OK, so I know we're not in Canada yet, but I would welcome your thoughts.

I am a keen radio listener - particularly Radio 4 and Radio 2. I know I will be able to access these via the website/internet radio from Canada, but I wondered if what equivalents there are in Canada? We'll be in and around Vancouver, so I expect a bit of local interest would be useful too.

As I have internet radio here, what can I listen to in order to prepare for my transition? Is there an equivalent of John Humphrys in Canada? Is there a music station like Radio 2?

Any hints and tips would be welcome!

I think you'll need to find a recording of Radio 1 circa 1974.

You mean I'll soon be able to find "Our Tune" with Simon Bates? Let joy be unconfined.

I think you will be listening online. Mind you Vancouver might have more of a selection of stations than where we are. Our stations only seem to have 5 songs each and lots of mindless, pointless talking in between, usually stuff that doesn't make sense.

Here, curiously, the dance stations feature hard right religious blather between songs. Rap and electro-pop delivered by the voice of a young Dick Cheney.

So CBC is the best option in Canada but its a bit like Radio 1,2 and 3 all rolled into 1, personally i perfer listening to Radio 1 which i do via satelite radio which is time shifted.

satellite radio offers some british stations , Radio 1 and maybe 4 as well i think

you can see the channel line up at www.sirius.ca

I don't think there's radio 4. There is the world service bad, sadly, not the shipping forecast.

I listen to CBC1 which does some have some interesting programmes but not a lot of music. As someone else mentions there is a lot of talk on it and that gets a bit much at times. Our local radio isn't too bad in Nova Scotia.I listened to it recently as I wasn't interested in CBC1 and I liked the music they were playing. I like to listen to Steve Wright and his Sunday morning love songs online as well as other Radio 2 progs. I don't think CBC1 compares to Radio 2, more like Radio4. It's more talk, but, as I say, sometimes it's interesting.

You know I've realised for the first time that there doesn't seem to be a generic 'big' station - most cities / large towns have their own stations and that's what you get to listen to as you drive through.

Most here play genres.

The Bear in Edmonton is an awesome channel though and you can listen to that online if you ever feel the need! Always makes me laugh as it seems to get a bit closer to the knuckle than radio stations I remember back in the UK.

CBC Radio 1 is your best option for talk radio - though they do have a fair bit of music thrown in. The morning and early evening news and current events shows are local, the rest is national. There is a lot of interesting stuff on this channel. I learn a lot from listening. It might not be BBC Radio 4, but it is a decent substitute. No dramas though.

CBC Radio 2 is a music channel. It covers classical, jazz and world music.

Both channels are commercial free, which is very refreshing.

CBC also have a satellite radio channel that I have never listened to. I believe it is a music channel aimed at teens and young adults.

I also listen to Team 1040 as it carries news and match commentary on Canucks games.

Other FM radio channels tend to focus on narrow bands of listeners. There are a number that play easy listening/soft rock type things. or 70s and 80s rock and so on. All right if you find one that matches your taste but I find the play lists limited and repetitive. There are other talk radio shows on the AM band - 1130 is rolling news headlines, 980 a tabloid talk show, 730 tells you where the police have set up their speed traps, etc. If you have cable you can list to Classical and Jazz music stations from Seattle.

I suspect CBC Radio 1 will be the one you listen to most.

To prepare yourself for Canadian radio, I'd start tuning into your local hospital radio channel.

News 1130 is great if you are commuting. The first time in my life I've found traffic reports actually useful for avoiding problems rather than telling me about the jam I'm actually in.

Other than that it's Shaw 104 (104.3) for me simply because it plays more music. Not always great music admittedly as they do insist on the occasional piece of local crap, however they do things like 9 in a row, or the music hour where there are no DJ's and very few ads.

i dont listen to Canadian radio when driving in case i fall alseep at the wheel

For $0.99 I downloaded the 'Tune-in Radio' app on my iPhone. You can listen to 1000s of radio stations around the world. It can buffer from time to time though.