The Sound Off Podcast

Have you ever thought to yourself, "I'd love to own a radio station"? I know there was a point where I did. If you've ever had that feeling, or still do, today's guest Paul Larsen is the man to talk to.I've been wanting to have Paul on the podcast for years, ever since he bought 103.9 The Lake in Kelowna, B.C. in 2021. Today, he's in the process of selling the station to Pattison. But the same question has been on my mind for nearly three years now: Why on earth would anyone buy a radio station in the middle of the pandemic?Thankfully, Paul answers my question gracefully, as well as diving into his lengthy radio career and how exactly he got into purchasing radio stations. He also offers up some fun stories from throughout the years, and provides something extra valuable for those in the ownership business: a playbook for the future of radio.A transcription of the episode is here. Thanks to the following organizations for supporting the show:Mary Anne Ivison at Ivison Voice. - Make her the voice of your radio station.Megatrax - Licensed Music for your radio station or podcast production company.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Do you remember last Spring, when the media was all abuzz about AI Ashley, the first-ever artificial intelligence radio DJ? If so, you might remember the name Alpha Media. They're the ones who help bring her to life. (AI Ashley is Ashley “Z” Elzinga)Phil Becker is the Executive Vice President of Content at Alpha Media, and our guest today. He has a hand in the programming and content efforts of over 200 radio stations across America, and quite honestly, he's been on my list of potential podcast guests for years. Even before AI Ashley, his speaking points at conferences always fascinated me, as did his path through the radio industry.In this episode, Phil and I chat about his unorthodox career path, the unique decisions that led him to it, and of course, the future and AI's prospective role in it. When AI Ashley was released last year, myself and many others speculated about what it could mean for the future of radio. We're still waiting to see how that turns out in the long run, but for now, Phil provides some excellent ideas of what we might be able to expect.If you're curious about what Alpha Media is up to now, or want to work with them, you can visit their website here.A transcription of this episode can be found here.Thanks to the following organizations for supporting the show:Blurve: A great way to help you prep your Show.Megatrax - Licensed Music for your radio station or podcast production company.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Terry Dimonte and Ted Bird are Montreal radio legends who started a podcast two years ago after Terry was unceremoniously retired from his morning radio job at CHOM-FM. Ted continues his morning show at Evanov's Lite 106.7 which serves the West Island. The podcast started as a one season affair that is now in its 6th season featuring amazing guests like Brice Hills and Mitch Garber. These names may mean nothing to you but I know you have heard of Just for Laughs and the Seattle Kraken - so these episodes are for you. The show brings everything amazing that comes with their humour and awesome interviews. In this episode you will hear all about their podcast experience (so far), why it works and why it breaks a number of the conventional podcast rules. There are a number of episodes with Terry you can scroll back and listen to. We also had an epic session with Ted Bird and one with Geoff Allan who is the voiceover talent on the show. Thanks to the following organizations for supporting the show:Blurve: A great way to help you prep your Show.Megatrax - Licensed Music for your radio station or podcast production company.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It's been 3 and a half years since we have had Steve on the show. The last time I spoke to him, we were trying to figure out how morning shows were going to do what they do everyday... but from home. We pick up where we left off with my first question, "Are we back to Normal?" (As if there was any normal to go to back to)In this episode, Steve and I discuss how his coaching business evolved through the pandemic with less travel but more meetings, morning show dynamics, and I learn thar benchmarks on a show are as important as ever. We also spent a fair bit of time on mentorship and why Steve has a personal policy of always helping others regardless of personal gain.I also made reference to the Podcast Superfriends episode with Jay Nachlis from Coleman Insights. You can find that episode here and in YouTube form here.I mention that because Steve and I recorded this for video and you can find that right here.A transcription of this episode can be found here.Thanks to the following organizations for supporting the show:Blurve: A great way to help you prep your Show.Megatrax - Licensed Music for your radio station or podcast production company.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

"It’s all about looking for something that hasn’t been done before, and that will get people talking." - Paige NienaberPaige is the VP for CPR Promotions, a marketing consultation firm. He consults over 350 stations across the U.S. and Canada. While radio is working through challenges like 40% less cume than a decade ago, and more audio options than ever before, Paige tells us that promotions are alive and well. He looks back at the successful promtions from radio's past that still work today. He believes we can see that again and that all we need is to get creative and bring the fun back into radio.Do you want to win "a grand in your hand" or a lifetime supply of tacos? Creativity is the key to success!Have a listen to his podcast called, Three Radio Promotions In Three Minutes - and do it every week!A transcription of this episode can be found here.Thanks to the following organizations for supporting the show:Blurve: A great way to help you prep your Show.Megatrax - Licensed Music for your radio station or podcast production company.