^{Image from kongming9234′s Flickr photostream}

The CBC is throwing it’s support behind Culture Days, a six-day celebration of the arts in Canada.

Today in Toronto, the CBC hosted a series of events around the theme ‘the art of broadcasting.’ A number of CBC radio and television personalities participated in the day long series of events.

That culminates in a one-hour special tonight at 7pm hosted by Jian Ghomeshi, George Stroumboulopoulos, and Bob Mackowycz featuring Great Lake Swimmers, Bedouin Soundclash, and Sloan.

Then in on September 25 CBC Ottawa studios will hold an open house. Visitors can get a glimpse inside the newsroom, sit behind a TV news desks, and read scripts into a microphone like a radio personality.

On Saturday, CBC St. John’s is holding an open house. Finally, on Sunday September 26, CBC Vancouver audiences will have a chance to meet stars of CBC shows like Heartland, Battle of the Blades, Being Erica and radio personalities like Rick Cluff, Margaret Gallagher and Sheryl MacKay.

The idea of culture days is to to raise awareness and accessibility of the arts, and to celebrate the creative spirit and vitality of communities across the country through thousands of free, interactive events that unite artists with their public.

There are more photos of the Culture Days events here.

	3 Comments »	Email This Post
	Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver	Posted at 5:49 pm (23 Sep 2010)

The supper-hour news show in Vancouver just celebrated a significant milestone, co-host Gloria Macarenko had her 20th anniversary. The guy at the show put together this highlight reel (there’s a bit of an audio sync problem).

Macarenko has twice been nominated for the Gemini Award and her most recent honours include a Jack Webster Award for “Best News Reporting” in 2002 and in 2004 and a Leo Award for “Best Anchor in a News Program”.

	4 Comments »	Email This Post
	CBC News at Six, Vancouver	Posted at 10:11 am (26 May 2009)

Kirk Williams, TV news, Bill Richardson, CBC Radio host, and Rob Easton, radio news show off the MotherCorp’s float at Sunday afternoon’s Pride Parade in Vancouver.

Photo: “CBC Vancouver preps for today’s Pride Parade.” by todmaffin

	2 Comments »	Email This Post
	Community Events, Vancouver	Posted at 3:00 pm (03 Aug 2008)

Yes, the boat from The Beachcombers is still alive, if not actively combing any beaches off the south-west coast of British Columbia. This photo of The Persephone was taken four weeks ago in Gibsons B.C. where the show was shot.

The series ran from 1972 to 1990 and is the longest-running dramatic series ever made for Canadian television. In all, 387 episodes were produced. During the final season, the show’s title was shortened to Beachcombers.

Photo by Katakandian, used with permission.

	1 Comment »	Email This Post
	Beachcombers, Vancouver	Posted at 12:11 pm (31 Jul 2008)

UPDATE: The “starts right now” intro was curtailed in October. The corrected text below reflects change.

Pity Natalie Clancy.

She’s one of CBC TV News’ rising stars — formerly a reporter in the CBC Vancouver newsroom; today, after a stint co-anchoring at CBC Newsworld in Calgary (and before Calgary turned into Toronto), she’s anchoring the late-night Vancouver at 11 newscast. And she does a stellar job at it.

The CBC has been using Vancouver as a kind of testing ground for launching new ways of programming and promoting its newscasts.

Several months back, at the top of the show (after what we in radio call the “billboards” — I have no idea what you TV people call them), the camera would cut back to Natalie, zoom in dramatically in Colbert Report style, and she would deliver the line “Your five-minute B.C. news, weather, and sports starts right now!”

Dear God. (This practice was curtailed back in October.)

It’s not Natalie’s fault, of course. I’m sure she loathed saying it as much as many cringed when they heard it. It was said to be part of the Frank Magid school of programming. Magid developed the Eyewitness News format years ago in the U.S. and has been retained by CBC to consult on our newscasts.

Even David Letterman, years ago, warned Canadians about this “eyewitness news” format in an interview on CBC when Carole Neilson Taylor (who would go onto to become CBC/Radio-Canada’s chairperson).

