Gang of Four Features End of Year Specials

So it's the end of the world year 2012, and to mark the occasion (and because we appreciate a break at the holidays) The Gang of Four on "Beyond the Ballot Box" on CFRU 93.3 fm are doing a pair of holiday specials over the next two Mondays.

Coming this Monday, Christmas Eve, each member of the Gang unveil their favourite political song of all time, which will then be played on air. I have to say that this was a really great hour to record, and it covered a wide range of styles, genres and eras, so there might possibly be something for everyone during the hour. I admit that I'm not nearly in the same league of musical nerdery as the rest of the Gang, but I think I held my own. What was my number one political song of all time? You're going to have to tune in Monday morning at 7 am to hear for yourself. (Or if you're feeling lazy, you can stream it from the CFRU archives sometime later.)

On New Year's Eve, the Gang will be having our second annual end of the year awards show. We hand out (metaphorical) prizes for Best Politician of the Year, Most Important Story, Mixed Feeling Person or Story, the Dumpster Fire Award, and Worst Politician of the Year. Heading into the recording for this show, I figured that there might a lot of agreement on some of these categories, but the rest of the Gang really surprised me with their choices and insights, and I think you, the audience, might be pleasantly surprised too. The awards show will air on New Year's Eve, a week from Monday, at 7 am, but if you want to rest up for the party circuit that night, you can stream it anytime after from the CFRU archives.

Before concluding the year I'd like to say that doing the "Beyond the Ballot Box" show has been a great experience and we've covered a lot of different, sometimes difficult, sometimes tragic, sometimes comedic ground in the year 2012. The new year's going to bring more interesting stories and interesting opportunities, and I look forward to everyone of them. Thanks to Oliver Rockside, Scotty Hertz, Phil Allt and especially Jan Andrea Hall for making the Gang everything it is, and everything it can be. They're just a great group of people to collaborate with, and I look forward to collaborating with them more in 2013. See you on the radio.