Thousands of Canadians have had the benefit of an adult education in classical music on CBC 2 from Eric Friesen, Peter Tiefenbach, Ken Winters, Rick Phiillips and others. Too bad that this sort of programming is being demolished.
Although Radio2 is not perfect (and living in Victoria I have a solid alternative in NPR) I believe it is most valuable and the source of much joy for many people. Keep it as it is and only make changes after consulting the persons who really listen to it and depend on it.
I oved the previous CBC programming. I have listened for 30 years from my student years in Calgary until the operating room as a surgeon. I miissed the CBC when I lived in the States. We had something so wonderful. Why is it being changed. There are already stations that play the music that is propsed. The classical listener has so few choices.
What kind of idiot would make this change? If this remains the policy of the morons at CBC, then I am switching completely to 91.1JazzFM and 96.3 Classical. What's the point of listening to
Living in Halifax, I do not have access to NPR in the US or to a private classical music station. Moreover, the important part of Here's to You and, particularly, Sound Advice and Studio Sparks is the fact that you not only hear the music, you learn about the music. And I get to hear new-to-me music, music that I would be unlikely to buy without hearing it first.
I wholeheartedly support this petition against the changes in programming at CBC Radio Two. I can hear pop and jazz from many other sources, but there is nowhere else that provides the insightful, interesting, entertaining and amusing classical music information and programming. Removing this programming and replacing it with background noise does all Canadians a disservice and is a tragic loss to the Canadian Identity.
This is one more ill concieved decision by CBC managament. One of their responses is classical music is available on-line. I like to listen to RAdio 2 in my car. This is one more decision that is contributing to the increasing blandness and dumbing down of CBC
I have been listening to CBC Radio2 almost since I came to Canada 35 years ago.CBC Radio2 and hosts such as Rick Phillips and Jurgen Gothe have become old friends, as has been the CBC Radio2 music service. Now you plan a forced separation, a goodbye. It is going to be just that. From now on my new musical friends will be my iPod and my computer --- there are many fine classical stations on the Internet.
It is horrifying what the execs at CBC are doing to Radio 2. I can listen to crappy pop music and jazz on any number of stations. Please reserve Radio 2 for quality music!
I can hear pop and jazz on many other stations. CBC Radio 2 should offer music that is simply not available anywhere else. Maybe we are more sophisticated than CBC thinks we are.
The changes that are being made to CBC Radio 2 are terrible. Excellent programs are being eliminated and replaced with mediocre jazz/pop/country music. Please stop the dumbing down of CBC!!
I am furious that the phillistines in charge of CBC radio programming have the combination of power and ignorance to cancel the best programs on radio 2 and replace them with more commercial fluff. There ia already more than enough of this content on radio1 and a multitude of commercial stations. As a taxpayer who is forced to help support the CBC, I think our national public broadcaster has a responsibility to provide choices to listeners and, clearly, there are thousands of listeners who love great music. What gave these people the right to ruin a service that I have counted on for many years? What rights do audience members have? Any? Then why am I paying taxes to support this junk?
Young Canadian Classical musicians already don't have many outlets, whereas pop music has many stations. Why cancel this long tradition of classical music programming? This is a really REALLY bad decision!!!
It is unfortunate, but the management running CBC no longer has the values, beliefs and vision of the originators of public broadcasting in this country. Over time as new people have been hired they've come from the outside corporate/commercial world. While their work experience may be impressive, their internal mind set is rooted in the world from which they've come. But the spirit of public broadcasting is counter-cultural. Its vision is to provide enlightenment, not entertainment. Its focus isSo unfortunately, those critiquing the proposed programming changes and the elimination of serious music from prime time are talking to people who don't get it. Who operate with the mind sets of commercial operators---researching musical preferences rather than providing challenging content. Even the current classical programming on CBC Radio 2 has become bland background music. Where can you hear a Witold Lutoslawski symphony on the CBC?I'd like to add that the impact of losing the Canadian public broadcaster's voice in our cultural landscape will also be on diminishing audiences to our concert halls and National Arts Centres. Without a place for Canadians to hear the sounds of music played by our classical musicians, without a place for Canadians to be introduced to our Canadian composers and artists, our national ears will eventually become deaf to even the live offerings a Maestro Zuckerman may offer.Personally I've solved the problem by hooking up my computer to my sound system and streaming the intelligence and public broadcasting spirit of BBC's Radio 3 and Budapest's Bartok Radio. The world can still provide me the classical alternative. But I would still miss hearing Denise Djokic. I would miss learning about Atwood's opera. I would miss the compositions of Chan Ka Nin.Russell Smith is right. If there is no compelling reason for CBC Radio apart from offering pleasant sounds available elsewhere on the radio dial, then t
If CBC changes its format to mimic commercial radio, then it should not be taxpayer supported. We need intelligent alternatives to middle-of-the-road radio.
Please bring back classical music to afternoon, evening and night time programming also Sunday and Sat. evening and night in particular. Do you think all who like classical music go to bed by 3 in the afternoon? Please give us a forum for complexity in music - not one off songs in pop and easy listening, especially not American show folks - yikes I hear Frank Sinatra on CBC 2 now and will not listen anymore if this continues.
Although I can listen to classical music in other forms, I believe that the current Radio 2 hosts are excellent at talking about the music not just introducing it.
The CBC needs to rethink whatever is their current strategy. I say whatever because today's strategy will certainly change again tomorrow, and the day after that, and.....
The latest changes proposed by CBC are very distressing. No where else can I listen to the quality of programming that I have enjoyed on CBC2 for many years. I might as well get rid of my radios in starting in September. They've never been tuned to any other station. I'll purchase more CD's and forget radio altogether.
I LEARNED OF THESE CHANGES TO BE in R. Smith's article 3-17-08 in the Globe and Mail. These chages will be a disaster for Radio 2 because it will lose many loyal listeners who support the station as it is currently. For many listeners radio 2 is the only contact with classical music and opera since all regular classical content has been removed from CBC TV also.
The transforming of CBC radio 2--from a unique venue for enlightening and informing its listeners on the arts in Canada; and for promoting the knowledge and enjoyment of classical music--is a sadly misguided and short-sighted move by what appears to be an ill-informed, insensitive management. It is heart-breaking to see what is being done to such a great and greatly-respected institution.
I have hated these changes since they were made. I am re-registering my shame and disappointment with CBC now that they are proposing yet more damaging changes.
Where is the transparency in the actions of the public broadcaster? If it weren't for Russell Smith and the Globe, I'd have known nothing about what's happening.
If CBC administrators think they will get younger listeners, they haven't heard of iPods. The more mature a people, the more they need to connect with the timeless and universal beauty of classical music. This is a shameful and stupid decision.
I listen to CBC 1 and CBC 2 every day all day I like the classical music they play I enjoy listening to new classical pieces not just the same old favorites.
