paulcrosstoronto’s Podcast

Cross Talk: Season 4, Episode 5

"On World Radio Day - 2020". From February 13, 2020.  UNESCO -- the United Nations Educational Scientific Cultural Organization -- designates February 13th "World Radio Day" dating back to 2011.  It's more than a celebration of the ongoing vitality and lifeline nature of radio; it's also a time for critical thought about some aspect of radio.  This year's theme is "diversity" in radio, according to three broad criteria.  Today: an insider's look at diversity in radio in Toronto.  The city itself has about 50 over-the air licensed broadcast radio stations:  nearly 30 FM radio stations and about 20 on AM.  How do they measure up to the UNESCO criteria?  My insider's observations.

Cross Talk: Season Four, Episode Four

"On a Radio Moment during the State of the Union address". From February 7, 2020. The State of the Union address included a four-minute detour to recognize and honour a right-wing talk radio host who reaches millions of listeners each day, who are likely supporters of Donald Trump.  It's just the third time in history a radio broadcast performer has received the Medal of Freedom from a U-S President.  It's never been done before during a State of the Union address.  Quid pro quo? Makes fair dealing use of short bits of audio from EIB network (U-S) and public domain audio from the address. 

Cross Talk: Season Four, Episode Three

"On Ways of Listening: H-D Radio" from January 31, 2020.  HD -- High Definition Radio -- is one way AM radio in North American cities might reach listeners who cannot receive AM signals well depending on buildings and topography.  Not all broadcasters have added HD service to their FM carriers; and some who have...almost never tell listeners about it.  It's still virtually impossible to find a radio with HD capability in a store in Toronto.  Is HD worth the trouble and expense for a listener?  Listen:  hear how news/talk radio sounds on AM compared with HD; and how one AM music station sounds on AM, on FM and on HD. Makes fair dealing use of bits of audio from Newstalk 1010 CFRB Toronto and CFMZ AM740 Toronto.  For educational purposes. For a taste of what sports play-by-play sounds like in high-definition, please check Season 2, Episode 12.

Cross Talk: Season Four, Episode Two

On Talk Radio - on the morning after the start of the impeachment trial.  From January 23, 2020.  On the morning after the impeachment trial begins in the U-S Senate, morning talk radio hosts are hard at work discrediting the process, dismissing the issues, and boosting Donald Trump.  The stations they're on will spend a lot more time on letting them talk...than on reporting the news.  A sample of some of what's happening; a preview of an episode to come later this season, looking at some of the more extreme hosts in right-wing talk radio.  For educational purposes.  Students of radio, broadcasting, mass communication, journalism, public relations should be aware of what talk radio is doing. Makes fair dealing use of bits of audio from Hugh Hewitt show; Bernie and Sid; Brian Kilmeade Podcast; Sandy Beach; Rush Limbaugh; WDTK Detroit; WABC New York; WBEN Buffalo; WHAM Rochester; KWFS Wichita Falls Texas; KPNS Duncan Oklahoma.

Cross Talk: Season Four, Episode 1

On how we communicate in the 20s: 1920/2020.  From January 17, 2020.  In 1920 your radio and your telephone gave you access to the world; in 2020, one device that does everything gives you the world on demand, including radio.  Radio changed everything.  Makes fair dealing use of audio from Smithsonian TV (America in Color: The 1920s); the original Wheaties "jingle" 1927; 1929 news reel (ownership not clear); movie The Jazz Singer (Warner Brothers, 1929); archive audio of William Lyon MacKenzie King, 1927. For educational purposes.  After 100 years of radio, what's different? And what is...rather alike? First episode of Season Four.  For more on the 100th anniversary of licensed broadcast radio, please refer to Season 3, Episode 9 - from December 2019, about XWA Montreal becoming the world's first licensed radio broadcasting station in December 1919.

