Fall season of Allan Gregg in Conversation launches with new interviews, a
special retrospective episode and a contest for booklovers

• Watch new shows Fridays at 10 pm ET starting September 17 and answer weekly trivia questions for the chance to win a Sony E-Reader and a signed book

TORONTO, Sept. 7 /CNW/ - As a forum for today's foremost thinkers to discuss their most influential and provocative ideas, TVO's Allan Gregg in Conversation announces a new season full of enlightening conversations with renowned authors from around the world, and a contest based on the new shows.

In addition to new interviews, the fall season includes a one-hour retrospective of conversations Allan Gregg has had over the years with some of the world's most influential and interesting people. Airing Friday October 1 at 10 pm ET, the special includes excerpts from interviews with Jean Chrétien, Jimmy Carter, Margaret Atwood, Salman Rushdie, Toni Morrison, Conrad Black, Naomi Klein, Richard Dawkins, Margaret MacMillan, Malcolm Gladwell and more.

Other highlights of the new season include:

• Annie Leonard - Friday September 17 at 10 pm ET
  Activist turned filmmaker Annie Leonard talks about her book The Story of Stuff, based on her travels around the globe tracking what happens to the stuff we produce, consume and throw away.

• Fatima Bhutto - Friday September 24 at 10 pm ET
  Fatima Bhutto, niece of the assassinated former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, talks about her memoir Songs of Blood and Sword. Her book is a firsthand account of the Bhutto family dynasty, whose tragic and violent story mirrors the history of modern Pakistan.

• Ayaan Hirsi Ali - Friday October 8 at 10 pm ET
  Ayaan Hirsi Ali discusses Nomad, the story of what happened after the Dutch director with whom she made a documentary about the domestic abuse of Muslim women was murdered by a radical Islamist, the death threats that forced her into hiding, and her bid to start a new life in America.

The Allan Gregg Contest launches along with the show's new season on Friday September 17, 2010. For four weeks, participants can watch a new episode of Allan Gregg in Conversation on TVO or online at tvo.org or TVO's YouTube page, and enter to win by answering a trivia question based on the content of the show. Each week, one lucky viewer will win a Sony Reader Pocket Edition and a signed copy of the author of the week's book.

Contest details:

• Contest runs from September 17 to October 15, 2010.
• Following the show's weekly television broadcast Fridays at 10 pm, a trivia question based on the first 10 minutes of the show will be posted at tvo.org/allangregg.
• Viewers can submit answers using the online entry form.
• Episodes will also be available for viewing on the website and on TVO's YouTube page throughout the week.
• Each week, entrants who correctly answer the trivia question will be entered into a random draw, and one weekly winner will receive a signed copy of the author of the week's book and a Sony Reader Pocket Edition.

About TVO

TVO is Ontario's public educational media organization and a trusted source of interactive educational content that informs, inspires and stimulates curiosity and thought. Celebrating 40 years in 2010, TVO's vision is to empower people to be engaged citizens of Ontario through educational media. TVO is funded primarily by the Province of Ontario and supported by thousands of donors. For more information, visit tvo.org.

Where to find TVO

Cable channel 2 (channel may vary in some areas), Rogers HD channel 580, Bell TV channel 265, Shaw Direct channel 353.

For further information:

Media contact:
Laura Wickett
TVO Communications
416.484.2600 ext. 5550
[email protected]