The new CBC Radio 2 schedule has been announced and here are the highlights:
Radio 2 Morning, weekdays hosted by Tom Allen, weekends hosted by Molly Johnson.
Weekdays from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., listeners wake up to a mix of contemporary artists and familiar favourites with Tom Allen. The show features a cross-genre look at the best of our nation’s music. The weekend edition of Radio 2 Morning airs Saturdays, 6 – 10 a.m. and Sundays, 6 – 8 a.m. with host Molly Johnson. An acclaimed international jazz sensation, Johnson brings her firsthand experience and perspective as a Canadian performer to the airwaves.
Tempo, hosted by Julie Nesrallah.
Weekdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Radio 2’s classical core takes the prime daytime slot as mezzo-soprano and Ottawa native Julie Nesrallah gives listeners five hours of celebrated classical music. With anecdotes, insight and the occasional studio guest, Nesrallah’s vibrant delivery and intimate knowledge of classical music makes for an upbeat, modern, and informed show.
Radio 2 Drive, hosted by Rich Terfry.
Airing weekdays from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., Radio 2 Drive, is hosted by innovative Canadian funk/hip hop artist and passionate music fan Rich Terfry (he performs as Buck 65). The country’s premier destination for new music and emerging Canadian talent, Radio 2 Drive boasts 75 per cent Canadian content from a range of contemporary musical genres with a focus on singer-songwriters. From time to time, Rich will be joined in-studio by artists for interviews and live performances.
Farrago, hosted by Jurgen Gothe.
Farrago wraps up the weekend on Sundays from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Jurgen Gothe presents listeners a medley of music drawn primarily from his own collection, accompanied by his unique and off-the-cuff commentary. Sophisticated and amusing, the program features new discoveries and unheralded gems presented within a new theme each week.
Note: All programs air one half-hour later in Newfoundland
What do you think of this new lineup?
(Please keep comments about the new shows, please.)
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Might be good, but will be unlistenable 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. So I won’t be listening.
What’s happening overnight? More filler music?
I’m looking forward to the new Radio 2, particularly Tom Allen and Rich Terfry’s shows. I like contemporary music but commercial radio doesn’t do it for me. This might be the thing I’d want to wake up to.
I’m liking the teaser TV ads. Do you think people watching the Olympics will get the message?
It is sad to see the CBC abandoning its traditional audience. These changes may well bring a younger listening audience, but those who care about classical music, and who have relied on the CBC for their fix, now appear to have been disenfranchised.
I, a long time listener of Radio 2, am dreading these extremely ill-advised changes. If ain’t baroque, don’t fix it!
A good portion of my classic CD collection is music I have heard on Radio 2 over the years and it feels like I am about to lose a valuabe resource.
I’m not sure Radio 2 is abandoning its traditional audience. Instead, I think it might be addressing an issue that implied there was a traditional audience in the first place, and that nothing should ever change.
I remember the Radio Revolution of the sixties and though I was quite young at the time, that radical shift in programming styles was what lured me to CBC Radio. The shift Radio 2 is making is as much about introducing new music to the “traditional” audience, as it is to introducing a new audience to the music of Radio 2. I have a feeling this thing just might work, but … I could be wrong.
We all know the private sector isn’t capable of anything approaching the quality of CBC. Indeed, private radio in this country, is quite simply: a joke.
I like the fact that you’re keeping some classical music but it seems like you’re deliberately trying to kill interest in it by putting it between 10 am - 3 pm.
Most people work during these hours and as such won’t be able to listen to classical music. As a young person interested in classical music I’m disappointed in this ‘new direction’ for Radio 2. Where am I supposed to get my classical fix now? Sorry but I won’t be tuning in.
How educational will these new shows be?
I used to learn so much about classical music (and other kinds of music!) from CBC Radio.
Nowadays, there seems to be less and less music programs on the CBC that are actually educational. The people in charge seem to want CBC shows to present wide varieties of musical genres, resulting in the hosts not always knowing a lot about the music they’re broadcasting. Who is learning anything while listening to a Radio 2 host saying, “um, I like this classical piece because it was, uh, used as the basis for, uh, this pop song, you know?” or listening to operas being presented by people without much of a musical background in opera.
I hope that these new shows will actually be somewhat more educational than some of the shows that CBC 2 has been broadcasting lately.
I think I am going to miss the current programming for Radio 2. I know my mum is going to! I think for years now she has kind of shaped her day around “The Ceeb”, and is going to have a time of it getting used to the new programming … or, as I have suggested, snooping around on the Net, through iTunes or whatever, for more of what she likes (a la Jurgen Gothe’s DiscDrive, Saturday Afternoon at the Opera and so forth). Sounds like the CBC is promising something for everyone, and a wider range of music and commentary for a wider audience.
Well … good luck with that, folks. I would just like to say “Photoshop” vs “Corel Draw” or even (shudder) “Microsoft Word”! Whereas the Adobe products create amazing sofware, each one of which performs relatively specific tasks, the latter two try to please everyone and therefore, er, suck and are basically useless for the professionals or intense amateurs.
CBC Radio 2 currently appeals to professonals or intense amateurs in classical music, with some awesome late-night programming to appeal to those with a more lateral interest in music as well. I just hope Radio 2 does not turn into Microsoft Word: buggy, clunky, cumbersome and just plain ol’ ugly.
