Guests

I am joined by veteran Canadian broadcaster Lynda Steele to trace her four-decade journey across TV, radio, and now podcasting. Lynda recalls growing up in Hinton, Alberta, having no clear career path, and how government-funded aptitude testing unexpectedly pointed her to broadcast journalism. She shares early newsroom stories from CKVU in Vancouver and ITV/Global Edmonton, including covering major events like the 1987 Edmonton tornado and the day Wayne Gretzky was traded, and reflects on how technology—or the lack of it—shaped coverage.

Bryan Barletta, founder of Sounds Profitable and president of Podcast Movement, to shares what to expect at this year's event. Bryan walks me through how Sounds Profitable has grown into a trade association focused on research, education, and connecting buyers and sellers in podcasting. We also dive into how the acquisition by Podcast Movement is transforming this year’s event in New York City—with a clear focus on making it easier for creators and advertisers to actually meet and do business...

Justin Jackson grew up in Sherwood Park, Alberta, with an active radio in the house largely tuned to CBC or 630 CHED. Today he owns and operates Transistor.fm, a Canadian company that is one of the leading podcast hosting companies. We discussed the evolution of podcast hosting and where the industry is headed, and he shared how he and his partner bootstrapped the company starting in 2018 with $5,000 each, growing it into a profitable business without venture capital. He explains how observing creator behaviour—rather than relying on surveys—guided product decisions like offering multiple shows for one price and building private podcast features.

Jason Rockman, former frontman of Canadian nu-metal band Slaves on Dope and Montreal radio personality, discusses his music and broadcasting journey. He recounts forming the band in the early 1990s, winning the CHOM L’Esprit competition, recording independently, and relocating to Los Angeles where Sharon Osbourne offered a record deal and the group toured.

Matt Cundill and Dan Misener discuss the launch of the Bumper Dashboard, which offers a unified view of podcast metrics across platforms like Apple, Spotify, and YouTube. The Dashboard includes a new metric, the Bumper score, which measures the gap between file delivery and actual playback, helping shows understand their ad engagement. The score ranges from 0 to 200, with 100 being the median. They also touch on the limitations of download metrics and the need for better data to serve creators a...

I invited Nails Mahoney to unpack what it really means to be a radio presenter/personality today. We talk about how the shift from DJ and announcer to “content creator” has forced many presenters to overthink and lose their natural talent, and why formal training for content creation is almost non‑existent. Nails explains how branding—narrowing yourself to three defining words—helps you stand out, and why fear of failure can be a useful motivator if you let it sharpen your work.

I welcome back Rob Greenlee for a discussion about how podcasting is changing under the weight of new media, big platforms, and AI. Rob and I talk about how the real battle lines are drawn around who controls distribution and audience, as companies like YouTube and Spotify push proprietary ecosystems while RSS still quietly powers most of my downloads. We look back at the early days of video podcasting, why big media walked away from video in RSS, and how HLS video might reconnect audio and v...

Anthony McNutt is one of the best when it comes to radio imaging. He gets it. He is a senior imaging producer at Stingray Radio, managing multiple brands including Q stations, K Rocks, and The Breeze across 5 time zones.We discussed what separates exceptional imaging from average work, the evolution of production styles, and how remote work has transformed the producer's role in modern radio. Including: - Why voice talent versatility matters more than technical perfection - How silence and...

Jen Austin is the founder of Riply Media. We talked about how AI can actually strengthen local news rather than replace journalists. Jen walks me through her journey from a shy high school student in rural Nebraska to working at iconic stations like KZKX, later producing for The Dorsey Gang in Dallas, and reporting news on 9/11 with support from the CBS News network. We talk about the long, slow decline of newsrooms—layoffs, shrinking staffs, and the closure of CBS News Radio—while the public...

We last had JC Douglas on our show 9 years ago when I got the full run down of his career highlights. JC Douglas announced his retirement on Facebook in May 2026, reflecting on his 40-year tenure at Q104, his morning run at C100, and in-between time at 89.9 The Wave. He discussed the success of Q104 and C100, attributing it to loyal audiences and long-tenured talent. Douglas highlighted his pivotal moments, including interviewing Paul McCartney and covering the 2020 Nova Scotia mass shooting. Wh...

Rhys Waters spent over a decade making award‑winning TV and radio for the BBC in Wales before moving to Halifax, Nova Scotia, in search of a better work–life balance. In this episode, he traces his path from a neurodivergent kid who struggled in traditional classrooms to a documentary filmmaker, broadcaster and eventually co‑founder of Podstarter, a podcast production company helping brands make shows with highly specific goals. Rhys explains how one client’s podcast needed only 12 listeners—and still generated over $5 million in revenue—illustrating why success isn’t always about download numbers. He talks about learning podcasting through BBC radio, the explosive growth of on‑demand audio, and the evolving role of video and short‑form clips in discovery. Rhys also dives into how his dyslexic, ADHD brain shapes his creative process and why he launched The Echo Podcast Summit, an East Coast podcast conference focused on themes like trust and community in audio.

I’m celebrating the 500th episode of the Sound Off Podcast by turning the spotlight on why so many shows underperform—and what you can do about it. After nearly 10 years and 500 episodes, I’ve seen the same mistakes again and again, so I break down 10 big ones: blaming a vague “discovery problem” instead of doing the work of promotion, skipping a proper trailer, tolerating shit audio and lazy editing, and relying on weak interview structures that don’t respect the listener’s time. I also get into overlooked essentials like artwork that actually stands out, using metadata wisely, putting your show everywhere listeners expect podcasts, and not obsessing over video at the expense of audio. Finally, I tackle the myth that you need 10,000 downloads to monetize—reminding you that you don’t monetize a podcast, you monetize an audience.

