''CBC Marketplace'' is a Canadian investigative consumer program which has been broadcast on

CBC Television CBC Television (also known as CBC TV, or simply CBC) is a Television in Canada, Canadian English-language terrestrial television, broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcasting, p ...

since 1972. The program investigates consumer reports on issues such as

product testing File:Consumer Reports - product testing - electric light longevity and brightness testing.tif, Testing electric light longevity and brightness testing File:Consumer Reports - product testing - television testing laboratory.tif, Television testin ...

health Health has a variety of definitions, which have been used for different purposes over time. In general, it refers to physical and emotional well-being, especially that associated with normal functioning of the human body, absent of disease, p ...

and

safety Safety is the state of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings The word 'safety' entered the English language in the 1 ...

fraud In law, fraud is intent (law), intentional deception to deprive a victim of a legal right or to gain from a victim unlawfully or unfairly. Fraud can violate Civil law (common law), civil law (e.g., a fraud victim may sue the fraud perpetrato ...

ulent business practices, and also tests government and industry promises.

History

The program was influential in the banning of urea formaldehyde foam insulation and lawn darts in Canada, the legislation of warnings on exploding pop bottles, successful prosecution of

retailer Retail is the sale of goods and services to consumers, in contrast to wholesaling, which is the sale to business or institutional customers. A retailer purchases goods in large quantities from manufacturers, directly or through a wholesal ...

s for false

advertising Advertising is the practice and techniques employed to bring attention to a Product (business), product or Service (economics), service. Advertising aims to present a product or service in terms of utility, advantages, and qualities of int ...

, new standards for

bottled water Bottled water is drinking water (e.g., Water well, well water, distilled water, Reverse osmosis, reverse osmosis water, mineral water, or Spring (hydrology), spring water) packaged in Plastic bottle, plastic or Glass bottle, glass water bott ...

and

drinking fountain A drinking fountain, also called a water fountain or water bubbler, is a fountain designed to provide drinking water. It consists of a basin with either continuously running water or a tap. The drinker bends down to the stream of water and s ...

s, new regulations to make children's sleepwear less flammable, and the implementation of safer designs for children's cribs. In recent years, the program's reporting has exposed the illegal dumping and burning of Canadian

plastic recycling Plastic recycling is the processing of plastic waste into other products. Recycling can reduce dependence on landfills, conserve resources and protect the environment from plastic pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Recycling rates lag beh ...

in Malaysia, the sale of fake university degrees to Canadian professors and social workers, and its hidden camera investigations documented hygiene issues in hospitals, misleading sales practices, and violence and neglect in long-term care homes. Investigations have led to corporate and government changes: Google Maps launched a review of the country's locksmith listings after the identification of dozens of fake listings and reviews. Ontario's real estate board launched an investigation and review of its agents after the program documented agents breaking rules around “double-ending”. When the program's original lab testing found dangerous levels of cadmium in jewelry sold by Ardene and Aldo, journalists travelled to China to expose how these chemicals end up on Canadian store shelves. The episode prompted an investigation by Health Canada and changes in the companies’ suppliers. One of its most popular programs involved an international investigation tracking the people behind those annoying fake Canada Revenue scams and tech support scams. The reporting triggered “Project Octavia”, a criminal investigation by the country's top police force (RCMP). In February 2020, journalists were granted exclusive access to document the arrest of Canadian “super money mules” alleged to have been working with criminals in India to defraud Canadian victims. ''Marketplace'' was originally hosted by Joan Watson and George Finstad. Joan Watson eventually married one of the first producers of the show, Murray Creed. Other hosts have included Bill Paul, Harry Brown, Norma Kent, Jacquie Perrin, Christine Johnson, Erica Johnson, Jim Nunn, Tom Harrington and

Wendy Mesley Wendy Mesley is a Canadian television journalist, podcaster, and blogger. She worked for CBC News from 1981 to 2021 in roles including national correspondent at the Quebec Legislature and the Ottawa Parliamentary Bureau. She was the anchor of ' ...

. The program's current hosts are David Common, Charlsie Agro and Asha Tomlinson. Early seasons of the program had a theme song, "The Consumer", which was written and performed by

Stompin' Tom Connors Charles Thomas "Stompin' Tom" Connors, Order of Canada, OC (February 9, 1936 – March 6, 2013) was a Canadian country music, country and folk music, folk singer-songwriter. Focusing his career exclusively on his native Canada, he is credited wi ...

. For several years, every episode would begin with Connors singing the song, which became a hit. Every Thursday, The National airs a weekly segment that is based on the week's episode with

Adrienne Arsenault Adrienne Arsenault (born 1966 or 1967) is a Canadian journalist who is the Chief Correspondent of CBC News and anchor of '' The National'' since November 2017. Early life and education Born and raised in Toronto, Arsenault is the daughter of ...

introducing the segment. In 2023, an audio

podcast A podcast is a Radio program, program made available in digital format for download over the Internet. Typically, a podcast is an Episode, episodic series of digital audio Computer file, files that users can download to a personal device or str ...

version of the show was produced and with the episodes scheduled for release on July 4, 2023. In addition, the podcast was broadcast as a summer replacement series on

CBC Radio One CBC Radio One is the English-language news and information radio network of the publicly owned Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It is commercial-free and offers local and national programming. It is available on AM and FM to 98 percent o ...

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Marketplace (Canadian Tv program) 1970s Canadian television news shows 1980s Canadian television news shows 1990s Canadian television news shows 2000s Canadian television news shows 2010s Canadian television news shows 2020s Canadian television news shows 1972 Canadian television series debuts CBC Television original programming CBC News Consumer protection television series Current affairs shows