Satellite Radio Possibilities: with SiriusXM's Sarah Burke

Satellite radio is often an overlooked media channel. In a world where individuals can subscribe to services that allow them to listen to their music and other programming independent of others … platforms like SiriusXM Canada have to work harder to frame their entertainment offerings to be unique and attractive to their various niche channels.  

 If you are trying to promote a property or story that has a niche audience – satellite radio might be worth investigating rather than overlooking. 

 This media platform drew the attention of Sarah Burke. 

 Her career has grown alongside the evolution of satellite radio. From Rocker DJ to digital music programmer, she moved over from various stints on traditional, terrestrial radio stations finding success in various local Canadian markets, before making the leap and flourishing in this still burgeoning media in Canada. 

 Listening to her story of the limitations but also the opportunities that satellite presents offers an insight into what communicators might want to take advantage of within this largely untapped media platform. 

 I love bringing attention to those who in their own right bring attention to minority voices and stories. Sarah’s Women in Media podcast is well worth a listen for that very reason. Her guests have included stories from women who need to be heard, as well as some who already have amazing platforms; like recording artist Jann Arden, national tv sports anchor Ivanka Osmak, and Canadian Olympian Alysha Newman, who all tell stories from obviously a female perspective … 

That said, whether you’re female or male, I suggest you give Sarah’s podcast a try.  You can also find Sarah on – and behind the scenes – at SiriusXM Canada as well as on her entertaining Twitter feed @BurkeTalks.

 Again, I hope you learned on this podcast something of value as a communicator from the career recollections – to date! – from this episode’s guest – Sarah Burke. 

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Transcript

Transcript:
25 min read (4993 Words)

1 - 0:00:00
I certainly didn't know anything about indigenous culture in Canada before joining SiriusXM programming. The indigenous channel at SiriusXM is what led me to discover what I wanted to learn more about so half the time I just want to learn from the people I'm having on

2 - 0:00:19
satellite radio is often an overlooked media channel in a world where individuals can subscribe to services that allow them to listen to their favorite music and other programming independent of others. Platforms like SiriusXM, Canada. Who had to work harder to frame their entertainment offerings to be unique and attractive to their various niche channels? Hi again, and welcome to Speaking of media. The podcast where communicators and the media come together to consider the world of mass storytelling. I'm Keith Murdoch, former journalist turned corporate communicator and as a communicator I invite you to join me to learn from industry experts from both sides of the media microphone about how to effectively share your stories and messages.

2 - 0:00:57
If you're trying to promote a property or story that has a niche audience, satellite radio might be worth investigating rather than overlooking the media drew the attention of Sarah Burke. Her career has grown alongside the evolution of satellite radio from rocker DJ to digital music programmer. She moved over from various stints on traditional terrestrial radio stations, finding success in various local Canadian markets before making the leap and flourishing in this still burgeoning media in Canada. Listening to her story of the limitations, but also the opportunities that satellite presents, offers an insight into what communicators might want to take advantage of within this largely untapped media platform.

3 - 0:01:43
And so it's my pleasure to welcome Sarah Burke to the Speaking of Media podcast. Sarah is manager of Canadian music programming and a radio host with SiriusXM Radio, and she's also the host of her own podcast Women in Media. So Sarah, I know that you spent a fair deal of time in London. In region where this podcast emanates from, but we haven't really ever connected directly, happy to see you today and I really appreciate the time you've made for us to talk today.

1 - 0:02:12
Well, thanks for having me on.

3 - 0:02:14
It's great to have your insights and your radio dulcet tones on here. Maybe we could just start by kind of examining how you got into satellite radio. You had a successful terrestrial radio career, but what drew you into the satellite world?

1 - 0:02:31
I think it was the idea of having so many different genres and formats at your disposal, and that's certainly become part of my role. You know, while I only programmed a few channels when I started at Sirius now to oversee all the Canadian music programming is very exciting. I think with my time at course entertainment in London, you kind of get pigeonholed into the rock radio Girl rock radio format and being like a go to rock. Person, so it was kind of nice to expand my horizons and think about the future of what I wanted to do.

3 - 0:03:07
So in your role as manager. What is that? What's that look like? What do you trying to achieve on a day to day or sort of short term basis and what's your job look like? I guess

1 - 0:03:18
so. I mean keeping us on the air is always number one, so it's really interesting. And one of the biggest learnings I guess of my new position was looking at the different CRTC regulations. Between terrestrial and satellite radio, and UM, in order to operate the way that we do, we actually have to make sure that we're supporting Canadian emerging artists more than sometimes terrestrial radio. So I have ratios that I have to hit in my programming for any channel that's on our satellite service. Just as an example, 25% new music. And new is defined by music that's been released in the last six months, and that's something I never really dealt with at terrestrial radio at terrestrial.

