CBC Radio One can get a bit heavy in the morning regarding their topics, but David Common was a good choice for mornings.  He is also surprisingly funny at times.  Their musical choices don't seem to be quite as unfamiliar as before.  They actually play something or an artist you recognize occasionally.

RadioActive wrote:

Why does a supposed informational/talk/news program designed to give people important info in one of the most important time periods of the day insist on playing music at all? ... To me, it's an unnecessary addition that wastes airtime and does not serve the listener well. At that specific time of the day, I maintain CBC shouldn't be one...I prefer wall-to-wall voices on a talk, information or news show. I've never understood their insistence on music at that time of the morning. 

The items on CBC are usually in-depth and about complicated topics, with considerable information and multiple perspectives and angles. Musical buffers or interludes give me a moment to think about what I've just heard, and to absorb it, without anything further being said, before moving on to the next item. Having a song here and there on a spoken word program is like having photographs in a newspaper, as opposed to wall-to-wall text. When I was at CIUT (Caffeine Free, c. late 1990s), we used to labour over the three or four music tracks we'd play over an hour and a half, scouring the universe for something spot-on topical. Might even use a track from a local artist to promo a coming gig or an event like Caribana. Sometimes the CBC does that, too.

Saul wrote:

RadioActive wrote:

Why does a supposed informational/talk/news program designed to give people important info in one of the most important time periods of the day insist on playing music at all? ... To me, it's an unnecessary addition that wastes airtime and does not serve the listener well. At that specific time of the day, I maintain CBC shouldn't be one...I prefer wall-to-wall voices on a talk, information or news show. I've never understood their insistence on music at that time of the morning. 

The items on CBC are usually in-depth and about complicated topics, with considerable information and multiple perspectives and angles. Musical buffers or interludes give me a moment to think about what I've just heard, and to absorb it, without anything further being said, before moving on to the next item. Having a song here and there on a spoken word program is like having photographs in a newspaper, as opposed to wall-to-wall text. When I was at CIUT (Caffeine Free, c. late 1990s), we used to labour over the three or four music tracks we'd play over an hour and a half, scouring the universe for something spot-on topical. Might even use a track from a local artist to promo a coming gig or an event like Caribana. Sometimes the CBC does that, too.

Your point is very interesting and I hadn't thought of it that way. I'm glad that works for you. 

I know that when music comes on during a talk or news show I'm listening to, I almost immediately turn elsewhere for content that isn't tuneage. I'm not talking about bumper music or that kind of thing. But I just don't tend to need a 4 minute break for someone singing or playing an instrument after an interview.

I remember this as being one the failures of the old CJCL back when it tried to introduce a hybrid format - a mix of music and information talk shows. I always found that those looking for music would go to stations that played nothing but. And those looking for talk didn't want the interruption. I always believed that lack of consistency is one of the reasons its early pioneering effort in the talk genre ultimately failed. 

But to each his or her own. Not my cup of tea when I'm looking for coffee but CBC's morning show is hugely successful in the ratings, so they must be doing something right. It's just not for me. 

CBC at best plays 2 songs in an hour during the morning program.  Since they have no commercials the music breaks up the show and segments.  I see no conflict at all in them playing one or two songs per hour on a morning or afternoon show. The rules that apply to commercial talk radio don't necessarily apply to them.

Perhaps Alan Carter?  I’m sure he has done radio.

Listener wrote:

Perhaps Alan Carter? I’m sure he has done radio.

I would listen to Alan Carter. 

newsguy1 wrote:

I think it is interesting how unself aware John Moore is becoming.
Wednesday morning I heard him take a phone call from a long time listener, (a guy with a very heavy Caribbean accent) who told hum he has sold out since he did the afternoon show years ago.
Moore rejected that, saying he has never supported one political ideology or other, but he only supports policies.
The caller disagreed.
But years ago I never heard Moore talk about having lunch and playing golf with influential people like the deputy police chief or such-and-such a wealthy business person.
The other day he told Jerry Agar he was toying with plans to retire to a horse farm in update New York.
Much as I can't stand Agar, he did make the rather amusing comment to the effect of, "a horse farm, don't you just keep horses as pets there?" to which Moore replied, "yes but you can ride them."
That's all fine, good for him for making lots of money and hob nobbing with the rich and elite.
I hope he enjoys Cape Cod.

 

He's a regular vacationer in 'P-town'.  Provincetown.  Famously known as a get-away spot for a certain demographic.  Not that there's anything wrong with that.