I support this petition. Freestyle is drivel. The suspicious intentionality of the producers is a serious concern. These decisions undermine the ability of supporters of the CBC to defend the importance of public broadcasting in Canada.
I am in my mid-twenties and therefore presumably in the demographic these new programs are intended to target. In my opinion, Freestyle and the National Playlist offer little of substance in comparison to the programs they have replaced.
I support this petition. I have written several emails to the CBC. Why do they tantalize us with 10 minutes of phone ins and then cut us off. How can we connect with the rest of the Province during such times as now while the election is ongoing. I have turn CBC off so many times since their new programming. Hearing songs containing bad language, sex, drugs violence etc is not what we need. During the hours that they are on all young people who mostly listen to it are at school or at work or probably in jail. Thanks for listening.
I support this petition. It is sad to see CBC rejecting its loyal audience in favour of supposedly youthful programming. For one thing, I don't think youthful people are that mindless! There is now an appalling lack of content now on CBC Radio. Those of us in the GTA have been deprived of the Radio Noon Phone-in, which was interesting, amusing, serious and varied, and helped to connect people in Ontario. Then there's the witless Promo Girl spots which are so tasteless and stupid Now we have those ridiculous sound effects with the news. What a dumb way to waste money. Our money. I supported the strike by CBC employees in every way I could, but my loyalty is being strained to the limit.
I have to turn my radio off or change the channel whenever The National Playlist or Freestyle are on. I am in my 20s but I cannot stand listening to these crappy shows. I hate the changes that have taken place to the programming on CBC Radio. I also miss Outfront at its original time.
As the 'senior'component in our national demographic expands rapidly with the maturing of the baby boom generation, 'Freestyle' and 'The National Playlist' are further from their interests. They do not serve to inform or entertain the CBC's longstanding core audience.
Recognizing that there needs to be a younger new core audience whose interestes are different, should the answer not be "CBC 3" - one which could expand on the 'infotainment' component beyond the aforementioned current programming?
CBC shouldn't drive away it's long-standing supporters for thsoe portions of the day. It should seek to expand it's broadcasting outlets to ensure that all aspects of the needs of the various generations in our great country are properly and respectfully served by a corporation with a remarkable heritage.
I support this petition.I have rarely heard anything as inane as Freestyle.... At leastJonathan Gold stein is doing it on purpose. I love DNTO despite being in my second half century of listening to CBC.
National Playlist: a fun way to package music like this, with a great host and knowledgable guests. Freestyle? The worst thing to happen to the CBC as long as I've been listening. Not only is the music awful, the hosts are totally the worst ever, with no chemistry, humour, insight... or anything.
Surely if taxpayers are supporting commercial free radio, we do not have to be subjected to the trash that is typical of commercial radio. This should be a forum for quality documentaries, music etc. not teeny bopper stuff.
CBC, both radio and television, should be devoted to the broadcast of Canadian talent. I might also add, CBC television should be ensured on the airways, channel 2, as it was when I was growing up 30 years ago. I find it appalling that I cannot receive CBC television on my TV over the airwaves, and yet I do get CITY-TV with questionable programming.
The only way to let other Canadians know that their tax dollars are going to a good cause is to celebrate and broadcast the works of Canadian artists!
The CBC has had a long and proud tradition of providing content that links Canadians together. This is to say, not just across the country, but across generations. As a listener since I was a child to outstanding Canadian talent like Max Ferguson, Bob Robertson and Linda Cullen, and the giant himself, Peter Gzowski, it is a constant source of depression to hear the depths to which much current programming has sunk in an effort to capture some of the Top 40 demographic.
The "National" Playlist is about as Canadian as the National Football League. What a waste of airplay. If it is to be considered truly "national", why not devote it to Canadian artists exclusively? If focused on commercial pop, at least it would serve to inform listeners of the megahits that have come from Canadian talent --- so many of us are surprised to hear that their stars are from Canada. This is not the case with the current program, which focuses only on which American pop music Canadians have swallowed in massive numbers.
