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January 23, 2023 9:33 am  #1


Toronto CBC Radio 1's Odd TV Show

This has been going on for a while, but it's the first time I've seen it. When my dog woke me up at 6 AM, I turned on the TV and for the first time in years, it happened to be on CBLT. That's where I saw the video version of CBC Radio 1's long running Metro Morning. 

It consists of several cameras placed in the radio studio, with one camera focused on news reader Jill Dempsey, another on the host, and a third for an occasional guest. Dempsey sits in front of a video screen that shows nothing but a rotating logo, and she only very occasionally looks up at the camera as she reads her copy. Other than that, there are virtually no real production values. It literally is a radio show being sent out live on camera. 

When they go to traffic, which is brought in remotely, or a pre-recorded news clip, they show one of three things: a wide shot of the studio, a wide shot of the control room (both are pictured below) or a stock shot of the Toronto shoreline dominated as always by the CN Tower. 

The typical headline crawl continues at the bottom of the screen. It's clearly filler for television but I suppose it's better than a rerun of something. The fact is that radio is sometimes fascinating to watch behind the scenes, but that's if you can hear what's happening when the mic is off - which we don't get to see. At one point, they played a song, and all you saw was the host writing notes to himself for four minutes, getting ready for his next segment. Not exactly riveting television.

Plus, at the end of the hour, the TV version simply cuts away in the middle of a sentence when the clock hits 7 AM. Also noticed that the TV version is slightly ahead of the one on the radio by a few seconds, which is interesting.  

I'm rarely up quite that early and I'm pretty sure this wouldn't be must see TV - or, for that matter, radio. What a strange little package. 


 

January 23, 2023 9:42 am  #2


Re: Toronto CBC Radio 1's Odd TV Show

In Ottawa, their CBC R1 station (CBO-FM 91.5) has done the same thing on CBOT 4.1.

Years ago, I recall watching Calgary's Dave Rutherford on Edmonton's ITV via cable, back in the WIC days when ITV and CHED were co-owned, as were CICT and CHQR. In the early 2000s, before Durham Radio acquired Corus' Oshawa stations, CKDO's morning show was simulcast this same way on CHEX TV Durham.

 

January 23, 2023 10:26 am  #3


Re: Toronto CBC Radio 1's Odd TV Show

Forward Power wrote:

In Ottawa, their CBC R1 station (CBO-FM 91.5) has done the same thing on CBOT 4.1.

Years ago, I recall watching Calgary's Dave Rutherford on Edmonton's ITV via cable, back in the WIC days when ITV and CHED were co-owned, as were CICT and CHQR. In the early 2000s, before Durham Radio acquired Corus' Oshawa stations, CKDO's morning show was simulcast this same way on CHEX TV Durham.

Victoria’s CFAX has been doing this on CTV2 there since 2009.

 

January 23, 2023 1:14 pm  #4


Re: Toronto CBC Radio 1's Odd TV Show

CBC Radio One in Vancouver does it too.

 

January 23, 2023 2:07 pm  #5


Re: Toronto CBC Radio 1's Odd TV Show

This has been on for years on CBC Ontario at 6am.  And I know we have talked about this before on SOWNY. Nobody is going to have a live morning show on every day that includes the off air talk between the host and operator, other hosts etc.  Maybe for a movie or news report or feature on radio but not a segment like this. 

Some stations have studio cameras for shows (Today Radio in Edmonton) but also turn the mics off when commercials are on, when the host might chat on the talkback to someone else on staff.  Newstalk 1010 had a camera in studio for a while but don't anymore.   

I think the 6am Metro morning feature is as much to be listened to as watched.  A lot of people don't have a radio in their bedroom but do have a TV.  As they are getting ready for work or in the washroom the TV is on with the audio of what is going on air.  Regardless of the morning TV show, many people likely are listening as much as watching as they prepare for the day.   

 

January 23, 2023 2:22 pm  #6


Re: Toronto CBC Radio 1's Odd TV Show

Windsor Morning has been doing it for quite some time here from 6 to 7.  And I noticed that CHWI is doing it with CKLW but they do 5 to 9am.