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The "Spring 2007" book measured Edmonton radio audiences from January 8th to March 4th, 2007. BBM figures state 1,916 people aged 12 and over filled in surveys recording their listening habits.

Overall, total audience numbers were down ever-so-slightly to 1,668,000 from 1,677,900 in the previous Fall 2006 book.

The latest book contained a couple of continuing bad news stories backstopped with three stations posting record ratings.

Edmonton's once-mighty country audience seems to have traded their cowboy boots in for city slickers, and for Big Earl that means another big disappointment.

The CBC, The Bounce and Sonic posted their best showings ever, and while classic rock still benefits The Bear, K-Rock is in a tailspin losing almost a third of its audience.

Pink slips ahead?

CHED - 11.9 (11.5 last book) retains its title as king of the hill, with audience numbers up 6,700 to 225,900. Listeners seemed satisfied with CHED's stable on air daytime line-up, and despite the Oiler's spotty performance fans are welcoming the new sports personalities.

CFBR - The Bear - 9.3 (8.2) climbs to a second-place showing – the first time during the station's fifteen-year use of the Ursidae family moniker. The Bear's audience remained static at about 154,000 which suggests the station's gain came from general listener drift.

Marty Forbes, Bear owner Standard Radio's general manager and vice-president, told the Edmonton Journal his stations (EZ Rock and The Team) were able to better adapt to the recent influx of new frequencies (specifically Sonic and Magic 99).

"We tried to stay focused on the entire product, not stunting or trying to advertise your way into success," Forbes said. "It doesn't work. It all comes down to what's between those two speakers."

CKNG - Joe FM - 9.1 (7.9) comes nipping at the Bear's heels with their best rating since debuting the "Play Anything" format in 2004, and the third place showing is part of a steady climb over the last five books.

The success perhaps reflects some tinkering with on air line-ups: long-time afternoon drive jock Shawn Evans headed to the sales department to make some real money and after 10 years of co-hosting the morning show with Audie Lynds, Gary James took over the drive home slot.

Rhubarb Jones returned to co-host mornings with Audie (Jones aka Boyd Leader was behind the scenes for the last three years as Joe's program director). Filling the PD void was Julie James, spirited away from Corus' CFHK 103.1 Fresh FM in London-St. Thomas, Ontario where she worked creative.

CISN - 8.9 (9.8) continues its downward spiral with its second worst rating since Fall 2001. While placing fourth in a 27-station market ain't bad, it's a humble drop from the winning 13.3 share of Late Summer 2006. Still, Corus management must be relieved they only have one egg in the country music basket as that audience has seems to have left the farm with the barn doors swinging behind them.

CFMG - EZ Rock - 8 (7.6) maintains its steady-as-she-goes performance, continuing its virtual lock on fifth place. New at the station was Jill Matthews as Music Director and midday host (encoring similar duties she had at Rock 106 and The River in Lethbridge). Audience numbers were down 5,700 to 131,700.

CBX - CBC Radio One - 6.9 (6.0) is one of three stations reporting their best books since the turn of this century. Gaining 8,800 listeners up to 113,300, the public station has more than recovered from their 2005 labour lockout low of a 4.4 share. With its soon-to-be-launched FM simulcaster at 93.9 and the continued excellence of the drive shift shows – who knows – CBC's numbers might even climb higher. Nationally, in fourteen of the eighteen cities surveyed for this book the CBC ranks in the top three in their respective markets.

CHBN - The Bounce - 6.8 (6.8) ties its best outing since signing on in early 2005 but the real news lies in its audience numbers, up 13,600 to 150,300 – the largest gain in the current book (likely peeled away from K-Rock – see below). It might be too soon to tell, but the solid numbers may have been due to the promotion of Jonny Staub as music director, upped from his assisting duties in the past.

With Staub now sitting in the big musical chair he's been pulled off afternoon drive but hangs onto a Sunday afternoon shift. Natalee Taylor switched from midday to the drive home, leaving boss James Stuart with a help wanted ad to fill out.

CHDI - Sonic FM - 6.8 (5.7) held about the same with audience numbers but proved it was equal to The Bounce in picking up disenfranchised CKRA's "96X New Music Alternative" listeners. With novel programming such as "The Furious Frank at Five," the station survived the departure of popular evening host Adam Thompson who strapped on his sandals in December 2006 to travel around Asia. Holding down the love-him-or-hate-him slot is Garner Andrews in the mornings.

CFCW - 6.7 (4.5) seems to have rebounded somewhat, returning the Camrose station to its usual middle of the Edmonton pack position (but still down significantly from its third-place 9.9 share boast of Fall 2005). The recovery is good news for greenhorn Danny Hooper and veteran stablemate Sharon Mallon on the early-riser shift. Audience numbers are up 7,400 to 66,500

CIRK - K-Rock - 4.7 (7.3) marks its entry in the Spring 2007 book with an all-time low – a far cry from its book-topping 11.0 share of Summer 2003.

