Support
Frequently Asked Questions
What our placements cover, how booking works, and how to reach us — in one place.
About the service
What exactly do I get with each placement?
Each placement is a fixed format: a 30-second host-read mention in one podcast episode, a four-week credit on the Local Life section of our website with two newsletter mentions, or the three-month Seasonal Partner Package described on our Advertise page. What is included is listed against each price and does not change once you have booked.
What area does Muskeg Signal actually cover?
We report and advertise for lower-city Hamilton — Corktown, Gore Park, the International Village, Durand and the escarpment stairs. If your business or event sits outside that stretch, tell us before booking; we will say plainly whether it is a fit.
What format is the podcast and how long is a mention?
Episodes run as a conversational lower-city news podcast. A sponsor mention is a fixed 30 seconds, read live by the host from a script you approve in advance, placed mid-episode rather than tacked on at the start or end.
Process & scheduling
How do I start a booking?
Send a message through the contact form or call us during business hours. We reply with the next available slot for the placement you want and a short brief so we can draft your script or web copy.
What happens after I approve a script or mock-up?
Once you approve the wording, we lock the recording or publish date. For the Episode Shout-Out Spot that means the next episode in production; for the Local Life Sponsorship and the Seasonal Partner Package it means the start date we agreed on the shared calendar.
How far ahead should I book?
A couple of weeks of lead time gives us room to fit your placement into the recording or publishing schedule comfortably. We can sometimes move faster for the Episode Shout-Out Spot — ask when you get in touch.
Pricing & payment
What does the listed price include?
The three prices on our Advertise page are the full cost of each placement as described there — no separate production fee. They do not include a second production run if you ask for the creative to be reworked after approval.
What if I need to cancel or change dates?
Our cancellation and refund terms are set out in full at Payment & refund policy, with the long-form version at refund-cancellation.html. In short: tell us as early as you can and we will work out a fair option together.
Practical
What are your hours?
We're reachable Monday – Friday, 08:00–16:30, Eastern Time (ET) — Hamilton. Messages sent outside that window are answered the next business day.
How do I reach the team directly?
Email [email protected] or call +1 905-572-7474. Our office is at 7 West Avenue South, Hamilton, ON L8N 2R9, a short walk from Gore Park.
In numbers
The durations, at a glance
30s
Episode Shout-Out Spot
14 days
Listen count delivery
4 weeks
Local Life Section run
3 months
Seasonal Partner Package
Before you book
What to have ready
Have your business or organization name, the message or event you want covered, any firm dates, and one contact who can sign off on the script or mock-up. That is enough for us to send a first draft.
Scope
What we don't do
We do not run advertising outside the three formats on our Advertise page, and we do not offer a discounted rate for a longer run of the Episode Shout-Out Spot beyond what is listed. We also do not cover businesses or events outside lower-city Hamilton as part of a paid placement.
Advertising never buys editorial coverage — a placement and a news story are handled by different parts of the same small team, and one does not influence the other.
Getting started
How to start advertising with us
E1
Send a message through the contact form or call during business hours.
E2
Tell us which placement fits and the message or dates involved.
E3
Approve the script or mock-up we send back.
E4
The placement runs, and we send the agreed reporting figure afterward.
What isn't included
Where the line sits
A booked placement covers exactly the format, run length and deliverable listed for it — nothing beyond that is included automatically. A second script rewrite after approval, an extra episode mention, or coverage outside lower-city Hamilton would each be a separate conversation, not part of the standard price.
Still have questions?