About six months before Captain Jelly Belly was born, I changed all the pre-programmed radio stations in my car from alternative/rock stations to “mommy-friendly” stations — mostly pop and easy listening. I wanted The Captain to hear soothing sounds, not people screaming obscenities, and besides, I was getting awfully tired of the so-called “alternative” music format, which is basically a Top-40 station that just plays the same 10 “alternative” bands all the time.
One of my new mommy-friendly stations was the CBC (91.5 in Ottawa). I had a few friends who listened to the CBC, but I had always thought of CBC radio as being really stodgy, purely for grandparents, university professors, and pretentious blowhards. However, my friend Izabela said it was her top source for new book-reading ideas, and they’d interviewed me on the air for my old website Sidekick Magazine, so I figured they couldn’t be all bad.
Now, I’m a total CBC junkie — it’s my station of choice, and I even listen to it at home now. I can’t believe that I’ve been totally converted to talk radio, but every show during the day is just fascinating. They’re always talking about something relevant, interesting, and cool, and I know way more about Canada, Ontario, and Ottawa now than I ever did. I love the hosts — they’re all excellent interviewers and they ask exactly the questions that I want to know the answers to. It’s not all issue-oriented, either; there’s plenty of human interest stories and call-in shows featuring actual intelligent listeners with meaningful things to say, plus, on the weekends, it’s my top source for actual alternative music. The Saturday afternoon show, Definitely Not The Opera, is really the only place in town to hear about new, offbeat bands that don’t have major record deals, and Friday and Saturday evenings there’s actual alternative rock being played. Who knew?
It amazes me, too, how popular the CBC is around here. Often when I bring something up — “I heard on CBC the other day” — whoever I’m talking too was listening as well. I don’t know if this is because of the crappy state of Ottawa’s other radio stations, or the fact that I’m getting older, or just the high-tech brainy atmosphere that is prevalent around Ottawa. In any case, I’m just loving it and I recommend it to everyone. I think I even have Sir Monkeypants converted now — he was lamenting just this morning that The Current, the issue-oriented morning show, doesn’t start until 8:30am, so he couldn’t listen to it over breakfast.
Listening to the CBC almost exclusively has even turned me on to CBC television, in a small way. While I was pregnant I became a huge fan of Rick Mercer’s sitcom, Made In Canada, which I think is one of the funniest shows on television. We watch his Monday Report as well, and This Hour Has 22 Minutes, and I even like the throwaway humour of Corner Gas.
Pretentious talk radio and inferior Canadian television? What is my world coming to?
TurtleHead 
Wow, that sounds great. I’m totally going to give the CBC a try.
I sometimes listen to either The Current or Metro Morning, depending on how early I get up. I think Metro Morning is on the Toronto frequency only though, because it’s always Toronto-centric. I particularly enjoy the arts update though, because they give great tips – they clued me into Buddy Ho-Tep playing at a little indie theater somewhere, or a concert by Ladysmith Black Mambazo, which is something I would never see anywhere else.
I think you’d love it, babe.
You know, one of the most useful projects I had to do in high school was on CBC radio. We had to write a review of 3 CBC radio programs. It was a great way to force us kids to find out what CBC radio was really all about.
However, unlike you and I have very little interest in learning about things. That’s why it’s not on our dial.
Oh, that reminds me of a CBC story… a few weeks ago it was “Comedy Day” on the CBC and they had Scott Thompson (of Kids In The Hall) as a guest host. In his intro, he was imitating the typical CBC listener, who would be thinking, “Comedy? I don’t want comedy! I want to learn things until my head explodes!”
Hee hee. We laugh because it’s funny, and we laugh because it’s true.
Say, did you actually get to go see Bubba Ho-Tep? I caught it at the 2002 TIFF and adored it. I’ve even gone so far as to pre-order the DVD.
“Don’t ask me, I’m thinking with sand!”
“Tonight’s key words are ‘caution’ and ‘flammable’.”
“TCB, baby, TCB.”
It was playing here about a month ago and I was going to go, but then something came up and I couldn’t. So no, I still haven’t seen it. Everyone I know has though. I really want to.
I will definitely rent it, if it is coming out on DVD :).
Okay .. I’ll admit that I listen to the CBC. I’ll admit that I lamented that The Current hadn’t started. I’ll admit that I even know when it starts. I’ll even admit that I like the CBC (there are days when I loiter in my car at work waiting for an intersting story to finish before I head in to start my long boring day).
But, I can honestly say that I’ve never ever listened for the official CBC time tone (it goes off a couple of times a day so that you can set your watch). I’m not sure that all of the rest of you out there can say that, can you?
Oh, you know that I set my watch, car clock, and cell phone by the CBC 1pm time tone — it’s my passion!