I eagerly await to see how the new program is going to sound. I shall check in with an open mind Sept 2!
The new lineup is mostly muzak rather than musik.
But the economic system is what it is and the rubbish CBC Radio 2 serves up is what the statistics tell them is relevant.
But since listening to some of the online classical stations, I realize the ‘good’ old CBC radio 2 was not very good at all.
So, thank you CBC, for showing me the door, and a better listening experience.
The whole “classical” issue is disguising the real problem with the programming changes so far: they sacrifice quality for popularity.
And no, quality isn’t a synonym for “classical”, far from it. And quality and popularity aren’t necessarily incompatible either. But, given the record with trying to create “popular” shows (eg: Freestyle) I don’t hold out much hope.
I’m grateful I can get BBC Radio 3 through the Internet..
With all the shows they’re dumping, can they please also dump In the Key of Charles? It’s an inane waste of radio space!
I am not happy with this at all.
CBC Radio 2 (CBC Stereo) gave me my start in Classical music almost 35 years ago.
I can’t believe hat it’s telling it’s core listeners that they don’t care about us. My aunt who is 86 has been listening to CBC Radio from day 1 and will loose out.
Running Classical programming from 10AM-3PM is self-destructive as most people aren’t home at that time.
At least thanks to hi-speed internet, I have alternatives.
Randall is right, as of late, we’ve been fed little snipits of classical music & not the full works, which we SHOULD be hearing & not just of popular classics.
Sad to say that as of Labour Day, I will have nothing to listen to on Canadian radio & will be looking elsewhere as well
I’m going to miss hearing Tom Allen present classical music in the morning, along with DiscDrive, but I’ll give the new format a chance. This is going to be interesting.
Already scrambling to find a source that will fill the void. We all love change, but not so much from our morning routines with classical and Tom.
When will we hear details of the CBC internet stations? They’re our only hope of hearing classical music while we have breakfast, and we’ve already purchased the necessary gadgetry to stream it over our stereo. I’ll miss CBC Classical mornings. At least they haven’t killed Choral Concert. . . .
Buck 65 is a national treasure. His work has been highly critically acclaimed in Canada and around the world for many years, and he’s a very important person in the history of Canadian hip hop and indie music. I think it’s great that he’s hosting a show like this, but I find the time slot a little odd. I’m assuming that the intent of this show is to bridge the gap between the Radio 2 audience and the Radio 3 audience and to introduce the Radio 2 audience to the world of Radio 3, and if so I think that’s a good goal, but later in the evening seems like a more logical time slot, and if it was later in the evening then the Radio 3 audience might tune in too as there are no hosted shows in the evening right now. That way you could introduce more Radio 3 listeners to the world of Radio 2 as well. Otoh, having it in the afternoon drive time will probably mean that it will have a much larger audience, and the more people who are exposed to the incredible amount of great new Canadian bands the better, so I’m prepared to give it a chance in that timeslot. Otoh again, if that’s a prime listening time for fans of classical music, then maybe it’s not the right time slot for the show.
Bruce: You’ll find them now at http://www.insidethecbc.com/webstreams
The music I want to listen to is classical and jazz - NOT hip hop, blues, roots etc. There are plenty of stations who do that. Why compete with them? I guess I’ll be looking to other sources to find music I like as I work during the day (like most folks). Jurgen Gothe was the only way I could keep my sanity fighting a stressful drive home. If I have to listen to hip hop or other such garbage driving home, my stress level will skyrocket.
I agree with Emily G above in lamenting the loss of an educational component to programing. Robert Harris’ I Hear Music was a weekend highlight for me because I learned so much about many kinds and aspects of music. I find myself running to change the station when his replacement program comes on.
Tonic from 6-8pm has been a good addition (when they stick to jazz and keep the hip hop out) and I’ve grown to rather like In The Key of Charles on Sunday because he does play a fair bit of jazz.
The CBC Jazz and CBC Classical web radio streams sound interesting if I can find out what I need to do/buy to make use of them.
A Farewell to Two Brilliant programs, Namely Discdrive, And Music & Company. Please may common sense prevail at the CBC. As it seems the Barberians are at the Gate. And appear to have lost all sense of reason, Aswell as taste in Music . I Therfore call upon all faithfull Gothes . to Find a real Classical alternative and protest this, Tragic and epic madness .
Bye CBC for now , Hello Classic King Seattle.
I fought the last change at radio 2 that brought on the evening programming we have now -and I’m still miffed at losing Dannielle Charbonneau. But I’ve continued to listen and I’ve rethought the whole approach.
CBC Radio is in a tough spot - being publically financed, if you don’t change you keep your classical lovers and lose a wider diverging audience to other technologies (Ipods, streaming, satellite programming, etc). Afte all, radio as we know it is a quickly aging technology. If you do change you’re not guaranteed you’re going to pick up more listeners and you aggravate your core audience. But if you want your funding lifeline you’d better try to stay relevant. I wouldn’t want to be beholden to politicians for my future…
The mandate CBC radio 2 has adopted asks for radio to bring the wide diversity of Canadian music for their listeners. That’s laudable. And that makes CBC relevant to Canadians — and funding possible.
