Guests

Terry DiMonte takes a break from taking a break from social media and joined me to talk about his summer live from my dining.room. Since his "retirement" from CHOM last May, he's enjoyed sleeping in and visiting with friends. I am very honoured to be his friends and a stop on the Winnipeg tour. Terry has long roots in Winnipeg that extend back to his days at 92 CITI-FM and working in the same building as the legendary Don Percy who acted as a mentor. We recorded this episode on the 4th anniversa...

Researching for podcast episodes is different in the pandemic. I often have met the person long before I interview them. Perhaps we shared a coffee or drink, maybe we worked together or I saw them speak at a conference. Perhaps I grew up listening to them, worked in the same market or interviewed them for a job. The pandemic has turned some of episodes into radio Lava-Life dates. That's what happened with this episode with Lena Shulman from Vancouver's Jack-FM. In this episode, I spent a fair amount of time asking her the questions on her online profile, but the real gold was in the after dinner drinks where I found her her family emigrated from the former Soviet Union and later Israel on their way to Canada. As we spoke it was apparent that Lena also knew multiple languages. Her broadcast career started on campus at the University of Toronto where she was studying history. From there she opted for a producer position at Corus Radio Toronto and made her way across Canada to Lloydmi…

Yes it has been five years since we had Jessica Rhodes from Interview connections on the podcast. Since then Jessica has grown the business to a six and now 7 figure business. How did she do it? Small steps and "grind and grit". In this episode I reconnect with Jessica , 5 years in between episodes and ask her about some of the business moves she has made like getting a physical office space, partnering with Margy Feldhuhn, and working with female business coaches like Kelly Roach and Ali Brown. Jessica also notes there's a difference between scaling to 7 figures as opposed to 8; it's a different set of strategies to get to 8. There was so much I didn't know about building a company in the podcast space when I first started back in 2016, but simply following Jessica and paying attention to how she operates, I learned a lot. There are about 7 people who I follow like that. It's not unlike listening to your favourite radio performer to hear their show every day - and learn how they c…

John Mamola is the program director of WDAE, the sports station in Tampa Bay. We had him on the show back in December of 2019 and his life sounded busy. With the arrival of COVID, the sports world got turned upside down. For many stations, the arrival of COVID meant a decrease in workload - but not in Tampa Bay. The city really started to stir with arrival of Tom Brady in March of 2002. From that point on, the dynamic of the sports market began to change. Since then the baseball Rays have gone to the World Series, the NFL Buccaneers won the Super Bowl and the NHL Lightning have won two Stanley Cups in a 9 month period. Crazy. So how does the program director of a radio station with 7 sports properties cope? That's what we found out in this episode. I spoke to John about everything that has gone on since we last spoke in December 2019. A once passive sports market with a lot activity has gone into hyperdrive. Thanks also to the people who make this show possible every week inc…

There are a lot of things that come to mind when you hear the name Stu Schwartz. The Ottawa morning host has been a radio staple in the market since the mid-90's, first making a name for himself as Stuntman Stu, then as a sports fixture on Team 1200 AND in-house announcer at the Ottawa Senators hockey games, and now overall radio powerhouse at Move 100. He's not ready to put himself in the category of the Max Keeping's and Ken "The General" Grant who ruled the broadcast airwaves in Ottawa in the 20th Century, but this century his is one of the first names that comes up when you say "radio" in Ottawa. Throughout the years, Stu has been able to build his following, one community appearance at a time. In 2016, he was diagnosed with cancer and talks about how being public about it has helped him channel strength.

Paige Nienaber knows radio promotions and marketing. He's been involved with some really big ones - and one that I definitely remember because I saw it play out on CNN. (Wild's infamous Haircut on the Bridge). In this episode, I ask Paige all about what makes a radio promotion successful, and how they changed over the course of the pandemic. In this episode, you'll hear a conversation about radio promotions that I have been planning since I first met Paige in 2016. We discuss the anatomy of a great radio promotion and touch on a few of the famous ones that have taken place over the years, including Mancow Muller's Bay Bridge Haircut, and a lottery contest that didn't pass the legal test. One thing is evident: The same elements that made promotions successful in the 80's, still exist today. Paige also touched on the success of the Secret Sound contest which is on air now at 99.7 Now in San Francisco.

