Q107 Leads the Way for Female Listeners in Toronto

#radio #toronto #rockradio #classicrock #q107 #womenofrock

Toronto's long time rock radio station Q107 has posted some interesting numbers in the latest Numeris PPM analysis released this week. The once "Classic Rock" radio station went through a branding shift last year and declared themselves as "Toronto's Rock," in an attempt to branch out to a wider audience. Radio programmers altered their playlists to include more current rock music with a large emphasis on 90s grunge and current Canadian bands like the Arkells.

The shift seemed to pay off as Q107 proved to be the #1 radio station for male AND female listeners aged 25-54. Global News reported that this is the first time in over 15 years the Toronto station has reached #1 in the GTA.

While Q107 has always had a large male following, it's the increase in female listeners that is interesting. Recently the industry of rock n' roll has shifted with many of the genres most notable gatekeepers being female. From streaming executives, to radio hosts, to rock based music publications, the increased female presence in rock music hasn't gone unnoticed.

The narrative now shifts to what listeners get to hear on the radio. Rock music has always favoured male-fronted bands over female, and with a wide variety of Canadian female rock music coming out, it will be interesting to see if stations like Q107 follow suit. Canadian artists like The Beaches, JJ Wilde and renforshort have been releasing a solid amount of rock music over the past few years but have been yet to be recognized by stations like Q.

At the end of the day, replaying bands like Fleetwood Mac, Blondie and Joan Jett isn't enough female representation. It would be nice to see Canada's top tier stations adjust their programming to have more female rock voices from right here in Canada.