The Current (radio program)
Encyclopedia
The Current is a Canadian current affairs
radio program
, hosted by investigative reporter Anna Maria Tremonti
on CBC Radio One
. It airs weekdays starting at 8:37 a.m. local time and runs until 10 a.m. for most of the year, although during the summer the program airs until 9:30 a.m. and the remaining half hour is filled with a program from the network's schedule of short-run summer programs.
On Fridays, a guest host is used for the broadcast, who is introduced on the preceding Thursday to read listener correspondence with Tremonti. Guest hosts are usually CBC personalities such as Maureen Taylor
, Adrienne Arsenault
, Nancy Wilson
, Erica Johnson
, Ian Hanomansing
and Anthony Germain, although other Canadian journalists, including Haroon Siddiqui
, Jan Wong
and David Frum
, have also appeared. In 2005, the program also did a one-off joint broadcast with the American radio program Democracy Now!
, with Amy Goodman
acting as the guest host of The Current.
In recent years, the series has run a regular season-long arc of stories that deal with a particular theme. For instance, the 2007-08 series was "Diet for a Hungry Planet" that dealt the food
and world hunger issues, the 2008-09 had "Watershed" dealing with the politics and issues dealing with water
and the 2009-10 had "Work in Progress" which explored issues of labor and employment
related issues. The 2010-11 season has a series on population
demographics
and the changing nature of Canada's population called "Shift." During the network's summer schedule when The Current is shortened to an hour, these features are rerun as a separate half-hour program.
Although primarily a serious news program, The Current has traditionally (since 2003) begun each show with a brief satirical
commentary by a character credited only as The Voice. Long thought to be played by a CBC producer, it was revealed in 2008 that The Voice is in fact played by actor Stephen Hart
.
The Voice has also announced fictional advertisements for the "Ambiguous Party", a fictional political party. A few campaign ads were created and aired for morning show listeners' amusement in which The Voice tried to persuade listeners to vote for the Ambiguous Party. Comparisons are made between the Ambiguous Party (complete and utter fence-sitters on all issues) and the current parties of the day.
, under the title Nighttime Review.
Current affairs (news format)
Current Affairs is a genre of broadcast journalism where the emphasis is on detailed analysis and discussion of news stories that have recently occurred or are ongoing at the time of broadcast....
radio program
Radio programming
Radio programming is the Broadcast programming of a Radio format or content that is organized for Commercial broadcasting and Public broadcasting radio stations....
, hosted by investigative reporter Anna Maria Tremonti
Anna Maria Tremonti
Anna Maria Tremonti is a Canadian radio and television journalist, who has been featured on a variety of programs on the CBC.She has previously been a senior reporter for The National, and a host of The Fifth Estate...
on CBC Radio One
CBC Radio One
CBC Radio One is the English language news and information radio network of the publicly-owned Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It is commercial free and offers both local and national programming...
. It airs weekdays starting at 8:37 a.m. local time and runs until 10 a.m. for most of the year, although during the summer the program airs until 9:30 a.m. and the remaining half hour is filled with a program from the network's schedule of short-run summer programs.
On Fridays, a guest host is used for the broadcast, who is introduced on the preceding Thursday to read listener correspondence with Tremonti. Guest hosts are usually CBC personalities such as Maureen Taylor
Maureen Taylor
Maureen Taylor is a Canadian television and radio personality. She graduated from Ryerson University, in 1983, with a degree in journalism. Taylor first worked for the CBC as a reporter based in Windsor, Ontario. She also worked in CBC Television and CBC Radio in Ottawa, Toronto and Regina,...
, Adrienne Arsenault
Adrienne Arsenault
Adrienne Arsenault is a foreign correspondent with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation .Arsenault joined the CBC in 1991, as an editorial assistant and night assignment editor for CBC Toronto. She has had numerous other positions with the CBC. She spent three years as the foreign correspondent...
, Nancy Wilson
Nancy Wilson (journalist)
Nancy Wilson is a Canadian television journalist. She currently hosts CBC News Now on weekends from 7 to 11 a.m ET.She joined CBC Newsworld in 1991 as the host of This Country. Prior to joining, Wilson worked on CBC Television's newsmagazine The Journal...
