On this date in 1965, Cross Country Checkup debuted with a debate on a national, publicly funded health care system. Years later, we have the national health care system and a radio program that continues to entertain and provoke. (Although I really do miss the standard two-question opener to each caller from years back: “Cross Country Checkup, where are you calling from? What do you think about ________”)

CBC News Sunday co-host Evan Solomon has written a piece in the National Post about his favourite Toronto neighbourhood haunts.

Robert Cooper, executive producer of opera and choral music will leave the CBC at the end of the summer. The program Choral Concert will continue. No replacement for Cooper has been named.

The CRTC has approved CBC/Radio-Canada’s application operate nested FM transmitters in Windsor. The CRTC received several favourable interventions regarding the application, and that it rejected oppositions filed by Neeti Ray and CTVgm. The CBC has two years to get the transmitters in order. (Hat tip to Gary.)

Coverage of former cabinet minister Ernie Fage’s fender-bender and the drug crime scene in Cape Breton have netted CBC Nova Scotia journalists three Atlantic Journalism Awards. [details]

CBCNews.ca is a finalist in three categories for the EPpy [sic] Awards, one of the biggest international digital journalism awards. Most impressively, it’s a finalist for the big award, the Best Overall News Site category — along with The New York Times, MSNBC.com, Slate.com, and BBC News (last year’s winner). That means the judges consider CBCNews.ca one of the top five news sites in the world. CBC is also in the running for Best Overall Radio-Affiliated Web Site, and Best Use of Video in a Web Site for the Archives site. The awards are run by Editor & Publisher and Mediaweek, who will announce the winners next month.

After four years with the CBC, Gary Marcuse has announced that he is leaving to go back into independent production with his company Face To Face Media. Gary has been instrumental in getting dozens of BC filmmakers on Network TV. He’s also supported many innovative projects including the Digital Labs, the CJ workshops for the public and turning radio recordings into video products. Gary will be with us until the end of June.

CBC’s I.T. department is extending its “Detox” program until May 18 (four extra weeks) and have prepared some FAQ’s that should answer your questions about our upcoming archiving system.

CBC Television’s The Tudors currently holds the top position as the most downloaded TV season on iTunes. It was also announced that Coronation Street is now available to viewers online in streaming video

The Tudors can be purchased for $1.99 per episode at iTunes, but you can claim it back on your taxes. Little Mosque on The Prairie, Rick Mercer Report, The Border, Dragon’s Den, This Hour has 22 Minutes, Air Farce and No Opportunity Wasted are also available to download at iTunes.

P.S. Just kidding about the taxes.

Beginning in July 2008, and continuing through to 2010, CBC will provide more than 90 total hours of daily coverage of the legendary Calgary Stampede on CBC Television, CBCSports.ca and bold, (formerly CBC Country Canada). This makes it the most extensive coverage ever of the Calgary Stampede on CBC. CBC will also serve as host broadcaster for the duration of the agreement.

Timothy Neesam and Xavier Bédard have been acclaimed as directors of the Guild’s CBC branch executive. Timothy will sit as director of new media and Xavier as director of Radio-Canada East. No one was nominated for the position of director of temporary employees. The branch executive will examine how to fill that role at its meeting in mid-April.

At the Junos this weekend, CBC Records celebrated another win for its acclaimed album featuring Canadian violinist James Ehnes, bringing to three the awards for this album.

James Ehnes’ recording, Barber, Korngold, Walton: Violin Concertos, with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra yesterday won the Juno Award for Classical Album of the Year – Soloist with Large Ensemble. In his acceptance speech, Ehnes singled out CBC producer Denise Ball and Recording Engineer Don Harder.

Two other nominations for CBC Records this year included Live! Jazz Legends / Légendes du jazz nominated for Traditional Jazz Album of the Year and Celso Machado’s Jogo da Vida for best World Music Abum

It has been a banner year for CBC Records given the international recognition it received with a Grammy award, and through the national profile achieved with Juno and Western Canadian Music Awards wins. CBC Records has won a total of 29 Junos. – Text condensed from a CBC news release