WireTap (radio program)

{{short description|Canadian radio show}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}

{{Infobox Radio Show

| show_name = WireTap

| image =

| imagesize =

| caption =

| format = Comedy

| audio_format = Monophonic

| record_location = Montreal, Canada

| runtime = 27 minutes

| presenter = Jonathan Goldstein

| creator = Jonathan Goldstein

| developer =

| producer = {{ubl|Wendy Dorr|Carolyn Warren|Mira Burt-Wintonick|Cristal Duhaime}}

| executive_producer = Jonathan Goldstein

| writer = {{ubl|Tony Asimakopoulos|Howard Chackowicz|Gregor Ehrlich|John Hodgman|Joshua Karpati|Heather O'Neill|David Rakoff|Jon Tucker}}

| opentheme =

| endtheme =

| country = Canada

| language = English

| home_station = CBC Radio One

| syndicates = {{Hlist|Public Radio International|NPR}}

| first_aired = {{Start date|2004|7}}

| last_aired = {{End date|2015|8}}

| website = {{url|http://www.cbc.ca/wiretap}}

}}

WireTap is a half-hour-long radio show which aired on CBC Radio One from 2004 until 2015. An hour-long version of WireTap was distributed in the United States by Public Radio International.{{cite web | title ='WireTap' from PRI | publisher =Public Radio International | date =2007-01-08 | url =http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/pri/.artsmain/article/10/170/1012683/Programs/%27WireTap%27.from.PRI/ | accessdate =2007-06-10 | archive-date =29 September 2007 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20070929083134/http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/pri/.artsmain/article/10/170/1012683/Programs/%27WireTap%27.from.PRI/ | url-status =dead }} The show was hosted by Jonathan Goldstein, former producer of This American Life, and featured stories that were told as if over the phone with Goldstein.

The show fell into what had traditionally been CBC Radio One's comedy slot on Sunday afternoons, replacing Madly Off in All Directions, which moved to a different time slot. WireTap has been described as "a weekly half-hour of conversation, storytelling and introspection, culled from equal parts real-world experience and the warp of Goldstein's imagination."{{cite news | first = Murray | last = Whyte | url = https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/thestar/access/943167521.html?dids=943167521:943167521&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Dec+18%2C+2005&author=Murray+Whyte&pub=Toronto+Star&edition=&startpage=C.13&desc=Tapping+into+radio%27s+creative+potential | title = Tapping into radio's creative potential | work = The Toronto Star | page = C13 | date = 2005-12-18 | accessdate = 2012-03-01 | archive-date = 10 June 2008 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080610075359/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/thestar/access/943167521.html?dids=943167521:943167521&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Dec+18%2C+2005&author=Murray+Whyte&pub=Toronto+Star&edition=&startpage=C.13&desc=Tapping+into+radio%27s+creative+potential | url-status = dead }} Each show usually followed a particular investigative theme; show titles include: "Life Lessons", "Reach for the Top", "Prized Possessions" and "Our Fathers".

The series began in the summer of 2004 as a 10-episode experiment, after which it moved to its own regular time slot. It was recorded out of CBC's Montreal studios.

As of 2008, WireTap had a weekly listenership of 350,000.{{cite news |first = Roger |last = Collier |title = CBC host scours his world for topics; WireTap a varied collection of stories, essays and staged chats |newspaper = Edmonton Journal | page = C2 |date = 2008-05-31 }} In 2009, the show became available as a podcast.

On 19 August 2015, Goldstein announced that the show was ending after an 11-year run.{{cite web |url=http://www.cbc.ca/radio/wiretap/a-farewell-message-1.3195305 |title=A Farewell Message |last=Goldstein |first=Jonathan |publisher=CBC.ca |date=2015-08-19 |accessdate=2015-08-21}}

CBC has announced that during the summer of 2020, "57 selected episodes from WireTap's catalog" would be released as a podcast,{{cite web |url=https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/cult-classic-wiretap-is-back-as-a-podcast-1.5617595 |title=Cult classic WireTap is back — as a podcast |accessdate=2020-07-02 |date=2020-06-19 |publisher=CBC Podcasts }} with one episode airing on CBC Radio One each Monday night.{{cite web |url=https://www.cbc.ca/programguide/program/wiretap |title=CBC Program Guide: WireTap |accessdate=2020-07-02 }}