ANALYSIS: Bell's Pure Country Windsor move is radio's latest shift away from local content

By Greg O’Brien WHILE RADIO IS NOWHERE near the big media dog it was years ago, having the mic on a morning show somewhere is still considered a sign you’ve “made it” as a host and personality. And while the radio business in Canada has shrunk, leading radio companies to cut costs over the years by syndicating late nights, evening and mid-day shows, and voice-tracking weekends, most stuck with local, loved, live hosts in the morning and afternoon “drive-time” slots, even in small markets. That era, too, is now drawing to a close, due mostly to the Covid-19 pandemic and...