Friday 20 April 2012

(pre) Mourning CBC

I was driving in my car yesterday, and as per usual, I turned on CBC (for those who do not know, CBC is the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the government run radio station)... All I got was static. I switched to another station, to see if it was a problem with my antenna, a lump of dread rising in my throat... The radio was working. CBC was not. Panic. Finally, after a few minutes, airplay on CBC began, and it was clear that CBC had simply been experiencing technical difficulties in my area. 5 minutes of dead air had forced me to consider the loss of my beloved radio station. CBC is undergoing deep cuts by the current government, causing many long standing programs to shut down in the next year. Among the cuts - Dispatches. A wonderful show in which reporters around the world give short documentaries in the midst of change. The current show is dealing with the issue of news censorship in Syria, from an unlikely source - the rebels. A commentary that each side has a mandate, and when your interviewee provides for your safety, and for your translator, how do you know what information to trust? Your source has a mandate, too. I, for one, will miss dispatches. No other coverage for the international stage provides such thought provoking commentary. Last show is in June. I will be listening.

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