Is CBC Radio Two Now AAA?

[Gregg]

For as long it has existed, CBC Radio 2 has been mostly a classical music station.

I'm not the biggest classical music fan but I listen to CBC 2 whenever I'm in Canada, and sometimes on the internet. Today I tuned into the morning show with Ron Allan via audio streaming and he's playing Adult Alternative music. The first song I heard was "Feeling Alright" by Joe Cocker, a song that could easily be heard on any Classic Rock station.

Did I miss the story of the switch? Is this the case the other hours of the day other than spoken word or jazz shows? Or is only Mr. Allan's show the one to make the switch? As a three hour morning show, it would be odd for him to switch to AAA on his own.

This must be a terrible disappointment to the Fine Arts community in Canada. I believe the French network, Radio-Canada Espace Musical, has often dabbled with experimental music and jazz. But it also was mostly classical. Have they switched also?



Gregg
[email protected]

 

[mimo]

Radio 2 switched in September of last year. There's still a few hours of Classical during mid days (I think from 10 to 3) and on weekends. The rest of the time it is pretty much a tripple A station. The go0d news, Espace Musique has been left alone. I really enjoy them, since there is so much music of culture (not just classical and jazz, but some world music from time to time as well). You can feel relieved that it's been left as it was. I know people here in Ottawa who enjoy the station, It may be all that's left for fine arts fans in most of Canada.

Radio 2's ratings have remained the same after the flip in most markets, while out west it apparently did better in a couple of cities. From what I've read on other message boards, the reaction has been lukewarm to the new format at best, and there was some protest at the format change from long time fans, apparently the CBC feels there just wasn't enough of them and that they were aging themselves out of an audience (not true).

 

[Goldilocks94941]

I used to go out of my way to listen to CBC Radio Two. Even set up an old Panasonic portable radio with the antenna properly extended half way just so in order to pull in Radio Two from Victoria thru the noise of the FM dial in downtown Seattle. Had to keep the freezer closed in order to listen (opening the door caused local interference to overtake the signal, for some reason). I even offended some of the folks who program classical music stations in the states by telling them they needed to listen to Radio 2 to hear some real pros who know how to connect with listeners and the music, and knew how to exhale when they spoke on the air.

Now, the real pros who make Radio 2 one of the world's best classical music (and alernative music weekend nights and jazz late nights) have all been let go. And what remains is probably one of the world's most tasteless mixes of classical and bad pop. Even the jazz show completely lack depth or soul. And the syncopated rock stuff they cram around the classical doesn't work as crossover music. Wrong mood, wrong timbre, wong lyrics, etc.

It is a real loss to hear how much all of CBC seesm to be taking the low road like most of cable TV. More commercials on the evening news, and the TV documentaries seem like Nancy Grace material now, instead of the important new and investigative journalism we were used to getting from what passed as Canada's public broadcaster. Now, the radio and TV seem to be little more than a takeover by commercial radio types who lack the gut and the brains to provide what used to be marvelous radio experiences listening at any time to radio 2 (and I'm including the Radio 3 alt rock on weekends that was replaced by more of a bad fusion and extraordinarily shallow DJs.

So, in a nutshell, that's what's happened.

From one the CBC's biggest fans for years, who is hungry for the quality of radio it used to provide to anyone lucky enough to live within range of its signals,

GL

 

[mimo]

And it's just going to get worse. The CBC is trying to get more money out of the Government for funding, but the Conservative government has said "NO!". There's supposed to be a meeting between the head of the CBC and Prime Minister Harper this week, but I don't expect a thing to come of it. Harper is stubborn. The Whole network is very financially strapped and will be forced to make a lot of cuts in all departments. There's talk of going back to commercials for the radio divisions and eliminating Radio 3 altogether in an effort to save money.

 

[Yeziknoradio]

And it's just going to get worse. The CBC is trying to get more money out of the Government for funding, but the Conservative government has said "NO!". There's supposed to be a meeting between the head of the CBC and Prime Minister Harper this week, but I don't expect a thing to come of it. Harper is stubborn. The Whole network is very financially strapped and will be forced to make a lot of cuts in all departments. There's talk of going back to commercials for the radio divisions and eliminating Radio 3 altogether in an effort to save money.

Crash course in politics:

NDP= left wing (or currently, federally, centre left)
Liberal = Centre right
Conservative = Very right winged.

The Conservative party is all about helping business be a business as a business, not as something that taxes fund.

It is a miracle that the CBC isn't going ahead with some form of advertising on CBC 1 and two just to survive.

I'm not a conservative supporter myself, but I do wonder why they don't run ads for CBC television and borrow funds from there...I guess that's also not an option.

 

[e-dawg]

I don't like CBC radio 2, they should revert back to Classical and Jazz music, not all markets have Classical or Jazz station. Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, and the cities around the Atlantic providences doesn't have a classical or Jazz station.

 

[mjlarochelle]

I don't like CBC radio 2, they should revert back to Classical and Jazz music, not all markets have Classical or Jazz station. Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, and the cities around the Atlantic providences doesn't have a classical or Jazz station.

Winnipeg did have a commercial jazz station, but it didn't make enough money for it to be worthwhile.

On the other hand, Toronto seems to have no problem supporting a commercial classical station. I would think that if Toronto could support one, there would be a market for it in a city the size of Vancouver.

 

[Dan Sys]

Classical KING FM 98.1 in Seattle has a huge signal in Southwestern B.C. and a fairly sizeable following to go with it.

