Having lamented the semi-recent changes introduced to CBC Radio Two to a friend, he suggested I write a blog regarding the issue. So here is my editorial.
To begin I should state that I am a musician - primarily a Classical musician, raised through Canada's Royal Conservatory of Music and also through the Suzuki program (strings). So I love playing and listening to Classical music. Of course it's not the only kind of music I listen to or play. I played jazz for 5 years, too. And I have my non-Classical music passions too (Radiohead, Tool, RHCP, Eminem, and select rock-a-billy to name a few).
Why am I detailing the music I grew up with and the music I listen to and love? It's because in September, 2008, CBC Radio 2 took an ax to their Classical music programming, reducing it from twelve hours to a mere five! The new programming would consist of world music, jazz, and "adult" (ya, adult contemporary - like those sections they have in HMV with Enya, Luther Vandross, and Barbara Streisand).
Anyway, even though I love Classical music, I do enjoy hearing about new artists so I thought that maybe the new Radio Two would still be a great station to listen to. WRONG!
For starters, the DJs are incredibly annoying. I mean, I can hardly stand the sound of Julie Nasrellah's voice (sorry Julie). She gets under my skin and I really can't listen to her for more than about two minutes (and don't even get me started on Katie Malloch *induce vomiting*). Of course Julie Nasrellah is trying to step into Jurgen Gothe's shoes, and they are big shoes to fill! Jurgen was definitely my favourite DJ - what a totally random and hilarious guy. And now he only gets one hour of programming, on Sunday afternoons. Tragic.
Next, the five hours of Classical music that Radio Two plays now are required to be "accessible", which means nothing contemporary, nothing too dissonant, nothing that pushes the boundaries. Thank you very much CBC. You wanted the new Radio Two to embrace today's current artists, and yet the only Classical music you seem to play is Beethoven and Tchaikovksy symphonies.
Don't get me wrong - Beethoven and Tchaikovksy symphonies rock my world...but there is a lot of amazing classical music out there, some of which is seldom played. So when a whole hour out of five is taken up by playing an entire Tchaikovksy symphony (when you could only have played one movement of said symphony and then filled up the rest of the hour with some Previn, Respighi, Bruckner, Ravel, Somers etc.) it can be frustrating. This is especially so when this "accessible" music that is played is stuff that is generally familiar to listeners - perhaps something many listeners own in their personal CD collection!
What about the new programming? From 3-6 every afternoon, listeners are treated (? hmm...maybe I should have used the word subjected) to a selection of music chosen by Rich Terfry (aka Buck 65). The music I most often hear during this time consists of folky singer-songwriters (that generally all sound the same), usually accompanied by a guitar and possibly a harmonica (music one might hear on the program The Signal hosted by Pat Carrabre). However, I rarely hear something I enjoy during those 3 hours. The rub really came when I tuned in one afternoon to hear Rich Terfry describing one "epic songwriter" whose music seemed to enrapture anyone who listens to it. Intrigued, I awaited the name of this musical genius. How incredibly disappointed...no, disgusted...I was when the artist proved to be Jack Johnson! Uhh...I'm sorry...does anyone notice that all of Jack Johnson's songs sound the same?! To quote Mugato "I feel like I'm taking crazy pills here!" It was at that moment that I truly hated the new Radio Two.
Perhaps I haven't given the new Radio Two a big enough chance. And perhaps I'm over-generalizing the musical content of some of the shows. Whatever the case, Radio Two has changed, and not for the better it seems (at least in my eyes...keep in mind this is merely an editorial). So I have to say (because I can) that it's so unfortunate that a station which was once my favourite driving music has become yet another station to flip through, hoping there will be something half-decent being played.
1 comment:
Great post Hill...I'm glad you've started the rant. I hope you don't mind my two cents.
While most of my CBC listening hours are spent on CBC radio one, it's unfortunate to hear that radio two has reached such lows.
It's also not surprising, I must admit, since these 'lows' are also painfully being met - if not exceeded - by CBC Radio 1 and their cohort of on-air clowns.
For instance (and apologies to any fans), but even when I'm in the best of moods and when he has the most interesting of guests, I can only take the self-important, Toronta-style dribble of Jihan Ghomeshi (Q) for ever more limited amounts of time before I want to throw my bowl of oatmeal at the radio. I say oatmeal because this is all occurring at ten in the morning. It's better than 7AM, I suppose, but he is much too grating on my morning-fresh delicate ears.
I secretly wish the goopy deliciousness of my sacrificed breakfast would hit his face so he'd have to go clean it off and let his guests get a word in!
I find Q particularly unbearable, not only because I've usually just woken up, but mostly because Jian usurped the spot from my all time fav CBC DJ, Sheilagh Rogers, who (in my mind) really doess 'sound like Canada'. She was comforting and soft on my ears - an easy transition from the pillow I just had my head on.
I could go on. About the literal pointlessness 'The Point', filling up the entire afternoon airwaves with (usually) uninteresting topics. I'm aware of the irony of the whole show, but only because the concept so brutally fails.
Luckily there are still some Radio One classics worth holding out for: As It Happens, Ideas (with Paul Kennedy), and Vinyl Tap on Saturday Nights. Its worth noting that most of these great shows have been around for much longer than any of the mediocre new programming.
Oh CBC you've tried so hard. Yet are already failing (and flailing about like headless chickens). And therein lies the problem: I think they really are trying too hard to reach the younger, more hip audience. But it still comes of like it's a bunch of clueless yuppies trying to do it.
Going back to Radio Two, I had high hopes that CBC could balance their traditional (if excessive) classical programming with some good quality Canadian indie-talent, who need all the promotion they can get. But it sounds like in trying to find a compromise between these two genres, they have gone to the extreme at both ends, eliminating the more contemporary of classical artists in favor of the classical music 'canon', while promoting artists such as Jack Johnson (?!). It seems like listeners need some input (sorry Buck 65).
The changes to CBC programming are new, this is true, so there is still ample time to make the necessary adjustments and changes to their programming. Obviously not everyone will always be pleased but as long as CBC stops trying so hard to be 'cool', the intrinsic coolness of being Canada's only public broadcaster will shine through.
I think a change to CBC Radio was in order. In any static, long-standing institution like the CBC, change is good. But it will only be welcomed if this change is for the better. It's up to CBC to actually make it's new format work, but the onus is also on listeners to let them know what we think and to give them suggestions for improvement.
Hillary, thanks for for the post and giving me a chance to think about the new CBC. Maybe I'll send them a letter.
In this era of ipods and mp3s, downloadable entire discographies and thousands and thousands of music blogs, we have almost any artist at our fingertips at any time. From myspace, facebook, hypemachine and countless other sources we can find out about new artists at our own pace within our own favorite styles. Perhaps the radio format, especially for music is becoming obsolete? We'll see!
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