Source : The Telegram

National broadcaster shouldn't lose focus on regional programs while courting younger ears

by Will Hilliard

The two CBC Radio executives credited with masterminding what's being billed the first major revamp of the national network's programming in 30 years were told Thursday night the public broadcaster must do a better job of reflecting the province to itself and the country.

Outspoken fisheries activist Gus Etchegary told them during a poorly attended public meeting they should start by fixing The Fisheries Broadcast, a staple of the airwaves in Newfoundland and Labrador for decades.

SOMETHING WRONG

"Something has gone wrong. We had a permanent host for that program for many years (but) for many, many months we have seen changes in the people hosting that program weekly," Etchegary said.

"Unless there is someone there on a permanent basis, there is no way that they can understand the depth of the problems and how to carry out an in-depth investigation of some of the situations faced.

"If you had a situation where 150,000 foreigners came over the Arctic Circle and burnt the wheat fields of the Prairies five days before harvesting and they did that for 25 years, that's the dimension of the problem.

"The fact of the matter is, we will never get any real change if the attitudes of the federal government towards Newfoundland and the Newfoundland and Labrador fisheries, unless we can reach the Canadian public.

"And believe me, 99.9 per cent of the people west of Halifax have absolutely no knowledge whatsoever of the enormity of the problem."

CBC Radio One program director Adrian Mills and CBC Radio vice-president Alex Frame were joined by CBC Radio regional program director Diane Humber at the Fairmont Newfoundland hotel.

The public meeting was one of several stops across the country by Mills and Frame to assess the relevancy of CBC Radio in reflecting the country back to itself.

Their visit comes on the heels of a national poll commissioned in August by the group, Friends of Canadian Broadcasting, which gave the CBC high marks for its news and entertainment programming, but said Canadians want the CBC to do a better job of reflecting the country's regions.

The first changes will be made to CBC Radio programming this month. The long-running three-hour This Morning will be replaced by two programs, a two-hour show hosted by Shelagh Rogers weekdays, and another by veteran CBC-TV reporter Anna Maria Tremonte.

WARY OF CHANGE

Many outraged CBC Radio listeners, most of whom are 55 and older, have called the revamp a slap on the ears for their loyalty. Many feared the network's appeal to a younger audience would mean a steady diet of hip-hop music, or worse.

Mills insists he's not planning to convert CBC Radio One into Britney Spears all day, all the time.

In an interview before the meeting, Frame – who announced his retirement Thursday – said CBC radio is about to experience growth with a renewed focus on more regional programming.

He said Thursday's forum was a way to "check the temperature" to see how listeners and staff feel about current programming changes and the direction the network should take, especially in creating more regional offerings.

LISTENER LOYALTY

"It started because we realized that without our listeners – their loyalty and defence of CBC Radio during the time of the budget cuts – really made a big difference," Frame said.

"We're finally through that dark period of budget cuts and difficult labour relations that went on for so long," he told the small crowd later.

"The second piece of good news is that CBC radio audiences have never been higher than they are currently. In the late '60s CBC radio had an audience share of about four per cent. Currently, between Radio One and Radio Two, we have an audience share of 13 per cent."

St. John's resident Bruce Johnston told the panel he's willing to weather the programming changes. He says he even listens to shows he "detests" in the interest of being loyal to the public broadcaster.

"(This loyalty) gives the CBC something that a lot of other institutions, public or private, don't have – it's a cushion for experimentation. We will sit and wait if you want to try something.

"I am very concerned about the demographic of the CBC," he added, noting that, at 37 years of age, he's among the network's youngest listeners. He said he wonders if there will be any listeners left in 40 years.

CBC Radio fan and community activist Sean Murray called on reporters and producers to get more people debating the issues on the air, as opposed to having them tell their sides of the story in separate taped interviews. Murray also lamented the cancellation of the successful homegrown Great Eastern comedy show.

Doug Wright suggested to the panel that local CBC Radio news coverage lacks in-depth reporting, probably because staff reporters are spread too thin covering the day's headlines. But executive producer Peter Gullage defended the coverage saying it stands up to other local journalism.

Frank Smith related how much station identifications during classical musical programs annoy him.

A woman from Colorado, who said she moved to St. John's just a week ago , took the microphone to say how vital continuing regional CBC Radio programming is in retaining regional singularity.

© The Telegram