TVOat50
Podcasts
On September 27th, 1970, TVO signed onto the airwaves for the first time. It was an experiment in public broadcasting using television for education at a time when TV was considered the root of all evil. It went on to produce programming that shaped entire generations and change what it means to educate.
Hosted by Steve Paikin, TVOat50 brings you the story behind shows like The Polka Dot Door, Today’s Special, and Saturday Night at the Movies. Join us as we dive behind the scenes of half a century of programming.
Location:
Toronto, ON
Genres:
Podcasts
Description:
On September 27th, 1970, TVO signed onto the airwaves for the first time. It was an experiment in public broadcasting using television for education at a time when TV was considered the root of all evil. It went on to produce programming that shaped entire generations and change what it means to educate. Hosted by Steve Paikin, TVOat50 brings you the story behind shows like The Polka Dot Door, Today’s Special, and Saturday Night at the Movies. Join us as we dive behind the scenes of half a century of programming.
Language:
English
Website:
https://www.tvo.org/
Email:
dms@tvo.org
Episodes
The view from Queen's Park
12/14/2020
This is it, our last episode. So, we're going back to where TVO started: Queen's Park. Fifty years ago, the provincial broadcaster was created by former Minister of Education Bill Davis -and it still falls under the responsibility of that ministry.
Two former education ministers - Sandra Pupatello and Kathleen Wynne - and the former minister of training, colleges and universities, Dianne Cunningham, join Steve to gossip (remember when everyone thought Pupatello was cutting TVO's funding?) and swap stories.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Duration:00:21:04
Leading TVO's Digital Transformation
12/9/2020
Lisa de Wilde was TVO's longest-serving chief executive, spending over 14 years in the job. Her main goal was to bring the broadcaster into the 21st century. She joins Steve Paikin to discuss leading the digital transformation, the difficult process of cancelling shows, and what it was like to work with a government bent on budget cuts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Duration:00:20:46
Getting out of the Toronto media bubble
12/7/2020
Ontario is massive - the riding of Kenora alone is almost the size of Germany. And despite what some Torontonians might tell you, the provincial capital is not the centre of the universe.
That's why former chair and CEO Isabel Bassett saw covering the entire province as a huge part of her mission. She joins Steve to discuss her term, pushing TVO to speak to all Ontarians, and what she learned along the way.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Duration:00:18:10
How TVO fought off privatization
12/3/2020
What do you do when you are chair and CEO of a public broadcaster, and you hear your organization might be privatized? That was just one of the challenges Peter Herrndorf faced during his time at TVO. Steve speaks with Peter about his time at the helm and how he used backroom politics to keep the broadcaster public.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Duration:00:27:05
How TVO went digital
11/30/2020
When TVO launched in 1970, it had a mandate to educate Ontarians. It did that primarily by using television. Today the medium has evolved, but the mandate hasn't. Steve speaks with Karen Grose, who helped lead the digital transition, about adapting a legacy organization to new technology.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Duration:00:16:31
How employees behind the scenes bring TVO to life
11/26/2020
The host of a television series gets a disproportionate amount of attention - both good and bad. The reality is that a team of producers and technical crew are responsible for getting a show to air. Steve speaks with producer Wodek Szemberg and makeup artist Diane Rowe, two of TVO's longest serving employees.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Duration:00:29:39
How TVO became a leader in documentaries
11/23/2020
TVO's documentary team creates and commissions films designed to delight and enlighten Ontarians. Executive producer of documentaries Jane Jankovic joins host Steve Paikin to discuss the broadcaster's long history of documentary production - and what comes next.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Duration:00:31:59
The birth of The Agenda
11/18/2020
For 15 years, "The Agenda" has offered in-depth coverage of issues that matter to Ontarians. Host Steve Paikin speaks with founding executive producer Dan Dunsky about the show's notoriously prickly first guest and the principles behind the program. Then, they debate who was the bigger diva: the executive producer or the host?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Duration:00:29:24
Why TVO went big on foreign affairs
11/16/2020
Years ago, TVO was in a bit of a conundrum. It covered provincial affairs, but stories from beyond our borders also affected the lives of Ontarians. How could a small public broadcaster cover foreign affairs in a unique way?