The evening programming change brought me some of that diversity. After a shaky start I think Tonic quickly found it’s legs - now I’m a steady listener. Katy keeps it fun - and while I don’t like everything they play, it’s good to know what’s out there. Canada Live much less so - just not for me I guess. Is there a Canadian guitar player who hasn’t been on this show? How big is the listening audience? Too loud and intrusive for me, too hyped in general. The Signal? I listen in 10 minute snips before bed. Interesting breadth of new music and some of it is fun but it’s not something I’d listen to for 2-3 hours. And Nightstream is pretty much filler. But for the midnight to six slot maybe that’s all you need. At least it’s diverse filler… it’s better than any commerical radio.
So all in all there have been some postives. I’ve gone to satellite radio (XM) for classics and for ‘period music’ (60s, broadway, etc). but the Americans just don’t seem to have the depth or announcer interest that CBC Classical program can provide…. I think the key is that we hone into the program host so much on radio 2 that they become friends. Dannielle, Eric, Jurgen, Catherine — they are the losses as much as the music we play. That’s the power of radio folks! It’s a very intimate medium…
So let’s see what the daytime lineup brings…it could be good. I understand the need to change the programming to reach the people and understand the resistance of those who feel Radio 2 is a trusted family member who would never do us wrong.
It doesn’t hurt to be exposed to new things. I’ve got my CDs and Satellite Radio if it get’s really rough….
CBC Radio Two used to be the home of intelligent music (lots of classical) and commentary, but it’s been declining for years. I like classical and I am simply not interested in the pop, R&B, or hordes of unknown “songwriters” that you are proposing. I work during the day (like most people) and regretfully will not be listening to the 10am to 3pm time slot either.
I’ve been a faithful listener for over 30 years. Bye bye Radio Two. It is so sad to see our public broadcaster treating its audience like so much detritus. Maybe after a few months CBC management will realize their mistake and restore some of the great programs they used to have. For now I won’t be listening.
I have been a steady listener of Music and Company since I discovered it. For me, It has been the best radio show I have ever found-fun, entertaining, educational and CLASSICAL. Tom Allen is a wonderful host. It seems a shame to waste all his classical music knowledge. All I can say is, I hope Tom and classical music reunite on radio someday. It was a great show and I am very sad to see it go.
I worry about a lot of this. I’m 24 (not some old guy), and have been listening to Radio 2 since I was a little kid, especially DiscDrive (coming home from piano lessons, work or school). I credit Radio 2 with a considerable percentage of my music education, and inspiring my work as a pianist, piano teacher, and songwriter. My 17 year old brother listens to Radio 2 even more than I do, and when he heard what was happening, he was devastated.
I would like the CBC to be able to provide an outlet for other forms of Canadian music, especially singer-songwriters, but I find a three hour drive time show to be a bit odd. If the idea is to provide a greater mix of music, why a three hour daily show with only one genre? Why not a drive time show that plays a mix, including classical, as well as some folk and jazz, and what not? (Oh wait, Jurgen Gothe already did that…)
Why switch to a format that has less wide appeal?
Certainly I think that Buck 65 could host a daily show for an hour or two, but…
Also, I worry about hearing that the 10-3 show will focus on “light classical” stuff. Radio 2 has had a variety of hosts in the past, who bring their unique personalities, and music knowledge to their work, and have a very deep playlist. To have only one host (albeit a good one, from all I hear), focusing on more “accessible” material is to kill the educational force that Radio 2 has been, to make it merely another form of “entertainment”.
But the commerical marketplace provides entertainment very well already! In Toronto, for example, there’s a classical station, but it plays a lot of movie soundtracks and fluff (as well as some good stuff). I don’t want Radio 2 to be like that.
Perhaps one way of continuing what Radio 2 has done in such exemplary fashion is to really seriously develop the web-radio service, using human hosts, and (if they catch on), adding that service to sattelite radio and Galaxy.
This complete cleansing of daytime programming was the final kick for me to change to Satillite radio after 10 years of CBC Radio 2 listening from 7- 6pm weekends; terrible to see Jurgen sent out to pasture
Thank God for 96.3 Fm. CBC obviously has a death wish.
Unfortunately, i have to agree - I’m a bit wary of this new “classical” timeslot from 10-3pm. I also appreciated the knowledge and depth brought to the previous schedule by the knowledeable hosts.
I was introduced to CBC Radio 2 by my father, became a regular listener in University nearly twenty years ago … and despite having tried other satellite / on-line radio stations on and off throughout the years - I have always ended up back at CBC.
I will check out the new schedule and see though …
Re Disk Drive
Can’t believe that anyone would want to eliminate something so good - lets hope Moses picks up Jurgen for his station
Bye bye
As an immigrant, I learned to love my country of adoption by first loving CBC Radio 2. Much of my English I learned from Tom Allen and Jurgen Gothe.
Settling down in Canada, for me, happened much through settling into the daily habbit of listening to Music and Company and to DiscDrive.
I can’t tell you how much I will miss these programs.
I used to turn Radio 2 off when the mindless Jazz came on after Jurgen’s programme (sometimes during). I think the new programming is insipid and will now not be listening to Radio 2 at all. What a disappointment.
Did you just hear Jurgen’s sign off? “That’s it for Disk Drive, I’m Jur…”
Bit of an abrupt ending there! At least, that’s what I heard in Vancouver!!
