North Bay was the launching point for the Echo Community Podcast Network as an enthusiastic group looked on as it unveiled its premiere show and digital newsletter at an event Thursday at the North Bay Museum.
Echo says it was "the first step in a vision to increase and amplify local voices while filling in the gaps of a severely reduced media landscape — organized in a way that can be replicated in other communities."
“We believe North Bay and every community like it wants more local coverage and we’re creating a novel business model to help fill those needs,” says Echo's principal partner, Scott Clark of Clark Communications.
"The talented Lisa Boivin is hosting our very first podcast production, called 'To North Bay with Love,' and running twice a week. I know for sure everybody is going to be blown away,” Clark adds.
Boivin has a long list of theatre and television credits to her name, starting with the Nipissing Stage Company and then becoming a versatile member of the 22 Wing Band. She's been busy the past few years acting in a number of shows and productions while establishing herself as an accomplished director, writer, singer and actor.
"I'm excited to host my own show, it's so different from anything I've done. It uses all my skill sets, from planning to coordinating to performing — and I also love being in the moment without a script."
Long-time journalist Dave Dale is on board as podcast content director and editor of the Echo Essentials newsletter. His job will be to connect readers to the most interesting stories and podcasts three times a week — as well as promote coverage by other media platforms — while adding important context.
Dale has toiled for The Nugget, BayToday and Anishinabek News over three decades, and says his aim is to bring the community’s story-tellers together and amplify their efforts to everyone’s benefit.
“This is what I’ve been working toward for 35 years, a truly multi-media approach to story-telling that captures a more complete picture of what is happening in the community,” he says.
Echo is also releasing its first of a series of "Backroads Bill" podcast shows, featuring Bill Steer, with the inaugural offering featuring Terry Fox monuments in Northern Ontario — just in time to promote the 43rd annual Terry Fox Run to support cancer research on Sunday.
Erin Trafford is a former radio personality in North Bay and is also a founding Echo partner with her Halifax and Toronto-based Story Studio Network (SSN) providing the latest in podcast development and marketing expertise.
"The media landscape has been fractured by technology and economics, but we’ve found a way to bridge the gaps,” Trafford says in describing how the podcast format “blends the best parts of journalism and the lost art of dialogue." She adds, "We believe this concept can be replicated in other communities.”
The success of North Bay Echo will lead to network expansion in other communities, Clark says, noting Trafford has “invaluable experience in the podcast world and is at the forefront of emerging communication opportunities.”
More Echo-branded podcast shows are in the development process to be launched in the coming weeks. A wide variety of interests, including shows about community issues, high school sports, and entertainment and business will be covered.
The shows will be available through the NorthBayEcho.ca website and wherever listeners stream or download podcasts.
Also part of the network are independent podcasters such as TheFrontline, which specializes in hockey coverage of U18 AAA Trappers, NOJHL Powassan Voodoos, OHL Battalion and a variety of OUA Nipissing Lakers teams. Dale’s Small Town Times YouTube channel is also listed, with more independent shows by a variety of content creators to be added.
Echo is looking for hosts and guests for a number of other shows that cover core areas of interest, including community issues and niche topics like railroading, aviation and mining.
For more information, please contact, Dave Dale at 705-498-2050 or email at [email protected].
