Yes, this used to be a blog

I have not had enough time since last summer to continue posting here on a regular basis. Instead, it has been easier to redirect my thoughts directly toward my radio program.

I’ve now spent over four years at Radio Centre-Ville. English programming can be heard on CINQ from 10:30 PM on Fridays through to 4 PM Saturdays. The English team is comprised of a small, but dedicated group of station members and volunteers. The only reason people devote so much time and effort to the station is because they love what they do and still believe in the relevance of radio.

I’ve found that one of, if not the biggest problem facing the English team is lack of exposure. Seven languages are heard on CINQ, and all of them, except for English and French do not really have to “compete” with commercial radio for listeners. For instance, it is easier to build an audience for a specific linguistic community than it is with say, English programming which is more general and less associated with a specific ethnic group.



In other words, we need to get the word out that we exist in a market with many big-budget English-language outlets. Considering we broadcast only once a week, that only adds to the challenge. In recent months, we have been increasing our efforts to get the word out about our programs. A new Facebook fan page has been launched, as has a Twitter feed. Several of our programs also have a web presence like Tracey's Cuisine, Jazz Boulevard, Scottish Voice, Arts Notebook and of course, Yesterday‘s News. All of our latest shows are available via podcast at radiocentreville.com and some of our shows have online archives and are available on iTunes.

One other way we have been using to get the word out about our shows is an occasional overnight replay of some of our programs. We’ve done it twice already and hope that it may have introduced some new listeners to some of what they may have been missing. The next installment of “Best of” Radio Centre-Ville’s English-language programming will air on Saturday, June 1st from 2:30 AM through to 7:30 AM. If you happen to be up during the early morning hours, please give it a listen on 102.3 FM in Montreal, or online with the station's live audio feed.