remain in a state of confused and confusing. Significant methodology changes are on the near horizon. PPM markets will continue to live with low sample sizes. Numeris is preparing to replace diaries with a different approach. They explored and analysed two alternatives before settling on one. That decision has yet to be formally announced. It has been confirmed that diaries will continue to be the currency for both fall 2025 and spring 2026 books. The assumption is that a parallel release using the new methodology will be released in spring 2026. 

That would leave us with three different approaches, one each for Numeris (previously diary) markets, the smaller radioCount markets and the larger PPM markets. Not to mention all of the former diary markets dropped by Numeris and left without measurement. All of this will undoubtedly result in very significant changes in the way radio is bought and sold. 

With this book, radio retains an average weekly reach of 80% for Canadians A12+. In home represents 50% of tuning. Out of home represents 50% of tuning. For Canadians, 11% of radio consumption comes from AM/FM live radio streaming. Let’s forge on.

The latest PPM release from Numeris completes the 14-week period covering May 26, 2025-Aug. 31, 2025. Let’s look at the five PPM markets.

Toronto: Bragging rights at the top of the ratings heap go to boom 97.3, delivering an 11.1% share for A12+ (down from 12.5%). boom comes out on top with Women 25-54 with a 12.2% share (down from 13.9%), closely followed by CHFI with 11.6%. For Men 25-54, KiSS 92.5 leads with an 11.7% share, followed by boom and 680 News, both with 10.2%. boom is out in front for M18-34 with an 11.2%, followed by Q107 at 10.6%, 680 News (10.5%), KiSS (10.2%) and 102.1 The Edge with 10.0%. CHFI is #1 for F18-34, with a 15.4% share, followed by KiSS 92.5 with 15.0%. 

Vancouver: CBC Radio One grabs the #1 spot for A12+ with a 15.7% share of hours tuned (up from 14.1%). Taking the top spot for F25-54, is 94.5 Virgin Radio with a 16.7 % share (up from 10.3%). Rock 101 holds the lead for M25-54 listeners, delivering an 18.4% share (up from 11.7%). Virgin is out in front for M18-34 with a 15.0% share of hours tuned. When it comes to Women 18-34, Virgin takes a lead with 19.5% (up from 6.7%). 

Edmonton: CISN takes #1 with A12+, posting a 12.6% share (up from 11.5%) of hours tuned. UP! 99.3 holds top spot for F25-54, delivering an 21.7% share (down from 18.6 %). NOW Radio tops the list for M25-54 with an 10.0% share, closely followed by KiSS 91.7 with 9.9%. For M18-34, play 107 is out in front at 16.3%. In the hotly-contested F18-34, CISN led with 27.6%, followed closely by UP! 99.3, delivering 26.6%. 

Calgary: CBC Radio One leads the way for A12+ with a 17.4% share. CBC Radio One is also popular with women, taking #1 spot for F25-54, delivering a 10.2% share, followed by Star 95.9 with 9.7%. For M25-54, 90.3 Amp Radio rules with a 13.0% (up from 12.9%). Amp Radio is also in the top spot for M18-34, delivering a 22.7% (up from 19.9%). Virgin Radio tops F18-34, posting a 10.8%, followed by CJAY at 10.7%.

Montreal: Radio Canada Premiere is #1 for A12+ (Franco) with a 20.2% share (down from 20.8%). For A12+ (Anglo), CJAD 800 is #1 with a 30.8% (down from 33.8%).  105.7 Rythme-FM is tops with women, taking #1 spot for F25-54 (Franco), delivering an 18.3% share. For F25-54 (Anglo), the Beat 92.5 is out in front with a 26.5% share (up from 21.4 %). For M25-54 (Franco), Radio Canada Premiere is on top with a 19.5% share.  For M25-54 (Anglo), the Beat is #1 at 21.9%. 

The post Summer PPM ratings for Montreal, Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton & Vancouver appeared first on Broadcast Dialogue.

The summer version of Introduction to International Development, like many summer courses, has traditionally been taught using Dalhousie University’s web-based video platform.

Requiring a lot of independent reading and with little direct engagement, Associate Professor Robert Huish started thinking about how to make the course environment more responsive to allow students the best chance at success without watering down the subject material.

“I’m a geographer, so place and spaces are always really important to me. The thing that got me thinking is where are people actually consuming remote learning environments? And it’s often at home…you’re on a couch or awkwardly positioned over a desk in a very solitary space. So I got to thinking, people who are in solitary spaces are usually more comfortable consuming audio, radio in order to engage media as opposed to be trying to be dedicated to one, focused screen point in an isolated environment,” Huish told Broadcast Dialogue.

The same in-class curriculum offered throughout the year has been translated into three podcasts using the Panopto app, a video content solution which allows users to marry slides and photographs to audio. The first podcast series talks about core issues in the field of international development; the second interviews experts on the issues; and the third talks about how those issues are used in research or journalism.

“People can consume them at their own place, be distracted by other things and still listen to the audio, and the interviews in a way that’s quite accessible and quite easy for them to get used to the terminology that we use,” said Huish.

The podcasts feature an interactive element. Following each podcast, an online quiz appears with multiple choice questions that must be answered correctly before the next podcast is unlocked. If a student doesn’t pass the first time, they have a second chance with a prompt directing the user to the part of the podcast or textbook they should revisit.

Huish says while most universities have online spaces like Brightspace or Moodle, podcasting has yet to be broadly embraced as a viable post-secondary learning environment.