1 - 0:03:57
They do have like hit versus non hit and emerging ratios, but the new music ratio was a new one for me, and then curating playlist based on those ratios is a big part of what I do. So holding weekly music meetings feature opportunities for stuff that's not perhaps ready for rotation, but that you want to give a little love to developing. Emerging artist programs. Whether it's like studio sessions to help people discover new music or you know a program you might hear on air to help you discover new music, which is a lot of what my show that I host is called Sunday service on our channel, North, Americana and I guess finally, content creation around the music we program.

3 - 0:04:49
And what does that mean? I don't know enough about that,

1 - 0:04:52
so you know, the band The Lumineers they're releasing a new record, and you know what are we going to do to support the record other than playing the music from it. You know, do we want to have band members explaining it? Do we want to have some video production that goes along with it that we can share on socials

3 - 0:05:11
cool? So I guess I'm curious to know, you know, in this ever-changing media landscape, is it more difficult to do? Kind of the projects you just described there you know I'm believing and wondering if bands and artists don't kind of have their own platforms or formats to be able to kind of present themselves. And there maybe not quite as reliant on 3rd party interviews or exposure. What's your sense of that?

1 - 0:05:41
I think a lot of artists, both American and Canadian or international, are concerned with getting like a number one song, and for that they definitely need buy in from their radio partners. That's you know, one sort of piece that we can give back to them when they give something to us. Another let's see similar situation would be streaming right? If you can offer a piece of content creation that will help people stream their record or draw people to stream their record. You know at SiriusXM I would never be sharing, you know, a Spotify link or an Apple link to a record because we're competing in the digital space in a different way.

1 - 0:06:16
But terrestrial radio may do you know a zoom meet and greet that then provides the listeners with something to walk away with? I'm using. Zoom as an example, cause we're still sort of getting out of our pandemic, but whether it's an in-person event or a virtual event, something that would connect people to stream the record after maybe have access to it earlier. Those are the things that develop diehard lifelong fans.

3 - 0:06:50
I guess I'm curious about how again how you got to your role. So how usual is it for sort of an on air or voice to gravitate into managing? Of radio and the programming that goes on it.

1 - 0:07:05
I don't think a lot of people would know this, but my time in in London at FM 96 I did a lot of programming so I was always drawn to creating content in that way. For example, my top 10 show that I used to do which I hosted on the weekends. It was 10 songs with a theme and that was me curating content or a playlist that goes along with, you know, an idea we used to do everything from. You know songs that feature like weird instruments like a kazoo too. You know, maybe if it was around like a year where we had the Olympics come I would.

1 - 0:07:40
I would try and pick, you know it's it was like an international playlist and trying to hit songs from different regions around the world. Or artists you know from I should say, because you know, on FM 96 we were playing mostly English music, but you know what I'm saying? I always had my hands in programming in those ways and I had been a music director in one of my early roles in course entertainment in Kingston. I was only there for seven months. But as soon as you kind of dig into the music programming software, it doesn't really matter which software it is.

1 - 0:08:14
It's very similar across the board. You're developing an equation for how the music should sound at a station, so I always did that stuff. Even though people probably associated me with a name and a face that goes with the show.

3 - 0:08:30
So going back to those days, I suppose you're still doing it to a degree. Obviously, there's a. There's an excitement about getting into radio and being able to talk to artists, especially if you're a fan. What do you consider sort of your biggest get as a guest? Or perhaps maybe ones that you were sort of a fangirl of, or whatever? What ones, or what interviews? I guess, stand out for you so far in your career.

1 - 0:08:55
I really loved speaking to Jason Bonham. So that was really cool to talk to him about his dad and growing up amongst members of Led Zeppelin that was in the London days. Also in the London days you know a rock and roll Hall of Fame interview with Cheap Trick. The year they were being inducted. I just as much though have really enjoyed emerging artist interviews over the years to July talk when they were in their early days Arkell’s when they were in their early days. You know I sort of feel like with some of those bands my career has come up the same way.

1 - 0:09:28
Their career has come up so it's been nice being able to grow sort of alongside some of the artists I've interviewed the last year. It's serious. I interviewed Mike Campbell from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, because he had a new project called The Dirty Knobs and it was very cool to talk to him about how that was born and how much of his love for his work with Tom Petty actually led to that project. Talked to Tom Petty's daughter when they were doing the wild flowers and all the rest release Adria Petty so you know, there's been some really cool connections over the years. And yes, I'm still a rock girl at heart.

