How about replacing Freestyle with a radio version of Tod Maffin's blog, Inside the CBC? To liven things up, Tod could occasionally suck helium. What's that -- he doesn't need to? Oh, right. Never mind.

Damn you, my secret is out! :-)

Don, Canada's nicest futurist clearly has key name search capacity! Watch out!!!

I heard that Lawrence Wall will host his own show soon called Band Camp on the Short Bus trying to draw in 25-35 demo listeners with a combination of naughty hippness and orchestral music.

I heard all three radio networks were going to be replaced with the series "Little Mosque on the Prairie, we WILL shove this show down your throat!!!"

I am okay with the nation's public broadcaster switching to any format (including all-Gzowski-reruns, all the time) so long as Michael Enright and Shelagh Rogers are not hosts or any kind of voice talent on said network.

Gzowski reruns! Good Lord. He got us in this mess in the first place.

Here is some news:<blockquote class="smalltext"> The changes, set to take place March 19, will also affect programming on Radio One, including the cancellation of the afternoon pop-culture chat show “Freestyle.” Other CBC shows to be scrapped because of the revamp include “Global Village” and “Brave New Waves.” </blockquote>Brave New Waves was the greatest show in the 80s when it was the source of all that was new.

I am not a huge fan of Freestyle but I think all Canadians owe it a debt of gratitude for finally getting the abominable "1-888-Sad Goat" Checkup (Bill Richardson, Rosie Rowbotham etc) off the air.

Agreed but look what they have done! Given the Ralph B of our times a new job:<blockquote class="smalltext">CBC Radio One will see some program reshuffling as well as a new weekday arts magazine show hosted by musician and CBC personality Jian Ghomeshi. While the show will come out of Toronto, reporters and producers across the country will contribute to the new afternoon show, set to replace Freestyle. "We had a commitment to increase the presence of our arts coverage on the network. That was a goal going in," McGuire said of the new show, which is yet to be named. "We want a reflection of what's happening regionally to be showcased," she said, adding that it will also encompass a broad range of arts, culture, music, and entertainment news and features.</blockquote>At least it is not a continuation o that guy on Freestyle - ever to be known as "that guy on Freestyle".

At least Jian has a semi-interesting way of expressing himself. Sure it's the "same old, same old" a million different 20-watt CanCon celebs have pushed out into the aether, but I tend to like the guy's writing style, at least.

This article on his website, for instance, espouses an opinion on military operations in Afghanistan which is very much at odds with my own. But it is phrased clearly, concisely, and without sneering contempt for those on the other side. It is a shame he doesn't explain, for instance, <i>why</i> he thinks leaving Taliban-run Afstan would have been a better idea. But given the opportunity, I think he would make his point in a fairly interesting, non-tooth-grinding way, unlike Ralphie B.

He lost me on the unending favorite song shows repeated unendingly.

That <i>is</i> something of a major <i>faux pas</i> and a cardinal sin in radio terms. The only thing worse is an adult contemporary format with Erin Davis as host.

Shut up!
Little Mosque is on. For the fourth time in one week.

I am looking forward to the retrospective show Friday.

Am I the only person that liked Bill Richardson and the sad goat show.. :(
Brave new waves was so cool but I could never manage to stay up for all of it. Nothing beat when he said in a faux japanese accent to his tech who screwed something up YOU DIE FRYBOY!!! Loved the show.

I am also tired of Global Village.

I have to admit, I loved Dead Dog Cafe, but the 2006 return never turned my crank.

Gorthos, you are hardcore. Once the sun sets, I move off the CBC Radio freqs and on to internet radio (would that be "iRadio", Alan?). I seem to recall hearing Global Village at some point though, so I'm assuming it was once in a different time slot. One good thing about Global Village was that Avril Benoit occasionally contributed. If I had known she was the former voice of Radio One on Sirius I would have been tempted to sign up for it.

Yes, iChris.<p>I listen to NCPR most of the day and New York Sports radio at night. It will be hard to ever get me back as a listener.

It's obvious some of you deeply miss 'ol Ralph Belmondo. You can find him online doing the morning show on Jazz FM91 in Toronto. He sounds astonishingly laid back.

The CBC needs a budget. Unless this overhaul involves a new and improved budget, it's going to suck. The *BBC* has seven times the budget for public broadcasting that Canada does and only twice or three times the population (http://www.publicairwaves.ca/index.php?page=296). You do the math. Nobody works for free.

I am so bored by 'popular' music, it just puts me to sleep. And discussions about popular music on public radio are even worse. It's right up there with sports in terms of boringness (Sorry guys). I like ideas, humour, and foreground programming. I don't understand what top forty music and people mindlessly spinning disks are doing on the CBC except as palate cleansers for more investigative journalism, comedy, serious arts programming and news. I don't have much patience for bubbly personalities either. I'm sure some snide remark will follow about my own lack of bubbliness. Give me documentaries or give me death! Harumph.

You are the most bubbly person I correspond with from Budapest. Clearly.

It's a depressive country, what can I say?

For the record, I dropped out of the radio program after three semesters at college once my prof had a talk to me one day over coffee. He said "Sean, I was listening to the tape of your show and came to the relization that you really don't like top 40 music at all, do you." I then explained that I only wanted to work on CBC. Once we both agreed that although I have a beautiful speaking voice, an intellect to match Gzowski, a good face for radio and a wry wit, one could not guarantee a job and I would have to slog through years of working for wonk stations playing Lionel Ritchie (this was the mid 80s) and such crudola before I got the call to work for the ceebeecee.. sigh. I'd have liked that job... damn it where are my prozac..

I think Gzowski is a swear word around here so you may want to use it with discretion. =)

You could always start broadcasting your own stuff over the internet via Shoutcast. <i>Somebody</i> will listen to it and it might open doors down the road.

Good idea, but then I'd end up having to cross something off of my "things I will never get to do" list thereby going fully against the grain of my chosen philosophy of Miserablism.