Ideas (radio show)
Encyclopedia
Ideas is a long running scholarly radio documentary
show on CBC Radio One
. Co-created by Phyllis Webb
and William A. Young, the show premiered in 1965 under the title The Best Ideas You'll Hear Tonight. It is currently hosted by Paul Kennedy
and is on between 9:05 and 10:00 each weekday evening; one episode each week is repeated on Monday afternoons with the title Ideas in the Afternoon.
The show describes itself as a radio program on contemporary thought. The subject matter of the shows varies, but music, philosophy, science, religion, and especially history are common topics. The show has won many plaudits for its quality and depth.
The series is notable for soliciting programming proposals from people who are not professional broadcasters, and having the successful applicants write and host their own documentaries (aided in production by CBC staff producers). Many Ideas programs are multi-part, with two, three, four, or more fifty-five minute programs devoted to a single topic. Transcripts and audio recordings of many programs are made available, and sold directly by the CBC.
Notable CBC staff producers who have been associated with the program include Bernie Lucht, Geraldine Sherman, Damiano Pietropaolo, Phyllis Webb
, and David Cayley
. Individual programs are produced at CBC Radio One facilities across Canada. Documentarian William Whitehead
also wrote or cowrote a number of shows for Ideas.
A television version for CBC News Network, Ideas on TV, was short-lived. The book Ideas: Brilliant Thinkers Speak Their Minds, edited by Bernie Lucht, commemorated the series' 40th anniversary.
The show broadcasts Canada's annual Massey Lectures
, Lafontaine-Baldwin Lecture
, and the Munk Debates
. Audio downloads of many episodes are available from the CBC website, as well as via the CBC Ideas podcast
, which was, by popular demand, one of the first to be included in the network's large podcasting initiative begun in 2005. Many episodes are also available for sale on audio CD.
Radio documentary
A radio documentary or feature is a purely acoustic performance devoted to covering a particular topic in some depth, usually with a mixture of commentary and sound pictures. It is broadcast on radio or published on audio media, such as tape or CD...
show 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...
. Co-created by Phyllis Webb
Phyllis Webb
Phyllis Webb, is a Canadian poet and radio broadcaster. The Canadian Encyclopedia describes her as "a writer of stature in Canadian letters", and calls her work "brilliantly crafted, formal in its energies and humane in its concern"....
and William A. Young, the show premiered in 1965 under the title The Best Ideas You'll Hear Tonight. It is currently hosted by Paul Kennedy
Paul Kennedy (host)
Paul Kennedy is a broadcast journalist who works at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. He is a veteran broadcaster and award-winning documentarist, and is best known for being the host of the program Ideas on CBC Radio One since 1999. In 1977, he researched and wrote his first documentary...
and is on between 9:05 and 10:00 each weekday evening; one episode each week is repeated on Monday afternoons with the title Ideas in the Afternoon.
The show describes itself as a radio program on contemporary thought. The subject matter of the shows varies, but music, philosophy, science, religion, and especially history are common topics. The show has won many plaudits for its quality and depth.
The series is notable for soliciting programming proposals from people who are not professional broadcasters, and having the successful applicants write and host their own documentaries (aided in production by CBC staff producers). Many Ideas programs are multi-part, with two, three, four, or more fifty-five minute programs devoted to a single topic. Transcripts and audio recordings of many programs are made available, and sold directly by the CBC.
Notable CBC staff producers who have been associated with the program include Bernie Lucht, Geraldine Sherman, Damiano Pietropaolo, Phyllis Webb
Phyllis Webb
Phyllis Webb, is a Canadian poet and radio broadcaster. The Canadian Encyclopedia describes her as "a writer of stature in Canadian letters", and calls her work "brilliantly crafted, formal in its energies and humane in its concern"....
, and David Cayley
David Cayley
David Cayley, is a Toronto-based Canadian writer and broadcaster, who was a friend of Ivan Illich. His work airs on CBC Radio One's program Ideas.-List of works:* Ideas on the Nature of Science ISBN 9780864925442...
. Individual programs are produced at CBC Radio One facilities across Canada. Documentarian William Whitehead
William Whitehead (Canadian writer)
William Frederick Whitehead is a Canadian writer, actor and filmmaker. He was the partner of the late Canadian writer Timothy Findley, with whom he co-wrote several works including the television documentaries Dieppe 1942 and The National Dream: Building the Impossible Railway.He studied biology...
also wrote or cowrote a number of shows for Ideas.
A television version for CBC News Network, Ideas on TV, was short-lived. The book Ideas: Brilliant Thinkers Speak Their Minds, edited by Bernie Lucht, commemorated the series' 40th anniversary.
The show broadcasts Canada's annual Massey Lectures
Massey Lectures
The Massey Lectures are an annual week-long series of lectures on a political, cultural or philosophical topic given in Canada by a noted scholar. They were created in 1961 to honour Vincent Massey, Governor General of Canada...
, Lafontaine-Baldwin Lecture
LaFontaine-Baldwin Symposium
The LaFontaine-Baldwin Symposium is a Canadian forum created through the joint effort of John Ralston Saul and the Dominion Institute. Founded in 2000, the Symposium's purpose is to stimulate debate about the historical antecedents and future shape of the Canadian democracy...
, and the Munk Debates
Munk Debates
The Munk Debates are a biannual series of debates on major policy issues held in Toronto, Canada. They are run by the Aurea Foundation. A charitable foundation set up by Peter Munk, founder of Barrick Gold and his wife...
. Audio downloads of many episodes are available from the CBC website, as well as via the CBC Ideas podcast
Podcast
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
, which was, by popular demand, one of the first to be included in the network's large podcasting initiative begun in 2005. Many episodes are also available for sale on audio CD.
Hosts
- Ken Haslam - 1965 to mid 70s
- Russ GermainRuss GermainRuss Germain was a Canadian broadcaster who worked for CBC Radio from 1973 to 2002. He was born in New Liskeard, Ontario.He hosted the flagship news programs World Report and The World at Six....
- mid 70s to 1983 - Lister Sinclair - 1983 to 1999
- Paul KennedyPaul Kennedy (host)Paul Kennedy is a broadcast journalist who works at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. He is a veteran broadcaster and award-winning documentarist, and is best known for being the host of the program Ideas on CBC Radio One since 1999. In 1977, he researched and wrote his first documentary...
- 1999 - present