Hundreds of music fans gathered at the gates of the CBC in Vancouver to protest the recent cutbacks to classical music by the public broadcaster… including the threatened demolition of the 70-year-old CBC Radio Orchestra. I was compelled to join in! Even though orchestral music doesn’t loom large in my listening menu, I do feel strongly that the CBC is betraying their public trust by trying to reach the largest common denominator. Their mandate is clearly to support all of the arts, particularly those that are not mass-market popular but which enrich our cultural mosaic. They most certainly don’t need to compete with MuchMusic and top 40. Those are well covered. Recent weeks have seen the impending cancellation of Disk Drive, Jurgen Gothe’s eclectic rush-hour delight; and even Sound Advice, the one classical-oriented show I often paid attention to and felt I learned a lot from. If you feel as I do, please sign the online petition. Thanks!