CBC Television

Type	Broadcast television network
Country	Canada
Availability	National (available in parts of northern U.S. and Caribbean, via cable or antenna)
Owner	Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Key people	Kirstine Stewart, executive vice president, CBC English-language services
Launch date	September 6, 1952
Official website	CBC Television

CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster. Headquartered in Toronto, CBC Television is available through local TV stations across Canada, many of which are owned by the CBC. Almost all of the CBC's programming is of Canadian origin. Although the CBC is supported by public funding, commercial advertising revenue supplements the network, in contrast to CBC Radio and public broadcasters from several other countries, which are commercial-free.

Overview[link]

CBC Television provides a complete 24-hour network schedule of news, sports, entertainment and children's programming, in most cases feeding the same programming at the same local times nationwide, except to the Newfoundland Standard Time Zone, where programs air 30 minutes "late".

As of 6:00 a.m. on October 9, 2006, the network went to a 24-hour schedule, becoming one of the last major English-language broadcasters to do so. Previously, most CBC-owned stations actually signed off the airwaves during the early morning hours (typically 1:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m.). Instead of the infomercials aired by most private stations, or a simulcast of CBC Newsworld in the style of BBC One's nightly simulcast of BBC News channel, the CBC uses the time to air repeats, including local news, primetime series, movies, and other programming from the CBC library.^[1] However, its French counterpart, Télévision de Radio-Canada, still signs off every night.

While historically there has been room for regional differences in the schedule, as there is today (see "Stations", below), for CBC-owned stations, funding has decreased to the point that most of these stations only broadcast 30 to 60 minutes a day of local news, and usually no other local programming.^[2]

This alternate logo was used by CBC Television for print ads and program promos from the 1960s until 1974. A version of this logo was also used for CBC Radio (with "Radio" replacing "Television"). However, this was never used as an official logo for CBC Television.

Until the mid-1990s, the network carried a variety of American programs in addition to its core Canadian programming, directly competing with private Canadian broadcasters such as CTV and Global. Since then, it has restricted itself to Canadian programs, a handful of British programs, and a few American movies and off-network repeats. Since this change, the CBC has sometimes struggled to maintain ratings comparable to those it achieved before 1995, although it has seen somewhat of a ratings resurgence in recent years. In the 2007-08 season, hit series such as Little Mosque on the Prairie and The Border helped the network achieve its strongest ratings performance in over half a decade.^[3]

In 2002, CBC Television and CBC News Network became the first broadcasters in Canada (and very likely the first broadcasters worldwide^{[citation needed]}) required to provide closed captioning for 100% of their programming. On those networks, only outside commercials need not be captioned, though a bare majority of them are aired with captions. All shows, bumpers, billboards, promos, and other internal programming must be captioned. The requirement stems from a human rights complaint filed by deaf lawyer Henry Vlug,^[4] which was settled in 2002.^[5]

Programming[link]

News and current affairs[link]

The CBC's flagship newscast, The National, airs weeknights and Sundays at 10:00 p.m. and Saturdays at 6:00 p.m. Until October 2006, CBC-owned and operated stations aired a second broadcast of the program at 11 p.m; this later broadcast included only the main news portion of the program, and excluded the analysis and documentary segment. This second airing was later replaced with other programming, currently George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight. There is also a short news update, at most, late Saturday evening. During hockey season, this update is usually found during the first intermission of the second game of the doubleheader on Hockey Night in Canada.

Early evenings are filled by local news in most markets, generally from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Other newscasts include parts of CBC News Now airing weekday at 6:00 a.m. and noon. Weekly newsmagazine the fifth estate is also a CBC mainstay, as are documentary series such as Doc Zone.

Sports[link]

One of the most popular shows on CBC Television is the weekly Saturday night broadcast of NHL hockey games, Hockey Night in Canada. It has been televised since 1952. During the NHL lockout and subsequent cancellation of the 2004-2005 hockey season, CBC instead aired various recent and classic movies, branded as Movie Night in Canada, on Saturday nights. Many cultural groups criticized this and suggested the CBC air games from minor hockey leagues; the CBC responded that most such broadcast rights were already held by other groups, but it did base each Movie Night broadcast from a different Canadian hockey venue. Other than hockey, CBC Sports properties include Toronto Raptors basketball, Toronto FC Soccer,^[6] and various other amateur and professional events.

It was also the exclusive carrier of Canadian Curling Association events during the 2004–2005 season. Due to disappointing results and fan outrage over many draws being carried on CBC Country Canada (now called bold), the association tried to cancel its multiyear deal with the CBC signed in 2004. After the CBC threatened legal action, both sides eventually came to an agreement under which early-round rights reverted to TSN. On June 15, 2006, the CCA announced that TSN would obtain exclusive rights to curling broadcasts in Canada as of the 2008-09 season,^[7] shutting the CBC out of the championship weekend for the first time in 40-plus years.

CBC Sports suffered another major blow when it was announced that after the 2007 season, the CFL regular season games and the Grey Cup would be moving to TSN, ending the CBC's tenure with the CFL. It has been stated that the CFL was not happy with the CBC's lackluster production during the CBC's 2005 union lockout, which forced the network to use CBC management to work the behind the scenes telecast and use stadium public address announcers in place of their regular announcer crew.^[8]

On June 23, 2007 the network aired the first game in a two-year deal to broadcast Toronto Blue Jays games;^[9] the contract ended at the end of the 2008 season, and was not renewed.