Was so sad to hear the last DiscDrive. Jurgen Gothe was perfect, and presented a wonderful show. I will really miss Tom Allen’s morning show as well. I had already cut down on my Radio 2 listening, and am afraid I’ll be cutting down even more. It will be interesting to see if these changes attract new listeners to replace the one’s who will be searching out a new classical fix.
With respect to educating people about music, Rich Terfry/Buck 65/Stinkin’ Rich is the real deal. He is NOT another George Strombo or Jian Ghomeshi, who know very little about the world beyond the boarders of the GTA, and whose cultural base is largely limited to the very superficial and insular Queen Street West scene of the 1990s. Terfry is a completely different story. He is a serious artist who has produced some very significant works, and he has lived and worked in a number of places and has a national and global perspective. He has had a number of albums that have been highly critically acclaimed in Canada and around the world, and he’s even done a song for Sesame Street. He is from Nova Scotia but has also lived in a number of places, including Paris for some years. He’s also done a number of collaborations with musicians ranging from folk artists to Inuit throat singers, and he’s also been a host on Radio 3. I agree that the time slot is odd and that a show like this that is informing a Radio 2 audience about critically acclaimed Radio 3 type music might be better as a replacement for the Signal, but I think that this is the kind of show with the kind of host that should be on Radio 2 somewhere.
I am very disappointed with the new schedule but will give it a try. Unfortunately we don’t receive 96.3 here in Muskoka. I have been a faithful listener to CBC radio for many years & have enjoyed the programs that have now been cut. The alternative will be cd’s & Gallaxie on satellite.
I am entirely saddened by this transition. Music & Company and Disc Drive were my favourite programs. I was exposed to artists I was not familiar with by Jurgen Gothe over the years, and distinctly remember driving home from the university and scrambling for paper/pen at a stop light to write down the artist’s name. His ability to widen one’s horizon is much appreciated. If this break is his choice, I do wish him well in any of his future endeavors and thank him for being a driving companion.
Tom Allen is a beacon, pure and simple. His wit, knowledge, and passion for music is utterly delightful! For one who loves classical music yet not classically trained, it is a pleasurable learning experience on a daily basis listening to Tom. Beyond that, I find him to be an interesting chap - I mean who in their right mind would have a cage match for classical artists? The fact that there was a classical cage match showed me that there was still creativity adrift - brilliant!
I moved back from the United Kingdom almost a year ago and the one thing I missed more than poutine over the 6 years was the CBC Radio 2, in perfect honesty. The BBC classical channel does not hold a candle to our beloved CBC. I am aghast at these changes that are happening and am listening to the announcers give their sign off shows and am genuinely tearing.
To the CBC corporation: **this is the wrong move**. Your announcers are, on the whole, the cream of the crop. The shows you have had were like a well-worn pair of shoes - comfortable and giving the ability to walk miles further than you otherwise would be able to. The programs are drab or banal in any way, there is/was something for everyone. Please reconsider the path this is taking. There are many other radio stations nationwide that cater to some of the directions you are about to take CBC in, there are not many channels at all that cater to what the CBC did (as of August 30th). Please.
I am not downplaying the new announcers, in any way. It is in praise of what was working that this stems from. Thank you to all the announcers who have worked so hard over the years. Your passion for what you do did not go unnoticed. Best regards to you all.
I hope every person who posts, “I am now turning off the CBC” will do exactly that. Any listener who relies on this bureaucratic, provincial, oh so politically correct radio service to hear ANY type of music needs to put a bit more effort into their passion. Don’t settle for clicking on the new music stream channel designed to placate you; don’t “cease to be discriminating,” as Bob Kerr used to say. Program your own playlist.
Let’s all join the Friends of Canadian Broadcasting as they encourage us to speak up about the changes to Radio 2….the mandate to the CBC is to “inform, enlighten, and entertain:. These changes do very little to enlighten us. I will be joining others who look elsewhere for the quality that once was represented by radio 2.
CLICK! -that’s the sound as I turned off CBC Radio 2 this morning!
This morning at 7:50am I turned on CBC Radio 2 hoping for the best and that the changes would not be as drastic as predicted. I was sorely disappointed to hear all sorts of mediocre pop music - so I switched to KING Classic Seattle - I’m fortunate that I can do that as I have my stereo attached to my cable - my 89 year old parents aren’t as fortunate and must now listen to CD’s if they want classical music any time outside of the mid-day period.
I can pick any number of Lower Mainland commercial stations if I want to hear pop music and do so when I am in the mood BUT here in Vancouver the only FM station carrying classical music is CBC Radio 2 and occasionally Espace Musique.
I think CBC is seriously off base if you think young people will turn to you for their music - young people don’t even include CBC in their range of musical choices and are unlikely to do so. Most of my generation - the Baby Boomers - grew into CBC listeners as they got older - we listened to pop stations until we were in our late 30’s and early 40’s and then became more discerning and sophisticated in our musical tastes - probably a natural transition for most people as they mature.
You have maintained a strong and loyal listener base - why mess with it. I would love to see the audience ratings after a couple of months of this kind of programming.
I have been turning off my dial frequently because jazz was on almost every hour. Where is the traditional classic music now?
