Of course the sleety rain is easing off now that I've come home again. I've just been down town to stand under a cluster of colourful umbrellas, joining a nationwide rally to protest against the proposed cuts of CBC Radio 2's classical music programmes. We gathered on Sparks Street outside the CBC building at noon when today's weather was at its worst, everyone as cheerful as could be nonetheless, the more extrovert of the demonstrators banging a drum or twirling a rattle or singing the O Canada tune, but to different words:
... O Radio Two, we stand on guard for thee!
Apparently those in charge of CBC radio seem to think that the long-established classical music programmes on Radio 2 don't appeal to a broad enough spectrum of the present day Canadian population. As one of the banners proclaimed, though:
Classical Music IS World Music!
It seems that the political correctness issue is just an excuse to save money by disbanding the CBC Orchestra that's based in Vancouver and to dumb down the programming, ostensibly to attract younger listeners. What younger listeners, though? I'm afraid the mass of rebellious youth in Ottawa is hooked on The Bear, not CBC Radio 2, and the planned alterations are unlikely to make any difference there any time soon despite the fact that the programmers expect
New listeners [to] be blown away by the shows we’re adding to the schedule.
In the meantime, with police in attendance (keeping dry in the police car parked beside our demo), demonstrators brandished their posters, exclaiming:
SHAME! "Easy"-listening is a cop-out. SHAME!
The CBC should challenge & educate Canadians, not slavishly ape popular culture!
Mommy, what's an orchestra?
Keep Radio 2 smart!
HO HO HEY HEY, Tom Allen has got to stay!
Several high profile NACO players were present including Karen Donnelly and the flamboyant Amanda Forsyth, banging on the glass windows of Studio Sparks to attract the attention of someone she knows in there.
A small girl was among the protesters, her own little banner reading:
I'm 2 and I like Radio 2 too.
Radio 2 before the cuts, that is!
3 comments:
.... then tune into Radio 3 from the British Broadcasting Corporation on the internet... still free from dumbness even now!
Alexander isn't yet 2 and he loves BBC Radio 3... though he tends to detune it (?!)
ps. When was the last time you went on a protest march?!
Is that addressed to all readers, anonymous? ... Personally: the one in London against British involvement in the Iraqi invasion. Didn't work, even though there were 2 million others in said protest march ...
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