, Erica Johnson
Erica Johnson
Erica Johnson is a Canadian broadcast journalist who hosts the TV series Marketplace on CBC Television....
, Ian Hanomansing
Ian Hanomansing
Ian Hanomansing is a Canadian television journalist with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation . He currently reports for CBC Television's nightly newscast, The National.-Early life:...
and Anthony Germain, although other Canadian journalists, including Haroon Siddiqui
Haroon Siddiqui
Haroon Siddiqui, CM, O.Ont is an Indo-Canadian newspaper journalist, columnist and a former editor.-Early life and career:...
, Jan Wong
Jan Wong
Jan Wong is a Canadian journalist of Chinese ancestry. Wong worked for The Globe and Mail, serving as Beijing correspondent from 1988 to 1994, when she returned to write from Canada....
and David Frum
David Frum
David J. Frum is a Canadian American journalist active in both the United States and Canadian political arenas. A former economic speechwriter for President George W. Bush, he is also the author of the first "insider" book about the Bush presidency...
, have also appeared. In 2005, the program also did a one-off joint broadcast with the American radio program Democracy Now!
Democracy Now!
Democracy Now! and its staff have received several journalism awards, including the Gracie Award from American Women in Radio & Television; the George Polk Award for its 1998 radio documentary Drilling and Killing: Chevron and Nigeria's Oil Dictatorship, on the Chevron Corporation and the deaths of...
, with Amy Goodman
Amy Goodman
Amy Goodman is an American progressive broadcast journalist, syndicated columnist, investigative reporter and author. Goodman is the host of Democracy Now!, an independent global news program broadcast daily on radio, television and the internet.-Early life:Goodman was born in Bay Shore, New York...
acting as the guest host of The Current.
In recent years, the series has run a regular season-long arc of stories that deal with a particular theme. For instance, the 2007-08 series was "Diet for a Hungry Planet" that dealt the food
Food
Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals...
and world hunger issues, the 2008-09 had "Watershed" dealing with the politics and issues dealing with water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
and the 2009-10 had "Work in Progress" which explored issues of labor and employment
Employment
Employment is a contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. An employee may be defined as:- Employee :...
related issues. The 2010-11 season has a series on population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
demographics
Demographics
Demographics are the most recent statistical characteristics of a population. These types of data are used widely in sociology , public policy, and marketing. Commonly examined demographics include gender, race, age, disabilities, mobility, home ownership, employment status, and even location...
and the changing nature of Canada's population called "Shift." During the network's summer schedule when The Current is shortened to an hour, these features are rerun as a separate half-hour program.
Although primarily a serious news program, The Current has traditionally (since 2003) begun each show with a brief satirical
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
commentary by a character credited only as The Voice. Long thought to be played by a CBC producer, it was revealed in 2008 that The Voice is in fact played by actor Stephen Hart
Stephen R. Hart
Stephen R. Hart is a Canadian actor known for his tall height "6'11" and sonic boom voice. He is also known for his role as "The Voice" on The Current. Hazel-eyed, with pitch black hair and clothes, Hart has a reputation for playing sinister villains. His credits include notable films such as...
.
The Voice has also announced fictional advertisements for the "Ambiguous Party", a fictional political party. A few campaign ads were created and aired for morning show listeners' amusement in which The Voice tried to persuade listeners to vote for the Ambiguous Party. Comparisons are made between the Ambiguous Party (complete and utter fence-sitters on all issues) and the current parties of the day.
The Current Review
An abbreviated edition of each day's program is repeated at 8 p.m. under the title The Current Review. Prior to 2008, The Review aired a single feature from The Current, alongside one from Sounds Like CanadaSounds Like Canada
Sounds Like Canada was a Canadian radio program, which aired weekday mornings on CBC Radio One from 2002 to 2008. Until the end of May 2008, the program was hosted by the award-winning broadcaster Shelagh Rogers, and in the summers by a rotating series of guest hosts...
, under the title Nighttime Review.