SAVE CLASSICAL MUSIC AT THE CBC

When I was younger, I always looked up to the CBC as a symbol of Canadian culture. From Hockey Night in Canada to the Passionate Eye, it was an organization of journalistic integrity, a place to find solace from the nonsense known as CNN, and a hub of the arts.

When I was younger, I loved CBC Radio 2. It was dominated by classical programming, with an enormous amount of Canadian content, reflecting the diverse and potent Canadian classical scene. It was a nice little refuge from Classicalk 96.3, which really, gets bland after you listen to the same stereotypical (pun intended) selections of classical music, like Fur Elise, Chopin Nocturne 1 and Beethoven's 5th Symphony.

When I was younger, I always liked the CBC Radio Orchestra, in Vancouver. The only remaining radio orchestra in North America, it had a mandate to perform classical music with a large percentage of Canadian conductors and soloists, as well as being responsible for premiering numerous numbers of newly commisioned compositions.

But you know what, the CBC has decided to change. Gone are the interesting shows and innovative programming, replaced with horrible and tasteless dramas about hockey wives and scnadals and bad reality TV shows. And they are removing most of CBC Radio 2's classical content, and replacing it with gar-bage. Oh, did I mention they are destroying the CBC Radio Orchestra, even after they WON A GRAMMY over other well-funded and better managed orchestras in the United States (even beating the almighty Boston Symphony)?

Now, if we take CBC's side of the issue, they will say promoting classical music so much is not reflective of the Canadian cultural demographic. But how can they be so blind, with so much talent (and I do not over inflate this term) coming out of this country. There are so many youth in this country who listen to Classical music. How is tommorow's youth going to hear classical music in the future? Those CD's, or (insert name of new device replacing CD's in 3 years) are very very expensive. Specifically, how is tommorow's youth going to hear the music of today's youth. How are we going to have new works commisioned by Canadian composers, when private interests (orchestras such as the TSO) can only include so much Canadian music, when they are catering to a paying and general audience?

So I ask you, PLEASE help us (the movement who are trying to stop them) to avert this disaster. I know many of you think these email initiatives don't accomplish anything, but sometimes, SOMETIMES, they do. A similar thing happend with Hockey Night 3 years ago, when they didn't want to renew Ron McLean's contract (the semi bald guy working with Don Cherry). Fans were outraged, did a similar thing, and got him back with a 6 year contract.

The addresses below are of IMPORTANT people! Richard_Stursberg@cbc.ca; mark_steinmetz@cbc.ca; jennifer_mcguire@cbc.ca; ht.lacroix@cbc.ca; AND NOT by commas as listed below. So, if you click on send and it doesn't work, try using the ; sign instead)1) copy the list of e-mails / copiez cette liste d'adresses2) add the e-mail of a local and/or national newspaper / ajoutez l'adresse d'un journal local ou national3) Copy one of the messages provided (if you don't have time to write your own) copiez un des message suivants (si vous n'avez pas le temps d'ecrire un vous-memes)3) click send / cliquez sur le button "send"Richard_Stursberg@cbc.ca, mark_steinmetz@cbc.ca, jennifer_mcguire@cbc.ca, ht.lacroix@cbc.ca, richard_stursberg@cbc.ca, Verner.J@parl.gc.ca, Min_Verner@pch.gc.ca, Harper.S@parl.gc.ca, Belanger.M@parl.gc.ca, angusc@parl.gc.ca, liaison@cbc.ca, auditoire@radio-canada.ca, liaison@radio-canada.ca, ombudsman@cbc.ca, ombudsman@radio-canada.ca[And here are some e-mails of journalists and big newspapers. Send me more contact information of CBC officials, newspapers, journalists and I will post it!opinions@metronouvelles.com, info@metronouvelles.com,letters@globeandmail.com, mlederman@globeandmail.com, jadams@globeandmail.com, scormier@ledevoir.com,ppapineau@ledevoir.com, fdoyon@ledevoir.com,sunletters@png.canwest.com, sunopinion@png.canwest.com, tabtips@png.canwest.com, provletters@png.canwest.com, smeurice@nationalpost.com, mhiggins@nationalpost.com,sstinson@nationalpost.com, wmoriarty@png.canwest.com, rguggi@png.canwest.com,submit@theherald.canwest.com, calgaryherald@reachcanada.com, letters@thecitizen.canwest.com, psimpson@thecitizen.canwest.com, letters@thegazette.canwest.com]

***To whom it may concernI am writing to express my immense dissatisfaction and anger with your decision to dismantle the CBC National Radio Orchestra.The National Radio Orchestra is the last remaining broadcasting ensemble in North America. Its mandate to commission and perform Canadian music makes it an invaluable resource for Canadian musicians and performers. Your decision to terminate it reveals an incredible shortsightedness and disrespect to the Canadian cultural values. I am outraged that this decision was taken without any consultation with the musical and cultural community and that the players and other concerned parties were deliberately left in the dark and wouldn’t have even known about this decision beforehand hadn’t it been a leak of information.I am extremely disappointed and enraged that you have decided to terminate one of the most important Canadian musical traditions.I ask you to show responsibility and respect to Canadian culture and to reverse your decision immediately.

Sincerely,
(insert name)

Thanks guys, I really would appreciate it! And so would the 80 odd musicians who will lose their jobs next year