OFF MIKE is a chance for me to talk to you directly, tell you about what's going on, as I prepare MASALA CANADA outside of the studio and "off mike".

You can get in touch with me directly through: masala@rcinet.ca

Don't hesitate to share your thoughts, comments, or questions.

And thanks for stopping by,

Wojtek Gwiazda
Host and Producer MASALA CANADA

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday May 23, 2012 - 16:05

Why you haven’t heard from me recently – take two:

Dear Friends,

Three weeks ago my ophthalmologist discovered and repaired a hole in the retina of my right eye, and then ordered me not to read or move my eyes a lot and to rest. This morning, she told me the laser surgery had worked, and my eye will heal. And so I can once again read, write and communicate with you.

It’s been a tough three weeks, because as I tried to rest, the clock continued to click down on the end of radio broadcasting at Radio Canada International as a result of the budget cuts announced on April 4, 2012. Unless there’s a last minute change in plans, the last edition of MASALA CANADA will be on June 23rd. And our last radio broadcasts will be on June 24th. After that RCI will only have a web presence that is yet to be elaborated.

For explanations about why our national radio and television broadcaster CBC/Radio-Canada reduced our budget by 80% please read their explanation here:
http://cbc.radio-canada.ca/site/budget/en/

For another take on the cuts, and the efforts to stop the cut, please check out the union supported lobby group – the RCI Action Committee – here: http://rciaction.org/blog

In the meantime, all of us at RCI are trying to keep up the level of our radio programming right to the end.

This weekend I’ll be re-broadcasting a previous edition of the show. As well, you’ll be able to hear an interview I just did with Sathish Bala, the CEO and founder of the desiFEST South Asian music festival which is on this Saturday, May 26th in Toronto. Make sure to listen to it.

After that, four more editions of “MASALA CANADA with Wojtek Gwiazda” – hope you can join us for each of those shows.

Thanks for all your support and understanding,

Wojtek


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Saturday, April 7, 2012 - 13:34

Why the silence? And a budget cut.


I wanted to take a moment to explain why I’ve been so silent on this site in the last few days.

Some of you may have heard by now that this past Wednesday, Canada’s national radio and television public broadcaster CBC/Radio-Canada announced the impact of federal government cutbacks to the financing of the broadcaster.

Many services will be affected, many people will lose their jobs.

At Radio Canada International – the effects are quite devastating.

Our budget of $12.3 million will be reduced to $2.3 million.

At least, two-thirds of our staff will be laid off.

We will no longer broadcast on shortwave. The only presence we’ll have is on the Internet, on our website.

The RCI newsroom will be closed, there will be no newscasts.

Our Russian service will be closed, the Brazilian program eliminated.

What will be left is a presence on our website in English, French, Arabic, Mandarin and Spanish. What kind of presence this will be, is yet to be determined.

And yes, that means, that as with everything else that’s being eliminated, the last edition of MASALA CANADA will be on June 23rd.

So far that is all that we know.

I can tell you that there is a union supported lobby group, the RCI Action Committee, which is actively lobbying to stop the cuts. Whether it will be successful, is unknown.

I’ll give you updates when I can.

All the best,

Wojtek

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 

February 20, 2012, Monday, 17:28


Had a fascinating, and bit troubling, conversation with Ann Cavoukian, the Information and Privacy Commissioner of our most populous province of Ontario, in this past weekend's show - February 18-19. We were discussing a proposed new federal law that concerns her and other privacy experts.

She feels Canada's Bill C-30 will "lay down an infrastructure of surveillance" you can hear our conversation here: http://tinyurl.com/82ns77h

If you have any thoughts, drop me a line at masala@rcinet.ca


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Monday, February 20, 2012 - 17:08

Been wondering lately, if people are aware there's a podcast version of MASALA CANADA PODCAST? So thought I'd mention it here. Good alternative to listening on shortwave, or in front of a computer. Only down side is that usually the music I feature in the program is not in the podcast (for copyright reasons).

So please check out the podcasts either on iTunes http://tinyurl.com/MCitunes

or on our web page: http://tinyurl.com/MCpodRCI

It'd be cool to know where you listen to the podcast - outdoors, in a bus or train. Drop me a line if you have a chance at masala@rcinet.ca.

Thanks,

Wojtek

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, September 22, 2011 - 16:50

I know, I know - haven't been updating this lately. I will - soon! Thanks for your patience.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, May 29, 2011 - 11:07

We said goodbye to yet another of our former colleagues yesterday. Long time host producer James "Jim" Craig died earlier this month at the age of 68. Yesterday, family, friends and colleagues gathered at the Church of the Resurrection in Pointe Claire, Quebec, to say our final farewell. 

Anyone who has listened to RCI's English service over the last few decades would immediately recognize the deep, calm tone of Jim's voice. Well read, well informed he hosted so many of the English section's programs. Even after his retirement almost three years ago, listeners were still hearing reports from his series on Canadian historical moments.

He was a quiet, intelligent man, who could surprise both friends and strangers, with his dry wit. He will be missed.