It seems that each host is into his own “personality” mostly talk and little music. I miss the longer truly classical pieces. If you want funky off the wall then don’t put it on Radio2 which used to be pleasant classical music. I am not looking forward to the new line-up. I guess that playing ones own CDs will be the only
way to enjoy music. I think that you are shutting off a huge percentage of your audience. Maybe the French CBC will not abandon classical music .
First day back to work - clock radio goes off and I hear…..lyrics?
Oh dear - what happened to the classical music program?
This is very disappointing. I will miss Tom as much as Bach, Mozart and Rachmaninoff.
It’s a sad day for me as well. I love easing into my work day with CBC classical music, whether I am at home or heading into the chaotic morning Vancouver traffic.
I’ve switched to Seattle’s King radio for my am classical fix, but I mourn the loss of a longtime Canadian tradition. And as a marketing move, I think it is ill thought out. There are many other radio stations supplying this kind of pop/jazz mix, there’s nothing unique about the new format, so what’s the incentive to tune in?
Colour me gone.
It is so sad to witness the demise of Radio 2. The powers-that-be have been chipping away at it for some time, but now it appears that the end is near.
How does the CBC make these decisions? The ratings were good, the audience appreciative, but that did not seem to matter.
Generally policy change and direction are the responsibility of the organizational board. Looking at the composition of the CBC Board of Directors, few if any would have the time or inclination to listen to Radio 2, especially during the day. I would say that they are a group of “professional board sitters”, with backgrounds of law, accounting and journalism. Who speaks for the actual listener? Does anyone? Would the CBC listen anyway?
If Radio 2 really wanted to be innovative, unique and daring, they would add classical music to the Radio 3 mix! Instead they have opted for the same music available on a hundred radio stations across Canada.
I suggest that we all write (sometimes a real letter rather than a blog or email is more forceful) to the Chair of the CBC Board of Directors, Timothy W. Casgrain, and the CBC President and CEO Hubert T. Lacroix, (http://www.cbc.radio-canada.ca/about/directors/index.shtml) and to the Minister of Canadian Heritage, Josee Verner (http://www.pch.gc.ca/pc-ch/min/index_e.cfm).
As the CBC is now the same as all the other radio stations across Canada, there is no need for taxpayers money to be provided to it!
I cannot imagine that a bureaucrat would make this type of programming without the direction of the Conservatives who have been trying to kill off the CBC for years. It will now be irrelevant to everyone and safe to dispose.
Writing to our back bencher is useless because he takes his orders from the PMO not the constituents.
Sorry, I tried. But today I switched my radio. After over 50 years of listening to CBC—no more. It hurts my ears. Not only is the music boring and repetitive
–but the hosts are not up to the usual standards. Too bad.
Thank you CBC Radio 2 for providing so many years of wonderful shows that stimulated and educated me through your interesting hosts. – early morning to late in the evening. Thank you to Shelley, Jurgen, Tom, Catherine, Bob K. over the last several years that made my work day complete. My radio dial was permanently set on Radio2 and I looked forward to the morning and afternoon line up of well researched music and Canadians personal selections thoughtfully brought over the airwaves. This new schedule of mainstream muzak,(pop, R&B, hip hop) is truly disappointing to your traditional faithful audience. Can you not dump this ‘new schedule’ to Radio1? I too will search for the BBC Radio3 dial and my collection of CDs that were purchased from the music I directly heard from CBC-FM2. – It’s a sad end of an era to many loyal Canadians here and abroad. –bye for now.. ‘Click-Delete’.
So sad - and bad - and I’m mad! My morning routine is shot, no longer a calm classical start to the day and I’m like a lost sheep. Actually more like a bear with a sore head….but enough about animals. As so many are saying, and more eloquently than me, where are we supposed to go for wonderful music and intelligent pleasant hosts without the pain of commercials?
Nowhere, thanks to CBC.
WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!!!!
It’s 7.30am, I am currently playing my Vivaldi CD for the umpteenth time and it just doesn’t cut it. I will so miss The Morning Show and Here’s to You, and as for streaming audio - my lifestyle does not involve sitting near a computer.
Hard to believe, but for me it’s goodbye CBC.
I never thought I would live to see what has happened to our beloved CBC FM Radio. I have often thought over the 30 years of faithful listening that it really was too good to be true but never really believed that the all knowing program analysts at CBC would screw up to this extent. It all began with the cancellation of Adrienne Charbonneau and has picked up speed ever since. KAty has done a great job introducing jazz to my one sided musical experience, and at least she is witty and knowledgeable. Gregory Charles on the other hand reminds me of an ADHD sufferer for whom Ritalin isn’t working.
The loss of those wonderful silken voiced musicologists such as Catherine Belyea, Eric Friesen and Yurgen Gothe has placed me in mourning. Their like will never be experienced again.
What 15 year old tuning in to hip hop at nine is ever going to turn on CBC again after one minute of Tempo. Who you tryin’ to kid boys? THe radio diaL reeks with the popular music you seem to think we should all embrace. Today I am embracing th sound of silence.