1 - 0:10:10
But I do have many other genres that I like now too.

3 - 0:10:17
I'm fascinated that I knew the artists we were talking about. I thought I was going to hear things I was going to have to write down and then Google later, but I can tell you that you've done well for Canadian music as well. I'm glad to hear that. That's sort of part of your mandate without sounding like fan guy myself. But Larry claws are close to my heart cause I know them. And I know that. I think you've interviewed him a few times and I know that.

3 - 0:10:38
They still invest time in radio and that's how they kind of build themselves, and it's good to know that you know Canadian based platforms are still sort of devoted to that. It's not just because they're Canadian either. I think they're you know they and other artists are obviously putting the goods out there that people are listening to, but do you feel that sense of? Supporting Canadiana, yeah, I think it will do it, I guess. Yeah

1 - 0:11:11
yeah, and I think in the Canadian music landscape, especially one of my early observations diving into country which happened in my first year at SiriusXM and I was not expecting it. If I'm being honest. You know there's a real camaraderie amongst artists and the reckless. For instance, it doesn't matter that I've interviewed them six times. Whenever you know whenever I see them there is, there's just a willingness and openness to give the fans something exciting.

1 - 0:11:37
And I'm just the vehicle that's helping that get to the fans. Whether it's you know, a video clip that you're going to share on Instagram or an audio interview, that's going in a in a show somewhere. The rec laws are a great example of understanding that they need to. I give fans, you know, an inside look at music they're working on in their lives. So

3 - 0:12:03
what would you say? Where would you put satellite radio these days? What's the outlook for satellite radio, has it? Is it continuing to grow as it plateaued? And who really do you believe are the is your demographic like? Who's listening to satellite radio? As far as you know?

1 - 0:12:20
I think the demographic is different for each and every nation in genre that you will find on the platform, so I don't think there's one answer to that. I will say that the pandemic in particular drove all different departments of our business to look at where we were the most successful, and while our come up has been in the vehicle in the car, we had to put more eggs in the streaming basket, if that makes sense. Over the last two years so that it's been exciting to work on projects that. You know, I'm working on that with my music team just the same way the marketing team is working on that with what they do. So I think I think that's a big pivot that needed to happen.

1 - 0:12:57
Putting as much weight on the extension of the service outside of the car, but with SiriusXM it's about exclusivity and. Giving subscribers a window into a world that is exciting and exclusive, right? So something like you know, a premiere with The Lumineers, record that I was just talking about and having a weekend takeover on a channel. We have called the spectrum where the guys are walked through the new record, right? You can't do that on a Spotify.

1 - 0:13:31
You can certainly do those types of things in terrestrial radio as well, but when you know, let's say ten options are in front of a band. They do, I think, tend to come. Feel the value of SiriusXM having more reach since it's you know across North America, than one radio station, even if it is a large radio station and that's why what you're seeing in terrestrial radio is a lot of radio stations that share content. Some radio station in Ottawa and some radio station in Toronto and some radio station in London ON. If it's in the same company might be sharing the exact same interview across their platforms with them.

1 - 0:14:10
A dedicated host, right, right? So yes, I don't believe that you know a Spotify would have anything to offer, but just here's the new record and have a listen to it. It's still very important that people can go listen to the music, but at SiriusXM while we can program, you know a full hour of music from that record to play. We can't just release it. That artist piece of work like that for someone to download.

1 - 0:14:44
We can release a show that includes content around it though.

3 - 0:14:53
Is there is there value or a sense around community or communal listening like you're listening to some a show at the same time as other people? I think like in TV terms. Back in the day when there were three American networks and maybe one or two networks in Canada, you watching everybody would watch the same show because there was only so many things to watch, but they were watching it at the same time. When you think of Spotify or Apple music or whatever, people can basically build their own playlists and so on, but they're not getting a sense of what other people. Well, they can share with friends, but they're not really getting a sense of it. You know this is the song that everybody needs to be listening to right now.

3 - 0:15:32
Do you? Do you have a sense of that when you're sort of programming radio on a satellite in a satellite version?

1 - 0:15:41
I think the first time that I thought about this was. Daylight savings time in 2017. Because I realized that the music log that I was programming would have a different start time in various time zones across Canada, you know, and you know when it's midnight in London ON its midnight in London ON for everyone. So satellite radio, you know to have communal listening you can. You almost have to say yeah, join us at 9:00 PM Eastern Time, 6:00 PM Pacific. Right, so you can still do it, but. You know, sometimes when you're if we do a special show and we're going to have rebroadcast of that show, you try to hit the various time zones for that exact reason.

