Opera on Radio

Abstract

<p>This dossier is the product of an internship with the radio station CFMU 93.3 FM (McMaster University) which I completed between September 1995 and March 1996 as part of the program Master of Arts in Music Criticism. CFMU is a campus/community radio station located on the McMaster University campus. The station caters to a wide variety of interest groups and musical tastes, and boasts a unique and diversified schedule of programs, while providing extensive hands-on training for those interested in pursuing a career in broadcasting. Throughout the course of my internship, I was able to produce and present my own weekly radio program, and in the process gained considerable experience in the many facets of the broadcasting medium. Chapter One, The World of Radio, is a discussion of some of the challenges that I faced in the process of learning to become an effective broadcaster, and offers suggestions to anyone interested in creating an original radio program. Chapter Two presents a selection of transcripts from my weekly program entitled Sunday Morning at the Opera, supplemented by my own critical commentary on the effectiveness of each broadcast. Finally, Chapter Three "Critic at the Mike", focuses on some of the issues central to my project, in particular, the effectiveness of opera on radio and the role of radio broadcasting in music criticism.</p>