The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum / Will You Try To Watch The French Debate?

**Posted by RadioActive** April 16, 2025 1:18 pm

I have to admit, I won't be watching en francais.

There is nothing more off-putting than trying to follow translations, while hearing the actual speaker talk in a different language. It always drives me crazy during a press conference when the speaker goes into French and a translator tries desperately to keep up with the verbiage (something every politician seems to have no shortage of!) and makes it virtually impossible to get the point.

It would be better to cut off the speaker's audio altogether and just let the translator go, but they never do that. So you're left with two people essentially talking over themselves, one in a different language, the other struggling to keep up.

I will definitely watch the English one on Thursday, but I guess I'll have to wait for the highlights on edition nombre une. Because simultaneous translation doesn't make anything clearer. Like most politicos, it just gives me a headache!

**Posted by RadioAaron** April 16, 2025 2:16 pm

I agree about the audio mixing during translation being distracting; it's even worse when you fully understand both languages.

I'll pop in for a bit, but on a French channel.

**Posted by Binson Echorec** April 16, 2025 2:38 pm

Peut-etre.

**Posted by paterson1** April 16, 2025 3:11 pm

I will tune in for a bit, but not for two hours. More interested to see the news later in the evening for highlights and discussion on how the leaders did. Mostly watching the hockey game tonight. I watched a fair bit of TV last night and all parties have certainly amped up their TV buys. Almost every break had at least one election ad on the programs I was watching last night.

**Posted by RadioActive** April 16, 2025 3:14 pm

I also noticed an increase in ads, especially for the Liberals, on local radio, after going months without hearing any from all the parties. Perhaps they saved their money for the home stretch.

**Posted by RadioActive** April 16, 2025 3:42 pm

Maybe there is a way to watch it without the translation being too distracting. Turn on the closed captioning and turn down the sound. No more annoying double speak - well, except from those participating!

**Posted by mace** April 16, 2025 3:50 pm

I won't be watching. I am taking my sister to the Yonge/Eglinton Keg tonight to celebrate her birthday. I would be more interested in watching the Habs [hopefully] lose.

**Posted by Aytononline** April 16, 2025 6:11 pm

On the Global News YouTube channel, they had a live feed before the debate. It was nice watching the party leaders, the host and other staff getting ready. I hope they do the same for the English debate.

**Posted by RadioActive** April 16, 2025 7:10 pm

I tried to watch some of it. But the only thing worse than all of them talking over each other constantly, is all of them talking over each other in a different language. I hope the English one is better - but I'm not counting on it.

**Posted by bbqguy1962** April 16, 2025 7:20 pm

Best part of watching the French debate is having an English translator so I don't have to hear that smarmy little prick. Another couple of weeks and he'll be off collecting the full pension he "earned"

**Posted by Binson Echorec** April 16, 2025 7:28 pm

Surprised that CTV News Channel is not carrying this, I kinda feel they should. CBCNN seems to be the only place I can find it, given my cable package.

The volume level of the candidates is mercifully low, making it much easier to hear the English VO without being derailed by the candidates speaking in French.

EDIT: I found a French only on APTN.

Last edited by Binson Echorec (April 16, 2025 7:32 pm)

**Posted by RadioActive** April 16, 2025 8:11 pm

Or you could have tried CBLFT Channel 25, aka Radio-Canada, on regular TV, which was also showing it, without translation.

**Posted by paterson1** April 16, 2025 8:39 pm

RadioActive wrote:
I tried to watch some of it. But the only thing worse than all of them talking over each other constantly, is all of them talking over each other in a different language. I hope the English one is better - but I'm not counting on it.

Actually I was impressed that they almost never talked over each other, so I don't know what RA is talking about. I liked the moderator, no nonsense and made the four stick to the topic. The translation mix was perfect with low levels for the french dialogue, loud and clear hearing the translation, so it was easy to follow.

Generally I thought the french debate was well done and I liked the way that they had Canadians commenting on topics from all over the country and not just Quebec.

One thing that was interesting was the fact on my Bell Fibe trending feature, the debate was #1 from 6pm to 7pm on CBC News Network, and that is rare. Somewhat disappointed that CTV News Channel didn't really cover the debate, but they did carry segments and dropped in commentary which was a bit disjointed.

A far more professional and worthwhile debate to watch than what we saw last fall with Mr. Trump and Biden. Looking forward to the english debate tomorrow.

**Posted by RadioActive** April 16, 2025 9:02 pm

I didn't watch the whole thing, but saw it on CBLFT without translation. My French isn't great, but I can understand at least some of it.

But the segment I watched they were all talking over each other, including the moderator. That's when I finally turned it off. So I can't speak for the entire thing. But the part I saw was quite irritating. It may have sounded different with the translation, but the interruptions without it were very glaring. Again, that's the part I saw.

I hope Thursday's moderator, Steve Paikin, keeps a tighter grasp on the Eng-leash.

**Posted by paterson1** April 16, 2025 9:10 pm

I have never watched a debate where there wasn't some overlap but this one had very little and I watched the first hour. I didn't intend to give the debate so much time but I found it interesting, good content and well done.

Also when the Montreal/Carolina game came on at 7pm, the debate on CBC News Network was still the second most viewed program for the second hour on Bell Fibe, so that is really remarkable.

**Posted by RadioActive** April 16, 2025 9:18 pm

The real question now is how will the English one do? On the cusp of a long weekend, it will be very revealing to see how many Canadians watch part or all of it.

A reminder that both Jerry Agar and Amanda Galbraith will both do live shows on Good Friday morning/afternoon over NT1010. No word on whether 640 will follow suit.

