Host of In The Money podcast, Amber Kanwar poses for a photograph in her recording studio in Toronto on Jan. 10.Christopher Katsarov/The Globe and Mail
After 15 years at Business News Network, now known as BNN Bloomberg, anchor Amber Kanwar is taking the leap: She’s going out her own, with an investing podcast.
Starting this week, Ms. Kanwar, who left BNN in November, will host a twice-weekly show called In the Money with Amber Kanwar. The program will be available in an audio-only format, but will also be recorded on camera and posted on YouTube. The format: Hour-long interviews with portfolio managers and investing experts who will talk about stocks they love and hate, and who will also take audience questions.
It’s the kind of content that is catnip for a certain breed of investor. And in a way, it’s not all that different from what Ms. Kanwar was doing at BNN. The channel’s lunch hour has long been filled with portfolio managers who opine on the markets – and viewers tune in religiously.
“They want ideas. Actionable ideas. Mostly about individual stocks,” she said in an interview.
But her show will be on different platforms, and journalists who debate the solo leap have to consider whether their fans are loyal enough to travel with them. Sometimes, they find it easier to stick with the bundle provided by the historical brand.
And because Canada’s population is small relative to the U.S. – roughly the size of California – it can be tricky for solo publishers to get the scale needed to cement a sustainable business model.
Ms. Kanwar openly acknowledges all of that. But she said the winds are also shifting. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Canadians of all ages moved more online, and traditional publications and TV channels face constant disruption from the likes of Substack, TikTok and YouTube.
“Honestly, a few years ago I would have felt a lot more cautious,” Ms. Kanwar said.
Plus, one of the biggest trends in the podcast world has been a convergence with video. Even when the format is simply two people talking, listeners love to watch the video feed of the conversation. This trend is catching on so quickly that some media consultants predict the format will soon replace the cable TV model. Cord cutting is hitting cable companies hard, and the trend is one of the reasons BCE Inc., which owns BNN, saw its stock slide 36 per cent in 2024.
For people with traditional radio backgrounds, adding video of an audio podcast can feel jarring. But for Ms. Kanwar, it feels natural. Plus, she said, video makes it easier to market the program because she can post clips on Instagram and TikTok.
One of the biggest trends in the podcast world has been a convergence with video, and some media consultants predict the format will soon replace the cable TV model.Christopher Katsarov/The Globe and Mail
As for the business model, she’s lined up two sponsors to start. Bank of Montreal has signed on as an anchor sponsor, and ATB Financial will sponsor a segment known as Pro Picks.
Ms. Kanwar describes these partnerships as win-win. Marketers know the video-podcast trend is catching on, but when it comes to investing, brands have to be careful with who they trust. Financial influencers, or “finfluencers,” have exploded in popularity, but sometimes they’re advertisers (or self-promoters) first, and journalists second.
“It’s dangerous for marketers to deploy money and then find out someone is talking their own book,” she said, referring to influencers or media personalities who promote or slam stocks but do not disclose whether they have bought or shorted the securities, and therefore have a personal agenda. Ms. Kanwar, meanwhile, was raised with ethical guidelines at BNN, where investments disclosures are mandatory and there is a journalistic rigour to the approach.
But more than anything, she hopes the format will be something listeners and viewers connect with. Social-media feeds today are filled with promotional content; Ms. Kanwar wants to deliver something different.
“People want authentic conversations,” she said.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include the full name of BNN Bloomberg.