''Prime Time'' was a Canadian radio series, which aired on

CBC Radio CBC Radio is the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which (regardless of language) are outlined below ...

in the 1980s and 1990s."Prime Time clicks with a new age of radio". '' The Globe and Mail'', December 29, 1990. The program aired weeknights at 8:05 p.m.

Stan Carew (1986-1987)

The program premiered on September 29, 1986 with host

Stan Carew Stan Carew (August 7, 1950 – July 6, 2015) was a Canadian radio broadcaster, musician and actor,The Globe and Mail'', June 16, 1993. initially focusing primarily on celebrity interviews and musical guests. It was a companion to Carew's weekend variety series ''

The Entertainers ''The Entertainers'' is a one-hour American variety show which aired on CBS from September 25, 1964 through March 27, 1965. Produced by Joe Hamilton, the series featured three hosts: Hamilton's then-wife Carol Burnett, Bob Newhart, and Caterin ...

''.

Ralph Benmergui (1987-1989)

Ralph Benmergui Raphael "Ralph" Benmergui (born 1955) is a Canadian television and radio personality, a writer, an ordained spiritual director, and a strategic advisor in political, environmental, and academic realms. Early life and education Born to a Sephard ...

took over as host of both ''Prime Time'' and ''The Entertainers'' in September 1987, adding a more irreverent and mocking tone to the program; one of his early coups was an interview with

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...

."Mr. Cool's a refreshing change". ''

Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. The newspaper is the country's largest daily newspaper by circulation. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and pa ...

'', August 27, 1987. Contributors to the program under Benmergui's tenure included Nils Ling as a video reviewer, ''

Edmonton Journal The ''Edmonton Journal'' is a daily newspaper in Edmonton, Alberta. It is part of the Postmedia Network. History The ''Journal'' was founded in 1903 by three local businessmen — John Macpherson, Arthur Moore and J.W. Cunningham — as ...

'' critic Helen Metalla as a record reviewer, ''

Toronto Sun The ''Toronto Sun'' is an English-language tabloid newspaper published daily in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The newspaper is one of several ''Sun'' tabloids published by Postmedia Network. The newspaper's offices is located at Postmedia Place i ...

'' writer Jim Slotek as a television critic, and

Geoff Pevere Geoff Pevere (born October 1957) is a Canadian lecturer, author, broadcaster, teacher, arts and media critic, currently the program director of the Rendezvous With Madness Film Festival in Toronto.John Semley, "Can we play with madness?: Toronto' ...

as a film reviewer. Benmergui left the program to become host of ''

Midday Noon (or midday) is 12 o'clock in the daytime. It is written as 12 noon, 12:00 m. (for meridiem, literally 12:00 noon), 12 p.m. (for post meridiem, literally "after noon"), 12 pm, or 12:00 (using a 24-hour clock) or 1200 (military time). Solar ...

'' in 1989. At this time, ''Prime Time'' and ''The Entertainers'' were separated, with Karen Gordon taking over as host of ''The Entertainers''.

Geoff Pevere (1989-1993)

The audition process for Benmergui's replacement involved potential new hosts interviewing Pevere about the film ''

Heathers ''Heathers'' is a 1989 American black comedy film written by Daniel Waters and directed by Michael Lehmann, in both of their respective film debuts. The film stars Winona Ryder, Christian Slater, Shannen Doherty, Lisanne Falk, Kim Walker, ...

''; producer Anton Leo was unimpressed by all ten contenders, and was discouraged until the studio technician who had been sitting in the booth turned to him and asked if he'd considered Pevere himself as the new host."The So-Ready for Prime Time Player". '' The Globe and Mail'', October 27, 1989. Under Pevere, the program evolved into a more serious-minded

newsmagazine A news magazine is a typed, printed, and published magazine, radio or television program, usually published weekly, consisting of articles about current events. News magazines generally discuss stories, in greater depth than do newspapers or n ...

on all aspects of pop culture,"Movie critic lucked into Prime Time gig". ''

'', September 29, 1989. covering programming, personalities and issues in

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication Media (communication), medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of Transmission (telecommunications), television tra ...

radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transm ...

popular music Popular music is music with wide appeal that is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by people with little or no musical training.Popular Music. (2015). ''Funk ...