In August 2007, it was also announced that the CBC would broadcast National Basketball Association games involving the Toronto Raptors, starting with the 2007–08 NBA season, through at least 2009-2010, the CBC would carry games for the 2007/2008 and 20 games for the 2008/2009 and 2009/2010 seasons.^[10]

Entertainment[link]

Among CBC Television's best-known primetime series are comedy series Rick Mercer Report, This Hour Has 22 Minutes and Little Mosque on the Prairie, and dramas such as The Tudors, Heartland and Intelligence. In recent years, British series such as Coronation Street and Doctor Who have been given greater prominence. As noted above, it now carries very little American programming apart from some syndicated daytime shows.

In 2006, the CBC announced radical changes to its primetime lineup, including the following new series to premiere that fall:

• Dragons' Den (reality)
• Intelligence (drama)
• Rumours (comedy)
• Underdogs (a spinoff of Marketplace)
• Jozi-H (medical drama; a Canadian-South African co-production)
• The One: Making a Music Star (a Canadian version of the American reality show simulcast by CBC in July 2006; Canadian series was not included on the schedule)
• 72 Hours: True Crime (crime documentary series; already on schedule but will air in "core" of primetime for first time)
• repeats of The Hour on the main CBC network

Many were surprised by these changes to the CBC schedule, which were apparently intended to attract a younger audience to the network; some suggested they might alienate the core CBC viewership. Another note of criticism was made when the network decided to move The National in some time zones to simulcast the American version of The One over the summer. This later became a moot point, as The One was taken off the air after two weeks after extremely low American and Canadian ratings, and the newscast resumed its regular schedule.

In 2006, daytime programming was also revamped. While there were still repeats of CBC and foreign series, new talk shows such as The Gill Deacon Show and the regional franchise Living were added. The Gill Deacon Show was cancelled after just seven months, and replaced with another talk show, Steven and Chris, which is still on the air today; Living was cancelled in August 2009. Steven and Chris also is shown on the US television channel Live Well Network.

On January 9, 2007, the CBC began airing a highly publicized new series called Little Mosque on the Prairie, a comedy about a Muslim family living in rural Saskatchewan. The series garnered strong ratings as well as international media attention. It was also announced that Martha Stewart's daytime show would be added to the CBC daytime lineup, with the nighttime Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! following in on September 2008 (with a few edits to limit the amount of US advertising).^[11][12]

In January 2008, CBC television launched the drama series The Border, MVP and jPod, the reality series The Week The Women Went and the comedy Sophie. Only The Border and Sophie were renewed for a second season in the fall of 2008. The new series Being Erica and Wild Roses began airing in January 2009.

Since 2005, the CBC has contributed production funds for the BBC Wales revival of Doctor Who, for which it receives a special credit at the end of each episode; this arrangement has continued into the fourth season, scheduled for broadcast in 2008; the CBC similarly contributed to the first season of the spin-off series, Torchwood.^[13]

Children's programming[link]

Children's and youth programming, often marketed as "Kids' CBC" (for younger kids) or "The Outlet" (formerly The X/The Void) (for pre-teens), occupies most portion of the morning and much of weekend mornings. However, despite a number of revamps, its influence is in decline with the continued rise of various specialty services serving the market.

CBC HD[link]

On March 5, 2005, CBC Television launched an HD simulcast of its Toronto (CBLT-DT) and Montreal (CBMT-DT) stations. Since that time they have also launched HD simulcasts in Vancouver (CBUT-DT), Ottawa (CBOT-DT), Edmonton (CBXT-DT), Calgary (CBRT-DT), Halifax (CBHT-DT), Windsor, (CBET-DT), Winnipeg (CBWT-DT) and St. John's (CBNT-DT). CBC HD is available nationally via satellite and on digital cable as well as for free via DTT using a regular TV antenna and a digital tuner (included in most new TVs) on the following channels:

• Toronto: 20 (5.1), since March 5, 2005^[14]
• Montreal: 20 (6.1), since February 21, 2005^[15]
• Vancouver: 43 (2.1), since January 9, 2006^[16]
• Ottawa: 25 (4.1), since September 13, 2006^[17]
• Edmonton: 42 (5.1), since April 1, 2011^[18]
• Calgary: 21 (9.1), since April 1, 2011^[19]
• Halifax: 54 (3.1), since August 31, 2011^[20]
• Windsor: 9 (9.1), since August 31, 2011^[21]
• St. John's: 8 (8.1), since August 31, 2011^[22]
• Winnipeg: 27 (6.1), since December 9, 2011^[23]

All HD channels map to their analog positions via the North American PSIP virtual channeling standard.

In fall 2007, the CBC upgraded its Toronto facilities, becoming the second fully HD news broadcaster in Canada. The National and all its news programs originating from the same news studio in Toronto (including CBC News: Sunday Night) are now available in HD.

