Stursberg was executive vice-president, English language services, covering both radio and television. And while one can bemoan the state of CBC-TV, or simply avoid it, which most of us do, the most wrenching change under Stursberg's watch came to Radio 2. Almost overnight, what had been an eminently civilized haven on the dial sought to recreate itself in the image of a so-so 1970s pop-rock station. Arts reports were dropped, news came in bite-size chunks, "featurettes" were thrust at us, new program hosts, some of whom seemed to be learning on the job, began giving their names every fifteen seconds, and there was a relentless torrent of promotion announcements.
So Stursberg's departure (which sounds as though it could be an episode in a made-for-tv drama) has encouraged some longtime Radio 2 listeners to hope for a return to what was once listenable. But be warned: Charlie Smith of Georgia Straight suggests that CBC staffers who embraced the Stursberg formula remain in key positions, so his influence may linger on. And on. Everywhere music takes you.
Meanwhile, attempts to bring back Bob Kerr have been unsuccessful.
Of course, there are exceptions (feel free to list your own) notably "Shift" (1:00-3:30, half an hour later in Newfoundland, eight hours later in the Village of Ripe) a good program idea, made more so by the knowledgeable Tom Allen.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, supporters of the Stursberg changes have mounted a predictable response to the widespread approval of his departure, led most vigorously by Howard Bernstein. The Stursberger group's cries are studded with the words "snobbery" and "elitism", by which they target people who can follow music not composed and performed in somebody's garage.
The rumor that Bernstein is at work on a book titled "Stursberger: Out On His Buns" is unconfirmed.