, film,

media criticism Media studies is a discipline and field of study that deals with the content, history, and effects of various media; in particular, the mass media. Media Studies may draw on traditions from both the social sciences and the humanities, but mostly ...

fashion Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fash ...

and

sports Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, ...

, as well as airing comedy sketches by Radio Free Vestibule. Kevin Courrier replaced Pevere as the program's film reviewer. Under Pevere, the program more than doubled the ratings it had under Benmergui."Putting some punch in pop culture". '' The Globe and Mail'', December 5, 1990. At its peak, it also aired on some

American Public Media American Public Media (APM) is an American company that produces and distributes public radio programs in the United States, the second largest company of its type after NPR. Its non-profit parent, American Public Media Group, also owns and o ...

stations in the United States."Public radio's generation gap". ''

'', May 16, 1993. Noted segments aired on the program during Pevere's tenure included a documentary feature based on Marc Eliot's book ''Rockonomics'', an episode which used the anniversary of

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...

's assassination to explore the prominence of

paranoia Paranoia is an instinct or thought process that is believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety or fear, often to the point of delusion and irrationality. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of conspiracy conce ...

and conspiracy themes in pop culture, and a weeklong series on the 50th anniversary of the classic film ''

Citizen Kane ''Citizen Kane'' is a 1941 American drama film produced by, directed by, and starring Orson Welles. He also co-wrote the screenplay with Herman J. Mankiewicz. The picture was Welles' first feature film. ''Citizen Kane'' is frequently cited ...

'' which centred on an exclusive interview with the film's editor

Robert Wise Robert Earl Wise (September 10, 1914 – September 14, 2005) was an American film director, producer, and editor. He won the Academy Awards for Academy Award for Best Director, Best Director and Academy Award for Best Picture, Best Picture for h ...

, by that time one of the last still-living members of the film's cast or crew, about his experiences working with

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...

. Pevere reacted negatively when

CBC Television CBC Television (also known as CBC TV) is a Canadian English-language broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster. The network began operations on September 6, 1952. Its French- ...

announced in 1992 that it was folding '' The National'' and '' The Journal'' into the new '' Prime Time News'', on the grounds that the new program's title was too similar to ''Prime Time''.

Cancellation

The program's cancellation was announced in January 1993,"Prime Time dies in CBC shake-up". ''

Halifax Daily News ''The Daily News'' was a tabloid newspaper in Halifax, Nova Scotia, that was published from 1974 until ceasing operations in February 2008. History ''The Daily News'' owed its existence to David Bentley, who, along with his wife Diana and Patric ...

'', January 31, 1993. airing its final show on June 4. Pevere publicly criticized the decision, angering CBC management;"Why not turn Prime Time into a weekly radio show?" ''

'', April 5, 1993. for the remainder of the show's run, Pevere was forced to tape the program in advance so that producers could monitor the program to ensure that he did not speak about the cancellation on the air. Following its cancellation, Pevere noted in an interview with '' The Globe and Mail'' that this ban was so strict that he was not even allowed to thank regular contributors for their time with the program when they made their final appearances. It was replaced by a nightly repeat of feature segments from '' Morningside'', while its pop culture mandate was taken over by the new weekend program ''

Brand X Brand X were a jazz fusion band formed in London in 1974. They were active until 1980, followed by a reformation between 1992 and 1999, and were active following a 2016 reunion until 2021. Members have included John Goodsall (guitar), Percy J ...

''.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Prime Time (Radio Program) CBC Radio One programs 1986 radio programme debuts 1986 establishments in Canada 1993 disestablishments in Canada 1993 radio programme endings Canadian talk radio programs 1980s Canadian radio programs 1990s Canadian radio programs