Back on the Radio After All These Years

It’s true. I’m doing morning news again! This week, I’m on 94.1 myFM St. Thomas.

I don’t have to leave home to do it. And I’m a freelancer, not an employee. In other words, I’m not back IN radio. I’m back ON the radio. Last week I did fill in on their Brockville stations. And frankly, I’m loving it. It doesn’t interfere with my voice-over work or anything else I’ll do.

The Only Way I’d Return

Every time I’ve been asked for my thoughts about the radio industry, I’ve complimented smaller, locally-run stations. Giant corporations have either squeezed the life out of radio or taken the stations on grudgingly and let them falter. MBC (My Broadcasting Corporation) is doing it right. They are super focused on local content including news.

I was a news consultant for MBC more than a decade ago. I attended one of their retreats and got to know some of them a bit, including founder, Jon Pole. I’ve always admired the way they do things. They’re growing and thriving while other stations are giving up and powering off. So, when they asked if I’d like to join them, I was in. They recently took over two stations in Tillsonburg and one in Niagara, purchased from Rogers.

When they say local they mean LOCAL. There are no local newspapers in many of the towns where they have radio stations. You can find out what’s going on in federal or provincial politics anywhere. But you can’t get a heads-up about a major road closure or a police investigation in your own backyard. Except on local radio.

To be clear, I’m not finding the stories. I’m merely the delivery device. Hitting the ground running in the early morning is coming back through muscle memory. But all I do now is grab a coffee and a piece of cheese and head to my studio. Early doesn’t mean 3:30 am like it used to.

Radio That Matters

The personalities at smaller stations are very involved in the community. The station is there to serve a need that’s not there otherwise. It’s a mission I respect and I’m proud to be a tiny part of it.

There are a few other small companies working hard at local radio. Five Amigos comes to mind. They own radio stations in Wallaceburg and Listowel. Again, they focus on their own community and find support in return.

My former colleague Loreena Dickson also works for myFM in Strathroy and on their network. I’m working from a my little room in my basement. Corporate radio overlords told us pre-COVID that it wasn’t possible to do radio from home. HA! Now it’s just routine. I’m a little rusty on a couple of things but mostly, it’s like getting back into a well-worn saddle. And I appreciate being asked to ride again.