**Posted by cash** April 16, 2025 9:21 pm

Rebel News took over the Q & A after the debate

**Posted by Binson Echorec** April 16, 2025 9:23 pm

RadioActive wrote:
Or you could have tried CBLFT Channel 25, aka Radio-Canada, on regular TV, which was also showing it, without translation.

I was looking for CBLFT when I stumbled across APTN so went with that.

I have no idea where CBLFT is on Bell Fibe. It isn't on Channel 12 like it was when I was growing up.

Last edited by Binson Echorec (April 16, 2025 9:27 pm)

**Posted by paterson1** April 16, 2025 9:28 pm

CBLFT hasn't been used on air as the call letters for decades. Radio-Canada is on channel 1101 on Bell Fibe.

**Posted by Paul Jeffries** April 16, 2025 9:51 pm

paterson1 wrote:
CBLFT hasn't been used on air as the call letters for decades. Radio-Canada is on channel 1101 on Bell Fibe.

I believe they shortened their call letters to CBLF quite a few years back.

PJ

**Posted by Binson Echorec** April 16, 2025 10:00 pm

paterson1 wrote:
CBLFT hasn't been used on air as the call letters for decades. Radio-Canada is on channel 1101 on Bell Fibe.

Good to know, thanks. All the "basic cable" channels start at 1201, I never would've found it.

**Posted by Radiowiz** April 16, 2025 10:13 pm

It's too bad I don't speak Italian.
It would have been interesting watching the French debate on Omni, with their Italian voice over accents.

**Posted by RadioActive** April 17, 2025 6:59 am

paterson1 wrote:
CBLFT hasn't been used on air as the call letters for decades. Radio-Canada is on channel 1101 on Bell Fibe.

Most stations - with the exception of City - do not use their call letters. But that doesn't mean they're not there. CTV Toronto is still CFTO, Global's local signal remains CIII and the CBC has officially been CBLT since their Sept. 8, 1952 sign-on.

As for it changing to CBLF, I haven't been able to find any confirmation of it. All the info I looked at still has it officially registered as CBLFT.

Not a big deal either way, but it does bring up a very interesting question - were the CBC French TV stations (which includes CBOFT in Ottawa and CBWFT in Winnipeg, among others) the only Canadian stations with five letters in their official calls? I can't recall any other situation like that in broadcasting in this country.

**Posted by Paul Jeffries** April 17, 2025 7:17 am

RadioActive wrote:
paterson1 wrote:
CBLFT hasn't been used on air as the call letters for decades. Radio-Canada is on channel 1101 on Bell Fibe.
Most stations - with the exception of City - do not use their call letters. But that doesn't mean they're not there. CTV Toronto is still CFTO, Global's local signal remains CIII and the CBC has officially been CBLT since their Sept. 8, 1952 sign-on.

As for it changing to CBLF, I haven't been able to find any confirmation of it. All the info I looked at still has it officially registered as CBLFT.

You're probably right. Wikipedia still has the station listed as CBLFT, although I seem to remember seeing a test pattern on the station a few years back that said CBLF.

Maybe they couldn't fit all five call letters on it.

PJ

**Posted by paterson1** April 17, 2025 10:27 am

The call letters may still be technically there, but in many cases the station is not. CBLFT as a station hasn't been around for decades. On air branding has been Radio-Canada for a long time. Same at CFTO, the call letters never appear anywhere either than on the stations license. On air they are CTV and for news CTV Toronto. You still see station call letters on some TV listings. Oldsters like myself sometime still refer to CKCO in Kitchener but on air other than some retro special they are always CTV or CTV Kitchener.

**Posted by Lorne** April 17, 2025 10:42 am

Here's a Radio-Canada article from 2023 that refers to their Toronto station as CBLFT.
https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1965396/cblft-anniversaire-television-radio

**Posted by Binson Echorec** April 17, 2025 11:45 am

Back to the debate for a sec...

While watching CBCNN's post-debate coverage last night and Heather Hiscox this morning, I chuckled to myself because they were set up outside the Radio-Canada building. It's their own building, they couldn't find a corner somewhere inside for their Anglophone brethren?

**Posted by RadioActive** April 17, 2025 3:50 pm

Talk about lost in translation! The CBC is providing the English debate not just in French, but also Arabic, Punjabi, Tagalog, Chinese, Plains Cree, Ojibwe and for those in the far north, Inuktitut. And with all their endless talking points, it's still possible no one will have any idea what any of them said by the end of the night!

Follow the English-language leaders’ debate with live translation in 8 languages

**Posted by DX** April 17, 2025 6:29 pm

RadioActive wrote:
Talk about lost in translation! The CBC is providing the English debate not just in French, but also Arabic, Punjabi, Tagalog, Chinese, Plains Cree, Ojibwe and for those in the far north, Inuktitut. And with all their endless talking points, it's still possible no one will have any idea what any of them said by the end of the night!

Follow the English-language leaders’ debate with live translation in 8 languages

Oh wow, I wonder how they can afford to do all that, oh wait….

**Posted by fybush** **Online!** April 17, 2025 7:14 pm

Lorne wrote:
Here's a Radio-Canada article from 2023 that refers to their Toronto station as CBLFT.
https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1965396/cblft-anniversaire-television-radio

The CB--- callsigns aren't official international calls anyway, since that block of letters belongs to Chile. That's why the CBC's shortwave relays used CKZU and CKZN as their calls.

That said, there were a few English CBC TV stations that had five-letter calls. CBKST Saskatoon was one.