BNW - Stories from Other Bloggers

While I've been collecting up listeners' reminiscences about Brave New Waves, a couple of Toronto-based writers have been documenting the on-coming changes at CBC and pretty much offering a blow-by-blow for their readers.

Michael Barclay's Canuckistan blog has been keeping up with the changes, staff dismissals (including one Michael Barclay), and broadcast stoppages of late. However, being a longtime fan, Barclay also has a storehouse of old interviews with CBC late night personalities such as David Wisdom and former BNW host Brent Bambury to draw from to inform his position. Barclay is open about his love of BNW and seems a fan of the radio format generally. His stuff is worth checking out, if only because it balances a real respect for the show and its importance, while acknowledging that it probably should have been cancelled. Not an easy position to maintain, but one he is capable of.

Also of note would be Carl Wilson's Zoilus blog, which has been following the switch away from BNW and listening to the proposed replacements with interest. Wilson's position is similar to Barclay's in that he believes in the importance of radio, the significance of BNW, and the logic in its demise. His blog is worth reading through even if you are not in Toronto (which is an official medical condition now), because even if Wilson's posts about BNW's end are balanced and even, the comments from his readers speak to the anger and confusion a lot of CBC listeners feel. It is an interesting way to cross-reference the reaction to the end of BNW.

Personally, I don't understand a lot of the changes at CBC, both literally (as in, I don't know what shows have been cancelled, are in short-term re-runs, or are on permanent hiatus), and strategically (as in, why certain shows have been cancelled in the first place). Why Brave New Waves was not given the opportunity to become a podcast, especially given the popularity of Grant Lawrence's Radio 3 podcast, I will never understand.

The saga continues, I suppose. I just wanted to post about some of the more skilled commentary that has been tracking the end of BNW, to promote the understanding that these changes are being felt across the country.

The End of Brave New Waves - Your Stories

Canada's premier weirdness radio show, Brave New Waves, has been cancelled by CBC radio.

Since 1984, Brave New Waves has been generating late-night strangeness for insomniacs and underground music fans alike. I happen to be both, so it was perfect for me.

Long before the internet was a household reality for most of us, BNW was the primary source of bringing us the newest music from outside the margins, and filling in the blanks in our music knowledge with their extensive artist features. As a reformed record-store snob, I can say that these artist profiles helped me understand the interconnections and collaborations between artists in different cities: Portland, Oregon; Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Louisville, Tennesee; Cologne, Germany. This kind of stuff used to be really important to me.

Lying in bed in the desiccated suburbs of an Okanagan town, my world expanded every night. In university, we had a party to mark Brent Bambury's last show and Patti Schmidt's first. What I've found over the last few weeks is that everyone I talk to has a similar story. Brave New Waves had a major impact on a lot of people, over the years.

Let's celebrate it.

I'm looking to collect some of these stories from Brave New Waves listeners. I am pitching pieces at various magazines about the end of BNW, and how important it was to us, and I am looking to hear some peoples' anecdotes about the show's impact on their life. This is not about getting CBC to change their decision (that can be someone else's job), it is simply about officially recognizing the cultural impact of this important show.

If you are interested in participating, either leave a comment below or email me. I'm looking for all Brave New Waves tales, be they tales of woe or tales of WHOAH!