CBC announces its new streams

By Todd Mundt • August 28, 2008

With CBC Radio 2 getting ready to re-launch on Monday Tuesday (I blogged about it in March), CBC is announcing details of the four new Internet streams it promised earlier this year. The new streams will focus on Jazz, Classical music, Canadian songwriters and Canadian composers. The new streams will launch on Monday, too.

Uh, so how will these streams be different from the 40+ streams offered by CBC through Galaxie, available on cable and satellite systems? I suspect they will be quite similar, except for the range of genres offered on each CBC-branded Internet stream. And I bet we won’t hear the guy with the deep, buttery smooth voice saying, “Galaxie, Canada’s Continuous Music Network.” Tod Maffin says these will be music-only streams, with no announcers.

These streams probably won’t please the many listeners who are livid about the changes at Radio 2 - a couple dozen have left thoughtful comments on my blog, and thousands more have contacted the CBC, apparently. But they offer an additional range of options for Internet listeners, especially if you’re looking to meet your personal Canadian content quota.

For my part, I was sorry to see Eric Friesen and Shelley Solmes depart the Radio 2 schedule; they were the two hosts I listened to most frequently. Tom Allen is still hosting mornings, though, and mezzo-soprano Julie Nesrallah is the new voice of the classical midday block.

Starting Tuesday, I’m going to be listening for a few things - how Radio 2 introduces different musical styles and genres in and among the dayparts, how Nesrallah is as a host, whether the CBC’s often relentless host-coaching saps her of all personality, and whether Radio 2 can create a definitive “sound” for a service that embraces so many styles. CBC’s French network, Espace Musique, has been reasonably successful at this, and its mix is even more eclectic.

We’ll know more on Tuesday… and beyond, as they say.

Categories: cbc, publicmedia
Tags: cbc, radio2

Viewing 2 Comments

Rick Roderick 2 months ago 1 point
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Todd,

The classical stream has a lot of variety, but I don't like the fact that it often doesn't play complete works. It went from the first movement of Biszet's Symphony in C to a baroque work.

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toddmundt 2 months ago 1 point
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Rick - thanks for the comment. I heard some of that "jukebox" thing today, too. I'd guess that for every listener who likes that, there are 4 who don't. I wonder if complaints and comments will drive CBC to play complete works on the stream?

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