KID RADIO in Edmonton


from Hicks on Six
Graham Hicks
edmontonsun.com
September 14th, 2007

Larry Chiasson, Mark Summers, Paul Preston and Randy Kilburn are three longtime media guys in this town.

Larry, Mark, Paul and Randy are doing something quite unthinkable just a few years ago.

With no backing, not owned by any media giant, they're starting a radio station.

http://www.KidRadio.ca is Edmonton's first radio station for kids.

KidRadio.ca signs on Monday, with a morning show hosted by two teens, DJ and Kaity.

Of course, it's all coming at the kids via the Internet.

The Internet allows a "radio station" to connect to an unlimited audience for next to nothing in costs, especially compared to the startup of a "real" radio station.

All KidRadio.ca needs is a high-tech, box that hooks up Mark's SharkBytes Studios to the Internet with a quality signal.

For all involved, it's a part-time project.

Market research was done in-house, from Larry's five-year-old and Mark's nine-year-old. One of the morning DJs is Mark's daughter. The biggest expense, besides studio costs, is paying royalties on any music played.

The $64,000 question. Can an Internet radio station serving a local kid-oriented audience attract enough advertising to pay the freight?

Otherwise, the possibilities are endless.

http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Columnists/Hicks_Graham/2007/09/14/4495473-sun.html

If I recall, CFR did kids radio in Calgary for a few years until someone flushed CFR down the crapper.