Well, it's that time again. Since 2004 The UR Blog/URBMN has reviewed CBC Radio summer programming to the delight of...well, probably no one. Longtime readers of mine, though, may have noticed how late I am in writing about the subject this year. Simply put, I'm just not as interested in this summer's programming as in previous summers. I've accepted that CBC Radio One's tastes just don't jibe with mine, which is a shame as the network really is trying to improve itself lately.
This year there are at least two shows on the CBCR1 schedule (The Contrarians, So, You Think You're Funny?) that sound truly interesting, but the CBC in general walks a fine line between the interesting and the inept. I don't care who's on Freestyle - the format sucks and the show is just not good. The One was an abject failure for both CBC and ABC, but at least George Stroumboulopoulos' career remains intact. Why is the CBC even airing kaiju films, anyway? Wouldn't it make more sense to air Godzilla films on an unaffiliated local channel, Drive-In Classics or CityTV? Don't even get me started on CBC's increased reliance on Hockey Night in Canada - TSN has been picking at CBC Sports for some time and without Hockey Night in Canada CBC Sports would be crippled beyond repair, but how about trying to improve Hockey Night in Canada instead of relying on it to stand for the entire sports division? Does anyone actually care about the Satellite Hot Stove?
It's hard to be a CBC fan. Hardcore fans will criticize the CBC when it tries to escape its niche, and whenever the network fails vehement critics will regularly take a strip off it for being a government-funded white elephant. Maybe the problem really is with management. The CBC hasn't convinced me otherwise lately. How can that network rely so much on George Stroumboulopoulos as a ratings draw? The network is so incomprehensively weird in its programming strategies.
Socket
Season: first
Airs: Wednesday: 11:30 - noon/Saturday: 4:00 - 4:30 pm
How Radio One sells it: 'Socket is a new show about the hottest new art makers in Canada. Whether it's painters, sound and performance artists or the kids down the block who are re-making what we think of as art, Angela Antle will plug you into their innovative ideas.'
I despise this show with a passion. The idea is good, but the execution...man, there's nothing worse than hearing a story about an artist whose oeuvre revolves around Billy Bob Thornton and another story about an artist studying panties. I know I'm not listening to Socket too objectively, but the show comes across as a half-hour wankfest. If Socket's objective is to sell the listenership on the artist as down-to-earth and irreverent, it has failed. Worse yet, Socket reaffirms the stereotype of postmodern artists as fairly unconvincing, self-insulated liars. Maybe the show isn't as bad as I feel it is - this episode at least sounds interesting - but it's hard not to qualify my loathing for this show. Maybe it's because I'm helping build a house right now, but why do I need another reminder of the disconnect between my philosophy and CBC Radio One's? As soon as this show comes on, I change the channel to Classical 96.3 and never look back.
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