CBC Radio One

CBC Radio One is the English-language news and information radio network of the publicly owned Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It is commercial-free and offers local and national programming. It is available on AM and FM to 98 percent of Canadians and overseas over the Internet, and through mobile apps. CBC Radio One is simulcast across Canada on Bell Satellite TV satellite channels 956 and 969, and Shaw Direct satellite channel 870.
A modified version of Radio One, with local content replaced by additional airings of national programming, is available on Sirius XM channel 169. It is downlinked to subscribers via SiriusXM Canada and its U.S.-based counterpart, Sirius XM Satellite Radio.
In 2010, Radio One reached 4.3 million listeners each week. It was the largest radio network in Canada.
History.
CBC Radio began in 1936, and is the oldest branch of the corporation. In 1949, the facilities and staff of the Broadcasting Corporation of Newfoundland were transferred to CBC upon Newfoundland's entry into Canadian Confederation.
Beginning in 1944, the CBC operated two English-language radio services: the original network became the Trans-Canada Network, and a second network, the Dominion Network, was established with CJBC in Toronto as its flagship. With the exception of CJBC, all 35 stations on the CBC Dominion Network were privately owned affiliates. Its programming tended to be lighter than that of the Trans-Canada Network, carrying more American programming in its schedule. The Dominion Network operated only in the evenings, freeing affiliates to air local programming during the day.
Until 1958, the CBC was both a broadcaster, and the principal broadcast regulator in Canada. It used this dual role to take most of Canada's clear-channel frequencies on the AM dial.
In 1962, the Dominion Network was dissolved and within a few years CJBC became a French-language station broadcasting the programming of Radio-Canada.
In 1960, CBC began running distinct programming on its three existing FM English-language stations, which had been providing simulcasts of programming on its AM stations. The stations, located in Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal, broadcast a monoaural FM signal. Programming consisted mostly of classical music. The stations were linked by CN/CP Telecommunications via land-line and microwave. This service was discontinued in 1962, but resumed in 1964 in stereo. Eventually, a national satellite-distributed network of stereo FM stations was established. In 1975, the FM network was called CBC Stereo, and the AM service was designated CBC Radio.
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, CBC Radio increased its current affairs and documentary content with an initiative known as the "Radio Revolution", using more ambitious, live coverage of news and current affairs including listeners as well as experts. The change began with national shows such as "As It Happens". The change spread to CBC regional morning shows which developed three hours of live radio combining "survival information", about news, weather and traffic, with interviews and documentaries about local and national issues. CBC Radio Winnipeg was the first to embrace the format followed by "Information Morning" in Halifax, a move which increased audience and attracted coverage in "Time Magazine".
CBC Radio stopped running commercials in 1974. Until 1995, the network signed off the air between 1:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. daily (5:00 a.m. weekdays on its Toronto flagship station, CBL)– in that year, it launched an overnight program, "CBC Radio Overnight", which airs international news and documentary programs.
In the early 1990s, the CBC began offering selected programs on the Internet. In September 1996, the network formally launched live audio streaming of both CBC Radio and CBC Stereo.
Since the 1980s, many of the CBC's AM stations moved to FM in response to complaints of poor AM reception. This meant that the old distinction between the AM "Radio" network and the FM "Stereo" network was no longer accurate, even though many of the FM "Radio" stations broadcast in mono only. As a result, in 1997 CBC Radio became CBC Radio One and CBC Stereo became CBC Radio 2 (it is now CBC Music). Although some Radio One stations still broadcast on AM as of 2018, because of issues with urban reception of AM radio signals many of the remaining AM stations have added FM rebroadcasters in major urban centres within their broadcast area.
CBC Radio One today.
From 2004 until early 2007, CBC Radio One promotional spots were announced by Canadian actress Shauna MacDonald, also known as "Promo Girl". Toronto-born Jeremy Harris took over from MacDonald. Until fall 2005, promos ended with one of two slogans: either "Because sometimes a picture needs a thousand words" or "Hear the big picture". Until early 2015, the slogan was "Canada Lives Here." The slogan was not replaced.
Some CBC Radio One programs, such as "As It Happens", air in the United States on some stations associated with Public Radio International. "Definitely Not the Opera", "Quirks & Quarks", "The Vinyl Cafe", and "Q" are heard on some public stations in the northern United States. Some CBC-SRC programs were relayed on Radio Canada International for listeners abroad and others, such as the 2010 summer program "Promised Land", have aired on Sirius Satellite Radio 169.
CBC Radio One stations.
Only stations with a primary production centre, producing at least one local program, are listed below. Most of these stations are licensed as separate broadcast undertakings. Stations not considered primary production centres may have local content which is limited to local news updates. Each station also has a significant number of rebroadcasters in smaller communities within its service area; those are listed in each primary station's article.
† Station has a "nested" FM rebroadcaster in home market
Shortwave relays of Radio One.