1 - 0:16:25
When it you know someone on the West Coast is wanting to take in a concert at, let's say 9:00 o'clock PM, it's a totally different time for us here in the Eastern Time zone. Like where we're already home from the concert.

3 - 0:16:41
Cool. Let's talk a little bit about diversity. I'm intrigued by your women in Media podcast. Tell us a little bit about that first. Where did? Where did the idea come from and what was your motivation for that?

1 - 0:16:55
I think my motivation was women not being celebrated enough and women being for some reason timid to even talk about them. Success and accomplishments. I come from the rock radio format which we talked about. That's my come up. That's where I came from and. I loved it. I always loved being one of the guys I, you know, I felt comfortable hanging out with a group of guys.

1 - 0:17:19
I, you know, I did feel like they were friends and colleagues and. I never felt any different about it, but once you leave that type of environment. You know you start realizing once you're working in other formats. That wow, this is like literally across the whole music landscape. It's also across the talk landscape.

1 - 0:17:41
It's also across, you know you look at sports like it was just last year that there was that historic all female broadcast with the Raptors. This is everywhere and I didn't see it before. And you know when a male in the entertainment industry wins an award, you know he's the first to talk about it from at least what I've observed. But for some reason women are like making themselves small and being afraid that it'll look at as they're like bragging. Or, you know, there's all these reservations different women have about why they don't talk about their successes and accomplishments.

1 - 0:18:15
So it was basically like a RAH. Let's talk about what. We're all doing cause you know, there's so many successful women really inspiring women in this industry, and I always have had a love for news and journalism sports. You may know that I did the end game host gig for the London Knights in London before I left town. For news. You know, like I was trained in broadcast journalism my I did the joint degree diploma with Western and Fanshawe and my specialty was broadcast journalism.

1 - 0:18:43
I didn't choose the radio stream I chose to do. Broadcast journalism, so this was a way to sort of bring all of my interests as well as like a great platform to maybe create community in my industry.

3 - 0:19:07
We share the same educational background in stream, so that's awesome. Do

1 - 0:19:11
you find MTP? By the way I did?

3 - 0:19:14
I didn't do. I was at Ryerson so I didn't do RTA. Did journalism but I was the first stream. So this is how long ago that was. That was the first stream for broadcast. So radio and television and. Yeah, and actually the people in RTA, did you know are very prominent in terms of, you know, lots of people coming out of Ryerson and out of Fanshawe.

3 - 0:19:32
Both those schools have been producing people for, as you well know, for a very long time and they continue to be intermingled throughout the throughout the broadcast industry. So I always felt fortunate that that was a starting place for me, and I'm glad that you've done so well as well. Do you feel like for your podcast that either you're getting the right guests or you're getting different information, or you're gleaning something different out of your guests because of your experience and who you are?

1 - 0:20:08
I think that the SiriusXM portion attached to you know my name certainly helps. Like you know, I don't know that half of these people would have heard of me, you know, but. I think part of it is women wanting to give to the platform of celebrating other women. That's a big part. I think of helping me get guests, and you know whether it's, you know someone in sports like Evanka Osmak talking about her journey and how she wasn't even sure she wanted to become a mom and how that played into you know her work, life balance and her schedule to, you know, talking about indigenous issues. And you know, I recently had on.

1 - 0:20:48
To friends and colleagues of mine that started a women owned indigenous record label called issued a record. I certainly didn't know anything about indigenous culture in Canada before joining SiriusXM programming. The indigenous channel at SiriusXM is what led me to discover what I wanted to learn more about so half the time I just want to learn from the people I'm having on.

3 - 0:21:19
Well, it's amazing. That's a that's a great outcome for you, from a professional point of view, but it's just a personal growth thing as well, so that's really amazing. What would you say to? And I often ask this with my guests. You know, no matter what kind of work they're doing, but what are you still encouraging women to get into radio generally broadcast more generally, do you see paths for people to still do well in the industry? What's your take when you're approached by people who are pondering that?

1 - 0:21:49
The industry was small when I was getting into it. The industry was small. When you were getting into it, it's only getting smaller. So instead of specializing in one format which for radio forever has been audio, you have to be thinking about the things that supplement your personality outside of audio is always what I would be saying. You know, for some people it's tick tock and going viral and things like that. For other people it may be lending a voice.

1 - 0:22:16
2 voice over work or you know, a weekly segment. On television news. You just have to have several things going on at one time to remain relevant. And I would say that if you don't have the appetite for those types of goals, it's not the best industry for you to be in.

3 - 0:22:39
And knowing that, as you've done, gravitate Ng into management as well. Obviously trying to get an education, it's a little bit more rounded than turning on a microphone or having a particular. Specialty Area I know of someone who's looking to go to Humber next year. There's a music industry course there. I don't know if you're familiar with that or not, but it's a very well-rounded program.

