Chris Palliser

Kohl Fast

CMNS 165

March 26^th, 2019

Chris Palliser

            Chris Palliser started as a student of Camosun College in the ACP Program. His interests were focussed on radio and television. Chris started his career early with an internship in Nanaimo. Not long after he was offered a Program Director job in Fort McMurray. It was here where Palliser learned how fun working in radio was. Working for a small community radio allowed Palliser an opportunity to have more freedom in a less corporate atmosphere.

“Radio is community, it’s fun” claims Palliser. He worked for 3 years in Fort McMurray, building his skills before making the move to Edmonton where he worked for Joe FM. He also used his ACP course experience to get some local work for Shaw to help pay his bills.

After leaving Edmonton, Palliser decided to move to Vancouver where he was offered a job at the Beat Radio station. Here was Palliser’s first experience with Radio being bought out by larger corporations. Bell bought the Beat. Palliser worked in Vancouver for Bell and started to realize that he was more drawn to smaller community radio. Vancouver he claims was overwhelming. “Where to start” asks Palliser as he explains that Vancouver is so large and spread out there are many radio communities, making it hard to please everyone.

Palliser was also starting a family and began thinking about moving away from the big city of Vancouver. A perfect opportunity arose in Victoria, 107 Kool FM was re branded as Virgin Radio and Palliser was offered a morning show. Vancouver Island was a perfect seeming place to move his family so he took the job. Palliser also was interested in a smaller community with a less corporate feel. After working solo for 15 years now Palliser had a morning show with a co-host. Palliser explains some of the challenges of sharing a radio show with a partner by explaining how at times two strong radio personalities can clash. “It will just take time” Palliser explains in regards to getting comfortable with one another. Radio shows take time to gain their flow and comfortability.

Palliser explains how he originally felt pressure with the whole re branding. The company had been given a consultant from LA and was also sinking lots of money into this new radio station. With the radio industry changing this re branding was also exciting. Like newspapers, radio stations are also fading, but Palliser claims they will never die completely. There have been lots of lay offs, and Palliser claims he is seeing the corporate side of radio once again. Many people who have been laid off have moved onto successful careers doing Podcasts.

Palliser explains how he and his partner plan their show by staying prepared and knowing their topic. “You have to be prepared, otherwise you just go on and on” explains Palliser. By using ratings and targeting certain age demographics for specific times of the radio shows makes for getting the most listeners. Palliser explains that “the idea of the show is community, community, community. And with his new morning show, Palliser feels the most attached to the community and hopes to continue his career for many years to come, in Victoria.