Two CBC Radio One stations operate shortwave relay transmitters:
Both transmitters broadcast 1 kW ERP signals on a fixed frequency of 6160 kHz. Some DXers have been able to log both transmitters simultaneously, but this is a rare occurrence due to the distance between the transmitters.
The objective of the CBC transmissions on SW is also provide information to listeners in isolated and distant parts of the country which other usual forms of broadcast or communications are not well covered. During appropriated periods of radio propagation, the signals can reach other countries, as well the reception can turn difficult in dense populated areas due Electromagnetic interference.
CBC Radio One schedule.
Most schedules include hourly news readings that run from 6–12 minutes on the top of the hour except for major programming like the 6:00 p.m. news show and "Cross Country Checkup". Some mid-day programs include only brief 90-second "information updates".
On statutory holidays, local programming is replaced by special provincial programming or regional programs are broadcast provincewide on a rotating basis. In the summer months of July and August, some programming is temporarily shortened and/or replaced by special summer series. On Christmas Day, the majority of the day's programming is replaced with predominately holiday music showcases.
Stations in the Canadian territories air a significantly different schedule with expanded local programming that includes a number of programs in local Indigenous languages. They air most of the core CBC Radio One schedule, although some programs may air in abbreviated versions (see CBC North for further information).
On January 17, 2007, CBC announced some changes to the network's schedule to begin in April. Among them, "Freestyle" and "The Arts Tonight" were merged into "Q", an arts magazine show hosted by Jian Ghomeshi, "Global Village" was discontinued and some of its features were merged into "Dispatches", and "Between the Covers" moved exclusively online as a podcast. Reasons given for the schedule changes are said to be based on audience research, however some negative reaction has been seen.
It was announced in March 2009 that "The Inside Track", "Outfront", "The Point", and "In the Key of Charles" would be cancelled, and that the noontime local shows would be reduced to one hour.
The network also airs some programming syndicated from American public broadcasting services such as National Public Radio, Public Radio International, and Public Radio Exchange, including "This American Life", "Radiolab" and the news series "The World" and, previously, "The State We're In". With the exceptions of "This American Life", which airs on Sunday nights at 11:00 p.m. and "Snap Judgement" which airs on Monday nights at 11:00 p.m., all other non-Canadian content airs after 1:00 a.m. as part of the "CBC Radio Overnight" programming block.
Sirius XM.
The Radio One feed on Sirius XM Satellite Radio largely follows the Eastern Time schedule, and has no local programming, with repeats of other shows in time slots that would normally be occupied by local programming. As a consequence of using a single feed, most national programming outside the Eastern Time Zone is heard earlier or later than the regional outlet on terrestrial radio - for example: "The World at Six" is heard on Sirius XM as early as 3:00 p.m. Pacific Time in Vancouver, and as late as 7:30 p.m. Newfoundland Time in St. John's.
Programs produced by NPR and PRI are not heard on CBC Radio One's Sirius XM service, as these are covered by channels programmed by NPR and PRI. In addition, the programs featured on "CBC Radio Overnight" are not heard on the Sirius XM feed. In these cases, as with the regional programming slots, repeats of earlier national programs are heard, as well as some CBC Music programming (such as "Deep Roots").
Podcasting.
Many CBC Radio programs are also distributed in podcast versions. In addition, the service has also created several programs which are distributed exclusively as podcasts. Original podcasts include "Campus", a program devoted to stories about college and university student life; "Someone Knows Something", which presents information about criminal cold cases; "Uncover", an investigative journalism project; "Missing and Murdered", which delves into stories of missing and murdered Indigenous women; and "Back Story", in which foreign correspondents talk about the news stories they have covered.
Selected episodes from the podcasts may also sometimes air terrestrially on CBC Radio One as substitute programs, or rerun material for regular programs such as "The Current", such as during the summer season or when a regularly scheduled program is preempted due to a statutory holiday.
Schedule.
The network's base schedule is noted here, and applies only to CBC Radio One's regional outlets. Scheduling of weekend programs highlighted in red varies from station to station due to time zone differences created by the fact that "Cross Country Checkup" airs live across Canada.
Former affiliates.
While all CBC Radio stations today are owned and operated by the network there previously were a number of privately owned network affiliates of what is now CBC Radio One and its predecessors, the Trans-Canada Network, and the original CBC Radio network. Some were affiliates of the original CBC radio network prior to 1944, several of which had previously been affiliates of the CBC's predecessor, the Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission. Some were affiliates of the Trans-Canada Network (1944-1962) and either disaffiliated from TCN or became CBC Radio affiliates when TCN became CBC Radio in 1962. Some transferred their affiliation to CBC Radio when the Dominion Network dissolved in 1962. Most affiliates disaffiliated as the CBC built new owned and operated stations, expanded coverage by other stations, or built transmitters to rebroadcast existing CBC Radio stations. Other affiliates were purchased from their owners by the CBC and are listed under CBC Radio One stations above or at List of defunct CBC radio transmitters in Canada if they are no longer operating.
Stations that have disaffiliated:
For former Dominion Network affiliates, see Dominion Network#Stations