On September 1st, 2011, as part of the analog television shutoff and digital conversion, all CBC over the air HD broadcasts switched from broadcasting in 1080i to 720p.^[24]

Stations[link]

Most CBC television stations, including those in the major cities, are owned and operated by the CBC itself. CBC O&O stations deviate very little from the main network schedule, although there are some regional differences from time to time. For on-air identification, most CBC stations use the CBC brand rather than their call letters, not identifying themselves specifically until sign-on or sign-off (though some, like Toronto's CBLT, don't ID themselves at all). All CBC O&O stations have a standard call-letter naming convention, in that the first two letters are "CB" and the last letter is "T". Only the third letter varies from market to market; however, that letter is typically the same as the third letter of the CBC Radio One and CBC Radio 2 stations in the same market. An exception to this rule are the CBC North stations in Yellowknife, Whitehorse and Iqaluit, whose call signs begin with "CF" due to their historic association with the CBC's Frontier Coverage Package prior to the advent of microwave and satellite broadcasting.

Some stations that broadcast from smaller cities are private affiliates of the CBC, that is, stations which are owned by commercial broadcasters but air a predominantly CBC schedule. Such stations generally follow the CBC schedule, although they may opt out of some CBC programming in order to air locally-produced programs, syndicated series or programs purchased from other broadcasters, such as A, which do not have a broadcast outlet in the same market. In these cases, the CBC programming being displaced may be broadcast at a different time than the network, or may not be broadcast on the station at all. Most private affiliates generally opt out of CBC's afternoon schedule and Thursday night arts programming. Private affiliates carry the 10 p.m. broadcast of The National as a core part of the CBC schedule, but generally omitted the 11 p.m. repeat (which is no longer broadcast). Most private affiliates produce their own local newscasts for a duration of 35 minutes. Some of the private affiliates have begun adding CBC's overnight programming to their schedules since the network went to 24-hour broadcasting.

Private CBC affiliates are not as common as they were in the past, as many such stations have been purchased either by the CBC itself or by Canwest Global or CHUM Limited, respectively becoming E! or A-Channel (now CTV Two) stations. One private CBC affiliate, CHBC-TV Kelowna, joined E! (then known as CH) on February 27, 2006. When a private CBC affiliate reaffiliates with another network, the CBC has normally added a retransmitter of its nearest O&O station to ensure that CBC service is continued. However, due to an agreement between CHBC and CFJC-TV in Kamloops, CFJC also disaffiliated from the CBC on February 27, 2006, but no retransmitters were installed in the licence area. Former private CBC affiliates CKPG-TV Prince George and CHAT-TV Medicine Hat disaffiliated on August 31, 2008 and joined E!, but the CBC announced it will not add new retransmitters to these areas. Incidentally, CFJC, CKPG and CHAT are all owned by The Jim Pattison Group as an independent media group. With the closure of E! and other changes in the media landscape, several former CBC affiliates have since joined Citytv or Global, or closed altogether.

According to filings to the CRTC by Thunder Bay Electronics (owner of CBC's Thunder Bay affiliate CKPR-DT)^[25] and Astral Media (owner of CBC affiliates CFTK-TV in Terrace and CJDC-TV in Dawson Creek)^{[citation needed]}, the CBC informed them that it will not extend its association with any of its private affiliates beyond August 31, 2011. Incidentally, that is also the date for analog shutoff in Canada. Given recent practice and the CBC's decision not to convert any re-transmitters to digital, even in markets with populations in the hundreds in thousands, it is not expected that the CBC will open new transmitters to replace its affiliates, and indeed may pare back its existing transmitter network. However, in March 2011 CKPR announced they had come to a programming agreement with the CBC, in which CKPR will continue to provide CBC programming in Thunder Bay for a period of five years.^[26] On March 16, 2012, Astral Media announced the sale of its assets to Bell Media, owners of CTV and CTV Two, for $3.38 billion with CFTK and CJDC included in the acquisiton. Whether the stations will remain CBC affiliates or become owned-and-operated stations of CTV or CTV Two following the completion of the merger is undetermined.^[27]

CBC television stations in Nunavut, the Northwest Territories and Yukon, branded as CBC North, tailor their programming mostly to the local native population, and broadcast in many native languages such as Inuktitut, Gwichʼin, and Dene.

CBC Television worldwide[link]

Carriage of CBC News[link]

From 1994 through July 2005, CBC news programming was aired in the United States on Newsworld International.

On September 11, 2001, several American broadcasters without their own news operations, including C-SPAN, carried the CBC's coverage of the September 11, 2001, attacks in New York City and Washington, D.C. In the days after September 11, C-SPAN carried CBC's nightly newscast, The National, anchored by Peter Mansbridge.

C-SPAN has also carried CBC's coverage of major events affecting Canadians. Among them:

• Canadian federal elections.
• Six days in September 2000 that marked the death and state funeral of Pierre Elliott Trudeau.
• The war in Iraq. The National aired on C-SPAN each night for about 3 weeks following the attacks on Iraq.
  • Peter Mansbridge signed off his broadcasts during that time, saying "I'm Peter Mansbridge. Thanks for watching, those of you here in Canada, and viewers across the United States watching us on C-SPAN."
• The power outage crisis in summer 2003.
• Key proceedings in Canadian Parliament, such as state openings.
• U.S. presidential elections.
  • In 2004, C-SPAN picked up The National the day after the election for the view from Canadians.
• State and official visits of American presidents to Canada.
  • During MSNBC's coverage of President George W. Bush's visit to Canada, CBC's senior parliamentary editor, Don Newman, appeared on MSNBC.

Several PBS stations also air some CBC programming, especially The Red Green Show, although no CBC programming currently airs on the full network schedule.

