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For Sarah Cummings, it\u2019s the foundation of a massive, evolving audio ecosystem. As the director of radio content for iHeartRadio Canada and Orbyt Media under the umbrella of Bell Media, Cummings oversees more than 350 stations \u2014 a footprint that spans major market powerhouses, independent partners, community and campus stations, and countless podcasts and playlists. <\/p>\n
It’s a modern evolution of the role of radio, one that adapts to fit changing technological trends, listening habits and ownership models. But it’s also refreshingly old-school. “Radio has always been built on trust,” she avows. <\/p>\n
Cummings has a long and influential history with radio, becoming the first female programming director for legendary Toronto station CHUM in 2017, before taking on her current role which revolves around evolving audio strategy amidst an always-transforming digital landscape.<\/p>\n As a member of the board of directors at FACTOR, Cummings is also following the conversations surrounding the Online Streaming Act<\/a> and the debate over how Canadian content should be supported in a globalized market. She advocates for a holistic approach \u2014 one where Canadian artists are supported, not just by CanCon quotas, but by coverage, curation and emerging music programs. There’s a lot of goodwill for Canadian creators right now, she says, and the opportunities are wide open. <\/p>\n In this Executive of the Week conversation, Cummings discusses the strategy behind iHeartRadio\u2019s massive consolidation, the “clear lines” her team won’t cross with AI, the inspiring success of Heated Rivalry<\/em>, and the move behind a “frictionless” radio landscape that moves beyond the dial.<\/p>\n You oversee English radio stations for Bell Media, plus iHeartRadio\u2019s stations, app, podcasts, playlists and syndication. What does a typical day look like for you?<\/strong><\/p>\n Two days are never the same. I’ve got a great team of people in Toronto and a few across the country. We do all the music programming for all of the radio stations across Bell Media. We do all of the imaging, national contesting, everything from start-to-finish for anything that goes under one of our brands. I also work closely with the on-air talent and the program directors at each of our radio stations. I also work with our teams developing podcasts, both on the radio side and across Bell Media, which is a big focus for us in 2026. <\/p>\n There are over 300 Canadian stations on iHeartRadio. What is the strategy behind that consolidation?<\/strong><\/p>\n There’s over 350 now across Canada, plus we work closely with our partners in the U.S. We\u2019ve got a majority of the major broadcasters available on iHeartRadio, but also a lot of independents and college radio stations. It’s really something for everyone. That was our goal, to really make iHeartRadio a destination \u2014 for live radio, but also audio content in general. People can design their own playlists, they can listen to podcasts, to digital stations. We launched a station with Bryan Adams last year, for instance. We have a new music station that we fill with all the new music that comes out every Friday. We have playlists based on genres and decades. Made In Canada is one of our favourites.<\/p>\n How are you adapting the medium to maintain its relevance in a personalized, on-demand audio world? You have the word \u201cradio\u201d in your title, but radio means something very different from what it meant 15 or 20 years ago. <\/strong><\/p>\n It’s so true, and it’s fun and interesting to watch. However, as times change and evolve, what we’re really seeing is a resurgence of what made radio great in the early days. That\u2019s personalities, connecting with people, and the importance of a local focus. The trustworthy factor is major. Radio has always been built on trust. <\/p>\n There\u2019s also a desire for expertly curated music on radio. For a long time personalization has been huge, and that’s still very important, but people turn to radio to know that somebody put thought and effort into this. They thought about choosing this song, and choosing this song to go after that song. <\/p>\n Then there\u2019s the extension of that, which is the ability to, if you miss your favourite morning show, pick it up on demand. Then from there, maybe they branch out. Maybe that host also hosts a podcast, and then they want to hear that. Having that all available in one platform has been really beneficial for us. It feels like there\u2019s an endless amount of opportunities.<\/p>\n A recent Numeris survey found that a <\/strong>majority of Canadians are still listening to radio<\/strong><\/u><\/a>, but many are streaming it or listening to it differently, not necessarily tuning in on the airwaves. How do you adapt to that?<\/strong><\/p>\n Our goal is to make it frictionless to get your content wherever you want it, whenever you want it. We see people listening differently<\/u><\/a> depending on where they are. We know a lot of radio listening still happens in a car. We want to make it easy to go from there to your phone and then on your commute to work or at the gym. <\/p>\n Regardless of where people are listening, how can we make it easily accessible? Some of our stations have shows available on YouTube, some of our stations have incredible TikTok followings and are producing content there.<\/p>\n