Tag Archives: history

Radio: The problem child of the Canadian people

This National Film Board documentary about the state of Canadian radio (particularly CBC/Radio-Canada) in 1949 has some funny lines. My favourite is this one:

“Radio reads its fan mail and makes its listeners’ surveys because radio has learned to trust the judgment of the listener.  And in Canada, the listener gets what he asks for.”

There’s also some talk near the end about setting up a national television network and developing this new “frequency modulation” radio. And a clip of Oscar Peterson tickling the ivories.

And bring back Ste. Anne’s Market!

War criminals!

War criminals!

It’s springtime. The snow has all melted away, we’re about to get our first 20+ degree days, the Habs are out of the playoffs and the Société Saint-Jean Baptiste has found something to complain about in the Gazette.

Last year it was that whole Bouchard-Taylor scoop, which the Quebec Press Council ruled was correct though sensationalized.

This year, the group is going into the archives and asking the paper to apologize for encouraging protests against the Rebellion Losses Bill that led to the burning down of Parliament … in 1849.

I believe they’re also calling for the immediate resignation of editor-in-chief James Moir Ferres.

The Gazette hasn’t commented about the demand yet because, as everyone knows, nobody there speaks French. Staff at the paper are desperately seeking a fourth-grader to translate the release into angloese. (UPDATE: Editor-in-chief Andrew Phillips says the SSJB “should get a life“)

Incidentally, to the people at the SSJB, “entièrement décimé” doesn’t make sense. Perhaps you should go to your dictionary and look up what “décimer” means.

More coverage from Presse Canadienne and Canoe.