On my way into the studios Wednesday morning for my tech column, I ran into Shelagh Rogers. (We usually hang out at SLC’s 7am break, before I go on air.) The first thing she said to me was “We’re playing a clip from Peter’s last show.”

It melted me. Seriously.

Besides Shelagh, Peter Gzowski was (is) my radio hero. He could tell the stories of everyday Canadian living that seem heroic and, at the same time, inconsequential. That’s Canada, in my eyes. Humble AND critical.

That’s why I was thrilled tonight when Mark Mietkiewicz, Editorial Manager of CBC Digital Programming, pointed me to a full hour of Peter’s last show, broadcast live from the Temple Garden Spa in Moose Jaw, Sask.

If you have 53 minutes to spare, it’s worth listening to Peter’s last show.

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	Sounds Like Canada	Posted at 11:02 pm (30 May 2007)

Earlier today, I had the opportunity to speak with incoming CBC chairperson Timothy Casgrain. Questions he answered include:

• Will you be seeking additional funding for the CBC from the federal government?
• What role would you like to see the Board of Directors have in future labour disputes?
• How do you defend criticism that your lack of experience in broadcasting or the arts makes your selection questionable?
• What will be the CBC’s biggest challenge in the next five years

I was very grateful that he took a moment out of his schedule to speak to you through this blog. And now, discuss!

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	Board of Directors, Executives	Posted at 3:45 pm (30 May 2007)

CBC Ottawa producer Danny Malanchuk died yesterday from complications following heart surgery.

Danny joined CBC news in 1980 as a writer/broadcaster on regional TV programs produced in Ottawa, moved to CBOT and then became one of the founding producers at Newsworld in 1989. In 2000, Danny moved to the Parliamenary Bureau as a field producer.

He leaves his wife, Lorna and son, Andrew, 12. The family has asked that donations be made to the Ottawa Heart Institute. Funeral arrangements have not been announced.

During his 27 years at the CBC, Danny was active with the Canadian Media Guild and served on local executive committees and attended national meetings and conventions as a delegate.

If you have any memories of Danny, feel free to leave them here.

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	Obits, Ottawa	Posted at 12:52 pm (30 May 2007)

CBC News reporter Belle Puri will host Vancouver’s CBC Radio One afternoon show, On The Coast, during regular host Priya Ramu’s upcoming leave of absence. Belle will leave her current duties covering the legislature in Victoria at the end of July and will take on her new duties with On The Coast in August. Priya returns as host of OTC in Apr 2008.

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	Asides, Personalities, Vancouver	Posted at 12:46 pm (30 May 2007)

CBC Radio 3’s new and popular video podcast is attracting a solid number of fans — some of which want CBC to pick up the podcast and put it on CBC Television.

Toronto’s Justin Beach, a blogger and CBC freelancer, has posted his call online:

It is time to take the next logical step - Radio 3 TV: With Canadian music videos, music news, tour and festival info, new releases, interviews and the occasional in studio performance. Because, as Canadians, the CBC belongs to you, because it is something we want to see and because CBC Television hasn’t had a music show (much less a Canadian music show) in a long time…

What do you think? Would you watch a CBC Radio 3 program on television?

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	CBC Radio 3, CBC Television	Posted at 12:27 pm (30 May 2007)

On this day in 1997, after 15 years of hosting his daily three-hour morning show, Peter Gzowski signed off. In a makeshift studio in Moose Jaw, Sask., the beloved host of Morningside bid “au revoir.” Gzowski chose Moose Jaw for the Morningside finale because that was where he got his start as a journalist. Gzowski presided over 3,000 hours of radio and conducted 27,000 interviews for Morningside over 15 years. He chatted with everyone from Pierre Trudeau, Margaret Atwood, Norman Jewison to many lesser-known Canadians such as Clarence Asham, a Winnipeg man who had a gift for instantly replaying on his accordion any music he heard. Watch a report from The National that day.

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	Asides, Personalities, Today In CBC History	Posted at 7:50 am (30 May 2007)

In an article leading this morning’s Globe and Mail Review section, reporter Gayle MacDonald described CBC TV’s Fall 2007 season as “sexier”.

After years of so-called high-impact miniseries that largely left viewers cold, CBC Television has unveiled a slate of fall shows that it says reflects a new belief that audiences like to be given time to really get to know TV characters.

Kirstine Layfield, executive director of network programming, promised a “new direction at the CBC” and acknowledged that “the audience had changed.

