24/7 Comedy
24/7 Comedy was a 24-hour live, commercial-free radio format produced by iHeartMedia's Premiere Networks in the United States and by Bell Media in Canada. It showcased the stand-up comedy routines of established and emerging comedians in a rapid-fire presentation style and was programmed by an array of comedians and comedy experts. The network targeted a 18-54 demographic range. It remains available through the iHeartRadio app in a more automated form, and in Canada through IHeart's Bell Media-managed presences.
It was first conceived in April 2008 by Bill Bungeroth, who had his partner George Gimarc design the format. 24/7 Comedy's debut on air was September 27, 2010 in Riverside, California, on KFNY, and a few weeks later digitally on iHeartRadio on October 22, 2010. Bungeroth's company was purchased by what was then Clear Channel in July 2012.
Short and fast-paced comedic bits are broadcast all day and night, averaging two to four minutes, like music formats. A different comedian would appear weekly as a guest host, often with on the road stories about their routines and featuring their favorite fellow comedians.
Clear Channel started phasing out the format from its stations in early 2014, with it discontinuing over-the-air on August 3, 2014. Non-iHeart-owned stations then transitioned to another network known as "Today's Comedy," which launched concurrently with 24/7 Comedy's closure.
Astral Media introduced the network on AM stations CHAM and CKSL in Hamilton and London, Ontario in 2012 under the Funny brand. They were a rarity among Canadian radio networks in that the majority of their programming originated almost entirely from outside Canada; the long-standing Canadian content requirements do not apply to spoken-word programming. However, the stations did provide limited local inserts, and later added the late-night show Humble & Fred, produced from sister station CFRB.
Former affiliate(s)
United States
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