Anyone following the fate of the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.’s Radio Orchestra ought to read a thorough article in the Toronto Globe and Mail about the unresolved fate of the orchestra and other CBC Radio projects that may be on their way out. The CBC inspired widespread criticism and public protests in March when it announced that it would shut down the radio orchestra, the last of its kind still operating in North America.
CBC
CBC hires new classical host; the plight of jazz radio
There’s been little news to report as of late regarding the uproar over programming changes on CBC Radio, but the Vancouver Sun today features a profile of Julie Nesrallah, a mezzo-soprano from Ottawa who has been named the host of CBC Radio Two’s new flagship classical show to debut in September. Nesrallah has no previous experience with radio, but CBC execs say she bowled them over with her innate grasp of the medium. The article highlights how the new host plans to approach her job:
[Nesrallah] says she hopes to help de-mystify classical music for those who think it’s difficult, and she says her own story serves as an example.
Nesrallah’s family did not listen to classical music or opera when she was growing up. She discovered it through school choirs and the encouragement of music teachers like Sylvia Darwood at Alta Vista Public School, who recognized a promising singing voice.
“You don’t have to grow up with Haydn at teatime to appreciate classical music,” says Nesrallah.
“You can be a middle-class Lebanese kid from Ottawa who waitressed and put themselves through school, and you can dig classical music. I hope I’ll be able to deliver it in a way that’s interesting.”
Here’s the full article.
News roundup: More on the CBC, and Los Angeles’ KCSN
A Canadian federal committee has voted to hold hearings on the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.’s decisions to change its programming and to shut down its radio orchestra, reports the Vancouver Free Press. “I want Canadians who are concerned about classical music, who are concerned about the CBC Radio Orchestra being disbanded, and who are concerned about the direction of Radio 2 to have an opportunity to express those concerns to … the parliamentarians on the standing committee on Canadian heritage,” said the member of Parliament who initially moved to hold the hearings. “I also want the CBC to pay attention to what these folks are saying to the committee.” Not being familiar with Canadian politics, I must admit that I have little inkling of what sort of effect these hearings may have. But it seems like a first step.
Meanwhile, Chris Boyce, director of programming at CBC Radio, has penned an op-ed in the Vancouver Sun defending the network’s decision to cut back on classical in favor of other musical genres. He writes:
And what we heard was loud and clear. People love classical music. But they also love other kinds of music, too, as long as it’s of high quality and intelligently presented.
Consider the following. Of the approximately 30,000 pieces of music released each year in Canada, 240 receive regular airplay on Canadian radio stations. We intend to take advantage of this vast body of Canadian music that is otherwise ignored and make the best of it available to our listeners in an intelligent, creative and engaging way. We see this as the embodiment of our mandate.
Younger listeners and classical; new home for CBC Orchestra?
A writer in Oklahoma State University’s student newspaper gives a thumbs-up to the format change at KOSU-FM in Stillwater, Okla., which recently cut back on classical and added more news and talk. The author writes, “The new music programming is also exciting. On Friday and Saturday nights, instead of tuning in to hear classical music, listeners may find jazz, blues, bluegrass and Celtic music greeting them.”
Though just one voice, this editorial does point to another concern among station programmers in public radio — appealing to younger listeners. At public radio conferences I’ve attended, getting younger listeners to tune in (and in public radio, “younger” means “under 40”) is generally talked about as a Good Thing. Some argue that if public radio doesn’t start cultivating a younger audience, its current listeners will keep aging with no one lined up to replace them. But no one quite knows how to go about doing it, and there’s no tried-and-true approach. Some shows such as This American Life have succeeded in generating buzz among young folks, but no one’s suggesting that stations switch to host line-ups of Ira Glass clones 24/7.