11 Responses to “This weekend’s Globe and Mail ad about CBC Radio 2”
Chip says:
Thanks for sharing t
Keith Rodgers says:
The endorsers listed in your ad are no doubt all excellent business managers, creative artists or even both, in combination. However, they are also all clear beneficiaries of the changes proposed to Radio 2. Trumpeting their approval of your plan is therefore much like telling us that butchers approve of meat – true, but too obvious to be useful.
But what is NOT true is the implication in “The Facts” is that playing classical music (I think you mean serious music) 135 hours per week somehow maintains its role and presence. Removing this music from the key drive times effectively relegates it – possibly even to obscurity. You need to be honest about this: better yet, change this ill-considered policy.
Cooper Langford says:
I was shocked that the ad suggested strong suport from the Canadian artistic comunity. There was not a single signature from one of our leading musicians in the “classical’ field. Nor did I see any operatic artists or even our dancers. If your list of “artists” is meaningful then art must be an inclusive term – where are the others? I despair of this flim flam. It is not going to retain the Radio 2 audience and you won’t win any battles for the other audience already well served. If you do implement the new schedule, I want to see some hard guarantees (very much mising in the ad) that your choice of concerts for the evenings will feature the artists you omit in the ads. Meanwhile, living in a large metropolitain centre I checking out my options for abandoning the CBC – both radio 2 and 1!
Dave says:
Looking at this ad, it is interesting to note that those paragons of public-spiritedness, the major music labels, are in full support of the changes to CBC Radio 2. In my view, using the support of the major labels to justify changes to public broadcasting policy is analogous to saying that a humanitarian initiative has been endorsed by Darth Vader.
Gene Ramsbottom says:
Wow – a Globe and Mail $30,000 ad is the cost of canned applause for a product no one has yet seen. My, my, my, when will the children say that Emperor Steinmetz has no clothes?
How will those musicians in the Globe and Mail ad next year react when the 2009/10 season Mark Steinmetz has planned will have to be done by Temporary Foreign Musicians, Conductors and Composers because of the $1 million shortfall expected by then? “The CBC budget is shrinking $1,000,000 a year due to inflation”. A sound economic decision would, of course, be required after he discovers he can longer afford the 2008/09 season. Contracting collective bargaining agreement-controlled orchestras in Canada require all musicians in their CBA be paid whether they did the recorded broadcasts or not. Once Mr. Steinmetz stumbles across the HRSDC list of temporary foreign workers allowed into Canada and it finally dawns on him that those musicians, conductors, composers and writers wouldn’t be affiliated with the A.F. of M. then he can import the multi-cultural talent he needs for next-to-nothing wages and record his favourite multi-cultural music in Canada in his 2009/10 season. As he controls the CBC news releases and ad money placement he would pay to have us believe how that reflects Canada. $30,000 for one ad. He must have money to burn now that he’s burned one national treasure and got his bonus.
allycat says:
Thank you, Dave, for clearly expressing what I presently cannot; that glossy, manipulative, very commercial ad has left me speechless!
You get a glossy Globe and Mail?! Sweet! — Tod
Jessica Defoe says:
I have to agree with Gene, here. I was floored by the ad. There is no money to continue to fund the orchestra, but there is $30 000 bones for that ad. Unbelievable.
Don’t the artists that are endorsing the changes get loads of playtime on other commercial radio stations, or am I mistaken on that? Canada needs more of those artists, and more of the same type of radio stations! Right. Homogenized. That is what CBC is going for. Milk is great.
Funny how there were no pictures of Angela Hewitt, Alain Trudel, Janina Fialkowska or The Gryphon Trio endorsing these “amazing” changes to Radio Two. These Canadian musicians are clearly no longer important to the CBC. No wait… They are… But only between the hours of 10-3, when no one is listening. That is the bone we have been thrown to placate us. It is not good enough.
Geoff Radnor,Ottawa says:
Jessica Defoe asks where are names like Angela Hewitt, Alain Trudel and Janina Fialkowska on that ad in the G&M.
However where are the names of James Ehnes, Measha Bruggergosman, Gerald Findley, Ben Heppner, Nancy Argenta, Michael Schade, Louie Lortie, Isabel Bayrakdarian, Richard Margison, Russell Braun, Jessica Linnebach, Lara St John, Marc André Hamelin, Jon Kimura Parker, Martin Beaver, Scott St John, Joanna McGregor, Yannick Nézet-Séguin……………. well there are many more but maybe CBC could fill out this list for us and then maybe think again about what they are planning to do to classical music on Radio 2 and then maybe (and this is a big MAYBE) they could place another ad in the G&M. Am I dreaming?