 

[Goldilocks94941]

If you haven't yet heard of the discussion about CBC radio & TV on the "Friends of Canadian Broadcasting" website, set up to help push back against the latest Harper government gutting of the network, I recommend you look at their website: http://www.friends.ca/

They're soliciting funds right now to help pay for a fullpage ad in the national Globe and Mail to counter the Conservative party's rhetoric.

I think Harper's still fuming at Rick Mercer (and 22 Minutes too?) when they had him on a few years ago, and had a little fun with him and his stodgy image. And is "getting back" at them for criticizing him from time to time. I would have thought the appointment of the latest head of the network was retribution enough!

 

[Tincap]

If you haven't yet heard of the discussion about CBC radio & TV on the "Friends of Canadian Broadcasting" website, set up to help push back against the latest Harper government gutting of the network, I recommend you look at their website: http://www.friends.ca/

They're soliciting funds right now to help pay for a fullpage ad in the national Globe and Mail to counter the Conservative party's rhetoric.

I think Harper's still fuming at Rick Mercer (and 22 Minutes too?) when they had him on a few years ago, and had a little fun with him and his stodgy image. And is "getting back" at them for criticizing him from time to time. I would have thought the appointment of the latest head of the network was retribution enough!

Just to let you know, the Harper government has nothing to do with the gutting of Radio 2's classical music format.

~BG

 

[Yeziknoradio]

Just to let you know, the Harper government has nothing to do with the gutting of Radio 2's classical music format.

Correct. The decision to change the sound of CBC 2 was a decision of CBC.
However, a funding formula is a funding formula no matter what airs. It's still Steven Harper's fault that CBC 2 is no longer able to continue on without the help of some form of new revenue...
(and it looks like the CBC all around is now a big ugly mess...)

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/slash+jobs+eyes+radio+updated/6410854/story.html#ixzz1r6hERC5v

 

[Tincap]

Just to let you know, the Harper government has nothing to do with the gutting of Radio 2's classical music format.

Correct. The decision to change the sound of CBC 2 was a decision of CBC.
However, a funding formula is a funding formula no matter what airs. It's still Steven Harper's fault that CBC 2 is no longer able to continue on without the help of some form of new revenue...
(and it looks like the CBC all around is now a big ugly mess...)

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/slash+jobs+eyes+radio+updated/6410854/story.html#ixzz1r6hERC5v

Agreed, regarding the funding formula. The CBC has been tossed around over the years, but it's the decisions at the CBC which are driving listeners away from services like Radio 2 (and Espace Musique). Given the low numbers, something has to be done about them, short of cutting those services altogether. If the powers to be, programming Radio 2 (and Espace Musique), have chosen to draw in listeners from other commercial formats, then let them compete for the commercial dollar.

~BG

 

[blackgold]

I've got a better idea! Get rid of the "music mix" crap that's on CBC Radio 2 and Espace Musique and make them full time classical music stations! Have them play all the best classical music out there. Present full concerts from New York, Chicago, and London. And don't even think of putting commercials on those 2 networks. Have it funded entirely by corporate grants and listener contributions. Leave the jazz and world music online and ask people to sponsor the network. Any takers?

 

[Yeziknoradio]

If the powers to be, programming Radio 2 (and Espace Musique), have chosen to draw in listeners from other commercial formats, then let them compete for the commercial dollar.

Well then, welcome to the Violent circle! The whole "CBC should not be competing with us" portion, which spins around to "CBC should not be funded by taxes" back to "They should be programming stuff that is not a threat to our ad revenue"...around and around...very dizzying.

Funny how Bell, Rogers and others don't want the CBC soliciting ad revenue that they believe could have been theirs (somehow...) but yet, some employed there don't want THEIR taxes funding the CBC.
It's there, and yes CBC 2 should be an alternative to everything else on the dial, but the wheel just keeps spinning around and around!

 

[Goldilocks94941]

Tincap: And who said it did? Go to the site and find people DEFENDING the CBC, EVEN IF they don't like the direction some of its programming has taken recently.

 

[Tincap]

Tincap: And who said it did? Go to the site and find people DEFENDING the CBC, EVEN IF they don't like the direction some of its programming has taken recently.

Perhaps some of those defending the CBC Radio 2, even if they don't like the direction of the programming, are rather more idealistic than they are listeners. As for me, maybe I'm a little more pragmatic. If the CBC is offering a service which no-one is listening to, someone has to pay for it, so why not run commercials? I have no problem with it.

~BG

 

[Tincap]

If the powers to be, programming Radio 2 (and Espace Musique), have chosen to draw in listeners from other commercial formats, then let them compete for the commercial dollar.

Well then, welcome to the Violent circle! The whole "CBC should not be competing with us" portion, which spins around to "CBC should not be funded by taxes" back to "They should be programming stuff that is not a threat to our ad revenue"...around and around...very dizzying.

Funny how Bell, Rogers and others don't want the CBC soliciting ad revenue that they believe could have been theirs (somehow...) but yet, some employed there don't want THEIR taxes funding the CBC.
It's there, and yes CBC 2 should be an alternative to everything else on the dial, but the wheel just keeps spinning around and around!

Ya, I'm seeing the irony already. In the past commercial broadcasters have been complaining about the free ride the CBC gets, now their complaining about the CBC competing for the commercial dollar. But don't be too surprised if Bell and Rogers are amongst to first line up for commercial air time on Radio 2. Them and all those US style 1-800 ads...

~BG