My G G G G G Generation and the CBC...

THE CBC IS embroiled in a bunch of no-foolin stuff these days, it seems.

First, there's the ongoing controversy about taking the Radio Two service and reducing the amount of morning and afternoon drive time classical, in favor of folk, jazz, and other styles of music.

People who like it the way it is have their panties in a bunch.

Then there's the ongoing imbroglio over Richard Stursberg's attempts to reverse CBC's audience slide by pursuing a more populist programming strategy, built on drama series instead of mini series and TV movies that explore Canadian historical themes.

R.H. Thompson has his panties in a bunch.

To be fair, as John Doyle writes today, there are those who are concerned that CBC seems to be backing away from its committment to News and Current Affairs -- which they have traditionally done very well at and which provide a valuable public service.

So News Junkies have their panties in a bunch.

Now comes the news that, Oh My God, they're going to cancel the Air Farce after about a million years.

Cue the panties.

I have to say, I've always thought that having three satirical news programs on CBC TV was a bit much. Still, I find the news about Air Farce quite surprising, especially since they have done quite a bit to refresh both their writing staff and their talent in the last few years.

But aside from the fact that complaining about the CBC has got to be one of the top five sports in Canada, what strikes me most is that all these things happening at once really does point to a profound generational struggle over who the public broadcaster is going to serve.

A lot of the things that generate the most carping -- George, Jian, Radio 3, are all the things waiting in the wings that I find the most interesting.

For the first time, ever, it seems like the Baby Boomers are not on the most favored nation side of that argument, that generational struggle.

I wonder if, in years to come, when you look back on the fights going on right now, if it will all look as quaint as, say, the fact that the BBC kept Rock and Roll off the air as long as it could.

In any case, whoa nelly, it's gonna be ugly.

Nobody argues like this about NPR.

EDIT: if you read between the lines of this article about the show's cancellation by Lee-Anne Goodman, it seems to me like it wasn't particularly that much of a surprise to Abbot and Ferguson. The timeslot conundrum is a big one for CBC -- remember, they don't have ANY 10pm drama slots to give out. I'd bet -- watch for Holiday Air Farce specials to become a fixture on the CBC.

And other than that, only thing I can say is Thank GOD they got another quote from Waddell at ACTRA!

Sheesh.