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Michael Enright - "Public Broadcasting Is Critical to the Cultural Life of this Country" 

10/28/2013

7 Comments

 
PictureCBC's Michael Enright, Host of The Sunday Edition
I, along with many other CBC radio listeners, have developed a tradition of sorts over the years. Each Sunday morning, as we linger over our coffees and start our days in that lazy manner so befitting of the end of the weekend, we turn on our radios and tune into the CBC to be accompanied by the rich baritone voice, thought-provoking interviews, and dry sense of humour brought by Michael Enright to The Sunday Edition.

The Sunday Edition has been in its current form since the year 2000, and seems perfectly suited to the Sunday morning air of idleness and contemplation. It airs each Sunday on CBC Radio One from 9am-12 and the three hours of the program are filled with engaging interviews on topics ranging from the arts to politics, Michael's opening essay, as well as long-form documentary pieces.

Michael Enright has undoubtedly had one of the most distinguished careers in Canadian broadcasting, but he actually started off in print. As a young newspaper reporter he wrote for both the Toronto Star and The Globe and Mail as well as a host of other publications. In fact, his first foray into radio didn't come until 1974 and didn't go exactly as planned. He came to the CBC to replace the beloved Peter Gzowski - who was moving to television - on the program This Country In The Morning. But after a year on the air, despite positive ratings, Enright was fired - supposedly for not being warm enough on the air. 

Picture
After the brief experiment in broadcasting, Enright headed back to the world of print, and held high level positions at both Quest and McLean's magazine. But in 1985, after a decade away, he returned to the CBC- first as the managing editor of radio news, and then in 1987 taking over as host of As It Happens, a role he would hold until 1997. 

Enright is also somewhat of an enigma. Although to CBC listeners he might be perceived as merely the learned bookish man who wears bow-ties, there are also aspects of his life that might come as a surprise to many Canadians. For example, he dropped out of high-school, has a penchant for motorcycles, and was strongly considering entering the priesthood as a young man.

In our conversation, we speak about his life growing up in Toronto, his beginnings as a newspaper reporter, as well as his thoughts on the state of journalism and public broadcasting in this country.

Listen to our interview with Michael Enright here.

7 Comments
Brenda Hattie
5/20/2014 11:28:36 am

Hi:

Thanks for these interviews...I discovered your website last week through a FB post, and have been listening to an interview every evening. I'm sharing with colleagues and friends. So totally support CBC and concerned with the steady assault on it; keep up the good work, and we here will do so as well through lobbying NDP reps, and anything else we can do.

Brenda Hattie
Halifax

Reply
Mary Campbell
3/28/2017 05:39:55 pm

Can anyone tell me the name of the haunting piano piece used as a theme song on Sunday's 'Round Midnight show? I would love to hear the entire piece.

Reply
Lisa Kadonaga
8/28/2017 12:16:56 am

I've been wondering that too, Mary. I think it might be a piano version of Thelonious Monk's piece by the same name as the show, though I haven't found a recording on YouTube that sounds exactly the same so it might have been done specially for CBC?

Reply
I am also wondering the name of that piece of music. I really want to listen to it every night. It’s zen like!
9/3/2018 01:39:43 am

Name of theme sound and artist from
“Round midnight”

Reply
Brent Needham
11/26/2018 12:20:01 pm

I would really like to know the name and artist of that music as well.

Reply
Brian Barnes
8/17/2019 05:16:16 pm

The last few comments about the song "'Round Midnight" reflect my feelings exactly. Love that arrangement! I try to stay awake at the end of the program so I can catch as much of the song as I can. Haunting zen-like describe it beautifully.

Reply
Elliott Marx
12/30/2021 03:34:33 pm

The version of Round Midnight that was the theme to the radio program was by Canadian pianist and his ensemble The Barry Harris Trio. Mr. Harris died this year. He was in his 90s.

Reply



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