The special series, Matheson, will air on radio, TV and online May 21-31
VANCOUVER, Wednesday, May 15, 2019 — CBC Vancouver is proud to announce Matheson, a new special multiplatform series on the lives of students at L.A. Matheson Secondary School in Surrey. It will air on CBC Radio One’s The Early Edition every weekday morning from May 21 to May 31 at 7:10 a.m. with features on CBC Vancouver News at 6pm and online at cbc.ca/bc.
“We have wanted to do a series like Matheson for a very long time,” says Stephen Quinn, host of The Early Edition. “Whenever we hear about Surrey it’s almost always in relation to violence and gangs, not the incredible vibrancy and culture of the growing city. We wanted to break from this narrative and speak directly to the city’s youth, who we often hear about, but rarely hear from.”
To do this, Jason D’Souza, Associate Producer for The Early Edition spent one month embedded within L.A Matheson Secondary School with a grade 11 class schedule and the mission to let the students’ issues and concerns dictate the stories to tell and how to tell them.
“We had no preconceived story ideas when we started this project,” says D’Souza. “The stories of Matheson are very much driven by the students and they take us to some very interesting places.”
The student-driven stories of Matheson will explore issues of:
- Technology in the classroom and the role of social media
- Surrey’s reputation and how it impacts students
- Friendships and social life
- Cultural dynamics in a school of predominantly South Asian students
- Special needs classes, and
- The rising prevalence of vaping
“Matheson is a result of our commitment to listening to communities,” says Shiral Tobin, Director, Journalism and Programming, CBC British Columbia. “This past year, we hosted a roundtable discussion with members of Surrey’s South Asian community and we are excited to share a series inspired by these conversations across our radio, television and digital platforms.”
Matheson can be heard on CBC Radio One’s The Early Edition at 88.1 FM and 690 AM every weekday morning at 7:10 a.m. from May 21 to 31 with features on CBC Vancouver News at 6pm and online at cbc.ca/bc.
The final episode of Matheson will be a special live remote broadcast from the L.A. Matheson Secondary School cafeteria from 5:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. on May 31. Community members are invited to attend this event, which will kick off with a pancake breakfast and Bhangra performances.
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About CBC/Radio-Canada
CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster. Through our mandate to inform, enlighten and entertain, we play a central role in strengthening Canadian culture. As Canada’s trusted news source, we offer a uniquely Canadian perspective on news, current affairs and world affairs. Our distinctively homegrown entertainment programming draws audiences from across the country. Deeply rooted in communities, CBC/Radio-Canada offers diverse content in English, French and eight Indigenous languages. We are leading the transformation to meet the needs of Canadians in a digital world.
Media Contact:
Jennifer Rhyne
Manager, Communications, Marketing & Brand
CBC British Columbia
Email: jennifer.rhyne@cbc.ca
Phone: (604) 662-6696
Cell: (604) 379-6570
