| Network Name: | CBC Radio One |
| Country: | Canada |
| Network Type: | Radio network |
| Available: | AM/FM: Canada Satellite: Canada, United States |
| Owner: | Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |
| Launch Date: | 1936 |
| Past Names: | CBC Radio (1936-1944, 1962-1997) Trans-Canada Network (1944-1962) |
| Website: | 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 both local and national programming. It is available on either AM or FM to 98 per cent of Canadians, and is also available overseas through Radio Canada International and also over the Internet.
A modified version of CBC Radio One, with local content replaced by additional airings of national programming, is also available on Sirius Satellite Radio channel 137. It is downlinked to subscribers via both Sirius Canada and its U.S.-based counterpart, Sirius Satellite Radio.
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 and Labrador'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 new 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. As well, the Dominion Network operated only in the evenings, freeing affiliates to air local programming during the day.
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, the CBC began running distinct programming on its three existing FM English language stations, which were previously 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 branded CBC Stereo, and the AM service was designated CBC Radio.
CBC Radio stopped running commercial advertising in 1974. Until 1995, the network signed off the air between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m. daily — in that year, it launched an overnight program, CBC Radio Overnight, which airs international news and documentary programs from the World Radio Network.
In the 1990s, many of the CBC's AM stations moved to FM, meaning 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 the services were rebranded with CBC Radio becoming CBC Radio One and CBC Stereo becoming CBC Radio Two. Although several Radio One stations still broadcast on AM as of 2008, most also have FM rebroadcasters in major urban centres within their broadcast area, due to issues with urban reception of AM signals.
Until early 2007, CBC Radio One promotional spots were announced by Canadian actress Shauna MacDonald, also known as "Promo Girl". Until fall 2005, promos ended with one of two slogans: either "Because sometimes a picture needs a thousand words" or "Hear the big picture".
Some CBC Radio One programs, such as As It Happens, airs in the United States on some stations associated with American Public Media. Definitely Not the Opera, Quirks and Quarks, and The Vinyl Cafe are heard on some public stations in the northern United States. Also, some CBC-SRC programs are relayed on Radio Canada International for listeners abroad.
Although each Radio One station broadcasts to a large geographic region through a network of rebroadcasting transmitters, only stations which are licenced as separate broadcast undertakings are listed here. Rebroadcasting frequencies are noted in each station's separate article. Most of these stations are primary production centres (that is, stations which directly produce at least one local program), while other stations' local programming simply consists of local news updates.
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 p.m. news show and Cross Country Checkup. Some mid-day programs include only brief 90-second "information updates".
The Radio One feed on Sirius Satellite Radio has no local programming, and repeats other shows in time slots that would normally be occupied by local programming. It carries the first feed of The World at Six at 6 p.m. Atlantic Time (5 p.m. Eastern Time), and also carries The World at Six in its last airing at 6 p.m. Pacific Time.
On statutory holidays, local programming is replaced by special provincial programming. In the summer months of July and August, some programming is temporarily shortened and/or replaced by special summer series. During the CBC's recent labour dispute, most of the schedule was temporarily replaced by a mix of repeat airings of recent CBC programs, BBC World news programming and music from the CBC service Galaxie.
Stations in the Canadian territories air a significantly different schedule with expanded local programming that includes a number of programs in local Aboriginal languages. They still air most, but not all, 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, the 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.[1] Reasons given for the schedule changes are said to be based on audience research, however some negative reaction has been seen.[2] [3]
The network's base schedule is noted here. 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.
Schedule as of January 5, 2009. (Subject to further listening research.)
Two CBC Radio One stations operate shortwave relay transmitters:
Both Radio One transmitters broadcast 1 kW ERP signals on a fixed frequency of 6160 kHz. Some DXers have been able to log both transmitters simultainously, but this is a rare occurrence due to the distance between the transmitters.