BayFM wins award for best community radio station in Canada

Broadcast Dialogue announced the 2023 recipients yesterday and Bayfm won for the small market division.

BayFM has won the award for best community radio station in Canada. Broadcast Dialogue announced the 2023 recipients yesterday and BayFM won for the small market division. It recognizes overall excellence in broadcasting, awarded to a station operating as a not-for-profit, demonstrating its ability to impact and engage with its campus and/or community audience, including but not limited to community service and involvement, creativity, innovation. Board Chair Kody Gardner says what has been accomplished in the past year is something wonderful. Station Manager Lenny Benoit has 35 years experience in radio but says he’s never received an award like this.

Meanwhile, at the station Wednesday night, BayFM embarked upon a new adventure with the election of a new board of directors. Leading the helm of Bay of Islands Radio Inc. for the next two years is Chair Kody Gardner. Terry Boland and Emma Waterman will stay as Vice Chair and Secretary. New members on the board include Steve Churchill, Quinn Jesso, Jeff Keeping, Mike Payne, Kristen Pittman, Tarragh Shanahan and Max Simms. Chair Kody Gardner says it was an opportunity for anyone interested in radio to get involved. BayFM has become the voice of the community. From around 300,000 streamed minutes per month to over 2 million today, which is a 9.88 percent increase since October. Last month, the average listening time online stood at 69.85 minutes.