While radio languishes in the old media doldrums in the U.S, it is doing just fine in Canada, reports the
Toronto Globe and Mail. Canada's radio industry is quietly thriving, it reports. "In
fact, the last time the sector had it this good, George Michael and Tiffany were topping the charts." Sales of ad time on private radio were up 8.7 percent last year--its biggest jump since 1988,
according to Statistics Canada. The increase pushed commercial revenue to a combined $1.3-billion for AM and FM stations, led by the top three markets in the country: Calgary, Ottawa-Gatineau and
Toronto. The surge is driven by a shift among TV networks toward more regional and national ads, leaving local businesses, such as restaurants and shopping malls, to radio. "The television industry
has kind of walked away from the local market," says Doug Checkeris, president of Media Company in Toronto. "More and more--particularly in Ontario or in British Columbia--the television market is
going for regional money rather than taking local money."
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