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2CR late night love (so the missus says)

NoreenC

I've never heard him until now, and yes, he has mentioned he has an advice show tomorrow night. A friend in Somerset has just told me (via Facebook) that it was John Govier when I was there. I didn't hear him either. Whereabouts in Somerset were you?

Monique_in_Canada

I wasn't, I was in Suffolk, on the East Coast, but I think all local radio stations went country wide at 11 pm or something like that, and Graham Torrington's show was heard all over!!

Lychee

I actually listen to radio in Vancouver. There's a decent selection, unlike elsewhere in the province.

Just an aside, but it's worth mentioning again that Canada is so vast, what happens on the radio in Vancouver doesn't necessarily represent what's going on in the rest of the country.

Also, it's best not to find UK-Canada equivalents. There aren't any. Different musical cultures and expectations, and all that. You have to train yourself to take it for what it is, otherwise you'll set yourself up for disappointment.

For Vancouver, my favs:

CBC Radio 1 - 88.1 FM great for news, learning about world events. Mostly talk with the occasional song.
http://www.cbc.ca/programguide/daily...cbc_radio_one/

CBC Radio 2 - 105.7 FM classical, jazz, new rock/indie/folk. Decent music in the morning/early evening. Aimed at a mature crowd.
http://www.cbc.ca/radio2/schedule/

CBC Radio 3 - it's only online, but worth a listen - experimental/indie rock/folk - a good blend of new music, much of it Canadian but also a blend. Not aimed at teens in my opinion, aimed at 20-40 year old music geeks. The DJs interact with the listeners via their blog as they broadcast. Most of the DJs are former musicians. http://radio3.cbc.ca/

101.1 - Rock 101 "classic rock" Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Genesis, Rush, Hendrix, etc. This is, in my experience, your typical radio station in the more rural parts of Canada (hence the abundance of "Canadian radio is crap/stuck in the 70's" comments)
http://www.rock101.com/

100.5 - The Peak - indie rock, local bands, new music, British - very contemporary without being annoying. A radio station more in tune with what people are listening to on their iPods: http://www.thepeak.fm/

101.9 CiTR - the local college radio station where each show is completely different from one to another (reggae, funk, blues, jazz, trance, Russian, punk, etc.) http://www.citr.ca/index.php/schedule/all-shows/

Those are some of my favourite stations. I typically do not listen to the pop/R&B/Top 40 stations, of which there are a few. I also did not include the local country music stations, or the other talk radio stations, or the Chinese, French, and Punjabi stations.

Lychee

Just a thought - you may appreciate CBC's "Q" show with Jian Ghomeshi:

http://www.cbc.ca/q/about/

Oink

I think with good use of the internet, satellite, DVD's and subscriptions, you can live much more happily in Canada by avoiding all their dire tv, radio and newspapers and just watching, listening and reading proper stuff.

Novocastrian

I enjoy that too.

I think though it was JonboyE upthread who said there is no Drama on CBC-1. Unfortunately he's wrong. I give you the vomit inducing "Afganada" as an example of the genre.

PMM

Hi

Depending on your taste you might want to listen on CBC to Randy's Vinyl Tap. http://www.cbc.ca/vinyltap/ (repeats) If you don't know Randy is Randy Bachman, of the Guess Who, Brave Belt, BTO etc. Knows everyone in the business has great stories behind the music and the players, you may like it. Listen to some of the old shows. http://www.randysvinyltap.com/main.php

AllyS

In Calgary, the radio is back-to-back 80's music - The Canadians seem to like Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen et al. Its funny for us from a nostalgic point of view, but that nostalgia has turned to annoyance at the limited selection of music they churn out.

We are looking for the elusive internet radio, elusive because they have to be mail ordered. We miss Radio 4 too.

JonboyE

Too true. The only half hour when I turn the radio down.

I enjoy Q very much as well.

Oakvillian

I was going to cite "Afghanada" as a CBC1 radio drama too - though like Jonboy and Novo I don't think I've listened to a whole episode since the first one I heard. It's not very good. I've dipped in and out of "Backbencher" too, though I'm not quite sure what they can do with the new season that isn't going to get tired very quickly.

Here in the Toronto area the morning programme, MetroMorning, is generally excellent. The Current (slightly more in-depth current affairs magazine thing) is a bit hit-and-miss and heavily dependent on the quality of the guests. Q is usually excellent - Jian Ghomeshi (erstwhile lead singer of the verbally dextrous folk-rock group Moxy Fruvous... I'm not as ashamed as I ought to be that I not only know that but have a CD!) is an engaging interviewer.

Other good programmes are White Coat, Black Art (on medical sciences), Age of Persuasion (on advertising and marketing), Quirks & Quarks (physical sciences).

What there isn't is the comedy, panel games and quizzes that Radio 4 thrives on. The Debaters just doesn't cut it, IMHO. But then, that's what Radio4 and BBC iPlayer is for: the News Quiz or the Now Show during Friday teatime, ISIHAC or Just A Minute on Mondays; I'm also quite enjoying the Third Degree at the moment.

ultrarunner

There is also 1310am if you are in the Ottawa and surrounding areas

triumphguy

Another vote for Jian Ghomeshi and Q (BTW he was a kid in London), also CBC's "Ideas" has some great programs.

JonboyE

From Iran to Canada via Hounslow!

I remember the first time I heard Ideas. Some years ago. It was Charles Taylor with a monologue about our ability to pass value judgments on other societies and cultures. Wow.

Funky Florist

Wow! I knew BE was helpful - but this thread has thrown up allsorts of radio goodies. Thanks so much. Is there a programme in the Vancouver area which is a major morning news slot - something like the Today programme - which reflects or sets the news agenda for the day? As I work in marketing/media/PR, it would be really useful to know what people are talking about and what the major issues are. I already hoover up the online newspapers, but radio is somehow more "immediate."

Many thanks everyone ...