Serving Oxford County and beyond from 104.7 on the FM dial
By
Mark Schadenberg
Congratulations
to Heart FM!
The
Woodstock radio station can be found at 104.7 on the FM dial, but can truly be
found everywhere in Oxford County and beyond its borders.
Happy
10th birthday in 2016 to Heart FM !
CIHR
FM is a terrific local radio station serving Woodstock and Oxford County and a little
bit beyond that geography, but truly Heart FM is all about its people – the
people on the air and its listeners.
The
station officially appeared on your radio dial on April 10, 2006.
The
station’s program director and afternoon voice Dan Henry is an original
employee. Dan was there before the station signed on and continues to be – in
my opinion – the true voice and face of the radio station.
Dan
Henry and the equally wonderful Megan Porter of Boston Pizza have been the
recent co-chairs of the Oxford County United Way drive. High school principal
Chris Friesen is another past co-chair with Dan Henry.
Henry
has also been a consistent person at the Relay For Life organizing table. The
Canadian Cancer Society event (I am a co-chair for 2017, so many of my writings
will promote this event) not only includes Dan Henry annually as its master of
ceremonies, but he also fills in the entertainment gaps on the night’s agenda
by coordinating everyone from national anthem singers to live bands to Zumba
dance instructors.
Dan
Henry attends literacy day in the middle of winter and reads books to toddlers,
but he’s gaining a lot of points with the adults with his performances.
If
you know your recent history, you could be a winner on Timeline at 5:20 with
Dan Henry. I dare him to someday pick 1982, so it would give him an excuse to
play Eye In The Sky by the Alan Parsons Project. I’ll assist with his hints as
box office mega movies were ET and An Officer And A Gentleman, popular
television programs were Cheers and Family Ties, the St Louis Cardinals won the
World Series, and Queen Elizabeth was in Ottawa as our country patriated its
new Constitution.
Dan Henry as MC for Relay For Life
News team of Chris McMillan and Shelby Knox
The
now 10-year-old radio station is integral in our community whether it be
Christmas toy drives, raising money and awareness for Easter Seals, or simply
by having its community cruiser attend social and charitable functions for live
remote reports and to hand out Heart FM frisbees and coffee mugs.
In
my household we have a saying that Olaf (Movie: Frozen) is ubiquitous, which
means he’s everywhere.
In
Woodstock, Heart FM is everywhere.
The
morning crew of Lainger and Shelby (Paul Laing and Shelby Knox) truly represent
in their personalities – I truly believe -- who we are in Oxford. While Shelby is
somewhat local from the Burford area and delivers the morning news, Lainger
supplies the wit and the morning energy, which is not an easy task based on the
fact he’s on-air at 5:30 a.m. The format of their show includes interviews --
usually around 8:10 -- with a local person promoting a local event.
This
morning, I heard my pal Jan Cunningham from the Canadian Cancer Society chat
about adopting piggy banks to raise money for a program directing dollars to
volunteer drivers for gas expenses as many area cancer patients need assistance
to be delivered to doctor and chemo appointments.
Countless
kids tune in daily at 7:50 as Lainger and Shelby read off the birthday messages
and they provide an extra gift to one lucky winner.
Current
news director Chris McMillan is quick to call as he seeks quotable quotes for
news stories. I have chatted with him on several occasions for the Woodstock
Sports Wall Of Fame and Woodstock Rec & Leisure Fair, for example.
A
local voice in the mid-day chair (9 - 2) is Cody Hayward. It’s obvious he grew
up near Woodstock and his passion for local radio can be easily be detected as
he climbed the ladder as a previous promotions cruiser driver. Just like
myself, Cody graduated from the broadcasting course at Fanshawe College. Racing
runs in the family for Cody as the station website profile says NASCAR is his
favourite sport, while famous and legendary boat racer Bob Hayward (1927-61) is
a member of his family tree.
Dan Henry,
Jan Cunningham from the Canadian Cancer Society's Oxford community office,
and Cody Hayward
When
I think of previous on-air names at Heart FM, I recall both the talents and the
community connections of Adam Nyp, Liz Wismer-VanMeer, John Harada, Monica
Lapajne, and Blair Wilson.
The
music is adult contemporary, so it ranges from Katie Perry to Steve Perry
(Journey) and even Band Perry, Bruno Mars to Walk Off The Earth to Freddie
Mercury, and One Direction, One Republic, U2, 3 Doors Down, (maybe B4 4 -
RyanDan), and of course Maroon 5.
If
your business listens to Heart FM you could currently win a $600 advertising
package if a radio station staffer hears 104.7 in your foyer or storefront.
The
station broadcasts from all 4 corners of the county to publicize Oxford
happenings – Canada Outdoor Farm Show, Zorra Highland Games, Summer Streetfest,
many fairs and tractor pulls, a bounty of benefit events, the farm markets, plus
Cowapolooza, Canterbury folk festival, chilli and soup cooking fundraisers, breakfast
with a Groundhog, sports events, dog shows, parades and Christmas toy drives.
This year’s Salvation Army toy gathering breakfast will be at the TA Truck Stop
on Dec. 9.
Heart
FM, which has been owned by Byrnes Communications since receiving its CRTC
license, deserves all the accolades offered their direction in 2016 as they
prepare for the next decade and beyond.
Paul Laing
A
contest winner this year received a trip to Jamaica.
A
previous on-air winner included a car giveaway.
There
have been lots of winners of Navy Vets hockey tickets, Chicken Soup For The
Soul books, ice cream coupons, DVDs, CDs and maybe even an ATV, but honestly
I’m not sure about the bouncy 4-wheeler.
However,
it must be said that the true winners are the listeners who look forward to
many more years of community entertainment, tunes, participation and promotion,
news and information, and Jeremy Smith on the Sundays with the 80’s tunes I
enjoy.
Congratulations
to Heart FM!
LINKS:
Twitter: @1047HeartFM
**************
Mark Schadenberg, Sales
Representative
Senior Real Estate Specialist
(SRES designation)
Royal LePage Triland Realty
Independently Owned & Operated, Brokerage
757 Dundas St, Woodstock
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