For a number of years CBC co-produced a news programme, Hemispheres, with the ABC, Australia's national broadcaster, which was hosted from Sydney and Vancouver and included reports from both networks' foreign correspondents. It was broadcast in both Canada and Australia and across Asia and the Pacific on the Australia Network.

Border audiences[link]

CBC Television stations can be received in many United States communities along the Canadian border over-the-air and have a significant audience. Such a phenomenon can also take place within Great Lakes communities such as Ashtabula, Ohio, which receives programming from the CBC's London, Ontario, transmitter, based upon prevailing atmospheric conditions over Lake Erie.

CBC's sports coverage has also attained high viewership in border markets, including its coverage of the NHL's Stanley Cup Playoffs, which was generally considered to be more complete and consistent than coverage by other networks. Its coverage of the Olympic Games also found a significant audience in border regions, primarily due to its coverage airing more events live than NBC's coverage, which had been criticized in recent years for tape delaying events to air in primetime hours, even if an event takes place on the west coast during East Coast primetime (where it would still be tape delayed for the West's primetime).^[28]

• Southeastern Michigan (including Detroit), and Northern Ohio, (including Toledo and surrounding areas) receive local Windsor CBC-owned station CBET-DT over the air, and on local cable systems, such as Bright House Networks, Wide Open West, Charter, Comcast, and Buckeye CableSystem. The station can also be seen as far as Cleveland, Ohio, with a strong antenna.
• Montreal CBC O&O station CBMT-DT can be seen on various cable systems in the northern parts of Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota, including Charter cable systems in Michigan cities like Alpena, Bay City, Midland, Mount Pleasant, Houghton and Marquette.
• In Maine, Time Warner Cable (formerly Adelphia Cable) carries CBMT in Bangor; cable viewers along the border can receive CBAT-DT. The Bangor Daily News carries listings for CBAT (and CKLT-DT Saint John as well).
• In northwest Washington state, CBC O&O station CBUT-DT is distributed to almost one million Comcast cable subscribers in Seattle, Bellevue, Tacoma, Olympia, and Everett.
• In the Champlain Valley of Northern Upstate New York and Vermont, local cable systems in Plattsburgh, New York and Burlington, Vermont (Charter and Comcast, respectively) carry CBMT.
• Many cable systems in northern Minnesota and northern North Dakota carry CBWT-DT, CBC's Winnipeg affiliate.
• The Buffalo, New York cable systems carry CBLT from Toronto. It is also easily receivable via antenna as far south as Cattaraugus County and some communities in Niagara County can receive the HD feed via an antenna.
• The SUNY Oswego campus cable system carries CKWS-TV in Kingston, although it is an affiliate, not owned by the CBC. On public cable systems, Time Warner carries CKWS in Jefferson and western St. Lawrence counties, and as far south as Utica. In eastern St. Lawrence County, CBC O&O CBOT-DT from Ottawa is carried instead.
• Some communities in the US, such as Alexandria, Minnesota, offer CBC North on low-powered repeaters, courtesy of the local TV association.

Caribbean and Bermuda[link]

Several Caribbean nations carry feeds of CBC TV:

• Bahamas, on the CoralWave (Cable Bahamas) TV system in the Northern Bahamas (Channel 8)
• Barbados, on the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation Multi-Choice TV Cable system (Channel 703)
• Bermuda, on the CableVision digital cable service's Variety Tier (Channel 138)
• Trinidad and Tobago, on the Columbus Communications Trinidad Ltd. (CCTL) TV system
• Turks and Caicos Islands, on WIV Channel 64^{[citation needed]}

Slogans[link]

• 1966: "Television is CBC"
• 1970 (ca.): "When you watch, watch the best"
• 1977: "Bringing Canadians Together"
• 1980: "We Are the CBC"
• 1984: "Look to us for good things" (general) / "Good To Know" (news and public affairs)
• 1985: "Look again!"
• 1986-1989: "Best on the Box"
• 1990–1992: "CBC and You"
• 1992–1995: "Go Public" / "CBC: Public Broadcasting" (that season, the CBC emphasised the fact that they are a public broadcaster)
• 1995–2001: "Television to Call Our Own"
• 2001–2006: "Canada's Own"
• 2006–present: "Canada Lives Here"

See also[link]

• List of CBC television stations
• List of programs broadcast by CBC Television
• Télévision de Radio-Canada

References[link]

External links[link]

• CBC Television
• CBC/Radio-Canada Corporate Site
• Video montage of new (2006) CBC News graphic set^{[dead link]}
• CBC Television on YouTube
• CBC Television history at Canadian Communications Foundation

