CBC announced format changes recently.

I am not so much unhappy about proposed changes as I am anxious. I really do think that radio should play current music by artists that deserve exposure because of either quality or cultural significance.

Commercial radio does do some of the exposure on artists that deserve it, but for most part they just don’t cut it. I think that I’ve officially heard more 80’s music in last two years that in that particular decade. I can’t blame the commercial radio as much as I blame the market that wants to listen to the song they first made out to over and over and over again but are too lazy to put on the record.

College radio (dead air, uhm, dead air) is great, but with so many shows most of which are unlistenable to any but a small subset of a small demographic, you just can’t turn it on and leave it on.

So it falls to CBC to be the bastion of audible art. CBC has the funding, skills and mandate to do it and do it well.

However, I haven’t had a favourite radio show since late night college radio metal and madness show in my CEGEP days, but lately, I have taken a strong liking to Tom Allen. I like the music well enough, but I love his stories and enthusiasm, it really picks me up in the morning. So, understandably, I am apprehensive about the one show that I like being cancelled.

Another thing that makes me nervous is that I’ve yet to hear a non classical piece on CBC2 during daylight hours and not think “This is godawful, where did they get this and who thought this should be played on air!!!”. Now, I like all kinds of music from noize (well, not so much now that I am older, but I used to) to opera to folk to hip-hop, but it has to be picked right. Whoever is picking contemporary music right now, better get a new position or I will have to turn off CBC2 altogether.

All told, I am glad that CBC is exploring new ground and trying to do what needs to be done to nurture Canadian arts, but I am upset that the only show I care for will be lost in the wash and, if they don’t do it right, I will end up turning to the lesser evil and listen to Def Leppard on commercial radio instead.