These are all established musicians, how about all the students in the schools of music around the country and how about all the Canadian students at schools such as the Juilliard and the Curtis as well as those studying in Europe and elsewhere. Surely they deserve airtime on Radio 2. CBC’s mandate includes them too.
Geoff Radnor,Ottawa says:
There are eight names on the left hand side of this ad. and I wondered what they have to do with the dumbing down of Radio 2.
Universal, EMI, Warner and Sony BMG make up the BIG 4 in the world wide music business, they have a virtual lock on who gets recorded and therefore who gets played, not only on CBC but on every station in Canada and in most markets in the world. That means every pop, rock and every genre. If one looks at Universal’s site, Jazz & Classical in under one heading, but there were no classical artists listed on the first two pages. So I guess its not a big part of their business, I would guess that it would be the same for the other three groups.
Heather Ostertag is very well known in the popular music business and has had many honours bestowed upon her. Right now she is the Chair of The Canadian Country Music Association. Where does she fit in if we want Radio 2 to serve the fans of classical music in Canada?
Nettwerk is an independent Canadian music producer with special focus on alternative and electronic music. They also feature Bare Naked Ladies. They would love to have more of their artists on Radio 2.
True North is also an independent Canadian music producer. Their artists include Rough Trade, 54-40, Bruce Cockburn and Randy Bachman, I guess we could have Joni Mitchell and them instead of DiscDrive from 3-6pm.
Did the CBC pay all of the $30,000 for the G&M ad.
All the foregoing messages are right on with their feelings.
Did anyone wonder why the Globe and Mail was selected to put out this ad, and only them??? Local newspapers owned and operated by theowners of the G & M did not get in on this windfall. It appears again as though this was pointed at the heavy populations and again do not consider anything about the rest of Canada.
Mr Steinmetz and his cohorts treat CBC as their own feifdom and forget that they are paid from the public purse…your and my taxes.
Someday someone will remind them that they are civil servants and should remember that
Pat Lowe Calgary
Leslie says:
CBC radio has been “family” for countless listeners across Canada, young and old, through several generations. We have tuned in because we have loved what we heard – superb “classical” music. The cancelation of classical music programs during prime time is akin to losing family. What a heart-breaker. Concerts on Demand on computer cannot make up for the loss of classical radio broadcasting.
CBC Twitter Feed
Thanks for sharing t
The endorsers listed in your ad are no doubt all excellent business managers, creative artists or even both, in combination. However, they are also all clear beneficiaries of the changes proposed to Radio 2. Trumpeting their approval of your plan is therefore much like telling us that butchers approve of meat – true, but too obvious to be useful.
But what is NOT true is the implication in “The Facts” is that playing classical music (I think you mean serious music) 135 hours per week somehow maintains its role and presence. Removing this music from the key drive times effectively relegates it – possibly even to obscurity. You need to be honest about this: better yet, change this ill-considered policy.
I was shocked that the ad suggested strong suport from the Canadian artistic comunity. There was not a single signature from one of our leading musicians in the “classical’ field. Nor did I see any operatic artists or even our dancers. If your list of “artists” is meaningful then art must be an inclusive term – where are the others? I despair of this flim flam. It is not going to retain the Radio 2 audience and you won’t win any battles for the other audience already well served. If you do implement the new schedule, I want to see some hard guarantees (very much mising in the ad) that your choice of concerts for the evenings will feature the artists you omit in the ads. Meanwhile, living in a large metropolitain centre I checking out my options for abandoning the CBC – both radio 2 and 1!
Looking at this ad, it is interesting to note that those paragons of public-spiritedness, the major music labels, are in full support of the changes to CBC Radio 2. In my view, using the support of the major labels to justify changes to public broadcasting policy is analogous to saying that a humanitarian initiative has been endorsed by Darth Vader.
Wow – a Globe and Mail $30,000 ad is the cost of canned applause for a product no one has yet seen. My, my, my, when will the children say that Emperor Steinmetz has no clothes?