A far grander purpose could be served by assisting the ranks of less commercial Canadian artists to get some national airtime --- usually with much more relevant and meaningful messages to convey than those that make it onto the "ADHD" driven charts. With the current ubiquity of the internet, this is often all that is needed to connect new listeners to interesting new independent artists they been listening for in vain. Local artists are often featured on local CBC shows, greatly helping them publicize the events they depend on for exposure --- why not develop progams that extend this exposure to the national level? Freestyle and the National Playlist would be far more relevant to Canada if they served Canadian artists and consumers.
I support this petition. Diversity is the functional unit of evolutionary progress. CBC is the voice of the Canada. Do we want that voice to move us towards bland uniformity and stagnation?
I support this petition. Why oh why would the CBC choose to pander to an audience that is already listening to countless other mindnumbing radio stations. Canadians have access to this stuff up and down the dial. I listen to CBC because I want to hear something unique. I listen to CBC because I want to hear from people with intelligence who have strong and interesting views on subjects that we don't hear about on any other radio station. If I wanted "Freestyle" I'd ride and elevator or watch "Regis and what's her name". I'm betting that Bill Richardson does not listen to "Freestyle" and is probably as mortified as I am to see the depths to which the CBC has sunk.
The CBC has never ever been popular. Read any history of the CBC and you'll discover that it has consistently been a last place rating finisher to commercial crap. But this is no reason to cave in to the "trendies". The CBC should always be leading and never following. Maybe the programmers should go back into the archives and listen to some old Peter Gzowski shows to find out what good CBC programming is about. Im sure countless Canadian musicians would back me up on this one.
Dump "Freestyle". Dr. Bundolo reruns would be a far superior use of our precious airwaves
As an all-the-time listener to the CBC, I'm very aware of when I want to turn the CBC off: when there's "not enough to keep the mind alive" as Beyond the Fringe put it. CBC's usual excellence in thought provoking interviews and commentary sometimes wanes. You really needn't worry about audiences that are not interested in intelligent discourse; it's only sad that they tend to be in the majority. An informed public NEEDS the best of the CBC all the time, even if it may take decades yet to win over larger audiences to this objective.
I could dial up any local AM station and get this kind of inane chatter. Please give us back the thought-provoking topics and more substantial music that we had before.
I support this petition. I have been shocked at the new programming and have turned away from CBC radio one. I find not only the musical programming but the chatter to be less intelligent and interesting. The "patter" between the two hosts is immature, and contains a signficant amount of "put-down" humour.
I support this petition as one who has work in both public and private broadcasting. Is the attempt to be egalitarian or do the producers not know any better? The lowest denominator is not what the CBC was intended to serve.
I support this petition. I find it hard to believe that the CBC would be playing commersial music (do I smell Payola???). When you consider the explosion of the indy music scene it's hard to understand why the CBC would be promoting something that is already being palyed on other radio stations. If anything they should be moving the other way and specializing in music that is hard to find. There is so much good music out there that is not being played and you would think the CBC would have an interest in supporting that. I too am turning off the CBC more and more now...
I support this petition. What is really galling is the lack of programming or even interest in our fastest growing demographic. There is nothing, and I mean NOTHING on either CBC Radi, II or television for those of us in our sixties. It is very shameful, now accentuated with the CBCs lowest-common-denominakto r policy. As someone recently wrote, JAZZ 91, AM 740 and CFMX 96 classical are three good places to go. The CBCs Radio Olicence should be revoked if the crap they are promoting is what they now figure they are all about. Disgusting and disgraceful, to put it mildly.
I support this petition. Being an avid CBC Radio One listener, I am finding that I am turning the radio off more frequently because of the increasing lack of intelligent discussion and interviews.
We've truly entered a sad day in traditional Canadian broadcasting. A sad day indeed. Goodbye CBC, we miss you here in Hamilton. Even though you didn't support or report about our 500,000 people and our community.
Surely the CBC should be promoting Canadian musicians and, in addition, provide programming that sets it apart from the commercial stations - remember Eclectic Circus and Gilmour's albumns to name two? As a taxpayer-funded Corporation it should not be in competition with, nor try to emulate, commercial competitors.I support this petition.
I support this petition. As a former CBC employee (1957-1989)I am appalled by the lowest common denominator policies currently being adopted by the corporation.
