The Hawk Dialed in to Community

NOTE: Communications Nova Scotia will be releasing feature stories over the next few weeks, highlighting the newest charter members of the Nova Scotia "Come to life" initiative. Nova Scotia "Come to life" is a public-private-sector initiative that markets Nova Scotia as an excellent place in which to live, work, invest, play, and visit. The following feature story was written by Marie Weeren.

The Hawk is tuned into its community.

Based in Port Hawkesbury, the family-owned radio station draws upon creativity, innovation and a respect for tradition to connect with listeners in Inverness, Richmond, Antigonish and Guysborough counties.

"Our focus, with a station like ours, is the community -- there's no question," says president and general manager Bob MacEachern who, with his wife Brenda, purchased the station in 1994. "We're influenced by the demands of the community, and that reflects in all aspects of our programming, from the music we play, to the specialized programming that we air, to the community events that we promote and cover, and how we relate in our news department as well."

The Hawk's website also reflects the station's community focus.

"We probably have the best radio/community website in Nova Scotia, because it is detailed, it provides the information people need – we don't do just the basics," MacEachern says. "We sit down and say: 'How can we do more, offer them more?' And we're always pushing, pushing, pushing to say: 'Can we not deliver that to our audience faster, and in a better way?'"

Employee creativity provides the answers.

"The business tends to attract creative people naturally, and you need those people because there are demands," says MacEachern, who worked his way up from weekend overnight DJ to manager, before buying the station. "The technology around us is changing so fast, and we have to be on top of that. It takes a lot of creativity to be ahead of the game, to bring your listeners with you. And that goes from creativity from the technology side, right through to on-air programming and contesting. We're always being challenged on the creative side."

Innovation is also part of 101.5 The Hawk's success. In addition to the early introduction of a website and live Internet stream, MacEachern says The Hawk was the first radio station in Eastern Canada to use the Burli program for news -- software MacEachern says has resulted in a paperless newsroom.

And the innovation doesn't stop there. The Hawk is considering a move to digital radio.

"We're part of the industry and you have to keep up with the times," MacEachern says. "It's an exciting opportunity, I think, because again it provides more information to the listener, and the more you can push out to the listener, the better. And do it on their terms."

The Hawk, which has 12 full-time employees, is an adult contemporary music station that also pays tribute to traditional music and emerging East Coast talent. The station’s longest-running show, Highland Fling, which began in 1975, features traditional fiddle music. East Coast Rising spotlights artists from the region through interviews and music. The program has been nominated for Music Industry Association of Nova Scotia and East Coast Music Association awards.

Growing up in Judique, Inverness Co., the home of revered Cape Breton fiddler Buddy MacMaster, MacEachern was surrounded by music. He recalls kitchen ceilidhs at home – he was the youngest of eight – and adult dances called Pig 'n Whistles. As a teenager, he started to be influenced by modern music.

In high school, MacEachern participated in a station initiative that gave local schools an opportunity to develop and deliver programming. He was encouraged to apply for an opening and became a weekend overnight announcer.

By the time the station went up for sale in 1994, MacEachern was station manager. He and his wife Brenda, who he met on the job, decided to buy it.

"We knew the business, we knew it certainly had a future, and it could be successful, so we jumped into it," MacEachern says. "We purchased our own jobs."

In 2000, The Hawk switched from AM to FM, which MacEachern says quadrupled the station's potential listening audience. The station's five-year sales projections were met in the first year. Today, listenership and advertising sales continue to grow.

"Certainly the listening audience is very, very loyal," MacEachern says. "There are people here who have listened to this radio station and none other for over 30 years, and they've gone through all of our growing pains with us. For us, it's very heartening to know that kind of support is out there, and when we're out in the community, we see it all the time."

And MacEachern is adamant that such support be rewarded.

"We do a lot of partnerships with community groups," MacEachern says. "We really go out of our way when we know there's a significant event happening for them, to see what we can do."

Why not just stick to playing music?

"I don't look at the radio station as a radio station, I look at it as part of the infrastructure of the community. I see that we're playing a role in helping the community grow, and if we can lend our support or our voice to community initiatives and projects, I think that that's what we're meant to do. Having a licence is a neat thing, but it's a public trust."

Peter Chafe, owner of Chafe's Flooring and Furniture in Port Hawkesbury, advertises on The Hawk. He speaks highly of doing business with the station. He also praises MacEachern's involvement with the community, which has included a leadership role in the construction of the Port Hawkesbury Civic Centre.

"He has something that's very important to any community, a means of talking about ourselves," Chafe says. "Nobody does a better job of promoting Port Hawkesbury than Bob MacEachern. He's Port Hawkesbury's ambassador."

Whether he's connecting with the four counties served by The Hawk or spending time with his family, MacEachern enjoys the balanced lifestyle Nova Scotia affords.

"You work hard but you have fun at the same time. It is a great balance. We love it for the kids in particular because they get lots of opportunity to do the things they like to do in a safe environment. So that's real important to us.

"It's all here."

The same can be said for the faithful listeners of 101.5 The Hawk.