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It's Halloween and way back in the 90's the station I used to work for had this thing called the Howler. It was an out of control good time featuring 5000 people and a band and some beer. Actually a lot of beer. This week I got back together with my old afternoon friend Jake Daniels and we just riffed on all the good times we used to have on air. Our show was always a contrast to the noise going on around us. We didn't need too much else in a show other than admitting we were coming in with nothing and would finish the show with a joke. It's a good day to do radio if you are interested in life.In this episode you will hear Jake's infamous story with Nazareth, how we enjoyed watching Nickelback's ascension into stardom, Woodstock '99 (Jake was there), How Jake still hates country music and Metallica, hates soccer but loves Wrexham, and he shares medical advice and the benefits of going vegan. (Jake is a fan of Rick Simpson's Oil... you can google the rest)Anyhow - we have only spoken a handful of times in the last 20 years but as it is with old friends - you pick up where you left off. There is a video version of the show here - this was recorded live to video.Back in 2018, I had Jake on the show for an epic - Episode 100. Check it out here. Jake also mention he is looking for radio and broadcast work in Edmonton. You can contact him here. A transcription of this episode can be found here.Thanks to the following organizations for supporting the show:Blurve: A great way to help you prep your Show.Megatrax - Licensed Music for your radio station or podcast production company.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Erin Trafford is a co-founder of Story Studio Network, a full service content branding and podcast experience for brands she co-founded with her dad Dave Trafford, who is a radio mainstay in the Greater Toronto Area, and a regular contributor on Newstalk 1010 up until July when layoffs occured. Erin has the unique experience of growing up with a parent in broadcasting, which means you have been immersed in radio (from the inside) all your life. Erin's radio career started with an internship at CJAD in Montreal, helping to launch what is now the Moose in North Bay, working as a reporter for Global TV in Halifax, before finally co-founding her company.In this episode, you will hear Erin's pathway from broadcast to podcast, what she believes we can do to fix Canadian Media for the better, and why your business should be podcasting.This episode also marks a change in the way we distribute content. We will be adding in the raw YouTube recording of our conversation instead of a simple audiogram post to YouTube. You can see it here. Find Erin on LinkedIn and Instagram (@its.ErinTrafford) and explore opportunities with Story Studio Network in the show notes.Connect with Erin's new podcast - The Fourth Draft. A transcription of this episode can be found here. Thanks to the following organizations for supporting the show: Blurve: A great way to help you prep your Show.Megatrax - Licensed Music for your radio station or podcast production company.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jennifer-Lee Gunson is the owner of J-Pod Creations which is a Vancouver based company specializing in branded podcasting. Before Jennifer got started in radio, she was an actor. She later enrolled at BCIT, found her way to Astral owned The Bear, which has now been shifted to the Bounce cluster of Bell properties. She returned to Vancouver after a stint in Prince George and took to the air (literally) doing traffic for CKNW and later Canadian Traffic Network which is where you can hear her today.She is also the host of a few podcasts at her company, including the ever-popular HAVAN podcast "Measure Twice, Cut Once" which is a branded podcast for the Homebuilders Association of Vancouver.In this episode, you will hear how she got her start in radio, survived the pandemic, and started her company. Best of all, she shares what she learned in radio and how it applies to making great on demand audio.A Transcription of this episode is available here.This show is made possible every week by contributors like:Blurve: A great way to help you prep your Show.Megatrax - Licensed Music for your radio station or podcast production company.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Aiden Wolf joins me to shares tips for making it big on YouTube. Over the last few years, podcasters have been trickling onto YouTube as it has proven effective for discovery. However, this does not make podcasters, effective YouTubers.In this episode you will hear Aiden talk about his journey in radio, from morning show host to voiceover artist. But it was his microphone reviews, and unboxings that garnered him a true YouTube audience. YouTube's algorithm is based on the viewer's profile, which is created by analyzing their viewing history and interests. Content creators should focus on creating content that viewers want to watch, as the algorithm will serve their content to viewers who are interested in their niche. All this is rather benign for podcasters who will experience confusion between podcasting and YouTube, and how it affects podcasters' strategies. Aiden suggests podcasters create content for different platforms and respect their viewers' preferences to maximize reach and engagement.We also explored creating short-form content (e.g., YouTube shorts) to appeal to a broader audience and increase views, with a guarantee of 100-fold views compared to audiograms, and how to make sure that your podcast appears on YouTube Music in the near future.A Transcription is available here.This show is made possible every week by contributors like:Blurve: A great way to help you prep your Show.Megatrax - Licensed Music for your radio station or podcast production company.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jeremy Enns, podcast marketer and sherpa, shares insights on developing a focused approach to podcast marketing, the importance of sound quality, combining marketing tactics, promoting newsletters instead of ads, benefits of living in Europe for productivity, and finding balance in work schedule.