Recently, there have been some bit shakeups at the CBC. There are new programming directors and there have been calls for tighter integration of radio, TV, and web staffs. Just this afternoon I joined a Facebook group called "Save Classical Music at the CBC". The creators are concerned about a "dumbing down" of CBC Radio.

So naturally I felt the need to do my own research on the topics and what I found was quite interesting. Here's a CBC radio blog post about the subject. I have to say I'm feeling quite conflicted. I'm a long time CBC radio listener, as well as a classically trained musician, so naturally I'll have strong feelings about anything they do to Radio Two.

However, the last several months I've found myself increasingly attracted to the style of programming used on CBC's French-language "Radio Canada". "Espace Musique" is one of my favourite programs. They play more jazz, and don't shy away from world music or electronica. It's definitely a mix I enjoy, that I can't find on other stations.

One of the biggest thing that's bugging the creators of the Facebook group is the fact that Jurgen Gothe's Disc Drive is being axed. I'm going to take a risk and come out of the closet here:

I HATE Disc Drive.

Like, REALLY hate it. What I get when I tune in to Disc Drive is classical music interspersed with cheesy pseudo-bluegrass, country-american folk music, and a trite selection of boring novelty songs. Then you have to listen to Jurgen Gothe: a plodding, uninteresting oratory fraught with long pauses where you expect the music to start, which are in fact merely long pauses before more talking. It's like Jurgen is a narcolepsy sufferer taking a micronap. It is a soothing balm for old people that is impossible to listen to on the stressful drive home from work. It stands in stark contrast to the sprightly and engaging Tom Allen for Music and Company, the Radio Two morning show.

So when the CBC says they're going to replace that time slot with more jazz, electronica, and fusion, I say: GOOD. Jane Chalmers, the vice-president of CBC English Radio has said: "We're retaining our commitment to classical music, so that oasis will continue... But we also feel that a lot of great quality Canadian music is not being heard on any radio station or any broadcaster, period. It would have a natural home on Radio Two."

The more I think about it, the more I believe we need to trust the CBC. When I look at the changes that have been made to television, I see The Hour, hosted by George Stroumboulopoulos. This news magazine show has been a huge success and gets young people engaged in current events.

Really, that's what the CBC is trying to do: grab hold of a younger audience. Because an audience is essential to any media organization's survival.