Cross Country Checkup
| Genre | Call-in |
|---|---|
| Country of origin |
 Canada
|
| Language(s) | English |
| Syndicates | CBC Radio |
| Hosted by | Duncan McCue |
| Original release | May 16, 1965 – present |
| Website | Cross Country Checkup |
Cross Country Checkup is a Canada-wide open-line radio show that airs Sunday afternoons on CBC Radio One. The program is hosted by Duncan McCue as of August 2016.
Every week, the show features a lively discussion on an issue of national interest or importance and invites listeners to call in with their opinions and thoughts. The topics are usually related to Canadian politics. In addition to McCue, the show has commentators who are experts or involved in the issue. They are interviewed by McCue and answer questions from callers.
The program is broadcast Sundays live at 4 p.m. Eastern Time Zone across the country, unlike most other Radio One programs, which air at the same local time in each time zone. The recording of the live show is rerun in a condensed format on Monday afternoons at 3 p.m. EST as Cross Country in an Hour.
Close to half-a-million listeners tune in every Sunday afternoon to hear a lively exchange of ideas between callers and invited guests, and a broad cross-section of opinion on the topic of the day. On average, 5,000 to 10,000 people attempt to call the program during the broadcast to join the discussion.
The show was first broadcast on May 16, 1965, when it was started to provide a nationwide forum to discuss the then-proposed national health insurance system now in place in Canada. The first host was CBC Montreal announcer Bob Cadman, and its first guest was Dr Victor Goldbloom, then president of the Canadian Medical Association. When Checkup started broadcasting as a weekly series on November 24, 1965, Jim Schrumm was the first regular host. Subsequent hosts have included Brad Crandall, Moses Znaimer, Percy Saltzman, Betty Shapiro, John Dafoe, Pierre Pascau, Harry Elton, Elizabeth Gray, Wayne Grigsby, Dennis Trudeau, Augusta La Paix, Dale Goldhawk, Peter Downie, Royal Orr and Rex Murphy, who maintained the position for 21 years.
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