Links to related articles v t e Broadcast television networks and systems in Canada English-language commercial CBC • Citytv • CTV • CTV Two • Global French-language commercial Radio-Canada • TVA • V Multicultural APTN • Omni Religious CTS • Joytv Defunct A-Channel (Craig Media) • BBS • E! • MCTV • Northern Television • Pathonic See also: Legislative channels, Educational channels and List of television stations in Canada v t e Additional resources on North American television North America List of local television stations in North America DTV transition North American TV mini-template Canada Canadian networks List of Canadian television channels Table Local Canadian TV stations List of United States stations available in Canada 2001 Vancouver TV realignment 2007 Canada broadcast TV realignment Mexico Mexican networks Local Mexican TV stations United States American networks List of American cable and satellite networks List of American over-the-air networks Local American TV stations (W) Local American TV stations (K) Fox affiliate switches of 1994 2006 United States broadcast TV realignment List of Canadian television stations available in the United States Insular Areas TV v t e CBC Television / Télévision de Radio-Canada English networks Bold • CBC Television • CBC News Network • CBC North • documentary French networks ARTV • Explora • RDI • Télévision de Radio-Canada • TV5 Québec Canada • TV5MONDE Defunct channels CBC Parliamentary Television Network • Newsworld International • Trio Proposed channels CBC-2 • Télé-2 v t e CBC Television stations in Canada CBC owned-and-operated stations CBAT Fredericton · CBCT Charlottetown · CBET Windsor · CBHT Halifax · CBKT Regina · CBKST Saskatoon · CBLT Toronto · CBMT Montreal · CBNT St. John's · CBOT Ottawa · CBRT Calgary · CBUT Vancouver · CBWT Winnipeg · CBXT Edmonton · CFFB Iqaluit · CFWH Whitehorse · CFYK Yellowknife · CHAK Inuvik Privately-owned CBC affiliates CFTK Terrace · CHEX Peterborough · CHEX-2 Oshawa · CJDC Dawson Creek · CKPR Thunder Bay · CKSA Lloydminster · CKWS Kingston See also Radio-Canada TV stations · List of CBC television stations · List of Radio-Canada television stations v t e Telecommunications (general) History Beacons Broadcasting Communications satellites Computer networks Drums Electrical telegraphs Fax Heliographs Hydraulic telegraphs Internet Mass media Mobile phones Optical telegraphy Photophones Radio Radiotelephones Telegraphy Telephones The Telephone Cases Television Undersea telegraph lines Videophones Pioneers Edwin Howard Armstrong John Logie Baird Alexander Graham Bell Tim Berners-Lee Jagadish Chandra Bose Vint Cerf Claude Chappe Lee De Forest Philo Farnsworth Reginald Fessenden Elisha Gray Guglielmo Marconi Alexander Stepanovich Popov Johann Philipp Reis Nikola Tesla Alfred Vail Charles Wheatstone Vladimir K. 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Billy Bragg
Bragg at a protest calling for electoral reform in 2010
Background information
Birth name	Stephen William Bragg
Born	(1957-12-20) 20 December 1957 (age 54) Barking, Essex, England
Genres	Folk punk,[1] folk rock, alternative rock
Instruments	Vocals, guitar
Years active	1977–present
Associated acts	The Blokes Riff-Raff Wilco
Website	billybragg.co.uk

Stephen William Bragg (born 20 December 1957) – known as Billy Bragg – is an English alternative rock musician and left-wing activist.^[2][3] His music blends elements of folk music, punk rock and protest songs, and his lyrics mostly deal with political or romantic themes. His music career has lasted more than 30 years.

Early life[link]

Bragg was born in 1957 in Barking, Essex,^[4] the son of Dennis Frederick Austin Bragg, an assistant sales manager to a Barking cap and hat maker, and his wife, Marie Victoria D'Urso.^[5] Bragg was educated at Barking Abbey Secondary School in Barking.^[6]

Career[link]

In 1977, Bragg formed the punk rock/pub rock band Riff Raff, and toured London's pubs and clubs. The band released a series of singles, which did not receive wide exposure. He also worked in Guy Norris Records in Barking. Bragg became disillusioned with his music career, and in May 1981 joined the British Army as a recruit destined for the Queen's Royal Irish Hussars of the Royal Armoured Corps. After three months, he bought his way out of the army for £175 and returned home, having attended basic training but having never served in a regiment as a soldier.^[7]

Bragg began performing frequent concerts and busking around London, playing solo with an electric guitar. His roadie at the time was Andy Kershaw, who became a BBC DJ (Bragg and Kershaw later, in 1989, appeared in an episode of the BBC TV programme, Great Journeys, in which they travelled the Silver Road from Potosí, Bolivia, to the Pacific coast at Arica, Chile).^[8]

Bragg performing at South by Southwest in 2008

Bragg's demo tape initially got no response from the record industry, but by pretending to be a television repair man, he got into the office of Charisma Records' A&R man Peter Jenner.^[9] Jenner liked the tape, but the company was near bankruptcy and had no budget to sign new artists. Bragg got an offer to record more demos for a music publisher, so Jenner agreed to release them as a record. Life's a Riot with Spy Vs. Spy was released in July 1983 by Charisma's new imprint, Utility. Hearing DJ John Peel mention on-air that he was hungry, Bragg rushed to the BBC with a mushroom biryani, so Peel played a song from Life's a Riot with Spy Vs. Spy although at the wrong speed (since the 12" LP was, unconventionally, cut to play at 45rpm).^[9] Peel insisted he would have played the song even without the biryani and later played it at the correct speed.

