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June 18, 2015 6:20 pm  #1


The dumbing down of broadcasting

I heard a talk show host in the GTA this afternoon (albeit a fill in host) discussing a topic that I can no longer remember, but what I do remember is...he was talking about what was 'legal' and what was 'unlegal'.  He didn't say 'not legal' or 'illegal', but unlegal.

There's no such word sir. 

Last edited by Doug Thompson (June 19, 2015 12:25 pm)

 

June 18, 2015 7:31 pm  #2


Re: The dumbing down of broadcasting

That is inbeleivable!

 

June 18, 2015 7:46 pm  #3


Re: The dumbing down of broadcasting

Irregardless

 

June 18, 2015 8:00 pm  #4


Re: The dumbing down of broadcasting

I'm Overwhelmed at the Grammer thats used alot here.  Just as the sowny atmosphere starts to unthaw I think its important to reiterate that when I axed about it I was told Unequivocably that Grammer is Misunderestimated by a lot of people.

Let me grab an expresso as I reiterate to those who brung this to my attention that it just turns into a flame war and I'd like to have an inflammable place for people to hang out.



Madness takes its toll.  Please have exact change.
 
 

June 18, 2015 9:43 pm  #5


Re: The dumbing down of broadcasting

It's a slow progression, or should I say, regression in terms of where our language has gone.

Back in the late 70s, I had a high-school English teacher who used the term "ex-cetera" a lot.  Then again, they were too busy studying literature that nobody cared about (at the time) to bother with silly concepts such as grammar and pronounciation.

In college in the 80s, I got to meet Ken Haslam, language guru at the CBC (the same gentleman currently seen on Chartwell ads) who insisted that broadcasters, public and private, should set the example and consider themselves to be standard bearers when it comes to the language.

Which reminds me.  Does anyone know where I can lay my hands on a recent copy of the CBC pronunciation database?  My copy that I received third-hand (a 381 page pdf) is from September 2012.    

I saw the movie "Idiocracy" for the first time a few months ago.  I didn't realize it was made almost 10 years ago and not more recently.  Society in general is really dumbing down.  The biggest technical advance these days is a watch designed to display from a phone that's already on your person.  So now you don't have to take your phone out of yor pocket.

And yesterday, I was reading about a new meal replacement being made available in Canada for people who don't want to waste time eating.

It's called, and I'm not making this up,  "Soylent".

http://www.cbc.ca/news/trending/the-soylent-revolution-has-made-it-to-canada-1.3116513


 

 

June 18, 2015 10:36 pm  #6


Re: The dumbing down of broadcasting

CP Has an online Style guide as well as book form:
http://www.thecanadianpress.com/books.aspx?id=182

 


Madness takes its toll.  Please have exact change.
 
 

June 19, 2015 4:48 am  #7


Re: The dumbing down of broadcasting

Unlawful is okay as a word. Unlegal is illegal english.
 


RadioWiz & RadioQuiz are NOT the same person. 
RadioWiz & THE Wiz are NOT the same person.

 
 

June 19, 2015 8:07 am  #8


Re: The dumbing down of broadcasting

a couple of weeks ago, i was getting fed up with a customer service rep (a young whipper snapper) who was on the phone with me. i finally asked her if she could stop placing a question mark after each statement being read from
her script (i know, this from a guy who doesn't use capital letters ),

Last edited by the original hank (June 19, 2015 8:07 am)

 

June 19, 2015 8:31 am  #9


Re: The dumbing down of broadcasting

The singing 'up at the end of every sentence' thing drives me nuts also.  Everything is a question.  Unfortunately this is a schools thing. 

the original hank wrote:

a couple of weeks ago, i was getting fed up with a customer service rep (a young whipper snapper) who was on the phone with me. i finally asked her if she could stop placing a question mark after each statement being read from
her script (i know, this from a guy who doesn't use capital letters ),

 


Madness takes its toll.  Please have exact change.
 
 

June 19, 2015 10:39 am  #10


Re: The dumbing down of broadcasting

I've been noticing more and more of how the CNN anchors are dropping the letter "g"

How's it lookin' out there?  Where you goin' this weekend?   I don't know if there trying to be doing "street talk" or not?  Anyway it drives me nuts.  By the way the number of the "g" droppers just happen to be the female anchors.  Just sayin'. 

Last edited by Bearsville (June 19, 2015 10:40 am)

 

June 19, 2015 1:44 pm  #11


Re: The dumbing down of broadcasting

'm aware I'm showing my age when I write this, but to me it's an indicator of an under-educated person.  Someone who made it through high school on phonics and enthusiasm rather than education.

I have 2 friends who graduated high school (I didn't) who can't compose sentences to compete with my 8 year old son.   I thank God on a regular basis I had the British school system foundation when I arrived here in 1976, because from that point on my education went next to nowhere.  It's awful.  Yet my friends survive, well, in the workplace because for some reason it doesn't seem to matter.  I know I've passed up recommending people for management positions based on their written abilities.  Because when they have to speak 'up' they'll look incompetent.

It seems to be the same way with the spoken word these days.  As was noticed, the 2 biggies being dropping the 'g' and the sing song approach.
 

Last edited by ig (June 19, 2015 1:46 pm)


Madness takes its toll.  Please have exact change.
 
 

June 19, 2015 2:24 pm  #12


Re: The dumbing down of broadcasting

Speaking of spell check..  From the great announcement today..


Madness takes its toll.  Please have exact change.
 
 

June 19, 2015 2:41 pm  #13


Re: The dumbing down of broadcasting

is why I check gta.boardhost.com 3, 4, 5 times a day
 

 

June 20, 2015 11:43 pm  #14


Re: The dumbing down of broadcasting

We notice to a degree how regional accents aren't as pronounced as they used to be.  In part it's the influence of audio media.  When the radio and TV voices start to reinvent the language we'll hear that coming back at us as well.  Standards need to be maintained.

But they won't be.  That would cost money.  The shareholders would never stand fir dat.

 

June 21, 2015 8:12 am  #15


Re: The dumbing down of broadcasting

Old Codger wrote:

We notice to a degree how regional accents aren't as pronounced as they used to be

Who are "we" who do not enjoy historical, regional accents when listening to local programming in (say) Kitchener/Waterloo, Muskoka region and the Bay of Quinte?

And those are southern Ontario examples (more in rural Newfoundland, Nova Scotia & Saskatchewan)

 

June 21, 2015 8:37 am  #16


Re: The dumbing down of broadcasting

There was some talk of CNN in this thread.  They would reach all kinds of English speaking regions including yours' and would subsequently make an impact and have influence in terms of how some people will pronounce words, how they'll speak and on dialect itself.  Think a little wider afield.

 

June 21, 2015 2:26 pm  #17


Re: The dumbing down of broadcasting

Speaking of Radio Free Dundalk, am surprised that no one commented on Craig Smith's retirement from 560 CFOS a couple weeks back.     A long career there

 

June 23, 2015 11:39 am  #18


Re: The dumbing down of broadcasting

There is one Radio Host on from 1-4 on a Toronto Station who has much trouble pronouncing many words. One that has me yelling at the radio (but not yet pounding on the dashboard, Bruce) is Ontarioans. That's right kids. ONTARIO-ANS. Then there is another favourite: Escalade. This gentleman pronounces this word ES-CA-LAUD. I wonder if He have ever used an ES-CA-LAUTER. Ther's many, many more.

Last edited by StevieB (June 23, 2015 11:46 am)


 I am Here, just not all there.