Comments on: Search Engine to live on, but not as a scheduled show

By: Kempton

Kempton — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 16:26:52 +0000

Very sad to see CBC canceled Search Engine.

I know Jesse will try his best. But no matter how hard he tries, he is not super human and Jesse alone can’t possibly replace the team of researchers and reporters that work diligently and collectively on making a great show every week.

I have blogged about this tragedy for our digital democracy. The Saving CBC’s Search Engine Facebook group has now ~700 members and growing. Some listeners are calling the CBC audience relations, and some even call the Director of programming (radio) to express our views and sadness (and deep disappointment).

If we love the show, sometime we have to fight the (almost) impossible fight. Good luck to us all.

P.S. Now, no one thought the Berlin wall would fall the way it did, right?

By: Matthew

Matthew — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 03:59:37 +0000

It’s a shame to hear Search Engine will be disappearing from the air waves. I first heard it a little over a month ago while working from home with R1 streaming. I was surprised at hear the depth of conversation covered and have enjoyed listening to it since – especially the coverage of Minister Prentice’s shenanigans with C-61. I can only hope CBC will broaden its discussion of socio-techno-economic issues in other programs to fill the gap.

Matthew – Vancouver, BC.

By: robert

robert — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 03:34:03 +0000

Interesting new CBC-speak:

“[yourshowname] to live on, but not as a scheduled show”

Is that in the new style guide ?

um, isn’t it easier (and truthful) to say ‘cancelled’ ?

-robert, living on in Vancouver

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 02:23:55 +0000

John W has a great point. I would love to see Spark and Search Engine combined into one hour of technology related programming.

By: John W

John W — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 20:17:48 +0000

Since Search Engine and Spark seemed to have pretty much the same mandate, why not just combine them into one great one hour show replacing Go?

By: gillian

gillian — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 18:35:53 +0000

I don’t get the CBC creating all these new shows only to cancel them after less than a season. Why put all that money and time into developing something only to cut it before it has a chance to establish itself? I’m thinking a bit of jPod here (which was silly but I still liked it). But Search Engine was pretty popular as a podcast, wasn’t it? Downloaded tons. And it was only going to get *more* popular, so why cut it off?

The CBC depresses me these days.

By: Cyrus Farivar

Cyrus Farivar — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:00:14 +0000

As an American fan of Search Engine, I’m really sad to see it go.

Jesse Brown presents the best radio tech coverage that I’ve ever heard. Period.

By: Allan

Allan — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 14:55:56 +0000

Search Engine was flawed but it had a lot going for it.
The problem is that CBC Radio seems to understand itself less and less these days, and has lost sight of what it’s primary function is to Canadians. It’s become a mosaic of expensive mini-shows thrown against the wall to see what sticks, instead of simply extending the basic format that everyone enjoys – 5 hours or more of whatever interests Shelahg Rogers, such as talking with Jesse Brown. You don’t need ten different hosts in a day, just one good one.

By: Gord Sintic

Gord Sintic — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 05:07:16 +0000

http://www.librarianactivist.org summed things up best: “CBC’s radio show Search Engine is the most downloaded show on the CBC website in the News and Current Affairs section. It has won awards in the US and has a large following on Facebook and on their own website. It’s covered issues like Net Neutrality and Copyright, with the last show covering an interview with Minister of Industry Jim Prentice on Bill C-61.

What does the CBC do in the face of such success?

They cancel the show.”

Good call, when something works dump it. One less reason to listen to the CBC, not that I listened much before. Back to the Guardian iTunes page for tech podcasts for me.

By: Mike C

Mike C — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 23:15:29 +0000

I just don’t get it. Have the bean-counters who have spent so much time ruining private radio now moved on to the CBC? Rule #1 is: You can’t get something for nothing. Now Jesse has to “do it all” by himself? The CBC has officially relegated him to the status of “guy with a blog.”

By: Jesse Willis

Jesse Willis — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 20:23:02 +0000

I never heard Search Engine on the radio either (I’m 99% CBC podcasts now). CBC should make Search Engine a weekly podcast show…

Make it the flagship show for the Canadian Podcasting Corporation!

Search Engine must live!

By: Dwight Williams

Dwight Williams — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 16:08:49 +0000

I suppose I can see how there was a certain degree of perceived duplication of programming re: Search Engine and Spark…but I do wonder if this was the best solution.

By: Sylvia

Sylvia — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 13:14:35 +0000

Leave it to the CBC to ignore the global social revolution that is the internet. So much for trying to be “relevant”!

By: Bob from Burnaby

Bob from Burnaby — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 05:56:24 +0000

I don’t understand the decision, but then I’m just a listener, and probably in the wrong demographic subgroup. Sigh.

By: Doug

Doug — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 16:12:13 +0000

I expect more from the CBC – like relevant programming. And when the the CBC gets it right — I expect them not to kill good ideas. Remember Venture?

Ratings are irrelevant. Give us something no one else does — otherwise we’ll all be listening to NPR… ever heard the Bryan Park Project? Hint hint.

By: Lance Gleich

Lance Gleich — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 13:46:14 +0000

This show was a gem and I introduced many international friends (in the US and Europe) to it who became addicted. In the case of some of the US friends, they claimed to have even changed their attitude about the concept of publicly-funded radio to a more positive view as a result of Search Engine. The inevitable decrease in quality with reduced resources may reverse all of that.

I seem to recall at one point that Search Engine was the most popular of the CBC podcasts with US subscribers, which didn’t surprise me at all.

By: Joe Clark

Joe Clark — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 04:49:09 +0000

This is nonsense, of course, and they said the same thing about _Movin’ On_. Seen a lot of crip stories on the Corpse since then? I didn’t think so.

The difference is that “the Internet” is more important, so they’ll wheel the tall, affable Jesse Brown out from time to time (maybe he’ll wear the linen suit) to give some gloss of propriety to canning the show. But if there were really enough room in the general service to cover the Internet (or disabled people or any other topic), then we wouldn’t have shows just on those topics. QED.

By: Jamie M. A. Smith

Jamie M. A. Smith — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 03:21:11 +0000

I’m extremely unhappy to hear this news.
For those interested in trying to save the show, or at least direct their dissatisfaction to the CBC, there’s a Facebook group dedicated to it, and here [http://kempton.wordpress.com/2008/06/19/cbc-search-engine-cancelled/] is a page with some helpful advice on making your views known to CBC.
I hope in good faith the CBC will revise this truly awful decision.

By: Duncan

Duncan — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 23:58:05 +0000

What a drag. Search Engine is great. Prentice’s revenge perhaps (kidding)?

By: REM

REM — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 21:37:25 +0000

Long live the Luddite’s,