Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield will add his voice to those of thirty other distinguished artists and guests who will champion and defend CBC / Radio-Canada at an event organized at the National Arts Centre on Monday, March 9th.
Colonel Hadfield’s presence adds a special touch to this show, reflecting the affection Canadians feel for their public broadcaster.
In order to accommodate the demand for more tickets at the already sold-out concert, and to allow all supporters of CBC/Radio-Canada to share the evening, the organizers have arranged for the event to be livestreamed. Viewers around the country can watch the livestream webcast via the Youtube channel dedicated to the “For the Love of CBC / Pour l’amour de Radio-Canada” concert.
This event, organized by the citizens group CBC, I care! / Radio-Canada, j’ytiens! in collaboration with the Canadian Media Guild promises to be a highlight of the campaign to ensure the long-term survival of CBC / Radio-Canada and to end programming and staffing reductions that have faced the national public broadcaster for many years.
More than twenty artists including Greg Keelor of Blue Rodeo, Sarah Slean, Julian Armour, Amanda Rheaume, Evalyn Parry, Friendly Rich, the gospel choir Big Soul Project, and several other distinguished guests will take the stage to share their commitment to CBC/ Radio-Canada.
Among these distinguished guests, there will be of course, Chris Hadfield, but also people who have inside experience with CBC / Radio-Canada, and others dedicated to the importance of regional coverage and ensuring that linguistic minorities are well served by the national broadcaster. The Honourable Madeleine Meilleur, Ontario Attorney General and Minister Responsible for Francophone Affairs, Tony Manera, former president of Radio-Canada and CBC, Sylvain Lafrance, former vice president of French television, Alain Saulnier, until recently, director of information at Radio-Canada, Pierre Maisonneuve, veteran journalist CBC (retired) and several others will explain why Canada needs a strong public broadcaster that can count on adequate long term stable funding.
Others, like actor RH Thomson, unionists Marc-Philippe Laurin, Martin O’Hanlon, and Carmel Smyth, come, as citizens, to share the importance of CBC/ Radio-Canada as a unifying agent in Canada, fostering cultural connections among Canadians wherever they live.