But maybe it’s our best option. If all the other networks and stations are going with this style of “everything is breaking news” breathless urgency, perhaps we need to compete with them? That argument really is at the heart of so many CBC policies these days: Do we:

• Program more American shows and compete thematically with private stations and networks so our ratings go up… we prove we’re being watched by more Canadians…. and thus are more relevant… and thus need more funding; or
• Stick to programming in the school of sober second thought, where our modesty stands out among the clutter… meet (arguably) our responsibility to the Broadcasting Act to reflect Canada and its unique nature… and thus deserve more funding.

Say what you like about the policy choices being made at the top floors of the Death Star. You have to admit the decisions are not as cut-and-dried as some out there would have us believe.

What do you think?

	15 Comments »	Email This Post
	News & Journalism, Vancouver	Posted at 12:36 pm (18 Jul 2008)

Happy Monday, CBC fans and fellow comrades employees alike. It was a quiet week last week in the world of CBC news, but news is a-flowin’ a bit, so enjoy the ride.

I’ll be a little slow in replying to your emails as I’m out of town on a sabattical (think monk clothing, Tibetan bells, and hours pouring over LOLcats) but I’ll still be scouring the blogs and receiving tips from you on CBC news.

In just an interesting side note, I see that last week, the CRTC granted a former Vancouver radio personality a licence to operate a local radio station for the “Tri-Cities” region of greater Vancouver (Port Moody, Coquitlam, and Port Coquitlam). While it’s not CBC news per se, it’s interesting (and, I think, encouraging, to see the CRTC responding to regional growth). CBC Radio in Vancouver years ago led the way by launching a full news bureau in Surrey, a rapidly growing region of the area.

	Add Comment »	Email This Post
	About This Blog, Vancouver	Posted at 2:15 pm (14 Jul 2008)

CBC Radio in Vancouver is on the hunt for a Host for its afternoon program, On The Coast. Guest hosts like CBC Television reporter Belle Puri and civic reporter Stephen Quinn have been filling the role until now. Priya Ramu, formerly a senior CBC Radio producer, has held the position after moving to Vancouver several years ago. She will stay with CBC as a local reporter in radio news.

This position hosts a daily current affairs program, including doing interviews, introducing segments, and shaping the program on air. The host is also responsible for writing scripts and continuity, booking interviews, selecting music and sound effects, and researching. This… wait for it… a contract position. (Does anyone actually get a full-time job at the CBC any more?)

Look for the position on the CBC’s job web site.

	5 Comments »	Email This Post
	Personalities, Vancouver	Posted at 4:33 pm (02 Jul 2008)

Ken Gibson and Peggy Oldfield have put together a comprehensive online newsletter under the Employee Assistance Program for CBC staffers and retirees living in Vancouver and B.C.

The site offers memories from CBC archives, provides a home to the CBC 20 Year association, and helpful information on the EAP. The newsletters are composed quarterly, corresponding with each season, and are packed with CBC news and interesting tidbits.

It also provides the service “Where Are They Now?“, on which the authors post the current careers and whereabouts of past CBC B.C. colleagues. This is definitely a site worth subscribing to for any employee or alumni in the B.C. area.

	Add Comment »	Email This Post
	B.C. Interior, Other Internet, Retro, Vancouver, Vancouver Island	Posted at 10:28 am (21 May 2008)

CBC Radio Two listeners opposed to the changes to the network, specifically the reduction of classical music, are planning to march on the CBC Vancouver building Tuesday morning.

On Friday morning, a similar group is planning to protest at Maison Radio-Canada, the CBC Montreal building.

“The CBC has been taken over by a group of people dedicated to removing nearly all Classical Music,” the Vancouver group’s description reads. “They feel it is old fashioned and irrelevant to the ‘new demographic’ that they wish to attract. We feel this is misguided at best, suicidal at worst.”

Another group has been started to launch an email campaign campaign.

UPDATE: It is reported that the Music School at UBC is asking faculty to cancel classes and go with their students to the demonstration.

	4 Comments »	Email This Post
	CBC Radio 2, Changes to CBC Radio Two, Montreal, Vancouver	Posted at 11:11 pm (30 Mar 2008)

If you work in the Vancouver plant, please trash or Archive (burn to CD, save elsewhere) DaletPlus items that are not absolutely necessary for production. In the past week or so Dalet’s storage has increase from 70% full to over 90% full. Contact the Dalet Lama, Doug Lane, for help.

