News Releases
February 18, 2002
CBC/Radio-Canada Programs Recognized for Historical Value
OTTAWA — Six CBC/Radio-Canada radio and television programs have been recognized as Masterworks by the AV Preservation Trust, a non-profit organization mandated to preserve and honour Canada's audio and visual heritage. Masterworks are defined as essential to Canada's Audio and Visual history
In a ceremony hosted this evening at Rideau Hall by Her Excellency the Right Honourable Governor General Adrienne Clarkson, CBC/Radio-Canada will be the recipient in all television and radio categories. Many involved in the creation of these historical programs will be in attendance to receive certificates in recognition of their important contributions to Canadian culture.
As CBC/Radio-Canada begins to celebrate its 50th anniversary in Television, it is a fitting tribute to the early pioneers of CBC Television that three of their productions be recognized for the tremendous contributions they made to Canadian broadcasting.
This Hour Has Seven Days — the trailblazing CBC current affairs program from the 1960's - was often described as provocative, stimulating, daring, controversial and sometimes shocking. It featured two of Canada's premier public affairs personalities, Patrick Watson and Laurier Lapierre, and set the standard for today's investigative journalism programs such CBC News: Disclosure and the fifth estate.
Wojek, a late 1960s CBC drama, confronted many of Canada's contemporary social issues much like Da Vinci's Inquest does today. La Côte de Sable, a highly successful French-language series that aired on Radio-Canada earlier that same decade was the first TV drama series by legendary Quebec playwright Marcel Dubé.
Radio broadcasts chosen by AV Preservation include front-line World War II reports by Marcel Ouimet and Matthew Halton which brought the war's tragedies and stories of heroism straight into the nation's living rooms. Their dramatic on-site news reports were the beginning of what continues to be our most trusted and world-renowned CBC News Service. Lister Sinclair's 1949 radio drama Hilda Morgan tackled many of the country's more difficult social issues while the farm radio broadcast was our link to Canada's rural communities.
"From the earliest days of radio and television, CBC/Radio-Canada has produced and broadcast high-quality programs that have entertained and informed generations of Canadians," according to CBC/Radio-Canada President and CEO Robert Rabinovitch. "Over time, these programs have played a vital role in defining our nation and promoting our own unique cultural identity."
"Tragically, many of this country's earlier programs are damaged or in danger of being lost forever unless we work together to preserve this important part of Canadian broadcasting history," added Mr. Rabinovitch.
Over the past five years, CBC/Radio-Canada has focussed greater attention on preserving its audio and visual heritage by transferring many of its archived programs onto new digital formats. The selection of these programs by the Av Preservation Trust is an extension of the ongoing efforts by CBC/Radio-Canada to maintain and preserve an important part of our Canadian broadcasting history.
About CBC/Radio-Canada
CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada's national public broadcaster and one of its largest cultural institutions. CBC/Radio-Canada reaches Canadians through eight national radio and television networks, its full-service Web sites, local/regional stations and affiliates, as well as the digital television channel Country Canada and the continuous music network Galaxie. In addition, CBC/Radio-Canada has forged partnerships with other broadcasters and is a partner in the satellite radio service SIRIUS Canada as well as in the specialty television services ARTV and The Documentary Channel. Through this array of activities, CBC/Radio-Canada brings diverse regional and cultural perspectives into the daily lives of Canadians in English, French and eight aboriginal languages. (2006)
For additional information, please contact:
Katherine Heath-Eves
Media Relations
CBC/Radio-Canada (Ottawa)
Tel: (613) 288-6235
heathevk@cbc.ca
www.cbc.radio-canada.ca