Christian Zyp is a host on Edmonton's CJSR's Moving Radio. But you're not listening to this episode for that. The story of our friendship begins on the radio in 1995 with the release of Van Halen's Balance CD. Back then radio stations were given advance copies and a "World Album Premiere". The special we ran only featured 9/11 songs on the CD. Where we the other two. Two drunk guys started calling me and asking why we had left two of the songs off and I said, "If you have some beer in the fridge I'll bring the CD over and we'll listen to it." What's a few brews between Van Halen fans? From there on, Garth Thatchuk and Christian Zyp became lifelong friends. Zyp started his radio career in 1998 as the host of the venerable Moving Radio on CJSR. But he is better known as a teacher, movie buff, music lover, soccer teammate, and overall great guy. The last time I saw him was in Edmonton in 2015. Life changed for him and his wife Trina 4 months later. You just skip over listenin…

Thanks also to the people who make this show possible every week including: Promosuite Justin Dove at Core Image Studios Megatrax

Steve Goldstein and I had a chat for this special bonus episode about how many podcasts there are. REALLY. Steve is the Founder/CEO of Amplifi Media, an audio innovation firm that offers counsel, production, and marketing of voice-first, podcast, and branded audio. Well-known as a thought leader in audio programming, marketing, and management, Steve often speaks about the future of audio at major conferences. He lends his extensive knowledge to the podcast, and illuminates some of the misconceptions about the number of podcasts that really do exist.  Click here to watch the livestream of this episode.  Click here to read Steve's blog that covers this topic in great depth. There is a lot of great info.

Valerie Geller has inspired many to be better broadcasters through her work. Many of those lessons can be found in her 2011 book, Beyond Powerful Radio, the follow up to the 1996 work, Creating Powerful Radio. I would consider this podcast to be incomplete without an episode from Valerie. She is one of the most referenced persons in this series; not only from broadcasters, but now podcasters.

Matt goes solo this week with some ideas for the Great Radio Reset. With the pandemic coming to an end and radio stations looking to the future, we've assembled a list of things to think about. Some are some old ideas that should come to fruition, while others where born in the pandemic. As always your feedback is welcome. Here are the links that I promised to list in the episode: Pat Holiday's 2015 blog on live and local being overrated. Seth Resler's Hash Tag Scavenger Hunt. A transcription of the episode is in development and posted on the episode page. Thanks also to the people who make this show possible every week including: Promosuite Justin Dove at Core Image Studios Megatrax

Long before I even knew that Skye was friends with my super close cousin Kingman, I wanted to have her on the show. She was a guest with Sound Off Alum Jim Harold shortly after we all convened on Orlando for Podcast Movement int the before times of 2019. Somehow, I failed to meet Skye. I later received an intro through Kingman to connect and that was more than enough of a sign to do this episode. In this episode, you will hear about Skye's podcast journey which goes all the way back to Bay area radio in 1982 when the music scene exploded and stations like KQAK FM 99 would emit eclectic sounds in an MTV era. Skye as reminisces about listening to the radio in the car and hearing the production value that went into NPR programming. It wasn't until 2015 when she connected to audio through podcast; shows like Serial and Gimlet productions had her, and many Americans... hooked. You'll hear about her time in college, through Silicon Valley, her time as a publicist, and her podcast experie…

One of our biggest podcast episodes was back in October of 2017 when we had Sheri Lynch on the show to talk about taking control of the Bob and Sheri Show. By control, that means retaining things like digital rights and having autonomy over your brand. The episode has remained popular over the years because of the number of radio people who have considered taking a similar jump. In fact, it is one of the episodes that I have recommended people listen to rather than me explaining what she stated so eloquently. Last month, The Bob and Sheri Show ended its run on flagship WLNK in Charlotte. In this episode, Sheri Lynch returns to talk about that departure and how the team has spent nearly 4 and a half years building a show that could withstand this. Sheri cuts through the BS and shares her opinion about how performers need to be thinking about the future and what they can do to lay the ground work for the next ten years of performing to the world.