Even before the recent bizarre programming fiasco - 9 symphonies in 9 days, and 9 symphonies in 9 hours, I had assumed that the B in CBC was Beethoven (or bland or boring). There is now a host whose favourite composer is Beethoven, and seems determined to prove it. Yesterday she played part of his paino concerto #1 and today the whole of symphony #5 (I’ve lost track of how many times that has been aired.) I never thought I’d be sorry to say goodbye to Jurgen Gothe - his brand of humour didn’t appeal to me, but the replacement programme is sheer tosh. Don’t get me started on Tonic and its self-satisfied host, and while I don’t miss Eric Friesen one whit, the Tempo host doesn’t seem to know much about music. And poor Tom Allen - what has he done to deserve his new programme? It appears to be for people with a short attention span. I’m afraid that the new CBC2 is like UK’s Classic FM, without the commercials but with as many irritating hosts
It’s no use your telling me that I can get classical music online. I don’t have a computer in the car.
Bad CBC, very bad.
Alex Wilson
You have lost a listener of the Tom Allen segment, I will stay with Tempo until 3:00pm and then off goes CBC 2. Thankfully in Montreal we have 99.5 which while not up to the old CBC 2 level is far better than your new format.
There is no doubt after reading the latest comments that CBC listeners are a passionate group. I too fall into that category as I discovered in my early teens a radio station available that tried to rise above the mostly mundane and cookie cutter type commercial stations. To me it is an invaluable common thread for the country. Perhaps over the long term the survival and funding of CBC radio will be determined over their ability to attract and increase the number of listeners. If this is the case, I hope these type of changes work, and maybe that is a sacrifice that has to be made. I am certainly objective about my music tastes by acknowledging that others have different opinions. I just fear that by trying to become more mainstream nothing will be accomplished in the end because the very ‘ differences ‘ that set CBC Radio apart will no longer be there. Thats why I listen. Because it is different. Speaking as a person who lives in a rural area ( yes there are still some of us who do ), all the hoopla about classical music being available 24/7 on the net is just a nice warm, fuzzy thought, nothing more. In areas where there is no high speed service to be had, its not an option. But I guess thats my problem. Where I live there is no other station that plays anything remotely close to classical. Nothing. So I will listen for a week or two before I make up my mind whether or not to push the radio off button, but these first few days have not sounded promising for me as a listener. I even find myself sometimes drifting away from Radio One as in my own mind the quality and content is not what is was a few years ago. But thats another story.
I listened to CBC Radio 2 as much as I could everyday…from waking up to “Music & Co.” to making dinner with “Tonic”. I loved everything about it…and now it’s all gone.
These changes have made me leave CBC Radio 2 forever. Good luck competing with all the other drowning radio stations out there.
I thought letting the “Hockey Night in Canada” theme get away was the worst Canadian broadcasting mistake ever. I guess it has just been topped.
It is now day 3 of the “new & improved” CBC. I’m sorry to say that Jennifer McGuire destroyed a National Treasure. I have always listened to CBC 2 early morning. CBC 2 was on my radio in my office all day. I listened to it on my Walkman or on the car radio on the trip home. CBC 2 was always tuned in on one of radios in my home. NO MORE. Now it’s CD’s exclusively. The saddest loss for me is Tom Allen’s show in the morning. Tom, you were always a delight to wake up to. Funny, inspiring, insightful and very entertaining. You coaxed me out of bed and into the world every day. This new programming that you are being forced to present to your listeners is absolutely terrible. I feel sorry for you buddy but not sorry enough to put up with listening to it every morning. The biggest loss as far as my husband is concerned is Sound Advice with Rick Phillips. We used to plan our Saturdays around that program and we had to be home or close to a radio so he could listen. A large part of our 10,000 plus collection has been purchased based on what we heard on Rick’s program. Now he has to buy unheard from the reviews published in Gramophone magazine and so will end up buying much less than before. The third program that we miss most is Danielle Charbonneau’s silken voice and mellow classical programming late at night. Yes - she was booted out by CBC a few years ago now but we still miss her terribly. She was always comforting to me to tune her in on a sleepless night and my husband kept his radio on ALL NIGHT EVERY NIGHT - he can’t sleep without some backround music. CBC 2 - you have completely lost two very devoted listeners.
Hey Tom, sorry to say it but good bye!
I thought my car stereo was broken yesterday afternoon when I tuned in and found Drive in place of Jurgen Gothe. After going through the stations twice I came to the sad realization that I was indeed on CBC Radio 2. I turned off my radio and drive home in silence.
I too feel betrayed. I too axed the new morning show after 10 minutes of music that I simply do not care to wake up too. When I will miss the old format the most is during my mornings/evenings as I’ve been relying on Radio 2’s classical music content for many years to make my commutes to work a more relaxing experience. So far, finding a suitable replacement on the FM dial in Ottawa has been a waste of time.
When I visit Montreal, I listen to 99.5 CJPX; a classical station that is one of the fastest growing stations in the area… and for a reason - there’s a market for classical music.
I hope the CBC will wake up and realize that pissing off its current listeners (and there’s quite a few - http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/story.html?id=14c3d53b-cdee-4969-ab72-b329b3c9457d) in hope of capturing a would-be audience is not the way forward…
To Tom Allen:
Dear Tom,
I have tried, but wake up angry as a result of the raucous, repetitive **** you are now required to program.
I am leaving you, and CBC, forever. Once the dial has moved, there is no incentive to turn it back.
Young Canadians will never know what they have missed, and the Canadian music world will be diminished as a result. What used to be “world class” (CBC Radio 2) is now unmemorable.
