Hominid Views

One of the joys of living in the Seattle area is the excellent public radio stations available here. And, one of the gems on one of these stations is the CBC program As It Happens.

The program covers Canadian, U.S. and international news from a quirky Canadian perspective. Imagine All Things Considered with a little Bob and Doug McKenzie wackiness thrown in. The program can be found on KUOW (94.9 FM) at 11:00 pm on Monday through Thursday.

For the last three years or so, I’ve listened to the program most nights. Well…except for a couple of months this summer when there was a “labour action” at the CBC. I really missed the show during that spell.

The program is hosted by two wonderful women: Mary Lou Finlay and Barbara Budd . “Budd” is such an appropriate name; the hosts always seem just a little buzzed during their interviews.

In any case, after eight years of hosting the program, and 35 years in journalism, Mary Lou Finlay is retiring. Her last show comes at the end of this month.

Her job here is one of the most difficult there is in this business: every day she shows up, records a dozen interviews, speaking knowledgeably about everything from the Gaza Strip to gas prices to gastronomy — often within the same half-hour. While politicians, pundits and dried prune collectors the world over may be breathing a sigh of relief, we here at As It Happens are mourning the impending departure of one of the world’s finest interviewers — someone whose work ethic and skill made the jobs of those around her measurably easier. We wish her the best of luck in her leisure — although we doubt she’ll be spending much time sitting around.

As a parting gift, Mary Lou is conducting a series of interviews of people she has always wanted to interview. As I write this post, she has comedian Bob Newhart on the line—the guy who made a career out of funny one-sided phone calls.

So long Mary Lou, and thanks for all the laughs and wonderful evenings.