hey guys.  the subject line says it all.  due to the constant whining
of everyone on the sloannet about mucheast and my own personal
abhorrance (is that a word catano?) of the show, i have decided to do
something that i thought about doing long ago.  tell them they suck.
i know this sounds mean or something, but in this message that i'm
transmitting to them this afternoon, i also include alternatives which
will help the show improve.  chances are, this letter will be laughed
at and garbaged, but i don't care, i will continue these letters
(kinda like that guy in the shawshank redemption) until some changes
are made.  i encourage you all to do the same.  their fax number is
(902) 453 2843.  let's fight.  here's my fax:

        dear mucheast,

     greetings from fredericton, nb.  the reason behind this letter is
that i've been watching your show since its conception and i think
it's
about time i share my feelings about the show.  when i first heard
that a new program was going to air on muchmusic, i got a little
excited at the concept of seeing something that didn't annoy me on the
nation's music station.  my idea was that the program was going to
take a one hour in-depth focus of music from the atlantic region every
week.  i soon found out, though, that my vision was far from reality.
instead, the show mucheast takes a one-hour slot each week and
basically wastes it away talking with whoever is playing at the
birdland that week.  sadly, most of the bands that are featured (at
least 50%) are from out of town and just happen to be doing a maritime
tour.  not only are they from out of town, but they are frequently
well established artists from west of the maritimes.  this wouldn't
bug me too much if it wasn't for the fact that the
show mucheast remains in and broadcasts from the halifax-dartmouth
area every week.  the way i've been seeing it, you might as well dub
the show muchhalifax or muchbirdland.  the pseudonym that i've heard
used the most is crapeast.  why is this you ask?  well, the resentment
of myself and many other viewers stems for many reasons:

  (1) a station that calls itself an alternative medium must act as
such.  the reality is, though, that muchmusic is our ONLY alternative,
canada's only video station.  it pains me to watch muchmusic, it
really does.  i don't want to see the same shitty videos week after
week.  variety is essential.  this brings me to mucheast.  lately,
you've been interviewing artists whom you already interviewed earlier
in the year.  why?
there are so many new bands- so much fresh home-grown talent that is
just waiting to get some attention.  all you have to do is get off of
you birdland stools, sober up a little, and look for it.  the maritime
music scene is more exciting now than it has ever been.

  (2) instead of giving exposure to bands that have already gotten
"their glory" by being signed or whatever, look to the people that
haven't tasted success yet.  besides, bands like sandbox, sunfish and
the big picture make awful music anyway.  c'mon- let's get a little
taste.

  (3) (there is) no moving around.  rarely does the show feature
footage from outside of halifax.  i know it's convenient to stay
within halifax
but the r.v. could take you anywhere in atlantic canada within half a
day's drive.  i think you've been to moncton twice to interview the
monoxides but you haven't been to fredericton or saint john yet, to my
knowledge ( i just found out that they have been here once.  but
still...).  newfoundland is also ready and waiting, as is p.e.i.  with
a little research, you would find growing music scenes in all of these
areas.  these places could really benefit from national television
coverage and it would be great for all of canada to experience and get
a taste of these scenes.  i could point you to contacts and do some
work in that realm, if you want.  well, i think that's basically all i
have to say.  i know a lot of this note was really harsh, and i'm
sorry, but i really feel compelled
to share my views about the program because i'm not alone and i don't
think that many people have stood up to say anything.  let's work
together and make this something special.  i'm confident that this
program can really improve upon the points mentioned, and if it does,
it is my belief that it will find itself on the cutting edge of
television programming.

  good luck and best wishes, and if you'd like to discuss this matter
further, i'm ready and willing to talk, jon bartlett

Reply via email to