Radio Two was an integral part of my life, in the house, in the car, in my class room, on the cottage deck. I do not sit chained to a desk all day staring at a computer in oreder to get my classical music “fix”. What a pathetic future for Canadians.
I don’t know how you can do your job. Lucky are all my CBC friends who are now unemployed. At least they are free to chart a new course.
A tax rebellion (Why should we be paying for this?????); our own radio station?????
Looking for leaders! (and trying to figure out how to set my in house stereo system to wake us up. I won’t miss the watered down news, but I will miss you).
Didn’t think I had to do this prior to the changes to radio 2 but I am forced now to go to satellite radio for my Classical fix. Tom Allen’s old show will be missed but cannot listen now during the drive into work.
I can’t speak to the rest of the country, but in Toronto there weren’t that many people listening. It looks like most of them have already commented on this thread.
http://www.eyeweekly.com/blog/post/31625
I really like the new Drive show, myself. It’s cool enough for a young male (demographic alert!) like myself but more accessible to more mature listeners than, say, the Edge. And it’s far far less vacuous than the easy listening stations.
Now if we could just get Radio 3 actually on the radio…
I have been listening to CBC radio for over 50 years. My dad gave me a crystal radio set that was shaped like a space ship that I used to listen to the CBC on the AM dial. You adjusted the tuning by moving the nose cone. The reason I’m mentioning all this is that even back then the CBC caught my ear because it had a distinct “sound” that made it stand out amongst all of the other radio stations. I was hooked and listened to the AM radio version, and then both AM and FM. The CBC was something that I was proud of as a Canadian because it showed the world us at our best. Today, however, I am completely ashamed of what CBC radio has become. Formerly a place to go for intellegent music and commentary, it has become dumbed down and shallow. Radio 2 has fallen especially hard this week. What a travesty! I have developed a wide range of musical interested over the years and can appreciate a wide range of musical styles. But what’s being played this week is simply a mess with no context. The new DJ’s (I can’t call them program hosts anymore) are amazingly shallow in their personalities and musical knowledge. There is absolutely nothing within their information and presentation that is motivating me to want to know more about the musicans they are playing. It’s just “here’s a CD, now here’s another one, oh and guess what, another CD”. This is what my tax dollar is funding? What a tragedy that CBC management has been allowed to destroy a priceless national treasure. Oh! Canada!
I too find the new programs annoying and disappointing — nothing up to the standards of Eric Friesen, Tom Allen with his classical show, Jurgen etc. After years of enjoyment, I am turning off the CBC and looking for an alternative.
The classical web-stream is pleasant but needs more than just music — include classical programming from Radio2, or record new material (identifying the music played, and giving background information.) A sad week for CBC and its (former) listeners.
CBC radio has been my lifeline and my friend through good times and hard times for almost 2 decades. I always knew, whether I was nursing a baby, calming a distressed child, doing household chores or commuting to and from work that I could consistently depend on CBC radio to settle my mind and calm my world. I learned so much and had many chuckles when listening to Tom Allen every morning while getting ready for and travelling to work. During work related and holiday visits to other parts of Canada, I always connected with CBC Radio to be my constant companion while away from home. Tom - you were a wonderful part of my life!!!
Well….my constant companion has abandoned me and many other people throughout our great country. I live in a small community in Northern Ontario and, like many small communities throughout Canada, CBC Radio is the only option for classical music.
The loss to me, my family and people living in communities throughout our region and rural Canada is significant. I am sure this will have a lasting and negative impact on future generations. This is a backward step at a time when we are trying to build ecclictic music appreciation within our youth.
Good bye CBC Radio Two and Tom Allen, Jergen Gothe and others. I have just eliminated FM 101.7 from all the preset radio stations in my home, office and vehicles. There is no point in listening any more.
A stolid rock and alternative music listener, I switched to CBC 2 many years ago because I could no longer stand the ads and repetitive playlists of commercial radio.
I did enjoy the classical music and the informative chatter of the various hosts. However I have to say that after such a long time of the same format, I am sure I have heard every imaginable quality recording of both famous and obscure classical compositions at least twice!
The first week of the New CBC 2 brought to the forefront music previously overlooked by mainstream media; whether alternative recordings of the 1980’s and 90’s or current not-very-well-known Canadian artists. The new format fills a hole sorely missed on the airwaves since the old Coast 1040 shut down. Finally! Something tailored for my own, generally ignored, generation (born 1966).
Give it time people; there’s enough of a music mix to appeal to everyone, and the middle part of the day is still classical. I think time will prove the New CBC 2 to have broad appeal.
-Keta
Maybe we should have a radio show about how to wrap turbans on our multicultural heads. CBC radio 2 is now completely unlistenable and I will have to resort to something more intellectual like Q107. Did Ben mulroney make this great canadian decision? Holy stinking blow job.
I have tried out listening to the new CBC2 programmes for the past week and have decided on
the following..From 8.00am/10.00am I have tuned out
Tom Allen (nothing personal but the music is garbage)
and switched to CBC!. From 10.00am/3.00pm I can
tolerate the classical programme but it is a far cry from “Here’s to You” and “Studio Sparks”. From
3.00pm/6.00pm I can switch to CBC2 Classical Music on line (I shudder to think of the programme that has
replaced Jurgen Goethe’s though I rather like the
young man who is hosting this new programme–it is the music that leaves much to be desired)
It really amuses me to hear the hosts of the new
programmes reminding us of where we can hear
classical music on CBC and forthcoming weekend
classical music programmes..This is the crust
of bread that is thrown to us–the former and loyal
listeners to the now evaporated CBC2 Classical
programme station. I would love to know if these comments that we are all making are actually read by anyone in the CBC who cares and is willing to act on our dissatisfaction or if they float around in cyberspace totally ignored.
