Ear to the Ground (TV series)

Ear to the Ground is a Canadian music television series, which aired on CBC Television from 1992 to 1995.^[1] Focusing on a single Canadian musician or band each week, the series mixed interview segments and live performance clips in a documentary style.^[2] It was a spinoff of the network's daily series Video Hits, which had in its final years sometimes devoted special episodes to a single musician or band under the name Video Hits Presents.^[3]

Although artists across all popular music genres were featured, the show was considered especially effective and important as a showcase for artists in genres, such as country or folk, which did not typically get into high rotation on MuchMusic.^[2] The first episodes of the series were hosted by Dan Gallagher, although the series evolved to a hostless format in later seasons.^[2]

The series premiered on June 21, 1992, with an episode devoted to Barenaked Ladies.^[4] Other artists profiled on the series during its run included Meryn Cadell,^[5] Kashtin,^[6] Skydiggers,^[7] Lost Dakotas,^[8] The Rankin Family,^[9] Bob Wiseman,^[10] Me Mom and Morgentaler,^[11] The Lowest of the Low,^[12] ,^[13] Blue Rodeo,^[14] ,^[15] Tom Jackson,^[16] The Barra MacNeils,^[17] Big Rude Jake,^[18] Ashley MacIsaac,^[2] Change of Heart,^[19] hHead,^[20] Lori Yates,^[20] Moist,^[20] Susan Aglukark,^[1] Bob Snider,^[1] Patricia Conroy^[21] and Bourbon Tabernacle Choir.^[22]

The series was cancelled in 1995, on the grounds that the live performance aspect of the show was now partially duplicated by the network's variety series Rita and Friends.^[1] In its place, CBC launched the new series Music Works.^[23]

Awards[]

At the 7th Gemini Awards in 1993, Barenaked Ladies won the award for Best Performance in a Performing Arts Program or Series for their episode.^[24] At the 9th Gemini Awards in 1995, the series was nominated for Best Music Variety Program or Series.^[25]

References[]