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The "Spring 2008" book measured Edmonton radio audiences from January 7th to March 2nd, 2008.

The measured audience was 1,672,800, up about 40,000 from the Fall 2007 book.

CHED - 13.3 (11.7 in Fall 2007, 11.9 in Spring 2007)

Local Corus Entertainment honcho Doug Rutherford can proudly wave the CHED flag as the station came in with its second-highest rating since Spring 2005's 13.8 share. Scoring a top 11.7 share in the all adults aged 12 and up segment, the station was second only to The Bear in the males 25-54 category with a 12.5.

With their on-air lineup remaining steady (save the odd reporter or two), CHED continues its decade-long market dominance helping Corus score three of the top five slots in the current book. The 1.4 share gain, from 11.7 in the fall to 13.3, translated into 45,000 additional listeners tuning in at least once a week.

While a 13.3 share is a great bragging point, it also makes for a big target. Should a competing all news format application succeed at CRTC hearings set for May 27th, 2008, half of CHED's audience would still yield a seventh-ranked station (see more in CHQT analysis below).

CISN - 9.7 (8.2 in Fall 2007, 8.9 in Spring 2007)

The good news for Corus continues with CISN returning to its familiar second-place ranking. After the country market took some twists and turns during recent books (which saw CISN bottom out at 5.6 in late spring/early summer 2007), the station returns with a 1.5 share improvement with audience numbers up slightly.

The good news gets better for the Kissin' station as Newcap's Big Earl blinked on March 28th and switched from country to a classic rock format labelled "Edmonton's Greatest Hits." In the game of radio survivor, CISN outlasted, outplayed (and perhaps even outwitted by means of ignoring) Earl's 26-month stay on the dial.

Of note to programmers is that CISN's greatest strength is in their female demographic. The station places first (with a 17.2) among cowgirl listeners.

CFBR - The Bear - 8.7 (10.9, 11.6)

While The Bear's fortunes have been on a decline (third drop in as many books), and despite a slight drop in audience numbers, the station still scores big with its target demographic. The Astral Media station was tops in all categories involving males under age 54 with a 14.9 share. Under the steady hand of Marty Forbes, what isn't broken isn't likely to get fixed.

CFMG - EZ Rock - 8.5 (9.2, 8.0)

The same goes for Astral's safe at work station, pulling in a rating as predictable as their sound. The pink collar segment accounts most for the station's strong showing with 14.4 share.

CKNG - Joe FM - 8.1 (8.7, 9.1)

The BBM ratings continue to say it's so, Joe, with the Corus outlet comfortably in fifth overall and in key demographics third among both genders.

Sister Corus station CHQT's exit from the oldies market likely came as a relief to music director Julie James as songs from the 1980s – a strong component of Joe's playlist – suddenly became open season for the former Boss Radio outlet.

CHBN - The Bounce - 7 (7.8, 6.8)

One of four stations licenced in the last round of additions to Edmonton's radio dial, the Bounce has proved a consistent winner since debuting in the fall of 2004.

Seizing the audience deserted by CKRA's flip from 96X to Big Earl, the station formerly programmed as urban dance remains a favourite among the 18-34 crowd.

CFCW - 6.4 (6.5, 6.7)

While the ratings only reflect CFCW's urban audience, the heritage station remains the brightest spot among Newcap's Edmonton holdings.

CHDI - Sonic FM - 6.1 (4.8, 6.8)

Debuting in the spring of 2005, Sonic – like the Bounce – caters well to generations known as X, Y and M (for Millennium). While the two stations chase the same crowd, Sonic skews better with males who prefer the station's more 'alternative' flavour.

CBX - CBC Radio One - 5.8 (5.1, 6.9)

Often forgotten as a news alternative, the public broadcaster can be pleased with their usual placement coupled with a 25% gain in audience numbers. Unfortunately the station's availability on the FM band has apparently done little to boost numbers – but at least their listeners can enjoy the sound (albeit in mono).

CIRK - K-Rock - 4.5 (5.9, 4.7)

Oh boy ...

While the return of popular morning man Terry Evans was hailed as the second coming (or the fourth or fifth instalment of his career), the station seems to be suffering from the effects of past damage done.

Once a top-three station, the blame of K-Rock's 11th place showing can't be solely put on on Evans' inability to spark interest in the station (he only works mornings, after all). Look instead to a demographic that's aging, shrinking and growing tired of the same old.

