CBC Radio Two to revamp daytime programming

What, it’s already been a year since the revamp of CBC Radio Two 2 began? That’s when Brave New Waves, After Hours, and the Saturday night simulcast of Radio 3 ceased and were replaced with watered-down equivalents. The second phase happened last fall, and the final phase will take place after Labour Day. The departures of Eric Friesen and Jurgen Gothe from their respective weekday shows probably made these changes easier to implement by CBC management.

I would have been able to take some of the changes (like 468 others in Facebook, I hold out hope for the return of Radio 3 and/or BNW) were it not for the inane promos and station idents inserted between songs, just like a commercial radio station. And if it’s not Promo Guy, then it’s the host talking endlessly between songs. Tom Allen (Music and Company) and Laurie Brown (The Signal) are the worst offenders in this category.

If there’s any hope to be salvaged, it might be in the web-only streams in each of classical, jazz, and singer-songwriter (?). If they’re anything like Radio-Canada’s Espace Classique service, then they might be worth listening to. And maybe then I don’t have to add “except Radio 2″ to my “CBC doesn’t always suck” button.