March 9th 1987 began as a normal day for railwayman Wesley MacDonald as he made up a train of 50 cars of ore at a mine in northern Canada. But that all changed when the brakes failed to hold the load and Wesley suddenly found himself aboard a runaway train. This programme tells the story of what happened next, featuring actual audio footage of the radio communication between him and the rail traffic controller as he wrestles with the decision on whether to jump or take his chances onboard.
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Studio 360 from PRI and WNYC
Canada Redesigned & Beasts of the Southern Wild — Canada has a bold new look, thanks to our campaign to rebrand the country. We reveal the winner out of 750 Canada slogans submitted to our contest. And Kurt Andersen tests his knowledge of Canada against a real live Canadian radio host. Plus, Benh Zeitlin, the director of Beasts of the Southern Wild, tells Kurt about his debut film, an apocalyptic fairytale set in Louisiana with a six-year-old hero.
Tagged with arts & entertainment canada film
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February 19th: Al Jazeera English in Canada from CBC Radio: Editor’s Choice
The last time Al Jazeera tried to get its signal in Canada, its Arabic language channel was stopped in its tracks by those who argued it was anti-Semitic and anti-Israel. Since that time, Al Jazeera English has grabbed the world’s attention as the only international television network reporting out of Gaza in Israel’s fight against Hamas. Now, Al Jazeera English wants to be distributed in Canada.
Tagged with cbc editor's choice al jazeera canada
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BBC - Podcasts - Documentaries
Would you kill the big guy?
Wed, 12 May 10
Duration: 24 mins
A runaway train is heading towards five people. You’re standing on a footbridge, next to a very big man and the only way you can stop the train is to push the big man onto the track: his bulk will stop the train; five lives will be spared. Would you? Steve Evans explores how these moral conundrums are dealt with in crises like war.