Within months, Charisma had been taken over by Virgin Records and Jenner, who had been laid off, became Bragg's manager. Stiff Records' press officer Andy Macdonald – who was setting up his own record label, Go! Discs – received a copy of Life's a Riot with Spy Vs. Spy. He made Virgin an offer and the album was re-released on Go! Discs in November 1983.^{[citation needed]} In 1984, he released Brewing Up with Billy Bragg, a mixture of political songs (e.g., "It Says Here") and songs of unrequited love (e.g., "The Saturday Boy"). The following year he released Between the Wars, an EP of political songs that included a cover version of Leon Rosselson's "The World Turned Upside Down" – the EP made the top 20 of the UK Singles Chart and earned Bragg an appearance on Top of the Pops. Bragg later collaborated with Rosselson on the song, "Ballad of the Spycatcher". In 1985, his song "A New England", with an additional verse, became a Top 10 hit in the UK for Kirsty MacColl. After MacColl's early death, Bragg always sang the extra verse in her honour. In 1984–1985 he toured North America.

In 1986, Bragg released Talking with the Taxman about Poetry, which became his first Top 10 album. Its title is taken from a poem by Vladimir Mayakovsky and a translated version of the poem was printed on the record's inner sleeve. Back to Basics is a 1987 collection of his first three releases: Life's A Riot With Spy Vs. Spy, Brewing Up with Billy Bragg, and the Between The Wars EP. Bragg released his fourth album, Workers Playtime, in September 1988. With this album, Bragg added a backing band and accompaniment.

In May 1990, Bragg released the political mini-LP, The Internationale. The songs were, in part, a return to his solo guitar style, but some songs featured more complicated arrangements and included a brass band. The album paid tribute to one of Bragg's influences with the song, "I Dreamed I Saw Phil Ochs Last Night", which is an adapted version of Earl Robinson's song, "I Dreamed I Saw Joe Hill Last Night", itself an adaptation of a poem by Alfred Hayes.^{[citation needed]}

Performing with The Imagined Village at Camp Bestival, 20 July 2008

The album Don't Try This at Home was released in September 1991, and included the song, "Sexuality", which reached the UK Singles Chart. Bragg had been persuaded by Go! Discs' Andy and Juliet Macdonald to sign a four-album deal with a million pound advance, and a promise to promote the album with singles and videos.^{[citation needed]} This gamble was not rewarded with extra sales, and the situation put the company in financial difficulty. In exchange for ending the contract early and repaying a large amount of the advance, Bragg regained all rights to his back catalogue.^{[citation needed]} Bragg continued to promote the album with his backing band, The Red Stars, which included his Riff Raff colleague and long-time roadie, Wiggy.

Bragg released the album William Bloke in 1996 after taking time off to help raise his son. Around that time, Nora Guthrie (daughter of American folk artist Woody Guthrie) asked Bragg to set some of her father's unrecorded lyrics to music. The result was a collaboration with the band Wilco and Natalie Merchant (with whom Bragg had worked previously). They released the album Mermaid Avenue in 1998, and Mermaid Avenue Vol. II in 2000. A rift with Wilco over mixing and sequencing the album led to Bragg recruiting his own band, The Blokes, to promote the album. The Blokes included keyboardist Ian McLagan, who had been a member of Bragg's boyhood heroes The Faces. The documentary film Man in the Sand depicts the roles of Nora Guthrie, Bragg, and Wilco in the creation of the Mermaid Avenue albums.

In 2004, Bragg joined Florida ska-punk band Less Than Jake to perform a version of 'The Brightest Bulb Has Burned Out' for the Rock Against Bush compilation.

At the 2005 Beautiful Days Festival in Devon, Bragg teamed up with the Levellers to perform a short set of songs by or associated with The Clash in celebration of Joe Strummer's birthday. Bragg performed guitar and lead vocals on "Police and Thieves", and performed guitar and backing vocals on "English Civil War", and "Police on my Back".

In 2007, Bragg moved closer to his English folk music roots by joining the WOMAD-inspired collective The Imagined Village, who recorded an album of updated versions of traditional English songs and dances and toured through that autumn. Bragg released his album Mr. Love & Justice in March 2008.^[10] This was the second Bragg album to be named after a book by Colin MacInnes. In 2008, during the NME Awards ceremony, Bragg sang a duet with British solo act Kate Nash. They mixed up their two greatest hits, Nash playing "Foundations", and Bragg redoing his "A New England".^[11] Bragg also collaborated with the poet and playwright, Patrick Jones, who supported Bragg's Tour.

In 2008, Bragg played a small role in Stuart Bamforth's film "A13: Road Movie".^[12] Bragg is featured alongside union reps, vicars, burger van chefs and Members of Parliament^[12] in a film that explored "the overlooked, the hidden and the disregarded."^[12]

He was involved in the play Pressure Drop at the Wellcome Collection in London in April and May 2010. The production, written by Mick Gorden, and billed as "part play, part gig, part installation", featured new songs by Bragg. He performed during the play with his band, and acted as compere.^[13]

Bragg curated the Leftfield stage at Glastonbury Festival 2010.^[14]

He will also be partaking in the Bush Theatre's 2011 project Sixty Six where he has written a piece based upon a chapter of the King James Bible.^[15]

Politics[link]

Bragg has been involved with grassroots, broadly leftist, political movements,^[3] and this is often reflected in his lyrics. Bragg has recorded and performed cover versions of famous socialist anthems The Internationale and The Red Flag. Bragg said in an interview: "My theory is this; I'm not a political songwriter. I'm an honest songwriter. I try and write honestly about what I see around me now."^[16] In another interview, Bragg said: "I don't mind being labelled a political songwriter. The thing that troubles me is being dismissed as a political songwriter."^[17] In an interview with Bullz-Eye, Bragg said:

I would then say that I am Mr. Love and Justice, and to check out the love songs. That’s how I capture people. People do say to me, “I love your songs, but I just can’t stand your politics.” And I say, “Well, Republicans are always welcome. Come on over!” I would hate to stand at the door, saying to people, “Do you agree with these positions? If not, you can’t come in.”^[18]

Bragg expressed support for the 1984 miners' strike, and the following year he formed the musicians' alliance Red Wedge, which promoted the Labour Party and discouraged young people from voting for the Conservative Party in the 1987 general election. Following the defeat of the Labour Party and the repeated victory of Margaret Thatcher and her Conservative government, Bragg joined Charter88 to push for a reform of the British political system.