Attention CBC –it it’s money you need (and I can appreciate that problem), please use your efforts to increase your audience of classical music lovers instead of integrating your identity with all the many other similar programmes that one hears on the radio
to-day. Oh for the days when we could switch on the radio, turn the knob, and say “Now that’s CBC” !!!
Me too - mourning a big loss in my life - have tuned in a few times to ” where Canada lives” - now I dont live ” there” anymore. Down here in Southwest Nova Scotia there is not the choice you city folks have so I will try to get in the habit of listening to and collecting CD’s - have already ordered a CD player for my car. Incidentally I loved the mix of music exemplified by Jurgen Goeth’s afternoon program - quality music of almost all genres. The new programs are worse than I had imagined - I sometimes can get that wonderful MOntreal station mentioned by Charles but not on my bedroom radio - but winding down for sleep has not been the same since the cancellation of Northern LIghts . I do like the jazz program in the early evening.Otherwise a wasteland - the new daily classical program is too light- a pops concert !I like Trefry’s understated style and voice but his choice of music is incomprehensible to me.
Hey I wonder if we could hold back some of our income tax revenue as a protest - just for the amount that it costs to run the new CBC2 ??
heard an annoying promo for classical music on CBC2 this am ( when checking out what Tom Allen was playing) to the effect that we classical music lovers should just bring it in on our computers - as if that would solve all our problems ! Only thing is I dont have a computer in my kitchen, nor do I have a computer in my bedroom , nor do I have a computer in my car.
Hence - here is a solution for you - as you obviously are after an audience who tends to have all of the above on their litlle amazing gadgets put your new programs tailored to them on the internet and restore our wonderful programs on plain old radio which we CAN access from our bedrooms, cars and kitchens .Now wouldnt that be more fair ?
I like to watch videos on YouTube, but lately, it seems that whatever videos I watch on YouTube (even non-music-related ones), I get an annoying ad for Radio 2 on the page. I even installed an ad-blocker, which blocks every ad except the Radio 2 one. It’s annoying! And just because there’s Radio 2 ads everywhere, it doesn’t make me want to listen to it!
While we’re on the subject of ads, there’s a Radio 2 ad on the radio that is misleading. “Tempo” is being advertised as “a mix of classical music you won’t hear anywhere else.” This is untrue. You can hear an extremely similar “mix” of popular, overplayed classical music on the local classical station here in Montreal.
I am shattered that you eliminated Tom Allen Music and Company in the morning… what an ill advised decision, who ever decided to take it…it destroys my mood and my day to have to listen to the new music offered before 10AM which frankly belongs to the evening, late evening even, instead of that gloomy avant-garde music that you now offer at The SIgnal etc…..all my friends and relatives feel the same way…a shame that you have abandoned a huge group of fans - and also let down so many young eople from all different countries, newcomers in Canada, eager to learn more about classical music and at the same time, a great part of the cultural background of htis country.
Please re-establish your good reputation, don’t be proud, and reinstate classical from 6AM-3PM at least..meanwhile, i have to switch off the CBC until 10AM…and my whole day is affected negatively …aren’t we taxpayers have any saying in the matter? Why don’t you conduct a referendum on line?
Thanks
Disastrous changes to radio 2. Driving to and from work with a choice of fabulous classical music and commentary made sure we always tuned in.
Now it has all but disappeared - if I want to listen to ‘pop music’ - there are 15 other stations I can tune into and most do a better job! Now we cannot get any classical music radio on our long commutes unless we go with satelite.
We are both highly educated individuals (MBA/accounting degree for husband in 30s, and medical doctor for wife in late 20s). We are both very disappointed and really wish our taxes did not support these kind of ‘progeressive’ changes which bring programming to lowest common denominator … or no denominator at all.
Shame on you CBC! Lets have a survey to see what your listeners really want!
Michael & Magdalena
I too am disgusted with CBC’s removal of the only two programs I ever listened to regularly on CBC-2. They stuff they are purveying now is advertised as music you won’t hear anywhere else - that’s because no one else would play it. The spark has gone from Tom Allen’s voice as he tries to pretend that the 15 minutes of fame fluff he plays has any redeeming qualities.
I now listen to 90.3, at least CBC francais covers the whole map.
As someone who has listened faithfully to CBC Radio for years, I must add my name to the many who have responded to your recent changes. I should have seen it coming with the loss of Danielle Charboneau’s evening program a while back… I still miss her very much. Loved her voice and intro to “Music for a while”…I appreciated her fondness for Clarinet music as well.
Now on CBC Radio 2….The coffee is perking….toast is popping…Tom Allen comes on at 6am….but the music is a huge disapointment. I heard it was coming, but can hardly believe you would try to fix something that was not broken. It is much worse than I anticipated.
I hope the CBC executives who are responsible for this decision will eventually reconsider…and restore some of the very enjoyable Classical programming that was previously available on CBC2.
I hate to have to turn the radio off for good.