“I think there are going to be two benefits from this – one in that students will be able to more easily access [the course material] and become more familiar with it – and secondly it should be a better environment for the professor too. Often professors make the mistake in online learning to try to sit down and teach like they’re teaching in front of 200 people, but it’s to a camera – the dynamics are different, the pace of your voice is different, the whole thing changes…and this should be a much more enjoyable environment for everybody,” said Huish.

Format addresses ESL student challenges

He said the podcast medium also addresses some of the frustrations ESL students have in not being able to fully respond to material introduced in a traditional lecture setting.

“This format introduces a new term, defining it, showing how other people have used it, again and again and again. With this podcast environment they’re able to go back and look at it at their own pace but also pick up how we’re using that new term within other casual conversation, so I think for ESL learners, this will be a real benefit for them too.”

Huish admits he sees the podcast application as best used at the introductory level.

“There may be problems engaging advanced students who are going to want to hash out ideas and they’re going to need that forum for back and forth dialogue, but for students just coming in and getting familiar with the subject, they need to know what the key terms are, the need to see how people are using these terms and what areas of their life they’re going to end up using them as well. So, in those early stages where we’re not trying to create expertise, but just exploratory introduction, I think it’s going to be a very powerful tool. For graduate students of a higher caliber or people just completing their degrees, there I think we need to figure out other ways to create better engagement.”

Huish says other faculty and students have been excited about the new offering with enrolment in the initial summer podcast course speaking for itself. The course sold out quickly with almost double the number of students in the fall semester as of May. A second course being offered in June and July has enrollment up 25% year-over-year.

Most of the podcasts will be made public later this summer.

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The post New podcast courses boost Dalhousie summer enrollment appeared first on Broadcast Dialogue.

The latest radio book is out. The new PPM release from Numeris reflects the 13-week listening period covering May 28^th to Aug. 26th, 2018. 

David Bray, President, Bray & Partners Communications, has a look in the rear view mirror at the summer radio ratings. 

Toronto: Bragging rights at the top of the ratings heap go to both CHFI-FM and BOOM 97.3 with each delivering an 11.1 share for A12+.  BOOM-FM grabs the #1 spot with ladies 25-54 delivering a 12.7% share (down from 14.4%) followed closely by BOOM with a 12.6 % share. BOOM-FM holds the #1 spot for males 25-54, posting an 11.7% share (up from 11.1 % in the last 13 week book). In a strange twist, CHFI-FM leads the way for M18-34 with a 12.0% share followed by BOOM at 11.4%. For F18-34, CHFI-FM tops the list posting a 27.8 % (down from 23.6%).

Vancouver: CBC Radio One grabs the #1 spot for A12+ with an 12.3% share of hours tuned (down from 15.3% ). Taking the top spot for F25-54 was QM-FM, posting a 17.7% share (up from 16.5% last time out). CFOX grabs the lead for M25-54 listeners, delivering a 13.0% share (down from 13.8 %).  The FOX is well out in front for M18-34 with a 20.8 % share of hrs. tuned down from 22.0 %). When it comes to Females 18-34, QM-FM takes top spot with a 16.8 % share.

Edmonton: The Bear passes NOW! for #1 with A12+ posting a 9.3% share of hours tuned (up from 5.8% last time out). NOW! Radio takes top spot for F25-54, delivering a 22.0% share (up from 19.5%). NOW tops the list for M25-54 with a 12.5% share (flat with the last book). For M18-34, NOW leads the way posting a 14.9% followed by the Bear at 13.7%. NOW also led with F18-34 delivering an 18.3% (up from 14.7%).

Calgary: Country 105 leads the way for A12+ with a 9.7% (up from 8.3% last time out).  Country 105 is popular with the ladies, taking #1 spot for F25-54 delivering a 13.1% share (up from 10.2%).  For M25-54, X92.9 is #1 with a 10.8% (down from 11.0%). CJAY 92 takes top spot for M18-34 delivering an 11.4%. Country105 is #1 for F18-34 posting a 14.3% share (up from 12.3%).

Montreal: CHMP 98.5FM is #1 for A12+ (Franco) with a 14.8% share (down from 18.3%).  For A12+ (Anglo) CJAD 800 is #1 with a 28.1% (down from 29.4%). CFGL-FM is tops with the ladies, taking #1 spot for F25-54 (Franco) delivering a 16.2% share (down from 19.3%). For F25-54 (Anglo) The Beat 92.5 is #1 with a 27.9% share (up from 26.2). For M25-54 (Franco), CHMP 98.5FM is on top at 17.8% share (down from 20.5%).  For M25-54 (Anglo), CHOM-FM is #1at 25.0% (up from 24.1%)

See summary charts below: A brief overview of share figures from the latest PPM 2018 Numeris release

Toronto

% Share of Hours Tuned

(Mon.-Sun, 5a-1a)

Vancouver

% Share of Hours Tuned

(Mon.-Sun, 5a-1a)

Edmonton

% Share of Hours Tuned

(Mon.-Sun, 5a-1a)

Calgary

% Share of Hours Tuned

(Mon.-Sun, 5a-1a)

Montreal (Franco)

% Share of Hours Tuned

(Mon.-Sun, 5a-1a)

Montreal (Anglo)

% Share of Hours Tuned

(Mon.-Sun, 5a-1a)

David Bray is President of Bray & Partners Communications. 
(416) 431-5792
davidbray@brayandpartners.com
brayandpartners.com
davidbray.ca

The post New PPM Ratings: May – August 2018 appeared first on Broadcast Dialogue.