On this episode of Rick and Friends, Rick Maddison sits down with Mark Burley, the executive director of Downtown Kelowna Association and former radio program director with Bell Media.

Mark shares a behind-the-scenes view into the explosive growth and the gradual economic bounceback of downtown Kelowna, the Downtown on Call program, homelessness in our streets and even the future of radio.

“You kind of get an urban centre within an urban centre,” Mark notes as he lists off a shout out of several individual businesses downtown.

So what about radio?

“I'm still a consumer of radio, both as a business and as a consumer,” he shares. “It's just that it is changing, and the content is changing.” 

The mandate for Canadian content started in the 90s with MAPL (music, artist, publisher, lyrics), and when asked who the top five “Bryan Adams” Canadian artists he’s seen throughout his career, Mark responds without hesitation: “The Weeknd. Oh man, he took the world by storm.”

A notable band who Mark is certain would have gotten airplay with or without Canadian content rules being put in place is The Guess Who. 

With many limiting rules and requirements about what can go on the air, Mark does have an exciting tip for any new Canadian artist out there: that 5% of what stations are playing must be from emerging Canadian artists. He explains, “If you were an artist and you released a record tomorrow, they would consider you an emerging artist for two years.”

What is the Downtown on Call (DOC) program?

The Downtown on Call (DOC) team is devoted to keeping downtown Kelowna a positive social environment. There are 42 square blocks that are patrolled by six members. This team helps with coordinating homelessness downtown by building relationships with those living on our streets (such as those who might be sleeping in doorways to keep warm) with managing the expectations of the businesses.

“For every 100 DOC incidents or calls that we do, we only find it necessary for us to call the RCMP 12 times. So 12% of the time,” Mark explains.

Find more episodes of Rick and Friends on KelownaNow Streaming and Spotify.