You don’t have to be a fan of the flagship CBC radio program, As It Happens, to appreciate these tales from the newsroom, but if you are, I can pretty much guarantee that you will thoroughly enjoy this book.
If you are not familiar with the program, As It Happens has been on the air for 40 years, during which time the format has never changed. Every evening, the two cohosts phone people and interview them in depth, about important developments in the news that day, or sometimes about quirky occurrences taking place somewhere in the world. It’s a deceptively simple format that works so effectively.
In The As It Happens Files, Mary Lou Finlay reminisces about some of the most memorable stories she has covered during her eight years of cohosting this extraordinary radio program. From her very first night on the job, which happened to be the day after Princess Diana’s death, through interviews surrounding both the most earth-shattering events on earth and the quirkiest tales from the most eccentric guests, Finlay and her cohosts brought us all stories from around the globe.
I remember hearing many of these interviews on the radio, a lot of which made me howl with laughter, gape in astonishment, or shake my head in disbelief. In the book, Finlay tells the amazing inside stories behind the fascinating news items that were covered on the show. Whether these were the circumstances surrounding the Air India bombings or the World Trade Centre attacks, or whether they were the series of interviews about Mike the Headless Chicken or the reason that distances cited on the show are always given as number of miles from Reading, this book is always compelling reading.
One thing I particularly enjoyed was hearing Mary Lou Finlay’s voice in her writing. It was as though I had turned on the radio and heard that very familiar refrain, “Good evening, this is As It Happens”.
The As It Happens Files is an absolute necessity for any fan of CBC Radio, of As It Happens, or for news junkies anywhere.
7 comments:
I grew up on As It Happens! And I love that the music has stayed the same all these years; so catchy! It really takes me back.
This looks great. I'm a longtime CBC radio junkie.
Hey, does this count towards a certain challenge that only coincidenatlly shares its initials with the radio people in question?
I love As It Happens. I usually play it while I'm puttering in the kitchen - makes doing dishes far less monotonous.
Do you do the head thrashing along with the drum bit near the end, like I do, Wandering Coyote? I love that theme song!
This is the book for you, then, SME.
What an enormous coincident, John! I am definitely counting this as going toward said challenge. I must be all the way up to 3 by now!
That's what I do too, Remi. I am certain that were it not for As It Happens, my kitchen would be much filthier than it is.
As It Happens is still the best thing coming out of CBC. Informative, entertaining, serious, goofy and always witty. Heard her interviewed on this book.
She is one of my heroes, Gifted, and you know how we adore our As It Happens ladies around here.
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