Pattison Media Brings Programmatic Radio Options To Canada

Why It Matters

By integrating radio into programmatic workflows, advertisers gain a unified buying experience, unlocking new efficiency and measurement for a traditionally manual channel.

Key Takeaways

• Resonate enables programmatic radio buying via Google DV360 and other DSPs.
• First confirmed ad purchased programmatically and aired on broadcast radio.
• Platform applies CPM pricing and impression‑based metrics to radio.
• Mirrors programmatic shifts seen in out‑of‑home advertising.
• Expected to lower entry barriers and increase radio ad spend efficiency.

Pulse Analysis

Programmatic buying has reshaped digital, video, connected TV and out‑of‑home by automating inventory selection, pricing and reporting. Yet broadcast radio, despite its trusted reach and low cost, remained locked in manual sales processes, limiting transparency and scalability for modern marketers. As advertisers increasingly demand real‑time data, audience‑based pricing and cross‑channel efficiency, the absence of a programmatic gateway for radio created a strategic blind spot in media plans. Pattison Media’s new offering directly addresses that gap.

The platform, branded Resonate, plugs radio into the same demand‑side platforms (DSPs) that power Google DV360, The Trade Desk and similar tools. By translating airtime into impression units priced on a CPM basis, Resonate lets agencies bid, schedule and measure radio spots with the same dashboards used for digital campaigns. Pattison demonstrated the first confirmed programmatic‑purchased ad aired over the air at Radio Days North America, showcasing seamless delivery from a DSP to a traditional transmitter. The model mirrors the recent programmatic transformation of out‑of‑home, where fixed locations gave way to impression‑driven buying.

For advertisers, the shift promises faster campaign rollout, granular audience targeting and unified reporting across media channels, potentially boosting radio’s share of total ad spend. Broadcasters gain access to a larger pool of programmatic demand, reducing reliance on legacy sales teams. However, success will hinge on accurate audience measurement, inventory standardization and willingness of brands to allocate budgets to a newly automated channel. If adoption scales, Resonate could set an industry benchmark, prompting other radio networks in North America and beyond to launch comparable programmatic solutions.