

Front Burner
CBC
Front Burner is a daily news podcast that takes you deep into the stories shaping Canada and the world. Each morning, from Monday to Friday, host Jayme Poisson talks with the smartest people covering the biggest stories to help you understand what’s going on.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Nov 14, 2019 • 26min
Is Canadian content a casualty of the 'streaming wars'?
Disney Plus is the latest streaming service on the block, with a library stretching from those classic animated movies from your childhood, to new Marvel blockbusters. It joins Apple TV, Netflix and Amazon Prime. But this ever-growing number of digital companies don't play by the same set of rules as traditional broadcasters. They are largely tax exempt, and they don't have to follow Canadian content regulations. Today on Front Burner, Jayme talks to Tina Hassannia and John Semley, two culture critics who disagree on what streaming services mean for the home-grown screen industry.

Nov 13, 2019 • 22min
Judges toss cases over police credibility concerns
Over the last five years, more than 50 criminal cases have fallen apart after a judge found a police officer gave false or misleading testimony, according to a CBC News investigation. Today on Front Burner, we talk to reporters Chris Glover and Stephen Davis about what they found when digging into judges' rulings in these cases, and what the possible consequences are.

Nov 12, 2019 • 24min
Don Cherry’s divisive legacy
On Monday, Sportsnet let go of Don Cherry after the hockey broadcaster called immigrants "you people", and claimed they don't wear poppies to honour Canadian veterans. This comes after a career filled with controversy, from anti-Quebecer sentiments to Cherry’s advocacy for fighting in hockey. Today on Front Burner, host Jayme Poisson talks to Postmedia sports columnist Scott Stinson about Cherry’s career, his controversial legacy, and what might happen next for Hockey Night in Canada.

Nov 11, 2019 • 22min
How an Indigenous man’s murder forced a community to confront racism
Kristian Ayoungman, from Siksika First Nation in Southern Alberta, was shot and killed on a rural highway in March. CBC investigative journalist Connie Walker travelled to meet with the young man’s friends and family, as well as the leaders of the two communities he straddled. As she tells host Jayme Poisson, what she found was unexpected. Connie also reflects on her time at the CBC covering Indigenous communities across the country.

Nov 8, 2019 • 23min
Digital stick-ups: The evolution of ransomware
Ransomware attacks are changing. Cyber criminals are learning to target the most vulnerable systems including our municipalities, schools and hospitals. Today on Front Burner, tech journalist and friend of the podcast Matt Braga tells us why just changing passwords isn’t enough to keep critical data and services safe from cyber crime.

Nov 7, 2019 • 25min
From rallies to re-election: Trump’s path to victory
He’s a president under pressure. He’s facing impeachment, fending off lawsuits, and his approval rating is consistently below 50 per cent. But Donald Trump is also presiding over a strong economy, and a low unemployment rate. Today on Front Burner, CBC Washington Correspondent Paul Hunter on Trump’s next challenge… re-election. One year from voting day -- we look at Trump’s path to victory.

Nov 6, 2019 • 24min
Western Alienation, Part Two: Climate collision
Today on Front Burner, the final installment of a two-part series exploring the growing political anger in Alberta and Saskatchewan. This time, Maclean’s Alberta correspondent Jason Markusoff explains how climate change has put Ottawa on a collision course with the West.

Nov 5, 2019 • 28min
Western Alienation, Part One: Now and Then
Today on Front Burner, the first installment of a two part series exploring the growing political anger in Alberta and Saskatchewan. Part one: deja vu. Jayme Poisson and political science professor Loleen Berdahl guide you through the history of western alienation. They explore how Trudeau senior, set the stage for the deep schisms Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is dealing with today.

Nov 4, 2019 • 25min
Deadspin and the zombification of news
Every member of the popular sports and culture website Deadspin’s editorial staff has resigned, after the firing of the site’s interim editor-in-chief. But tensions have been rising between Deadspin’s journalist and its executives since a private equity firm took over in April. Those executives issued an edict last week to “stick to sports.” Today on Front Burner, Slate’s Ben Mathis-Lilley discusses the mass exodus at Deadspin and what it says about the future of independent digital media.

Nov 1, 2019 • 23min
California’s fiery future
There are multiple wildfires burning in California right now as they did last year, and the year before. Six of the state’s ten most destructive wildfires have taken place in the last two years. And as the state gets hotter, and dryer, the fires are expected to get even more destructive. Today on Front Burner, the west coast bureau chief with the Atlantic’s CityLab, Laura Bliss, on her home state’s increasingly fiery future.