Also during the 1980s, Bragg travelled to the Soviet Union a few times, after Mikhail Gorbachev had started to promote the policies of perestroika and glasnost. During one trip, he was accompanied by MTV, and during another trip he was filmed for the 1998 mini-documentary Mr Bragg Goes to Moscow, by Hannu Puttonen.

On TV series After Dark in 1987

On 12 June 1987, the night after the UK General Election, he appeared on a memorable edition of After Dark. In 1999, Bragg appeared before a commission that debated possible reform of the House of Lords.^[19]

During the 2001 UK general election, Bragg attempted to combat voter apathy by promoting tactical voting in an attempt to unseat Conservative Party candidates in Dorset, particularly in South Dorset and West Dorset.

Bragg has developed an interest in English national identity, apparent in his 2002 album England, Half-English and his 2006 book The Progressive Patriot. The book expressed his view that English socialists can reclaim patriotism from the right wing. He draws on Victorian poet Rudyard Kipling for an inclusive sense of Englishness.^[20] Bragg has participated in a series of debates with members of the Socialist Workers Party who disagree with his argument. Bragg also supports Scottish independence and Welsh independence.^[21]

Supporting a demonstration against police misuse of anti-terrorism legislation; Trafalgar Square, London, 23 January 2010

Bragg has been an outspoken opponent of fascism, racism, bigotry, sexism and homophobia, and is a supporter of a multi-racial Britain. As a result, Bragg has come under attack from far right groups such as the British National Party. In a 2004 The Guardian article, Bragg was quoted as saying:

The British National Party would probably make it into a parliament elected by proportional representation, too. It would shine a torch into the dirty little corner where the BNP defecate on our democracy, and that would be much more powerful than duffing them up in the street – which I'm also in favour of.^[22]

Also in 2004, Bragg collaborated with American ska punk band Less Than Jake to record a song for the Rock Against Bush compilation album.

During the 2005 general election campaign in the Bethnal Green and Bow constituency, Bragg supported Oona King, the Labour Party's pro-Iraq war candidate, over George Galloway, the anti-war Respect Party's candidate, due to a belief that splitting the left-wing vote would allow the Conservatives to win the seat.^[23] Galloway overturned King's 10,000-strong majority to become his party's only MP.^[24]

In March 2006, journalist Garry Bushell (a former Trotskyist who ran as a candidate for the English Democrats in 2005) accused Bragg of "pontificating on a South London council estate when we all know he lives in a lovely big house in West Dorset".^[25]

In January 2010, Bragg announced that he would withhold his income tax as a protest against the Royal Bank of Scotland's plan to pay bonuses of approximately of £1.5 billion to staff in its investment banking business. Bragg set up a Facebook group, made appearances on radio and television news programmes, and made speech at Speakers' Corner in London's Hyde Park. Bragg said, “Millions are already facing stark choices: are they willing to work longer hours for less money, or would they rather be unemployed? I don’t see why the bankers at RBS shouldn’t be asked the same.”^[26]

On the eve of the 2010 general election, Bragg announced that he would be voting for the Liberal Democrats because "they've got the best manifesto".^[27] He also backed the Lib Dems for tactical voting reasons. Bragg later expressed disappointment with the party, stating that "the Lib Dems had failed democracy ".^[28]

Bragg was also very active in his hometown of Barking as part of Searchlight's magazine's Hope not Hate campaign, where the BNP's leader Nick Griffin was standing for election. At one point during the campaign Bragg squared up to BNP London Assembly Member Richard Barnbrook, calling him a "Fascist racist" and saying "when you're gone from this borough, we will rebuild this community". The BNP came third on election day.^[29]

Bragg is a board director and key spokesman for the Featured Artists Coalition, a body representing the rights of recording artists. Bragg founded the organisation Jail Guitar Doors, which supplies instruments to prisoners to encourage them to address problems in a non-confrontational way.^[30]

Bragg is a regular at the Tolpuddle Martyrs' Festival, an annual event celebrating the memory of those transported to Australia for founding a union in the 1830s.^[31]

In January 2011, news sources reported that 20 to 30 residents of Bragg's Dorset hometown, Burton Bradstock, had received anonymous letters viciously attacking Bragg and his politics, and urging residents to oppose him in the village. Bragg claimed that a BNP supporter was behind the letters, which argued that Bragg is a hypocrite for advocating socialism while living a wealthy lifestyle, and referred to him as anti-British and pro-immigration.^[32]

In July 2011 Billy joined the growing protests over the News of the World phone hacking affair with the recording of "Never Buy the Sun" which references many of the scandals key points including the Milly Dowler case, police bribes and associated political fallout. It also draws on the 22 year Liverpool boycott of The Sun for their coverage of the Hillsborough Disaster.^[33]

In 2011 Bragg joined the Occupy Movement Protests.

