With different variations of the same Pop and Classic Hits playlists on radio for decades, a Winnipeg station is differentiating itself by bucking the idea of “more music, less talk” and instead focusing on the conversation between the songs.
Pattison Media launched “94-3 Now Radio” on CHIQ-FM/94.3 (Winnipeg) at 1 p.m. Monday, Oct. 18, following a weekend of stunting with a clock ticking and announcements that “the evolution of radio” was coming. The Adult Contemporary format kicked off with promises to play “what’s hot right now” and “songs you can’t forget” while also bringing “conversation radio” back to Winnipeg.
The first song was Panic! At The Disco’s 2018 hit “Hey Look Ma, I Made It.” But it was what came next that makes “Now Radio” different: Midday host Marika spoke for more than four minutes, something that doesn’t happen outside of morning drive at traditional music radio stations.
Musically, the new format faces tight competition, with its playlist overlapping with six major stations in the market. Winnipeg has two Contemporary Hits outlets, a Hot AC station, and three Classic Hits stations playing music from the 80s, 90s, and 2000s (see the full list on the Manitoba Radio Markets page).
Keeping it informal, the station’s website only identifies hosts by first name. The lineup includes include Alyssa & Luca in the morning, Marika from 9 to 2, Zap in the afternoon, and Chris and Kalie alternating in evenings.
Though Marika said later in the first hour that much of the station’s launch was “very last minute,” it’s clear that the change has been in the works for at least some time since the new logo on the “94.3 Now Radio” Facebook page was uploaded a month ago:
Pattison also runs the “Now Radio” format in Edmonton.
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Vicki Shae and Alix Michaels both reported on social media that they were no longer with the station. The Winnipeg Free Press reported that Kelly Parker, Tom McGouran, and Dez Daniels are also out.
As of Thursday evening, all pages on the station’s website were redirecting to its audio player, with other pages inaccessible. On Friday, the station began running announcements saying, “Soon, Winnipeg radio is going to change forever. The evolution of radio is coming” and a switch to full-time stunting with the clock sound effect began over the weekend.
“The Drive” launched in 2016, competing with heritage Winnipeg Rockers “92.1 CITI” and “Power 97” (CJKR). It’s the third in a series of identities since CHIQ dropped its longtime “Q94” slogan in 2008.
Here’s a sampling of the station’s imaging from June:
The Numeris report for Spring 2021 showed CHIQ ranking eighth among the ten commercial FM stations in Winnipeg with an average quarter hour share of 3.8% among people 12+, not far behind CITI and CJKR.
CHIQ is owned by Jim Pattison Broadcast Group, which also owns Country-formatted “QX104” (CFQX-FM/104.1 Selkirk-Winnipeg).
This article was originally posted on Oct. 14 and was updated on Oct. 18.