“People like to meet characters. They like to fall in love with them, and stay with them for a while. Our goal is to increase the number of people coming to the CBC,” Layfield said, adding that in 2006 the network enjoyed its best prime-time season in five years with shows.

…

Layfield called 2006 a “year of building” at the CBC. She and her boss Richard Stursberg, executive vice-president, English Television, said they’re gunning for 2007 to be the network’s best for ratings in 10 years.

Also in the Globe this morning is an article about the CBC’s new metric for measuring the “public value” of its programming — PARC.

I’m guessing my own formula below is now out of date?

Show Budget (C) - Angry Complaints (X) + Number of
Gin and Tonics required by producers (GT) / Lockouts (L)

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	CBC Television, Media Coverage, Programming	Posted at 7:33 am (30 May 2007)

Here’s a weird one for you… when you do a Google Images search for CBC, these are the top three returns. Finally, we’re getting credit for our work in pleurobranchaea dissections!

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	The Odd File	Posted at 8:18 pm (29 May 2007)

The CBC has inked a two-year broadcast agreement for the rights to eight Toronto Blue Jays regular season games in the 2007 season and up to 30 regular season games in 2008. CBC’s Jim Hughson will call the play-by-play. The CBC and the Jays have a long history together dating back to 1977 when the CBC was the team’s original broadcaster. The deal adds to the strong sports showing: CBC also secured rights to Major League Soccer and FIFA coverage including the FIFA U-20 World Cup taking place across Canada. First game airs Saturday, June 23 at 1 p.m. ET.

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	Asides, Sports	Posted at 4:43 pm (29 May 2007)

The CBC was under no obligation to air a pilot of The Altar Boy Gang, said the Canadian Television Fund, quoted by a conservative Christian news web site.

The show drew criticism that it was “anti-Catholic” by airing scenes such as characters using the Communion host as snack food.

CBC TV executive Richard Stursberg responded by saying the Corporation had no choice but to air it because it had been funded by the CTF.

“After making the pilot episode, we determined not to proceed with turning the program into a series. Unfortunately, because the pilot was financed with public funding, including tax credits and Canadian Television Fund (CTF) monies, we were required to put it on air.”

But according to the web site LifeSite.net, the CTF says it doesn’t put strings on what gets aired:

“…Broadcasters were not required to air programs against their discretion. Communications director MaryBeth McKenzie said CBC would have been fully aware of what was in the program and would have approved the script prior to production…. It’s the broadcaster that determines what kind of program they want to support and air.”

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	Programming	Posted at 4:37 pm (29 May 2007)

The video sharing web site YouTube.com has yanked a video parodying CBC President Robert Rabinovitch. The video, which was never formally acknowledged by the Corporation, was widely seen by employees as it passed around by internal email.

The video shows Rabinovitch answering questions from M.P.s when he was asked to explain the 2005 lockout. However, the person behind the video (Michael Thorne of rock band Dayjob Orchestra) overdubbed new words. The words were remarkably synchronized with the President’s lip movements, but clearly were dubbed in, making him appear to be babbling nonsense.

Some examples:

• “Forty-seven living rooms, I like it!”
• “Hey baby, I’m sorry if I was crazy, but my sister shaved my eyes off.”
• “I want a hat. That’s great and I’m going to take it off and give it to you fine people.”
• “Oh my God, I forgot to pack my juice. My juice! Anybody here have some juice? Apple juice, lemon juice, papaya juice. There’s all kinds. Pasturized. Lemon juice on bagels for headaches.”
• “That’s all my mom says before she puts me to sleep.”
• “I sometimes go a little nuts on account of that I’ve got a big box of fruit!”

However, some of the dubbed-in words were quite offensive.
But the CBC wasn’t behind the removal of the video. It was, in fact, the the House of Commons which claimed copyright infringement. (Huh?!) According to mystery management blogger Ouimet, to use clips from the Parliamentary TV channel, you need written approval of the Speaker of the House of Commons.

Personally, I think we need to hire this guy and put him to work redubbing more of what comes out of politicians’ mouths. He’s actually quite talented at it. We’ve got lots of shows that’d use that kind of stuff. (Strombo: Are you listening?)

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	Executives, Parliament, The Odd File	Posted at 4:28 pm (29 May 2007)

This is most of the Q&A session from this morning’s questioning of incoming CBC Chairman Timothy Casgrain. (I missed the first 20 minutes because my computer and I were having a disagreement about who’s boss.) You can listen to it here (click the play icon above) or download it and move it to your audio player of choice.

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	Board of Directors, Financial, Our Mandate, Parliament	Posted at 4:09 pm (29 May 2007)