It remains to be seen what program director Lochlin Cross has next up his sleeve to turn this Titanic around.

CKUA - 3.2 (2.7, n/a)

A longtime favourite that's well-respected among the local radio cognoscenti, CKUA's 3.2 is their best showing since Summer 2005's 3.4 share. The listener-supported station's base also grew with an increase in audience numbers. With their wide range of music programming as their strength, the station may benefit from CBC Radio Two's recently announced program changes or face challenge from several applicants chasing the latest CRTC signal offering.

CBX FM - CBC Radio 2 - 3.2 (2.1, 2.8)

Edmonton's taste for the eclectic was also seen in the strong audience number gains posted by the public broadcaster's stereo side. However, just as the ratings period ended the CBC announced sweeping changes to the Radio 2 sound, with sour notes being heard from the station's classical music fans. Whether the attraction of the younger sound proposed makes up for the threatened loss of serious listeners remains to be seen.

CHMC - Magic 99 - 2.7 (2.8, 2.8)

It would take a programming magician to make a silk purse out of the Rawlco under-performer. On the air since the late fall of 2005, the station's apex was a 4.1 share a year later but showings since have been dismal at best. Drastic changes are needed ... the station simply can't catch an audience in its present form and the Saskatchewan-based owners are likely looking at the station as a farm operation in need of a switch in crop. At last word the all-Hawaiian format was still up for grabs.

CHQT - Cool 880 - 2.5 (3.8, 3.6)

The last AM stereo station left in Edmonton died a quiet death March 14th, 2008 when it was announced that CHQT's owners were flipping the oldies station to all news on May 20th.

Despite loads of innovation – scrapping tired programming, playing album versions of oldie classics, sprinkling in seldom-heard one-hit wonders, and the late Gord Robson's innovative adds to the format's CanCon playlist requirements – the writing was on the wall and Corus management saw it (in addition to the threat of invaders of CHED's news turf).

With Rogers expected to make a strong bid for an all news station at the May 27th, 2008 CRTC hearings, Corus sacrificed the little station that could have been for a CHED sister operation – dubbed iNews880 – to be fueled by citizen journalists and journalism students while embracing the glint of the internet.

It is not hard to see the Corus argument: two news stations (in addition to the CBC and CKUA) are all a market needs. But observers close to the scene would suggest it is a shared newsroom with one editorial voice simply heard twice as loud.

In market realities, Corus is likely betting that whatever iNews880 will cost them to run is less than what they would lose to a rival news operation coming into town, should the CRTC buy their argument.

It remains unfortunate that Cool 880 version 2.0 didn't score well in the frequency's last book as a music station. When the sound debuted in June 2001, it posted a 7.3 share (the most-listened-to music-based AM station in Canada at the time).

CKRA - Big Earl - 2.2 (2.4, 2.8)

With the March 14th Corus announcement came an opportunity for the folks at Newcap to do something with their ill-fated country experiment at 96.3 mhz – Big Earl – and take advantage of whatever audience Cool 880 had that had suddenly become adrift.

Mystery remains why the station never caught on. Perhaps the familiarity of market veterans CISN and CFCW was a strong enough fence to keep a greenhorn on the outside looking in. With females leading the country and western demographic herd, Big Earl's last gasp (their stomach-churning Fall 2005 ad campaign) likely did them in.

As of the posting of this page, Newcap hasn't spent a cent promoting the station's flip to "Edmonton's Greatest Hits" and it remains uncertain how the station will fare up against JOE-FM, EZ Rock 104 and possibly The Bear and K-Rock in its chase for an audience.

For more about Big Earl's transformation into The New 96.3 Capital FM Edmonton visit the Last Link Big Earl belly flops page.

CFRN - The Team - 1.8 (1.6, 0.9) maintains its lower rung in sports circles, CHFA - Radio Canada - 0.2 (0.0, 0.1) remains firm with its Francophone audience while CFCW FM - CAM FM - n/a (0.1, 0.1) seems to have disappeared from the book (perhaps its sole Edmonton listener forgot to send in his BBM diary).

For more detailed data about the Spring 2008 book, read the Bureau of Broadcast Measurement report (opens as a .pdf) or the imsradio report (which also opens as a .pdf). General demographic data can be seen in this snapshot taken from Broadcaster Magazine.

The results of the next Edmonton ratings period (April 14th to June 8th, 2008) are set to be released July 14th, 2008. Stay tuned.

radio - edmonton ratings archives - spring 2008