National coverage

[Gregory Reid]

Laura M's message reminded me of something that perhaps ties together a lot
of the comments that have been made on Toronto-centrism (and how the
phenomenon may not really be about Toronto).  1979 and by sheer coincidence
I was in the CBC control room in Toronto where they receive the feeds and
select what will be broadcast on the National News.  The control room was
generally a low-level noisy place with a lot of people doing their business
in muted tones, but somebody called out, "here look at this" and then there
was absolute quiet and wrapt attention while everyone in the control room
watched the feed from Montreal of a scene from a play called Balconville.
Someone mentioned that they would make history if they chose to broadcast
the scene: the first time that CBC television news had deliberately
broadcast the word "fuck."  The News spot where the scene might have been
broadcast that night was filled by the announcement that "John Wayne was
resting comfortable," his third day of hospitalization if I remember correctly.
                                        Greg Reid

At 21:47 12-11-1998 -0400, you wrote:
>I just saw a terrific opera which due to our lack of national arts
>coverage, probably won't receive much, if any, national attention.  It's
>The Emperor of Atlantis and was written by prisoner Viktor Ullmann in the
>Terezin concentration camp between 1942-44.  Between now and Wednesday you
>can catch it in Halifax, Wolfville, Fredericton, Charlottetown and
>Antigonish.  Go see it.
>
>Laura MacDonald
>
>It's better to have had your wish than to have wished you had.
>
>                                                -- Carl Sigman
>