London plays host to TVO's The Agenda with Steve Paikin live tonight at 8 pm
ET

- First of three On the Road tour broadcasts explores how Ontario is being reinvented in the new economy

- Broadcast on location from the campus of the University of Western Ontario

TORONTO , Feb. 1 /CNW/ - London , Ontario will play a vital role in an innovative social media experiment today when TVO and The Agenda with Steve Paikin broadcasts the first of three shows in its 2010 On the Road tour looking at how the province is reinventing itself coming out of the recession.

The live broadcast at 8 pm ET at Conron Hall on the campus of the University of Western Ontario (UWO) follows the TVO-hosted, participant-led community forum called AgendaCamp held yesterday at UWO in which members of the public gathered with community leaders to brainstorm about issues affecting Southwestern Ontario. The discussions held at AgendaCamp will determine the content of tonight's program.

"We had a terrific day yesterday at AgendaCamp," says anchor and senior editor Steve Paikin. "A lot of good ideas were raised. We're trying something a little different with our show tonight in that everyone who came out to the camp yesterday was a producer in some way because they set the agenda for what you will to see tonight."

Guests for tonight's program who also participated in AgendaCamp include:

    
    -   Amit Chakma, President, University of Western Ontario
    -   Paul Berton, Editor-in-Chief, London Free Press
    -   Peter White, President and CEO, London Economic Development
        Corporation
    

Topics raised at AgendaCamp included: how to retain graduates in London ; how to foster more citizen participation; what are the changing social, educational, health needs of the region; and what do London and Southwestern Ontario have going for them economically in the 21st century.

"TVO is part of the social fabric of Ontario," says TVO's Chief Executive Officer Lisa de Wilde. "And our On the Road events are all about building cohesive communities by enabling a province-wide conversation on what we need to become a global leader for the 21st century. It's a great example of what makes public television in Ontario so unique: our goal is to make a positive difference in people's lives."

For more information about The Agenda with Steve Paikin: On the Road tour and to follow some of the discussions begun at the London AgendaCamp, please visit www.tvo.org/agendacamp.

The next dates for The Agenda with Steve Paikin: On the Road are:

    
    -   February 28 and March 1 2010 - Brockville
    -   March 21 and 22 2010 - Timmins
    

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. TVO's vision is to empower people to be engaged citizens of Ontario through educational media. For more information, visit tvo.org.

Where to find TVO

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

For further information: Media contacts: Paul Ginis, TVO Communications, [phone] x2445, [email protected]; Angela Garde, TVO Communications, [phone] x2305, [email protected]