How will those musicians in the Globe and Mail ad next year react when the 2009/10 season Mark Steinmetz has planned will have to be done by Temporary Foreign Musicians, Conductors and Composers because of the $1 million shortfall expected by then? “The CBC budget is shrinking $1,000,000 a year due to inflation”. A sound economic decision would, of course, be required after he discovers he can longer afford the 2008/09 season. Contracting collective bargaining agreement-controlled orchestras in Canada require all musicians in their CBA be paid whether they did the recorded broadcasts or not. Once Mr. Steinmetz stumbles across the HRSDC list of temporary foreign workers allowed into Canada and it finally dawns on him that those musicians, conductors, composers and writers wouldn’t be affiliated with the A.F. of M. then he can import the multi-cultural talent he needs for next-to-nothing wages and record his favourite multi-cultural music in Canada in his 2009/10 season. As he controls the CBC news releases and ad money placement he would pay to have us believe how that reflects Canada. $30,000 for one ad. He must have money to burn now that he’s burned one national treasure and got his bonus.
Thank you, Dave, for clearly expressing what I presently cannot; that glossy, manipulative, very commercial ad has left me speechless!
I have to agree with Gene, here. I was floored by the ad. There is no money to continue to fund the orchestra, but there is $30 000 bones for that ad. Unbelievable.
Don’t the artists that are endorsing the changes get loads of playtime on other commercial radio stations, or am I mistaken on that? Canada needs more of those artists, and more of the same type of radio stations! Right. Homogenized. That is what CBC is going for. Milk is great.
Funny how there were no pictures of Angela Hewitt, Alain Trudel, Janina Fialkowska or The Gryphon Trio endorsing these “amazing” changes to Radio Two. These Canadian musicians are clearly no longer important to the CBC. No wait… They are… But only between the hours of 10-3, when no one is listening. That is the bone we have been thrown to placate us. It is not good enough.
Jessica Defoe asks where are names like Angela Hewitt, Alain Trudel and Janina Fialkowska on that ad in the G&M.
However where are the names of James Ehnes, Measha Bruggergosman, Gerald Findley, Ben Heppner, Nancy Argenta, Michael Schade, Louie Lortie, Isabel Bayrakdarian, Richard Margison, Russell Braun, Jessica Linnebach, Lara St John, Marc André Hamelin, Jon Kimura Parker, Martin Beaver, Scott St John, Joanna McGregor, Yannick Nézet-Séguin……………. well there are many more but maybe CBC could fill out this list for us and then maybe think again about what they are planning to do to classical music on Radio 2 and then maybe (and this is a big MAYBE) they could place another ad in the G&M. Am I dreaming?
These are all established musicians, how about all the students in the schools of music around the country and how about all the Canadian students at schools such as the Juilliard and the Curtis as well as those studying in Europe and elsewhere. Surely they deserve airtime on Radio 2. CBC’s mandate includes them too.
There are eight names on the left hand side of this ad. and I wondered what they have to do with the dumbing down of Radio 2.
Universal, EMI, Warner and Sony BMG make up the BIG 4 in the world wide music business, they have a virtual lock on who gets recorded and therefore who gets played, not only on CBC but on every station in Canada and in most markets in the world. That means every pop, rock and every genre. If one looks at Universal’s site, Jazz & Classical in under one heading, but there were no classical artists listed on the first two pages. So I guess its not a big part of their business, I would guess that it would be the same for the other three groups.
Heather Ostertag is very well known in the popular music business and has had many honours bestowed upon her. Right now she is the Chair of The Canadian Country Music Association. Where does she fit in if we want Radio 2 to serve the fans of classical music in Canada?
Nettwerk is an independent Canadian music producer with special focus on alternative and electronic music. They also feature Bare Naked Ladies. They would love to have more of their artists on Radio 2.
True North is also an independent Canadian music producer. Their artists include Rough Trade, 54-40, Bruce Cockburn and Randy Bachman, I guess we could have Joni Mitchell and them instead of DiscDrive from 3-6pm.
Did the CBC pay all of the $30,000 for the G&M ad.
Is this the end of Radio 2?
All the foregoing messages are right on with their feelings.
Did anyone wonder why the Globe and Mail was selected to put out this ad, and only them??? Local newspapers owned and operated by theowners of the G & M did not get in on this windfall. It appears again as though this was pointed at the heavy populations and again do not consider anything about the rest of Canada.
Mr Steinmetz and his cohorts treat CBC as their own feifdom and forget that they are paid from the public purse…your and my taxes.
Someday someone will remind them that they are civil servants and should remember that
Pat Lowe Calgary
CBC radio has been “family” for countless listeners across Canada, young and old, through several generations. We have tuned in because we have loved what we heard – superb “classical” music. The cancelation of classical music programs during prime time is akin to losing family. What a heart-breaker. Concerts on Demand on computer cannot make up for the loss of classical radio broadcasting.