CBC's first-ever phone-in show hits the airwaves: Cross Country Checkup

In 1965, at a time when phone-in shows were becoming all the rage, CBC was faced with a dilemma. Its journalistic standards and practices back then already imposed a strict set of guidelines. CBC/Radio-Canada had to remain fair and impartial, while also enlightening its listeners.

The Corporation eventually decided to embark on this new adventure, producing a program that allowed Canadians from across the country to discuss varied topics as part of a national phone-in show. Cross Country Checkup soon premiered on CBC Radio One.

It was a fairly ambitious undertaking. Remember that long distance and toll-free calls didn’t exist at the time, and the major phone companies were reluctant to offer their services for fear that their networks would be overwhelmed by the flood of calls. CBC/Radio-Canada ended up choosing Vancouver, Regina, Kingston, Montreal and Sydney as the cities that would reflect the state of the nation. Using a then-innovative system to broadcast the program with a seven-second delay, CBC/Radio-Canada successfully launched Cross Country Checkup as the first national radio show where all Canadians could have their say.

The originator and founding producer of Cross-Country Check-up is Andrew Simon.

Listen to a clip from the very first Cross Country Checkup on CBC in 1965 and re-experience this great moment in Canadian history.