	Add Comment »	Email This Post
	Asides, Vancouver, Workstations and Desktops	Posted at 11:31 am (17 Mar 2008)

Following host Shelagh Rogers’ decision to leave the show on May 30th, the CBC has decided to pull Sounds Like Canada from the schedule at the end of the summer.

The move seems to further reduce the amount of network radio programming which originates in Vancouver.

• Last year, CBC Radio cancelled Vancouver-produced Freestyle — the program which replaced Richardson’s Roundup. That time slot is now occupied by Q, a program produced in Toronto with more than twice the number of staff that Freestyle had.
• Just weeks ago, CBC Radio announced that Jurgen Gothe’s CBC Radio Two show will be pulled from the schedule in September.
• Randy Bachman is in negotiations to relocate his show’s production to Victoria.
• (On the television side, last year CBC replaced Vancouver-based Canada Now, its supper-hour national newscast, with regional programming.)

But it’s hardly an exodus, says Chris Boyce, CBC Radio’s interim program director. “We’ve actually moved a tonne of programming to Vancouver in the last year or two: Vinyl Tap, The Debaters, and we’ve moved Saturday Afternoon at the Opera from Toronto to Vancouver, as well as Bill Richardson’s Sunday Afternoon In Concert show. Both of those occupy huge chunks on the schedule.”

“We’re also in the process of developing a  lot of new programming. On Radio Two we’re looking for a new morning show, mid-day show, afternoon show, and weekend morning show. Any of those could come from Vancouver.”

In the case of a replacement for Sounds Like Canada, CBC Radio is using a slightly different internal process to develop the show. Most new programs are selected from an open-proposal system, where CBC staffers pitch show concepts that are usually complete with a description of the show’s features, how it would sound, often who the host will be, and so on.

In this case, radio management is inviting suggestions about the program’s basic concepts first. Within a few weeks, small groups of programmers will be brought together to brainstorm ideas and possibilities. (If you have suggestions and program concepts, they can be forwarded to your local regional director or network department head by April 9.)

Rogers is still in discussions with CBC Radio about a new weekly show on Radio One.

Sounds Like Canada was one of CBC Radio One’s flagship programs with This Morning and the legendary Morningside programs as part of its bloodline.

	11 Comments »	Email This Post
	Sounds Like Canada, Vancouver	Posted at 12:47 pm (13 Mar 2008)

Q: Where can you spend your evenings off being yelled at by a CBC Producer to hurry up?

If you answered “At my show, jackass!” you’re wrong. (Well, maybe you’re right, but that’s another story.)

Vancouver’s Dragon Boat team, the “Wave Catchers,” are on the hunt for seven new members. The team competes in at least two of the big festivals: the Alcan Dragon Boat Festival in mid-June and the Kelowna Dragon Boat Festival in September.

Practice is Sunday mornings at 11:00 a.m. and lasts for two hours. Practices are run by a coach with many years of experience as a competitive paddler.

It all starts March 30th on Sundays, then it moves to weekday evenings after June. The boat season ends just in time for your next show’s season in September. There is a registration fee of $150 to cover Festival fees, a CBC jersey, coaching, and dock fees.

Even if you aren’t able to join the team, you can cheer them on on their Facebook group.

If you’d like to join, contact Monia at 6218 in Vancouver (centrex 181).

Does your region have any recreational teams?
Tell me about them!

	Add Comment »	Email This Post
	Community Events, Vancouver	Posted at 2:30 pm (26 Feb 2008)

Thieves took advantage of the construction chaos around CBC Vancouver Monday night and broke in, stealing a notebook computer, cash, and some personal items.

This week, the Vancouver edition of CBC News at Six is doing a feature on residential property crime. The irony of the break-in, which shared the same traits as a home B&E, isn’t lost on executive producer Wayne Williams.

“We’re not talking about a real organized criminal activity,” Williams said. “It’s smash-and-grab kind of stuff and then in and out pretty quickly.”

	7 Comments »	Email This Post
	Vancouver	Posted at 3:52 pm (20 Feb 2008)