(Photo: A young Jim in front of the mike.)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, April 7, 2011 - 10:53

ELECTION 2011 - MASALA CANADA

Trying something out for the Canadian election campaign, useful information for you about the election, the political parties and the issues. Check it out here.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, March 28, 2011 - 22:51

Yesterday I attended a memorial service for former RCI colleague Ousseynou Diop, who for us at RCI is best remembered as the larger than life, hugely joyful French language host and producer in our African Service.

Yesterday a number of us from RCI, joined others who knew him from the African community in Montreal, from the African film festival Vues d'Afrique that he helped start, and numerous other friends, and of course his family. We joked, remembered, cried and shared our memories of a man who had an impact on so many people.

Talking to one of my colleagues I suddenly had a thought, which I shared:

Why is it that we find time, when it's too late?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday, March 26, 2011 - 15:26

Canadian Election

Sorry I haven't been very active here last little while. It's been a bit hectic, particularly the last few days as Canada's opposition parties prepared to topple the ruling Conservative government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper. The government lost a confidence vote yesterday in the House of Commons, and was found in contempt of Parliament.

Since the Conservatives did not have a majority in the House, the defeat meant the Prime Minister had to dissolve parliament and call an election, which he did after meeting with Canada's Governor General David Johnston.

So as you can imagine a lot of journalists are now focussing on the election campaign and election day which will be May 2. You can find some of the information on what's going on via my twitter account http://twitter.com/masalacanada  You can also use hashtags such as #elxn41 and #cdnpoli to see what others are saying.

No Longer on Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 95

On another note this weekend is the last that you can hear MASALA CANADA on Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 95. That's because as of April 1, 2011 Radio Canada International will no longer be on the Sirius schedule.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, March 21, 2011 - 10:29

I mentioned last month that there would be a memorial service for our former colleague Ousseynou Diop who died February 10th. The memorial will be held this Sunday, March 27, between 2pm and 5 pm at the Centre de ressources communautaires Côte-des-Neiges, 6767 Côte-des-Neiges in Montréal.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, February 14, 2011 - 22:41

Sad news for those who know Radio Canada International or Montreal's African film festival Vues d'Afrique: Ousseynou Diop died this past Thursday in Montreal. Most of us knew him as a joyous host/producer in RCI's African Service. He was also a radio host and actor in Senegal. In Canada, he participated in the founding of Vues d'Afrique. He was buried on Saturday. Many of us were there to see him off. A Montreal event will be held soon to share more memories of him.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday, February 1, 2011 - 16:14

Our Internet Guru Er Shen and I have been experimenting with something new today - a way to listen to individual interviews, called "In Conversation with...".

Today we're just trying to see how it looks, and what else we can do.

Check it out here. Tell me what you think of it masala@rcinet.ca

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, January 27, 2011 - 14:51

Nice surprise yesterday night when I saw my interview with "inkLINGS" on the web. I knew this was coming, but didn't know it was out. "inkLINGS" is a supplement to the Pakistani quarterly magazine INK - based in Lahore.

Here's the link to the interview: http://ink-inklings.com/2011/01/in-conversation-masala-canada%E2%80%99s/

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday, January 26, 2011 - 12:40

Quite the morning: an interview with singer Bryan Adams - who will be on tour in India and Nepal next month. Then another interview with Anand Giridharadas the author of the just released book "India Calling". Both for this weekend's show (Jan 29 edition).

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, January 24, 2011 - 11:53

Still much affected by the documentary "Living Downstream" by filmmaker Chanda Chavannes on Dr. Sandra Steingraber, biologist, poet, and cancer survivor. There are sound clips of Dr Steingraber and an interview with director Chanda Chavannes in the January 22, 2011 edition of the show here: http://www.rcinet.ca/english/program/masala-canada/home/date/22-01-2011/

Here's the trailer to the documentary:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, January 17, 2011 - 6:00

One of the great things about hosting and producing MASALA CANADA is how much I learn about people and things and situations.

How often have I gone through an airport, wherever in the world, and never really thought about the limousine drivers lined up outside. Usually I'll take a train, or a taxi, always thought the limousines were very expensive and for someone else.

In the January 15, 2011 edition of the show, I discover a totally different story about the limousine drivers at the Toronto Pearson International Airport. The interview starts just after the introduction to the show - here's the link: http://www.rcinet.ca/english/program/masala-canada/home/date/15-01-2011/

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday, January 5, 2011 - 09:05

OK - first of all Happy New Year - a bit late! Then a resolution of sorts...

I don't like making resolutions - it's so disheartening afterwards to see how few we've kept. But, I will announce my "desire" to be more active here. So let's see if I stick to this or not. Check back and see. I will - I will, OK - I'll try!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Diwali on Parliament Hill this past Tuesday...

Tuesday night I interviewed Deepak Obhrai, government MP and Parliamentary Secretary to Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister at the 10th annual National Diwali Celebrations at Parliament Hill in Ottawa. For more photos  http://tinyurl.com/2v6blxm

Interviews with him and other participants in this weekend's edition of MASALA CANADA - November 20, 2010 - http://www.rcinet.ca/english/program/masala-canada/home/date/20-11-2010/