Cross Talk: Season 3, Episode 11

"On a Christmas Carol on the Radio". From December 13, 2019. Final episode of season three.  By the time the most enduring radio version of A Christmas Carol was on the air, the story was almost 100 years old.  It's a story that still gets new versions made in various media, every year.  One of the most enduring movie versions still played year after year dates back to 1951.  But before that version captured hearts and minds, radio had been broadcasting a production that dates back to 1934; even though the popular recording of that version is from the performance in 1939.  Makes fair dealing use of bits of audio from the 1951 United Artists picture; the 1939 Campbell Soup Playhouse radio production starring Lionel Barrymore, with Orson Welles as the narrator, and from Radio Drama Revival Project. Wellesnet.com and Wikipedia.org were good resources for quick reviews of dates for this episode. For educational purposes. The hardcover "The Books of Christmas" by Charles Dickens, pictured in the photo here was published in 1907.  The Radio is a General Electric TA200A VY, 1960s but hard to date exactly. For previous Christmas-time Radio history please listen to Season 1, Episode 15 - "On the Canadian Christmas Eve broadcast that gave Radio to the World". 

Cross Talk: Season 3, Episode 10

"How Transistors made Radio truly portable - 65 years ago". From December 5, 2019.  The hot-ticket item for Christmas-time shopping in 1954 was a new style of Radio.  Portable, compact, even small enough to fit in the palm of your hand.  The transistor radio sparks another revolution in radio listening, and in radio programming for the teenagers who flock to buy the new devices.  Makes Fair Dealing use of bits from tv commercials and promotions for radio companies in the 1950s including RCA, Remco and Sylvania.  Reference to SONY, Bell Labs, Texas Instruments, Smithsonian Institute.  For educational purposes. The photo here shows a SONY labeled at the Museum of Science in London in 2016 as being one of the first compact transistor radios; model number not clear. It's a hand-held model about the surface size of an iPhone 4, but about three times as thick.

Cross Talk: Season 3, Episode 9

"On the 100th Anniversary of Radio in Canada".  From November 28, 2019.  Licensed Radio broadcasting as we know it starts in Canada on December 1, 1919.  That's before radio was being heard in Britain or the United States.  There's little fanfare about it, but XWA Radio started in Montreal, Canada 100 years ago.  Exhibits commemorating it are being staged at the Emile Berliner Museum in Montreal.  For educational purposes.  For still more on Canada's "invention" of what we know as radio broadcasting please listen to Season 1, Episode 15; and Season 2, Episode 1.  Makes reference to XWA/CFCF; KQW; KDKA; and to broadcasting-history.ca 

 

Cross Talk: Season 3, Episode 8

On the Case of Don Cherry's Comments on Coach's Corner.  From November 21, 2019.  A hockey segment co-host has been fired because of his "you people" comments on air November 9th, which seemed to target immigrants.  There's been a great deal of news coverage, opinion, and talk on air and online since that event.  There has been less analysis from a broadcast perspective.  What are the broadcast implications of the case? Are there codes of conduct that apply? What about the many complaints filed with the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council? For educational purposes.  Makes fair dealing use of short audio bits from Global tv news; City; CBC. Refers to CBSC.ca

 

Cross Talk: Season 3, Episode 7

"How to Listen to Radio - part three: FM". From November 15, 2019.  There's nothing like the sound of FM stereo radio! In part one, I explore night-time tuning on AM radio; in part two, I cover streaming and apps.  Now, let's dive into the high-fidelity sound of FM radio. These episodes are designed for anyone who loves radio, and for students who are studying radio or mass communication in general.  I'm encouraging students...experiment with a radio tuner.  For educational purposes: Makes fair dealing use of audio bits from JazzFM 91.1 Toronto; CHFI; Boom 97.3; CHUM 104.5; Q107; CIUT; CKHC 96-9 Radio Humber; CBC Radio 1; and samples from other stations as I turn the tuning knob on an analogue receiver so we can hear everything the tuner receives. (Part one is in S3, Ep4; Part two is in S3, Ep6).