Queen’s University’s CFRC 101.9 FM Radio has announced the broadcast of the first-ever Release Radar Top 20, in collaboration with the Kingston Music Office. The program will air on December 22, 2024, from 1:00-3:00 PM on CFRC 101.9 FM and will also be available for streaming at cfrc.ca.
This broadcast marks a significant milestone in the support of local musicians and the promotion of Kingston’s music scene on broadcast radio. The Release Radar Top 20 will showcase the top singles and albums released by Kingston-based artists in 2024. The program will feature selections from the top 10 albums or EPs and the top 10 singles from the Kingston Music Office’s 2024 Release Radar Series, which has been airing weekly on CFRC’s airwaves.
To determine the rankings, CFRC launched a Listeners’ Choice poll, allowing community members to vote for their favorite singles and albums or EPs released by local artists. The poll, which ran from December 3 through 17, 2024, was promoted both on air and via social media.
“We’re so excited to have partnered with the Kingston Music Office in this initiative,” said Dinah Jansen, Executive Director of CFRC 101.9 FM. “While we have been broadcasting new Release Radar features weekly on our airwaves, the Release Radar Top 20 is another new, unique way to celebrate Kingston’s wealth of creative talent, support artists in their efforts to capture new audiences, provide opportunities for local artists to get airplay on broadcast radio, and to engage listeners with a new means to show their support for and appreciation of local musicians.”
The Kingston Music Office launched the weekly Release Radar series on Instagram in late spring 2024 to promote new local releases across its platforms. As a partnership between Tourism Kingston and the City of Kingston, the Kingston Music Office serves as the primary point of contact for the local music community and leads the implementation of the Kingston Music Strategy. This initiative supports the strategy’s goal to amplify the local music scene.
“The CFRC Listeners’ Choice Survey and Release Radar Top 20 are fantastic opportunities to celebrate Kingston’s exceptional local music scene while shining a spotlight on the incredible talent our community has to offer,” said Moira Demorest, Music Officer, Tourism Kingston. “By engaging listeners to vote for their favorite releases, we’re not only supporting local artists but also creating opportunities for their work to reach new audiences. Initiatives like this align perfectly with the Kingston Music Strategy’s vision to nurture creativity and foster a thriving music ecosystem in our city.”
The Release Radar series has been posted weekly on the Kingston Music Office’s Instagram platform each Friday. CFRC approached the Kingston Music Office in late summer to discuss a partnership supporting the Release Radar initiative through the broadcast of music featured in the weekly series. Since then, CFRC has aired all music featured in the Release Radar posts every Wednesday at 1:00 PM on its new release radio program, This Just In.
“We’re thrilled to support the Kingston Music Office’s Release Radar project and to continue our historic role in the community to provide opportunities for local musicians to gain notoriety through broadcast radio, in some cases, for the very first time,” said Jansen. “Campus radio stations like CFRC have long been instrumental in helping local musicians become broadcasting stars. In an era where digital platforms are the new reality, discoverability still remains a homegrown affair. We’re delighted to work with the KMO to announce, feature, and celebrate new local releases, nurture the discoverability of Kingston’s local musicians at home and beyond, and to keep our community informed about their tremendous talents.”
The Release Radar Top 20 will broadcast on CFRC 101.9 FM and stream via cfrc.ca on December 22, 2024, from 1:00-3:00 PM.
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