The weekend radio program with the most listeners in British Columbia is North by Northwest, which is sometimes referred to as "NXNW".

It's an arts-oriented show that has been on CBC Radio One from 6 to 9 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday mornings since 1997.

This morning, the long-time host, Sheryl MacKay, acknowledged that she sometimes receives emails from people who are confused about its name.

So she decided to explain where it came from.

The original host was David Grierson, a classical clarinetist and former jazz columnist at the Georgia Straight.

He later hosted CBC's On the Island show in Victoria. In 2004, he died of a heart attack, which he suffered at the age of 49 while working on a story in Tofino.

Grierson had an encyclopedic knowledge of arts and culture in B.C. His death shook this community in particular, given that it occurred while he was in the prime of his broadcasting career.

MacKay revealed this morning that Grierson's favourite movie of all time was the Alfred Hitchcock classic North by Northwest, starring Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, and James Mason.

She also pointed out that Grierson was well aware of the cultural significance of the annual South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas.

So Grierson thought that by calling his show North by Northwest, it was a subtle way to indicate that his program would incorporate some of the same elements.

In honour of Grierson, the warm-hearted MacKay has never pushed to change the name of the show.