Quote:
Originally Posted by acottawa
I have no idea what CBC Music is supposed to be, and it’s ratings are abysmal, so I may not be the only one that can’t figure it out. Maybe less “eclectic mixes” and more programming with with specific genres that people could tune into if they can’t readily access streaming.
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As an avid listener to CBC Music, allow me to fill you in:
So first off, it's commercial free. They tried commercials a few years ago but I think some other radio stations sued them and they were ordered to get rid of them.
Midnight to 9am is a mix of popular and indie music from the 80s to present day, though light on rap music (what if played is typically either can con or something from the 80s that was foundational to the development of the genre), and there is a morning show host from 6 to 9. It's just like any other morning show, though less of the shitty "humour" segments most stations try to pull, more trivia and stories about the artists and their music. It's
office appropriate. I wouldn't refer to this as an "eclectic mix", it's pretty consistent with the kind of music I was already listening to for years before I started listening to CBC music. If you're referring to the programming in general, there is some stuff that's not very popular but the weekday is really consistent.
9am to 2pm is classical music, great background noise for work. Often there is some kind of theme that ties the day's selections together, and there is a lot of background info about the artists and the pieces that actually makes it quite interesting. Only thing I don't like about it: classical music does this thing, a lot, where it gets really quiet, pauses for a moment, and then all the instruments start playing loudly. At least twice I week, I think the radio is turned down, turn it up, and then get blasted by an orchestra coming to life.
This is the only segment of appreciable length during the course of the day that has classical music anymore, and it's been this way for a while. They used to have some classical stuff in the evenings but that changed last year.
2pm to 7pm is a similar playlist to the morning. I should note that from 1pm to 3:30pm, is a single programme that starts with classical music, then transitions to more modern music, but never really ties them together in a meaningful way. Their version of the drive home is hosted by Rich Terfry (Buck 65) and is actually pretty good, he shares a lot of interesting trivia. Friday at 6pm to 7pm, they pick an album and play it in its entirety, with trivia and stories about the band and the process of making the album, and that's usually worth listening to, especially if it's a band you like. Usually it will be some kind of noteworthy date related to it, like an anniversary of the album's release or the bands formation, or to commemorate the death of a band member, etc.
7pm to 8pm is different programming depending on the day of the week. On Monday, it's a recorded live concert (tonight was the Walk Off the Earth special from last week). Tuesday is "Q The Music" which is just a compilation of the musical segments from the previous week of Q. Wednesday is an indigenous focused programme called Reclaimed, which highlights music by indigenous artists from around the world, spanning the past 200 years. Thursday is their top 20 countdown (which only plays 10-14 of the actual songs, due to time constraints). Friday they have a show called Marvin's Room which is R&B. Generally I'm only listening to CBC 2 at this time on Wednesday and Thursday.
8pm to Midnight is a programme called Afterdark, and it's like the 12-9 and 2-7 playlists, except more focus on slower, quieter music, a lot of experimental stuff, generally a more relaxing playlist. It tends to get more mellow as the night goes on. It's a great selection for driving around aimlessly at night.
Weekend programming, I typically don't listen to, but it's the same standard playlist from midnight to 9am as it is in the week. Saturdays, 9 to 10 is a programme where contemporary music artists share music that inspired them, and 10 to 12 does the same but with classical music. 12 to 1 is classical music, 1 to 6 is Saturday Afternoon at the Opera, 6 to 8 is Blues and 8 to midnight is jazz.
Sunday, 9am is a choral music segment (for churchgoers I guess), 10 to 3 is more classical, 3 to 4 is a repeat of the contemporary music show from Saturday morning, 4 to 5 is a French music show, 5 to 6 is a repeat of the countdown, 7 to 8 is something random every week, and 8 to midnight is George Stromoloupolous' ego stroking crapfest. All he played last night for
four hours was Joni Mitchell and I happen to think she's a terrible singer. No offensce.
So, aside from getting rid of George Stromoloupolos, how would you improve this?