One Network or Two? French-Language Programming on the Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission, 1932–36

Abstract

During the four years of its existence, the Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission (crbc), Canada's first public broadcaster, became a site where different conceptions of broadcasting and of Canada itself were contested and debated. One of the most significant controversies concerned the extent of French programming on the commission's national network, ultimately resolved by placing most French-language programs on a separate network covering only Quebec and nearby areas of Ontario and New Brunswick. This study argues that the controversy over French programming on the national network had a negative impact on the crbc's ability to build its credibility and legitimacy as a national cultural institution, but that the very ferocity of the debate reveals widespread agreement that a public broadcasting body potentially has the authority to shape the way Canadians imagine their country.