3 - 0:22:58
There's lots of aspects to it. It's not just writing and broadcasting, but understanding all the other elements that you've talked about in terms of promotion and programming and so on. I guess you. I guess it's you know most valuable for people to be well rounded and not kind of like you say kind of. Put yourself into a corner and believe that you're going to do one and only job in when it comes to broadcasting.

1 - 0:23:25
Listen when I join SiriusXM I came from a place where I was showing up at work at like noon or 1:00 o'clock PM and jumping on the air. I didn't have Outlook email edits etiquette. I didn't have any idea how to do a PowerPoint presentation. I'll tell you that much. Those are all things that I had to learn from my colleagues. And I was lucky enough in my early days.

1 - 0:23:45
You know, of course entertainment. Even being an on-air host. Because I chose to do broadcast journalism in my interest, sort of changed over my time in in university. In college you know I was lucky enough again that people showed me the ropes when I had a part time job at course entertainment so that I could properly decide if I wanted to do something else. In this case it was doing a radio show versus the news.

1 - 0:24:10
So I think you know; I think we were living in like a rapidly changing time and what I say today. Is going to be very different. You know three months from now, a year from now. Five years from now. I guess to close that thought if you asked me in 2014 if I thought I would be in this position.

1 - 0:24:28
The answer is no. And people in this industry should probably expect that the road may lead to somewhere different with how rapidly it's changing,

3 - 0:24:44
right? And you know, building on that is are there things that you are aware of or that you would like to try that you could leverage out of your current position? Like, do you see yourself going onto the music side? You know, not being a broadcaster anymore, but maybe finding yourself you know, working with a, you know an artist or something like that? Or is there anything that this current place that you find yourself in your career might vault you too?

1 - 0:25:15
I met a really interesting point in my career where I value being able to create content, but I also love strategizing content, so I actually don't know what my next step is, and I usually know I usually know like forever. I said I wanted to be a program director. You know, I said that to my course entertainment boss. I was still saying that to my first SiriusXM boss, but I have just recently determined that I don't want that anymore and that was my dream for a really long time. Now that I know what it entails fully and I have a good background on what the day-to-day would look like, that's what helped me make the decision that that's not what I want anymore, so I would say I'm shopping.

1 - 0:26:00
Right now I'm trying to find, you know where I land next and what's you know what's interesting about that is I don't think there's a position out there that's. A perfect blend of the two things I might have to create it.

3 - 0:26:16
Well, it's an exciting time and you've earned that right to be there and to be thinking about what more you can do there. So I really want to thank you for your time, Sarah very much appreciated. I know that there's people who listen to this particular podcast at a very probably smaller rate than your podcast, but who really appreciate hearing a little bit about your story. And it's great for us to be able to share that. I'll make sure people are able to find your women in Media podcast and will direct them to SiriusXM. See if we can sell a few more subscriptions there on the on the show notes and but again, thanks so much for doing this and I look forward to connecting with you again soon.

1 - 0:26:56
Yes, thank you so much for having me.

2 - 0:26:58
I love bringing attention to those who in their own right, bring attention to minority voices and stories. Sarah women in Media Podcast is well worth a listen for that very reason. Her guests have included stories from women who need to be heard, as well as some who already have pretty amazing platforms like recording artist Jann, Arden, national TV, sports anchor Evanka Osmak and Canadian Olympian Alysha Newman. All who tell stories obviously from a female perspective. That said whether you're female.

2 - 0:27:27
Bored male, I suggest you give Sarah's podcast a try. You can also find Sarah on and behind the scenes at SiriusXM Canada as well as on her entertaining Twitter feed at Burke talks. Again, I hope you learn on this podcast something of value as a communicator from the career recollections to date from this episode, guest Sarah Burke. And that is this edition of Speaking of media. Please subscribe to our podcast through Apple or Amazon or wherever you download and listen to your favorite podcasts.

2 - 0:27:53
Hey, you can even just ask Alexa and she will find the show for you. Hopefully you'll also like and comment on the show through our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter feeds as well as on my LinkedIn page where you'll hear about upcoming episodes and guests. And be sure to tell others who you think might enjoy it as well. Your feedback is appreciated and know that it does influence the content and guests that we try to present. We want to build a community of communicators, to put us in a better position to create relevant content, secure more great guests and insightful commentary, and ultimately reach a broader audience on a weekly basis.

2 - 0:28:31
Thanks for listening. I'm Keith Marnoch and I look forward to our next time together when we will be Speaking of media.