Since the departure/resignation/sacking of popular morning man Terry Evans, program director Lochlin Cross has been busy trying the patch the hole in the station's heart.

Cross brought in ex-Winnipeger Scotty Ballantyne to produce the morning show and help new-guy "Jungle" Jim Jerome round out the team. Also in for the station's tune-up was Mike Diesel (ex of Drumheller where he worked at CKDQ-AM Q-Country Q-91). Looking after the tunes was a new music director by the name of Jeff Walker.

It remains to be seen if Edmonton Newcap programming boss Rob Mise will approve of the tinkering (as if CFCW and Big Earl's problems weren't enough to keep him busy). Worst news for K-Rock? Audience numbers, down to 95,600 from 133,800 – a 29% loss.

CHQT - Cool 880 - 3.6 (3.5) shows a modest share gain, and listeners are up a bit – 7,600 to 66,800. While the numbers news was nothing to write home about, the return of an Edmonton radio legend was.

Recently recovering from a hospital stay (and time in the Lethbridge market), Gord Robson returned to Edmonton airwaves to join his one-time CHED-mate Chuck "Porky The Pig Live/Charles P. Rodney" Chandler. With his show (once described as "antiseptic" for flawless execution) Robison has bounced all around Canada – two stints at CHED during the tail-end of its Top 40 dominancy, CFOX Montreal, CKLG Vancouver, CKXL Calgary and at CKNG Power 92 and CKRA's K-Lite/Mix 96 in the nineties.

Whether in swing-shift Gord can lift CHQT's numbers (and despite Cool 880's shows from the dead Wolfman Jack and near-dead Chandler-huh?) remains to be seen.

CKRA - Big Earl - 2.8 (3.7) has not been doing well under the year-old "He Plays Everything Country" banner. Despite the rise from the previous book, Earl's numbers have practically flat-lined in twelfth place since its debut. Morning crew Greg Shannon and Tera Lee Flaman must surely be looking around for a life preserver ... or a lasso.

Newcap general manager of K-Rock and Big Earl, Randy Lemay, told the Edmonton Journal he wasn't about to panic and believed in his stations. He said Big Earl gained more female listeners, with its morning show also boasting an increase. As for K-Rock, he thought the ratings were just an anomaly.

"The market is in a real tizzy, it's messed up with all the new entrants," Lemay said. "We found it a little strange that K-Rock dropped so much. We lost the lower demo of males – from 18 to 24 (years) and 25 to 34. This is too much of a loss that we have to discount it. We know our product is really good, we love our music, we love our direction, we've got research telling us we're on the right track."

That said, some inside the business are calling Big Earl ... the Big Hurl.

CHMC - Magic 99 - 2.8 (4.1) seems to be struggling with its undefined-at-best format. While their last showing seemed to indicate they were pulling the rabbit out of the radio ratings hat, the animal seems to have died along with the drawing power of vet Rob Christie. The station suffered a 10% audience loss, settling at 62,800 listeners.

CBX FM - CBC Radio 2 - 2.8 (2.6) didn't appreciably share in its AM sister's rise in popularity but the public broadcaster's numbers showed a gain of 3,900 listeners.

CHFA - Radio Canada - 0.2 (0.1) doubled its numbers and audience – to 4,700. Perhaps getting twinned on the FM band in the spring will help matters out.

CFRN - The Team - 0.9 (1.3) just can't get no respect. Despite a slight gain in listeners, the station lost some share points – and the talent of a veteran sports journalist.

After 25 years in the business, 69-year-old John Short quietly left the radio game. The thoughts of the man with the self-admitted "face for radio" can still be read in his columns for the Edmonton Sun. It remains a shame that Corus Entertainment could never find room for an antidote to the hair that roars – Bryan Hall.

Without a major sports franchise to cover (the Edmonton Rush and Cracker Cats aside) the Team may never be able to play ball in Edmonton radio's big league without a real team to help them out.

CAM FM - 0.1 (0.1) remains a blip on the Edmonton radio dial. The CFCW sister station edged up in city audience numbers – from 5,000 to 8,300 – but it's hard to say how well the station is doing in the non-surveyed rural markets.

For more detailed data about the Spring 2007 book, view the Bureau of Broadcast Measurement report (opens as a .pdf), the Canadian Broadcast Sales BBM trending and share of hours tuned reports (which both open as a .pdf) or the imsradio report (which oddly enough also opens as a .pdf). General demographic data can be seen in this snapshot taken from Broadcaster Magazine.

radio - edmonton ratings archives - spring 2007