Tech Survey has been an annual study by Jacobs Media since 2005. But 2021 will be one for the ages. Completed during a pandemic, Tech Survey 2021 tells the radio story of what happened to our radio listeners when Work from home, Zoom, masks, no travel, and a politically charged internet took hold. Originally, this was going to be a discussion about radio one year into the pandemic but how much better is that discussion with data? In this episode, you'll learn how P1 radio listeners' habits changed in the pandemic, what in car listening looks like, and how the Consumer Electronic Show transpired online. Access all the information and slides here. We also talked about the challenges of writing a daily blog in the pandemic, and feel free to register for the daily blog when you register for the webinar. There's also a lot more to check out on the episode page! Thanks also to the people who make this show possible every week including: Promosuite Justin Dove at Core Image Studios …

Dani Stover has a wonderful studio with a beautiful sounding microphone and produces content for radio, and podcast. She's not the first unemployed creator to grace the podcast. Given the state of Canadian radio which is awaiting new regulations while dealing with the remnants of a pandemic economy, Dani is patiently testing the waters to rekindle her relationship with radio. I particular love this episode because Dani and I talk about the love affair we have with radio. Sometimes it's a mistress, sometimes it's a lover, sometimes it's your spouse... but now Dani is looking for a Sugar Daddy. You'll hear how one of her first job's in radio was working with the Dean Blundell show at the height of its popularity, what it was like on the show, and her time in Peterborough working with TJ Connors and Fred Patterson - both podcast alumni. We also talked about those Diva moments we all have; if you don't think you had any, it's because Dani has recognized hers. Dani also spoke about the …

Darryl Spring is passionate about rock radio. Although it started out with an attraction for what was coming out of the club shows of then CFNY-FM 102, Darryl knew radio was his future. From Loyalist College, to Q92 in Timmins, to Corus Radio in Toronto and Hamilton. His next two stops included Kingston and Ottawa, where there was great success, and some unfortunately timed circumstances. In this episode you will hear about all the fun that went on at these stations. And just like our episode with Bob Willette, Darryl was also told that the golden era of Edge 102 was before he arrived. You will also hear us reminisce about the late Martin Streek and Bobby Gale; both huge music fans. Darryl is now hosting the hit podcast "Darryl Talks To Bands" which is on all your favourite audio distribution centres. There's also more on the episode page! Thanks also to the people who make this show possible every week including: Promosuite Justin Dove at Core Image Studios Megatrax

Tracy Johnson is a Morning Radio Consultant and Talent Coach. Coaching radio talent is the most important investment you can make in your station's future.

Matt turns on the mic to tell everyone he's taking a break from recording an episode this week. Then rants for nearly 12 minutes.

Joel Denver from AllAccess.com joins Matt to talk about resilience, perseverance, innovation and going forward.

Humble and Fred are fiercely independent. They are the original "Life After Radio" personalities, having carved out a significant piece of the media pie for themselves. Back in 2011 they started a podcast and committed to it. (That's important component to their success BTW) They have had stints where they worked in radio for periods of time; including Kingston, Sirius XM for a superb 5 year run, and Funny 820AM in Hamilton up until last month. Through it all, Humble and Fred continue to produce a daily show live (streaming) and on demand. (podcast)

Shani Scott is a 20 year radio pro with a kickass media company that knows streaming.

Howard Kroeger was there in 2002 when Classic Hits was born on the radio in Winnipeg.

Matt speaks to Sarah Burke about her new podcast Women in Media.

Matt speaks with Bob Willette from Corus Radio in Kingston about Bob's Basement - and all the radio stops beforehand.