Personal life[link]

Billy lives in Burton Bradstock, Dorset with his wife Juliet and son Jack.^[34] He is a supporter of West Ham United.

Discography[link]

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Andrew Collins (2007). Still Suitable for Miners: Billy Bragg (revised and updated ed.). London: Virgin Books. ISBN 978-0-7535-1245-6. 
• Billy Bragg, The Progressive Patriot: A Search for Belonging (London: Bantam Press, 2006) ISBN 978-0-593-05343-0
• Billy Bragg, How we all lost when Thatcher won – Thatcher's victory over the miners led directly to this economic crisis. The Guardian, 5 March 2009

External links[link]

Wikisource has original works written by or about: Billy Bragg

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Billy Bragg

• Official website
• Braggtopia
• Billy Bragg collection at the Internet Archive's live music archive
• Billy Bragg's Big Busk At Lincoln Center 27 July 2011

Critch in 2010 during Michael Ignatieff's cross Canada tour

Mark Critch is a Canadian comedian; he was born in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador.

He was a writer for This Hour Has 22 Minutes and is now a star after two appearances in the 10th season and recurring in Seasons 11 and 12. He has also been a guest on CBC Radio One's Madly Off in All Directions, the CBC Television show Republic of Doyle, and is the host of CBC TV's Halifax Comedy Festival. He has also appeared in several films, including Anchor Zone, Rare Birds and Above and Beyond.

He reached national notoriety after a 22 Minutes piece aired in which Canadian MP Carolyn Parrish stepped on a President George W. Bush doll, later causing her to be removed from caucus. He is most famous for his road pieces on the show, in which he has accosted celebrities such as John Kerry, Michael Douglas, Alec Baldwin, former Canadian Prime minister Paul Martin, Howard Dean, Avril Lavigne, Hillary Clinton and many more.

External links[link]

• CBC Biographical Page
• Mark Critch at the Internet Movie Database

Rex Murphy (born March 1947) is a Canadian commentator and author, primarily on Canadian political and social matters.

Murphy was born in Carbonear, Newfoundland, 105 kilometres west of St. John's and is the second of five children of Harry and Marie Murphy. He graduated from Memorial University of Newfoundland in 1968, and promptly went to the United Kingdom to study at the University of Oxford as a Rhodes scholar. He did not, however, receive an Oxford degree.

Early career[link]

Murphy first came to national attention while attending Memorial University during a nationally covered speech in Lennoxville, Quebec. Murphy characterized the Newfoundland Premier Joey Smallwood's governing style as dictatorial, and proclaimed the recent announcement from his legislature of free tuition as a sham. Smallwood warned the undergraduate student in a news conference not to return. Murphy did and was elected President of Memorial University Student Council. In the end the government caved in. All students received the free tuition promised, plus a $50 living allowance.

Murphy has run for office in three Newfoundland provincial elections, in 1975 as a Progressive Conservative, and in 1985 and 1987 as a Liberal. He lost all three times. He also worked in the 1980s as executive assistant to Clyde Wells.

Current work[link]

Murphy is a frequent presence on the various branches of the CBC. He has regular commentary segments entitled "Point of View" on The National, the CBC's flagship nightly news program. He is the regular host of CBC Radio One's Cross Country Checkup, a nationwide call-in show.

He also wrote a column for the Saturday edition of the Globe and Mail newspaper until January 2010 when the Globe cancelled the column and Murphy moved to Canada's National Post.^[1] Murphy's writing is characterized by a polysyllabic style and a wide range of cultural references.

He is a vocal critic of arguments for anthropogenic climate change and proposed policy responses for it, such as the Green Shift. On Thursday, September 29, 2011, Murphy hosted "Climate Change 101" at the University of Calgary. The event was sponsored by W. Brett Wilson, a Canadian entrepreneur and a former employee of Imperial Oil.^[2]

In 2004, he and nine other prominent Canadians participated in the production and the defence of a Great Canadian on the CBC Television program The Greatest Canadian. Murphy, advocating for former prime minister Pierre Trudeau, guided his candidate to third place in the final vote.

Honours[link]

In June 2008, Rex Murphy was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Waterloo.^[3] He previously was awarded honorary doctorates of letters by Memorial, St. Thomas, and Nipissing universities.

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Rex Murphy

• Rex Murphy profile at cbc.ca
• The National – Point of View

Video[link]

• Rex Murphy's Video Bio

See also[link]

• List of newspaper columnists

References[link]

Charlotte Sullivan
Sullivan at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival
Born	(1983-10-21) October 21, 1983 (age 28) Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1996–present
Website
www.charlottesullivan.net

Charlotte Sullivan (born October 21, 1983) is a Canadian actress. Her first on-screen role was an extra in a Liza Minnelli music video.^[1] She has had a starring role in The New Ghostwriter Mysteries and Harriet the Spy as well as smaller parts in How to Deal and Fever Pitch. She played Katie in Across the River to Motor City.

She portrayed Maxima in an episode of Smallville's 8th season.^[2] She is currently portraying Officer Gail Peck in the police drama Rookie Blue.

Filmography[link]