Broadening the Broadcast With Chris Boyce
What’s on Winnipeg recently published an excellent article about CBC Radio’s new director of programming, Chris Boyce.
In it, Chris talks about the challenges he’s facing in the new job, particularly the hurdle of the format change of Radio 2.
Chris Boyce started out with Definitely Not the Opera, the Saturday afternoon pop culture show on CBC Radio One. He then had an idea to create The Content Factory [disclosure: I work in the Content Factory group], a group of writers and producers who generate cross-format content for all of the CBC. This caught the attention of CBC headquarters, and Chris was then given the job of manager of program development for the CBC.
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So, according to the article, this guy never studied music professionally. He worked on DNTO. He was involved in the launch of, among other things, In the Key of Charles. This would explain a lot about why classical music fans are so angry at him.
‘”I still use one of the lines Chris came up with: What do you need and how can we help you get it?”‘
This line is all too common from middle management and translates roughly as follows: “I have no idea what you need or in fact anything about the problem space I own, but 3 months from now I’ll gladly write a petulant email passing the buck for you…”
Wow, you can’t win as a manager. Ask someone what they need to do their job, which recognizes their skill and current knowledge, and you get told you don’t have any vision or responsibility.
Tell people what to do, and you’re a know-nothing ogre.
Either way, you’re bound to get dissed by the poor downtrodden workers.
Anyone who created the Key of Charles should join the radio producers’ hall of shame. That show is not so much about music but about the sound of Charles’ voice and the wind of his ego. I hope Chris Boyce watched the May 2 Parliamentary Standing Committee hearing and noted that MP’s from the NDP, Liberals and the governing Conservatives all were opposed to the destruction of the orchestra and the marginalization of classical music. This battle is just starting!
Either way, you’re bound to get dissed by the poor downtrodden workers.
Actually, I have had managers that didn’t do either and were perfectly competent. But then they were actually making an effort, not just following some bullshit bible they acquired at a 3-day course at Niagara-On-The-Lake.
I agree with John so much.
I was so sad when In the Key of Charles replaced Symphony Hall. Symphony Hall was so much better! Recorded concerts were played on Symphony Hall. The Key of Charles just consists of playing CDs and Gregory Charles singing bits of songs and forgetting the words. Who really wants or needs to hear that?
I’m with John and Emily. I’ve listened to Charles a couple of times and found myself comparing him with Tom Allen and wondering why I find Tom so much better. Both are talkers. Both talk about all kinds of things. The difference is that Gregory is surface comment or thought and Tom is consistently thoughtful, informative, educational, and genuinely funny. And which one is going to disappear in the Fall?
“A great nation deserves great art”. If you listen to NPR on the Internet, you’ll hear that, and I firmly believe it’s true. One of my great pleasures growing up has been listening to classical music over CBC Radio One. It made me want to learn more about Canada, and I’ve since made many visits to your lovely country. Whenever I arrived in Canada and could turn on the radio and hear classical and fine arts programming, it made me feel that I was in a civilized country. It now appears that the CBC is not content with evicting classical music and other quality programming from Radio One, but intend on doing this to Radio Two as well. My dear northern neighbors, come to us. You can find many quality programs on the Internet from U.S. classical radio stations. One of the best in my opinion is WFMT, here in Chicago. They are now streaming live 24 hours a day, and there is no charge to listen (you do have to register). Anyone that is looking for other sources of quality programming is welcome to visit my web site and send me a message, and I will help you. I also do enjoy Classical 96.3 from Toronto, and they are nice folks. Give them a listen. If classical music is something that is important to you, support the stations that broadcast it, because they are providing an important public service. You might also look into starting a low power classical station in your area if you are able to do so. Sorry to hear about the demise of quality programming on the CBC!