Guests

Larry MacInnis has had an incredible career in radio, working largely for the legendary CHUM Radio in Toronto. He shares his incredible journey - from growing up listening to CJCB in Cape Breton, to getting his start in radio at CKEC in New Glasgow, to landing his dream job at CHUM in the most unpredictable of ways.

James Cridland is Editor of Podnews, the daily podcast newsletter. He is also radio futurologist - a writer, consultant and public speaker on radio’s future.

Sarah Spain was a three-sport athlete in high school and heptathlete at Cornell before going on to her epic broadcasting career, highlighting her experiences in sports and media. She explains the challenges and myths surrounding women's sports, citing Title IX and the different forms of perceived equality and opportunities that come with it.

Jay Stone, station manager and program director of 102.3 NOW! Radio and 99.3 Up in Edmonton, shared his journey from the Air Force to radio. He highlighted the station's success, including winning Major Market Station of the Year and Best Community Service Initiative for the Alberta Day of Caring for Jasper, which raised over $3 million. Jay himself also took home the award for Major Market Program Director of the Year.

Dani Stover is back on the show for a 3rd time and she discussed her experience with AM 640's "Let's Talk with Dani Stover," a non-live, pre-recorded radio show that curated content from across The Corus Radio Network. The show, which involved creating six to seven new segments daily, was well-received but faced challenges, including a shift in station direction and a negative climate during the pandemic. Sadly, Corus decided to end the show and part ways with Dani last month. Merry Christmas I guess.

Our fearless leader, Matt Cundill discusses the challenges and outlook for radio and podcasting in 2025. He criticizes the current state of radio, noting its lack of innovation and the disinterest of station owners.

Way back in my 1990's radio days, I got to work alongside Terry Evans. He is the same Terry Evans that wakes Edmontonians up on K97. Terry had a 5 year stint where in worked at the Bear together, we later worked against one another on competing radio stations. He loves music and has been a champion of the Edmonton music scene since he arrived there from British Columbia in the 1980's. One of the things I like about Terry is that he is unwavering. One of the things I dislike about Terry is that he is unwavering. He was unwavering about starting a podcast - until his position shifted "Reluctantly".

Matt Cundill and Terry Dimonte get together for their annual Christmas podcast tradition, which began in 2016.

Rob Greenlee makes his third appearance on the show.

Annalise Nielsen is the head of podcast strategy and development at Lower Street.

Connie Thiessan and Matt Cundill hosted the 2024 Canadian Radio Awards in a live stream on December 6th.

We love having Fred Jacobs from Jacobs Media on the show to discuss things like Tech Survey and the AQ Study. What do listeners come to radio for? Well since 2018 it has been for personalities first, then music. I'm not sure what you are being told from your program director, but depending on the market or format, they could be working off some old thinking. We also spoke about the lack of women in various radio roles including on air and the need for more female program directors. We also discussed the disconnect between AI and innovation, and some of the perceptions that "podcasting is taking over" when in fact, most radio P1 listeners are not that interested in the medium. One of the more successful formats is Christian Radio when has all the things commercial radio strives for... an emotional connection with listeners. We also discussed the financial struggles of public radio.

Ian March, Program Director of Indy 88 in Toronto, discussed his 25-year radio career. He started at Sports Radio 1200 in Ottawa, then moved to Kingston for K Rock 1057. Ian became APD for Magic 100 and Bob FM in Ottawa, and later PD for New Country 94. He highlighted the impact of Gord Downie's death on K Rock, leading to a week of Tragically Hip music. Ian joined Indy 88, focusing on digital integration and targeting a broader audience. He noted the recent ownership change to Local Radio Lab and the challenges posed by CRTC approval delays. Ian emphasized the importance of consistency in ratings and the evolving nature of radio programming.

Lisa Brandt's career in radio and voiceover is a testament to the power of versatility, resilience, and a willingness to embrace change. From her early days in small-town radio to her time at some of Toronto's most iconic stations, Brandt's story is one of navigating the evolving landscape of the industry with determination.

Legendary radio broadcaster John Leslie, shared his journey from building a three-watt transmitter in his bedroom to becoming a program director at W E I R in Weirton, West Virginia. He discussed his service in the Marine Corps, his early radio roles, and his transition to television. Leslie highlighted his significant achievements, including a 38 share in Binghamton, a 27 share in Des Moines, and a 22 share in Albany. He recounted his historic trip to the Soviet Union to broadcast uncensored, marking a pivotal moment in media history. Leslie also detailed his transition to podcasting and the success of his hypnotherapy seminars with John Morgan.

We dive deep into the importance of audio promos for podcasts. Steve Goldstein, returns to make a compelling case for why every podcast needs a well-crafted audio promo.

Our Quarterly Feed Drop. This is where we play an episode from another awesome podcast. You might remember a few week's back we had Jeff Umbro on the show. His show is called Podcast Perspectives and you should give it follow.The podcast world is growing rapidly, and podcasters can fall behind without a glimpse of the future. Predictive analytics have become vital for podcasts to survive and thrive.In this episode of Podcast Perspectives, Jeff Umbro, host and The Podglomerate’s CEO and Founder, talks with Sean Howard, the founder and CEO of Flightpath, a predictive analytics platform for podcasting. Sean is also the founder of Fable and Folly, which is a network of fiction podcasts.Sean and Jeff chat about his predictive dashboard, the data that goes into Flightpath, stories from Sean's past, and hints about the podcast industry's future.You can listen to other Podcast Perspectives episodes hereSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy …

Mary Anne Ivison is candid about the mental toll of the freelance lifestyle and the need to manage expectations, and that entering these creative fields requires a realistic understanding of the hard work and persistence required for long-term success.

Donna Reed, a former radio host, podcast creator, and voiceover talent discusses her dcareer in radio, including her times at WQDR and WRDU in Raleigh, NC; then to KLOL and KODA in Houston, Texas and WCXR in Washington, DC. where she enjoyed the freedom of night shifts.

Tony Garcia is the co-owner of Now! Media which syndicates the Bob & Sheri show, and owner of Global Media.

You likely know Steve Pratt's name from his days as founder of Pacific Content. The company that created stories about brands set the bar for branded podcasts in the late 2010's. The company was later sold to Rogers in 2019 and just recently sold to Lower Street in the UK. Unlike our interview with (former Pacific Content Director of Audience developement) Dan Misener, we are going to ask Steve about his thoughts when it was announced Rogers would be mothballing the company he started.

After 7 and a half years, the longest gap between appearances in Sound Off Podcast history, Leslie Scott finally returns. And to say things have changed is a massive understatement.

Jordan Heath Rawlings, host of the Big Story Podcast, returns to discuss the evolution of daily news podcasts over the past five years. We first had Jordan on the show in 2019 after year one on the show. Since then, he noted the increased competition and the shift to virtual interviews post-pandemic. There's simply more choice with outlets having rushed into the space after the success of the The Daily and The Big Story.

Over a year after Matt recorded a Summer of Discontent - he looks back on a second summer of discontent which feature 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 USA. Matt also wonders why no one in radio seems to talk much about the audience...