Killer Q

I didn't realize this this afternoon but CBC has used this mediocre host vehicle, Q, to not only kill off the lovely and quirky Freestyle, but is using this same dull club to kill their respectable arts show that aired in the evenings, The Arts Tonight.

CBC's evening schedule is now nothing but re-runs after Ideas.

Let's review - Shows that CBC has decided to kill:

Freestyle

Brave New Waves

The Arts Tonight

The CBC Radio 3 broadcast on Saturday evenings

And they've also replaced the classical music show in the late evening with.. more reruns.

Shows that CBC is keeping:

Go with Brent Bamburry (At least Arthur Black could punch up a string of pointless interviews with nitwits with a witty and well-written rant at the end.)

Shows that they're completely gutted of original and interesting content:

DNTO (Also now known as 'what SYL found on YouTube that week.)

Some of the short run series like the Age of Persuasion have been decent but I get the feeling that this is the end-result of the process of outsourcing content to independent producers, bringing them on for a short while and then letting them go, rather than having a staff of talented generalists who can regularly produce good content for CBC's regular shows.

These recent changes have been more drastic than the ones that resulted from Paul Martin's budget cuts a few years back, yet there's no financial necessity this time like there was back then. Which makes these changes look more like meddling and incompetence rather than necessary cutbacks.

Also, teh NPR-voice-trained guy on Sunday afternoon has worn out his premise. Somebody tell him, please.

Labels: CBC