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CBC Radio 2 advertising budget several times more than budget for CBC Radio Orchestra
The CBC has spent more on advertising their new Radio 2 than several years of operational budget of the CBC Radio Orchestra. The Stand On Guard for CBC Coalition is watching. See observations of the fall ad campaign here.
We’ve added a Humour section! Check it out!
August 18 - Government of Canada censors Canadian culture
You will also notice posts on the topic of the Government of Canada’s August announcements cutting public funding – on a massive scale – to the arts. Since the CBC is governed by a Board of Directors appointed by the Government of Canada, we feel that news about the government’s cultural policy gives context to how the CBC is managed. We agree wholeheartedly with the Globe and Mail newspaper’s editorial of August 18.
May 28 - Briefs to the Heritage Committee from our coalition in print and audio
Click here for link to text and audio of all of the briefs presented on May 27 and 29.
May 15
The Heritage Committee will hold hearings on May 27 and May 29 on the matter of the CBC Radio Orchestra, of programming at Radio 2, and of “the changes at CBC.” Hearings will occur by tele-conference, so that people in Vancouver or elsewhere in North America need not fly to Ottawa.
Although the exact number of witnesses is uncertain (invitations are going out at this writing), as many as nine people will speak to the Heritage Committee. Each may present a written brief, and may use “Speaker’s Notes” in order to avoid reading the whole thing to the Committee. As usual, the Committee will arrange for translation of briefs, provided the texts are in the hands of the Clerk of the Committee on or before May 21. After that, writers are responsible for doing their own translation; otherwise, briefs are translated afterward and circulated to MPs.
The witness list will be published a.s.a.p. on the website of the Heritage Committee. Click here for website.
May 10 - Janet Danielson publishes her 2005 critique of CBC changes
May 9 - Canadian Heritage Committee announces hearings
It was announced today (May 9) on CBC Radio that the Canadian Heritage Committee has decided to hold hearings after Labour Day on (i) the closure of the CBC Radio Orchestra, (ii) the place of classical music in CBC broadcasting, and (iii) “recent changes at CBC Radio 2.” There was a good recorded statement by Bill Siksay, MP (Burnaby-Douglas). The news characterized our movement as “significant nation-wide protest.” And the announcer said the Canadian Heritage Committee voted unanimously to hold the hearings.
Deadline for expressions of interest to be heard at Hearings of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage on the subject of the CBC Radio Orchestra and changes to CBC Radio Two is May 12.
Learn how to make a request to be heard.
May 1 - Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage May 1 meeting with Lacroix, Stursberg, and Lafrance.
Lacroix said nothing new. The main thing was: “we can record 3 orchestras for the cost of every single CBCRO concert.” - Bill Siksay was not allowed followup to possibly point out that the “3 times” number comes from comparing the most recent budget which the CBC management forced onto the orchestra by kicking them out of their studio and renting expensive halls, etc. It’s all spin.
See our submission to the committee here. Full report coming soon.
April 22 - New Democratic Party places petitions in all MP offices across Canada
The federal NDP caucus recently resolved to create a petition to the Government of Canada to restore funding to the CBC Radio Orchestra and stable funding to the CBC.
Rally at the Chan Centre April 21 a huge success
In the warm sunshine, an audience of over 300 people heard the most eloquent speeches yet heard in public about the meaning of the death of this orchestra to our nation’s culture. Joan Athey reports having seen coverage from Fairchild TV, CBC TV, Newsworld and the 24 hours daily paper. Among the speakers heard:
Colin Miles, Regional Director of the Canadian Music Centre
Joyce Murray, MP for Vancouver Quadra (Liberal)
Bill Siksay, MP for Burnaby South and culture critic for the NDP caucus
Don Bell, MP for North Vancouver (Liberal)
Andrew Brown, violist with the CBCRO
Katya Woloshyn, UBC music student and violist with the UBC Orchestra
Richard Kurth, Director, UBC School of Music
Janet Danielson, composer, secretary of the Canadian League of Composers (CLC)
Many of these speeches appear in our new section titled “Public Speeches”
The audience spontaneously broke into the singing of our national anthem “O Canada” at the end of the final applause for the orchestra and, as the voices quickly gained strength, everyone in the hall stood to their feet and belted out the national anthem with a unity of voice and strength and purpose that I had never heard in my life
Report by John Oliver
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