Radio 2 changes are for the better by Chris Boyce
Source : Ottawa Citizen
August 22, 2008
Re: CBC to announce Radio 2 remake in pursuit of younger audience, Aug. 19.
This article suggests the changes occurring at CBC Radio 2 are primarily aimed at attracting a younger audience. Not so. As we've said, publicly and repeatedly for much of the past year, our new programming will better fulfil our mandate of representing the musical diversity of the country in a way that is not being done by private radio.
While we expect (and hope) this will attract new listeners (of all ages), we are not targeting "younger" listeners at the expense of others.
Ian Morrison of Friends of Canadian Broadcasting suggests that what we are doing is contrary to the mandate laid out for the CBC in the Broadcasting Act. The assertion is without foundation. Furthermore, we have never suggested (or believed) that classical music, which remains the most played genre on Radio 2, is something that doesn't or won't appeal to younger listeners.
He's also quite wrong in suggesting classical music is being relegated to a "low audience ghetto." In fact, the audience during our 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. timeslot is as large or larger than at any time in the entire schedule.
We invite your readers to tune in Sept. 2 to hear the new Radio 2 and judge for themselves.
Chris Boyce,
Toronto, Program Director, CBC Radio
© Ottawa Citizen
This article suggests the changes occurring at CBC Radio 2 are primarily aimed at attracting a younger audience. Not so. As we've said, publicly and repeatedly for much of the past year, our new programming will better fulfil our mandate of representing the musical diversity of the country in a way that is not being done by private radio.
While we expect (and hope) this will attract new listeners (of all ages), we are not targeting "younger" listeners at the expense of others.
Ian Morrison of Friends of Canadian Broadcasting suggests that what we are doing is contrary to the mandate laid out for the CBC in the Broadcasting Act. The assertion is without foundation. Furthermore, we have never suggested (or believed) that classical music, which remains the most played genre on Radio 2, is something that doesn't or won't appeal to younger listeners.
He's also quite wrong in suggesting classical music is being relegated to a "low audience ghetto." In fact, the audience during our 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. timeslot is as large or larger than at any time in the entire schedule.
We invite your readers to tune in Sept. 2 to hear the new Radio 2 and judge for themselves.
Chris Boyce,
Toronto, Program Director, CBC Radio
© Ottawa Citizen