On this episode, Steve Paikin speaks with Janice Stein, founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, who has been at the centre of TVO's foreign affairs coverage from the very beginningSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Duration:00:18:54
Intelligent daytime conversation on More to Life
11/12/2020
Maureen Taylor and Mary Ito remember the tiny set of TVO's phone-in talk show "More to Life" - but the conversation was much bigger. They join host Steve Paikin to discuss some memorable episodes, tackling tough conversations, and the time Steve guest-hosted the program while drunk.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Duration:00:26:23
Big Names and Big Conversations
11/9/2020
For a decade, "Allan Gregg in Conversation With..." hosted some the world's biggest thinkers, authors, and artists. No topic was off limits, and no question too tough. The show used a conversational style to explore topics in depth. Becky Fong, a producer on the program, joins Steve Paikin to share stories about the show's most memorable guests.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Duration:00:31:29
Exploring TVO's Biggest Productions
11/3/2020
On "Journeys," host Lauren Millar went on exhilarating adventures, like flying in the cockpit of a Snowbird. In this interview with Steve Paikin, she says it was equally special to spend time with the plane's pilot, Marlene Shillingford - the group's first female member and the many other scientists, engineers, and extraordinary people she profiled.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Duration:00:19:52
Studio 2
11/2/2020
For over a decade, "Studio 2" was a leader in Canadian current affairs coverage. It wasn't the news; it was a show about the news. Jane Jankovic, a senior producer on the program, joins Steve Paikin to discuss memorable moments - including the time a certain host lost his voice from too much karaoke before he was set to interview the premier.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Duration:00:26:03
Provincial affairs with 4th Reading
10/29/2020
Producer Janice Neil remembers getting on the phone every day, to try and get premier Bob Rae onto 4th Reading, TVO's provincial affairs panel. When Rae's staff finally called back, they gave her a condition: Don't ask about the scandals. Much to the chagrin of his aides, host Steve Paikin didn't hold back and Rae, who might not have known about the conditions, wasn't phased. Janice joins Steve to discuss building that memorable interview and much more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Duration:00:30:24
Between the Lines
10/26/2020
Before The Agenda there was Between the Lines - a town hall-style program in which groups of experts discussed a topic in front of a live audience. It was also Steve Paikin's first hosting gig at TVO. Former producer Howard Bernstein joins Steve to offer a look behind the scenes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Duration:00:24:15
Prisoners of Gravity
10/22/2020
TVO has broadcast its share of quirky shows, but none more so than Prisoners of Gravity. It was hosted by "commander" Rick Green, who fled Earth for his space station. There, he interviewed luminaries in the science fiction and comic book worlds - such as Ray Bradbury, Harlan Ellison, Stan Lee, and Jack Kirby.
Green joins Steve Paikin to discuss the show's influence and share some behind-the-scenes moments.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Duration:00:28:07
TFO: A bilingual service for Ontarians
10/19/2020
In its early years, TVO devoted every Sunday to French language programming. Eventually, the province spun off that programming into the province's official French language broadcaster, TFO. Host Steve Paikin speaks with Gisèle Quenneville, senior producer at TFO, about the broadcaster's mission and origins.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Duration:00:26:20
How TVO Found Its Telethon Superstar
10/15/2020
Joanne Souaid's name is synonymous with TVO's fundraising telethons. She joins host Steve Paikin to discuss addressing Ontarians, hat in hand, to ask for a small donation in exchange for high-quality educational programming.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Duration:00:18:28
In Dialogue With the Stars
10/13/2020
As the host of Dialogue, Richard Ouzounian interviewed Ontario's actors, choreographers, broadcasters, comedians, and filmmakers. Now, TVO's former creative head of arts joins host Steve Paikin to discuss his most memorable celebrity interviews - and how arts programming changed during his tenure.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Duration:00:26:19
Saturday Night at the Movies
10/8/2020
For nearly 40 years, TVO presented Ontarians with classic films and interviews with their cast and crew. Producer Risa Shuman made it all work. She joins host Steve Paikin to discuss landing her role, working with legendary host Elwy Yost, and the emotional finale of Saturday Night at the Movies.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Duration:00:22:20