The first means of communication that the general public had access to was the radio. Communication is a key element in Canada, a country with a scattered population over a large geographical distance. With the majority of Canadians living close to the proximity of the American border, it is obvious that American content has an impact on Canadian lives. With the introduction of radio, it was feared that Canada would surrender its culture to American domination. Thus, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) was created to deliver Canadian programming and to ensure that Canada's sense of identity is not lost. Through, its surpassing of Canadian programming requirements, its ability to connect the Nation from coast to coast and its success in relating to each individual culture, it is evident that the CBC Radio ultimately succeeds in preserving Canada's national pride. .
Radio was available and consistently running in the United States years before it made its way into the Canadian society. Canadians who lived close to the border were able to pick up many American stations. At this time, it was estimated that the Canadian population was spending eighty percent of the time listening to American programs (Bélanger 163). Concerns regarding whether or not the Canadian government was utilizing radio to its benefit unfolded, as American programming was set to entertain rather than educate its listeners. The Canadian society argued that radio programming consisted of too much dance music and jazz. They requested more serious, socially elevating and nation-building content (Bélanger 162). As a result, The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation was instituted in 1936, as a means of controlling the amount of American values and ideals that were being imposed on the Canadian society through radio programming. .
Being the only public broadcaster, the CBC was given the goal to maintain a sense of national pride across the whole country.
