Margin Notes: Mulled Wine, Birds, Joe Canadian

Proud Bavarian Matthias Oschinski poured rum on the sugar cone as part of the process of making mulled wine at his apartment in Toronto, Ontario on 17-December-2010

TORONTO, ONTARIO - One of the highlights of my visit to the Toronto Christmas Market (covered previously) was the mulled wine, which was a really nice (and warm) treat in the cold weather. When my friends Karimah Hudda and Matthias Oschinski invited me over to actually make their own mulled wine, there was no way I was going to turn that down. Friday night, I was treated to how it is actually done in Germany, prominently using bags of spices, a cone of sugar, a special copper pot, and of course red wine, amongst other details. A native Bavarian, Matthias had expressed minor dissatisfaction with the offering at the market, and after drinking his version, I understood why--the spices were much more nicely accented, leading to a taste that isn't quite like anything else I've ever had. I can understand why Matthias and Karimah make mulled wine an annual tradition.


The blue, alcohol-based flame surrounded the sugar cone as mulled wine was prepared on 17-December-2010

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An annual tradition for most North Americans around this time of year is shopping, and malls know that. It surprised me when visiting the Eaton Centre here in Toronto this fall that it looked like their construction project involving flooring and railings wasn't going to be complete in time for the peak holiday season. Sure enough, when I went to shop there on Friday night, the crowds were having to work their way around the construction. What in the world were they thinking when they scheduled that work?

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I'd also like to know what the CBC was thinking when it named the new co-host of the flagship As It Happens show on Radio One. When the CBC fired Barbara Budd as co-host earlier this year, it claimed it wanted to replace presenters with journalists. So who did they hire? Jeff Douglas, best known as the actor that portrayed "Joe Canadian" in the famous Molson Beer "I am Canadian" commercial. Granted, Douglas has done significant documentary work, promises to push social media for the show, and I rather like him, but it sure doesn't look like the point of replacing Budd was to find a journalist. It makes the whole process look rather cold.

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A small bird braved the elements at Toronto's Lambton Park on 19-December-2010

The weather has been cold in Toronto for the past week, and it has looked like a winter wonderland for about the past week. I went out in the elements today and spotted a Cardinal, but as is usually my luck when male Cardinals are around, I didn't manage to get a decent picture. I had to settle for a LBB ("little brown bird") instead, shown above at Lambton Park.

Media: She's Really Gone?

TORONTO, ONTARIO - It hasn't sunk in yet. Barbara Budd's last night as co-host of As It Happens, the flagship CBC Radio One newsmagazine on weeknights, was tonight. Never again will we get to hear her distinct voice telling us the distance to Reading or that we have reached the dance portion of the program.

When I moved to Canada, one of my new co-workers tried to tell me that the "CBC had no 'names' amongst its hosts." "Are you kidding me?" I replied, "Barbara Budd is not a 'name'?" She was certainly a name to public radio listeners in the United States, at least in the relatively few markets that ran "As It Happens." To us, the quirkiness of the show was embodied in Budd herself, especially as she lent stability to the broadcast as co-hosts moved on to other assignments.

As discussed previously, Budd didn't leave the show voluntarily after 17 years, she was fired by the CBC as they move to replace announcers with journalists. The problem with that philosophy is that good radio is all about story-telling. Journalists certainly can tell stories, but when the task is also about stringing disparate stories together, I'd rather have a actor take on the task.

The reason Barbara Budd is a 'name' and is so beloved to her listeners is that she guided us through the serious and absurd stories of the day, providing the glue throughout a presentation that was appointment radio, informing and entertaining a nation. Apparently, the CBC is so focused on quality journalism that it has discounted the role of an announcer like Budd in creating good radio.

I suppose we'll still get to hear Budd's voice on occasion on the broadcast. Much as predecessor Alan Maitland's "The Shepherd" is played each year on Christmas Eve, we'll likely be treated to several repeat Budd readings each year. It won't be the same, though. I hope Barbara Budd finds a more lucrative position where she is appreciated now. I may not have been listening for 17 years, but I have been listening long enough to understand what we are losing. Thank you, Barbara. You will be missed.

Media: The CBC Fired Barbara Budd

TORONTO, ONTARIO - After 17 years as co-host of the CBC Radio One program As It Happens, Barbara Budd is not stepping down on her own accord. The CBC decided not to renew her contract. In other words, the CBC has decided to fire Budd.

The story has been well-covered only by the Globe and Mail newspaper, which published most of the relevant details in this article. The CBC is trying to eliminate "presenter" or "announcer" positions and replace them with journalists. Budd's part-time position serving as the presenter for As It Happens was the next one targeted. She's sad, to say the least, comparing it with being told by a man that he no longer loved her in this interview with the Globe and Mail.

Unless a major change in the show format is forthcoming, which would be unfortunate, this move makes no sense at all. I listened to As It Happens (while in the United States, mostly on late-night delayed broadcasts) for months before I even realized that there was one host (presently Carol Off) who does the journalistic interviews and one host (Barbara Budd) who reads the introductions, and I'd like to think I'm not a particularly casual listener. It flows so well to the point that the distinct roles are not blatant in large part because Budd does such a great job with the transitions. Listening to a show with one of the less skilled fill-ins when Budd is away makes it all the more obvious just how well she does it. Does the CBC really believe that a journalist is going to do a better job at the announcing part of the job? Perhaps they have been spoiled by skills of the last two co-hosts, the legendary Alan Maitland and Budd.

Outside of As It Happens, the CBC policy of eliminating presenters has had, at best, mixed results. The policy reportedly led to Alison Smith coming to The World At Six, about which I have no complaints, but it also led to the hiring of Peter Armstrong to replace the retiring Judy Maddren on World Report. I rather liked Armstrong as a reporter, but he's almost unlistenable as an anchor. I perk up in the morning when I hear Martina Fitzgerald or Dzintars Cers (who, if I am not mistaken, is an announcer) filling in on that broadcast.

Many of the comments on the Globe and Mail articles imply that this is really about cost cutting. We'll know that's really the case if writer Chris Howden appears as the co-host. I'd probably hold my nose and accept the new reality in that scenario, as Howden is my favorite of the regular fill-ins. Others suspect this is about attracting a younger audience--exactly how a journalist would do that is beyond me. Presumably, though, neither alternative is what management is up to here.

The CBC seems to be blowing up one of their programs that actually works. To me, not having been around in the era of Maitland and Barbara Frum, the classic As It Happens era will always be that of Budd and Off. I hope this doesn't portend another program falling off my ideal radio schedule. Best of luck, Barbara--may your next employer treat you better than the CBC.

Before closing, I must give credit to public radio station KALW in San Francisco, California. They included information about Budd's exit in their station newsletter. I haven't noticed any other outlet that actually airs As It Happens say anything about the real story.

Radio Pick: How It Happens

TORONTO, ONTARIO - This week's radio pick is a local show, so to speak.

There really could be only one selection this week. As It Happens, the flagship program of CBC Radio One produced in Toronto, celebrated its 40th anniversary on Tuesday. The "phone out" program has survived longer than I have been alive for not just one reason, but many. Their quest to get through on the phone to newsmakers often leads to amazing interviews, and their sense of humor--unmistakeably Canadian--comes through regardless. The 84-minute, three-part 40th anniversary show, besides having some significant old clips and stories, focused on how the show is put together--the tales from the producers and the writers were particularly notable. For anyone interested in radio, this show is a must-listen.

Listen to streaming Windows Media of As It Happens "How It Happens" Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3