A great chat with producer and audience growth specialist Kattie Laur to unpack what’s really holding back Canadian podcasting – and, unsurprisingly, we keep coming back to money, funding, and marketing. We talk about why Canada lacks meaningful grant support, why brands are hesitant to invest in podcasts, and how a realistic budget needs to split resources between production and promotion.

TrueFans.fm founder Sam Sethi is forward thinking about podcasting. Sam explains how True Fans grew out of the podcasting 2.0 movement into a full creator marketplace where podcasters can host audio and video, build real fan communities, and earn through value-for-value models, including micro payments, subscriptions, and one-off episode payments.

I reconnect with multi-hyphenate broadcaster, singer, actor, and live selling expert Dawn Chubai. We start in Edmonton, where she talks about growing up, singing in backyard concerts, finding her way into PR straight out of high school, and then accidentally falling into broadcasting through her music. Dawn shares stories from her days at A-Channel/Citytv, including doing weather and traffic, musical performances, and the energy of those street-facing Jasper Avenue studios—plus a surprise visit ...

Doug Downs joined me to trace his journey from a tape-recorder-obsessed kid in Scarborough to radio, TV, corporate communications, and ultimately podcasting. Doug shared how overnights at a country station, brutal newbie pranks, and a move through Ajax, St. Thomas, London, Kirkland Lake, Sudbury, and eventually Edmonton shaped his love of audio and storytelling. We reminisced about the ITV / CFRN days, that micro-fame of local TV, and why he ultimately pivoted into PR at Epcor, learning to think in terms of stakeholders, key messages, and strategy.

After nearly 10 years, Todd Hancock is back. As only a select few may remember, Todd's last Sound Off appearance was on our second-ever episode. At the time, he had just been let go by CFOX in Vancouver, and was in the process of launching The Toddcast, his own podcast endeavor. With a great website and some excellent audio, there's no doubt he had about as strong of a start as one can possibly have... And now, a decade later, we're both still here. If you've ever wanted to make a living from your podcast, this is the episode for you. Todd goes into every detail that allowed him to build the 10-year legacy he has today: starting strong with a ready-made website and music focused content, the slow build to monetization through long-term local sponsors and a few big clients, his strategies for maintaining professional relationships, his constantly evolving social and video strategy, and even the digital tools he uses to simplify the nightmarish challenge of keeping your content on sc…

Let's go to Lagos! Tony Doe is one of the most thoughtful voices in Nigeria, and he's here to provide some excellent insights into the past, present and future of podcasting. As a former Nigerian radio broadcaster turned podcaster, Tony reflects on the lost intimacy of radio as studios chase visual appeal and social media reactions, and explains why he rejects the idea that video is the “next phase” of podcasting. He warns creators about building shows inside walled gardens like Spotify and YouT...

I spoke with Andrea about her career in radio and her transition to voiceover. I met Andrea back in 2006 whe she was just fnishing up her tenure working promotions for Power 97 in Winnipeg. She went on to become a prominent figure in the Winnipeg and later Montreal and Toronto radio markets.

This week's episode is about the artisanship and business of podcast editing with veteran editor Bryan Entzminger. Bryan shares how he began podcasting in 2014, inspired by John Lee Dumas’ formulaic approach to Entrepreneurs On Fire and how that era of entrepreneurship-focused shows shaped early podcasting. We unpack why many podcasts have naturally “run their course” after five or six years, how the pandemic boom has cooled, and why Bryan has deliberately avoided rebuilding a client roster too concentrated on a few shows.

I reconnect with Buzz Knight to explore the evolution of Buzz’s podcasting journey and his growing audio network. Buzz traces the roots of his “Takin a Walk” podcast from its original in-person, outdoor concept—where he literally walked and talked with guests—through the practical challenges of weather and audio quality, to its current virtual format with a strong focus on music-centered storytelling. Leveraging his radio experience both on air and in programming, Buzz explains how classic br...

Kristi Lee is the host of Canadian True Crime, a show that has eclipsed 75 million downloads over 200 episodes. I spoke with Kristi about her path that ultimately led her into podcasting. Kristi told me about how a family move and her husband’s love of hockey brought them to Toronto, where she eventually turned her obsession with true crime shows like Casefile and They Walk Among Us into her own podcast in 2016. She tells me about those early days, working late at night after her kids went to...

Julian Nieh is Julian on the Radio,and traces his radio career that’s from Washington, DC to major markets like Chicago, Seattle, Las Vegas, and the future. He recalls falling into radio through an internship, doing everything from promotions and street stunts to last‑minute board‑opping that led to his first on‑air shifts. Matt and Julian geek out on the magic of 90s radio and MTV, the emotional pull of that era’s music, and the power of creating anticipation and memorable moments for listeners...

Brittany Grunig, whose journey through Canadian country radio perfectly illustrates why one should bel bullish on radio’s future. Brittany shares how growing up in small-town Nova Scotia, studying marketing at Holland College, and stumbling into a radio internship led to gigs at Ocean 100, K-Rock, and CFCY, before a chance interview booking helped her leap to New Country 94 in Ottawa.