Some days I pretend that Nora Young and I are best friends. And that Jesse Brown and I hang out at pubs together, and I go to concerts with Tariq Hussain.
Then, I wake up and thank god for the CBC.
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation is one of the best public broadcasters in the world, and they’re also one of the most important bastions of Canadian content on television, radio, and the web.
It’s no surprise that CBC Television shines because of its amazing news programs, and stands out equally for some of the best documentary programming on television anywhere in the world.
What many people don’t realize is that CBC Radio, an oft-forgotten part of the broadcaster’s arsenal, is a shining example of the variety, breadth, depth, and quality of CanCon and equally represents the diversity of the Canadian population.
Saving Canadian Content
There is no shortage of amazing shows on CBC Radio, appealing to people with varying interests: contemporary and classical music, technology, literature, current events, humor, and more. CBC podcasts are among the most downloaded episodes in the entire iTunes catalog.
So why is the Canadian government even considering cutting funding to one of the most interesting and valuable parts of Canadian culture?
In a time where the CRTC is increasingly concerned about new media and the preservation of Canadian content, why would the government choose to cut funding to a broadcaster that is actively using new media to push quality Canadian programming — and one that has already proven successful at using the web to engage people around the world with Canadian issues and debates?
Listening to Quality
I’ll leave you with those questions — to be honest, I don’t have much of an answer. In the meantime, if you’re not already listening to CBC podcasts, here’s a few that I particularly enjoy:
- Search Engine: All about the internet. And stuff related to the internet. Which is almost everything.
- Spark: Technology, culture and everything in between. Including some recent awesome guest spots by Merlin Mann.
- Radio 3 Sessions: Live recordings by Canada’s busiest and best independent artists.
- Best of Ideas: A podcast about ideas. Because people ideas can change the world, and perhaps, are the only ones that ever have.
- Best of The Current: If it’s relevant and current and affects you and your daily life, it’s going to be on this podcast.
That’s just a small sampler of all the amazing programming available on the CBC.
Do you have any particular CBC shows, podcasts, or memories that stand out for you?
I agree fully the CBC is pretty much the only thing I use FM radio for. I first discovered Metro Morning while commuting between Barrie and Toronto. Kept me sane on some of those long trips. I miss Andy Barrie!
You can get a listing of CBC podcasts here: http://www.cbc.ca/podcasting/
Oh yeah, I too am a HUGE fan of Metro Morning, and it has been sad to see Andy Barrie go.
I was interviewed by Jane Hawtin on Metro Morning a few months ago, and she was wonderful as well. I’m sure we’re in good hands.
I’d like to add this to the discussion:
http://cbcpodcasts.wordpress.com/
The CBC is really shining lately and I love it. They seem to be exploring digital media a lot more now too and different outlets to get content to Canadians (including podcasts et cetera) and figuring out how to use them effectively. It’s exciting and great to be able to participate with them and help them take shape since they all rely so much on their audience to contribute and weigh in. It feels like they’re almost becoming a crowdsourced media outlet both by and for it’s audience.
For me, it isn’t CBC Radio that’s oft forgotten as much as CBC TV. I do watch it when I am looking for TV News. But it doesn’t stand head and shoulders over all other TV stations the way CBC Radio stands head and shoulder above all other radio stations. There isn’t another that comes close. Personally, as a Canadian taxpayer, I don’t begrudge a single penny of my taxes that goes to CBC Radio.
Other CBC Podcasts worth listening to:
- The Best of DNTO (Definitely Not The Opera)
- Quirks and Quarks (Science)
- Tapestry (Religion and Spirituality)
Some of my favourite CBC programming is, unfortunately, unavailable as podcast, but can be listened to on the Radio or in Internet streams:
- The Debaters (humour)
- Randy’s Vinyl Tap (music from Randy Bachman’s collection)
- Age of Persuasion (media analysis and history)
I’ve also been known to listen to (on the radio):
- The Vinyl Cafe (Variety show, taped live across the country)
- The House (Canadian politics)
- Inside Track (sports, sort of)
- Cross Country Check-up (phone-in)
- As It Happens (Current event interviews - available in podcast)
- Dispatches (foreign mini-documentaries)
- Q
- Big City, Small World (Toronto culture)
I’m kind of addicted to CBC. It started in University when I didn’t have a TV and lived by myself. CBC was always on keeping me company. These days I still don’t have a TV but don’t get to listen to it as much as I want to. Favourites include: Q, Canada Reads, Vinyl Cafe, Writers & Company, As It Happens, Between the Covers… in fact, I can’t even think of them all.
Thanks for the link Rajio! I really do commend the CBC for their exploration of digital media. They may not always get it right, but at least they’re trying.
David, you’re right that CBC Radio stands head and shoulders above other radio networks (though I am a fan of NPR Radio) but in my little short informal survey, most people — at least in my neighborhood — know of CBC as a TV news channel and were completely clueless about the radio programming. I’d say that’s indicative of large pockets of the Toronto population.
Thanks for sharing those podcast and radio picks though! I wish I could listen to them all, but I just don’t have the time!
Oh, and Melanie, I’ve long been tempted to completely drop my TV and just depend on digital radio. The CBC would probably keep me occupied enough to do it — but I think I’m going to end up keeping my TV to watch the NFL, which is one thing the CBC doesn’t do! =)
A big fan of “Q” myself. Jian has a unique interview style that I really enjoy. I used to podcast The Hour, but now that George has interviewed Tom Cruise, he’s off my listening radar.
No love for Tom Cruise? Why not, Karim?
Thanks for the props, everyone! We’re always happy to hear about people who like our programming.
Sameer: I just realized that I referred to Vinyl Tap in Twitter but it was one of your readers that referred to it, not you. Sorry!
No probs! Glad you’re on Twitter, and especially glad you’re engaging in conversation with your listeners!