let the music play...

After listening to the Oscar Peterson tribute (see previous post) I explored the CBC Radio 2 Concerts on Demand page a little further. There are some amazing concerts on this site! How did I not know until now that this existed? I often wondered what happened with the tons of live shows that the CBC records on a regular basis, after they have been broadcast on various radio programs. It's so great that they offer some of them up on the website for us to enjoy. So while I've been cleaning up my home office, I have enjoyed some great live shows including Jim Cuddy at Kingfest, Serena Ryder at Hugh's Room and William Carn Quintet at the Rex. And there are a ton of others that I plan to listen to. All thanks to the magic of the interwebs!

baby love the radio

I love the CBC. Especially CBC radio. We are very lucky in this country to have such an excellent national radio station. Having said that, I don't often get to listen to the programs I enjoy simply because of the time of day that they are on. Podcasting has completely changed that. And thankfully, the CBC has jumped on the podcast bandwagon. I am able to download highlights from some of my favourite CBC programs like Sounds Like Canada and Definitely Not the Opera. It makes up for not being able to hear the entire shows when they are actually on.

Recently, CBC added two new programs that I am totally digging. Search Engine delves into how the internet is changing the world we live in. It's not a show about technology, but rather how technology, specifically the world wide web, is affecting all aspects of society from politics to the arts. One of my favourite things about the show is the audience interaction. The listeners are encouraged to participate not only on the show's blog but by contributing to the show's content by pitching story ideas and submitting audio segments.

Spark is another great new show that looks at new trends and technology and their application the world we live in. Both programs show that the CBC is listening to their audience and addressing the interests of younger listeners by adding these hip new shows to their lineup. It's all about building the audience and the CBC appears to know what they are doing.

on the radio

Earlier this week, CBC Radio announced it's summer programming. They are focusing heavily on the environment and health care, which makes sense as these are two of the big issues in Canada these days. But what I'm really excited about is that Steven Page of the Barenaked Ladies will be hosting a show titled All The Rage. Here's the description from the CBC blog.

"All the Rage - Steven Page (Barenaked Ladies) takes an entertaining look at fads and trends through the ages…and uncovers the surprising ways they connect to our lives today."

Steven Page is the perfect choice for this type of a show. I can't wait to hear it! According to the BNL blog, it begins on June 26 and will air on CBC Radio One on Tuesdays at 7:30pm and on Saturdays at 11am. I'm crossing my fingers for a podcast version as well. For those of you not in Canada, you can listen online.