radioinsight.com
Yeah, when a Hot-AC FM can't survive in the #4 market in Canada, obviously there is an issue somewhere with the medium, even more than anything they may have been doing. The PR statement said as much.
The Ottawa market is a bit unique though, to be fair. Despite being a decently sized city, it's not really what I would call "major market." We've seen a few stations disappear from Ottawa over the years, and I suspect that it has a lot do with the fact that there are probably too many stations and not enough population to sustain them. I visited a friend in Ottawa last year, and was able to drive through the city fairly quickly (illustrating that this is not a Toronto, Montreal, or Vancouver).
But still, it's Canada's #4 metro, about 1.5 million, bigger than some other major cities like Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Halifax, etc. There are metros / markets in the US with that population and I haven't heard of Hot AC stations being shut down -- at least not yet. Mostly AM's getting the plugs pulled in the US due to the state of the market.
You are definitely right. Ottawa should be big enough to sustain a decent number of stations, yet at the same time, Ottawa stuck out to me as being a little bit of a media black hole. I really can't pinpoint why that is, but the market just seems very different compared to its other Canadian counterparts. Still, I also can't figure out how an AC formatted station wouldn't have enough listeners to keep the lights on.
I suspect that the "thinned herd" will be comparable in percentage to the remaining buffalo population of the United States.
You're probably right, but it thins from the standpoint of overall band congestion/noise.
radioinsight.com
However, Ottawa, like Montreal, is a split market with separate Anglophone and Francophone measurement. That effectively dilutes its market size in the eyes of media buyers, as stations generally program to one of the "markets within a market."
I knew that Quebec was just across the river, but wasn't sure how Anglophone the Hull/Gatineau region is. But what you've said makes sense. One of the other two stations was on the river, too, so I suppose the Francophone territory on the north side of the Ottawa cut its advertising potential as well.
Well, that's cool. The FM stations will stay on the air for a while. Nice to see some of the companies in Canada still believing in radio.Evanov Finds Last Minute Buyers To Prevent Ottawa Area Sign-Offs
After announcing plans to cease operations of its Ottawa businesses including AC “Lite 98.5” CJWL-FM Ottawa, “Hot Country 92.5” CHRC-FM
Torres Media Group, owner of Rock “Rebel 101.7” CIDG-FM Ottawa, will acquire CJWL-FM.
La Radio Communautaire Cornwall-Alexandria announced last week it would acquire CHRC-FM and CKHK-FM and will continue to operate with English language programming. GO FM owns French Variety “92.1 GO FM” CHOD-FM Cornwall ON.
Oh, you mean like Miami? 😏
I am thinking 98.5 will be the new home of Rebel for the stronger signal. I assume that the 101.7 will become a more top 40 style station or they may take Rebel back to the more hard rock format on 98.5 and then take 101.7 and go more active rock.
Nielsen doesn't do separate measurements in Miami based on language though, does it?
