TVO celebrates 20 years with Steve Paikin and invites Ontarians to take part

TORONTO, Oct. 23, 2012 /CNW/ - TVO's Steve Paikin has interviewed, moderated, analyzed, blogged and tweeted his way into Ontario's fabric. This fall, TVO is marking Steve's 20 years as current affairs host with Ontario's educational media organization and inviting Ontarians to take part.

Starting today TVO will share 20 memorable moments over 20 days on Twitter (#Paikin20) inviting fans to tweet their appreciation for Steve's contribution to civic engagement and informed debate in Ontario. Beginning October 30, members of the public can also visit tvo.org/paikin20 to leave a congratulatory message for Steve.

During his time at TVO Steve has built a reputation as one of Canada's most respected journalists. In September Steve began his seventh season as anchor and senior editor of The Agenda with Steve Paikin, which is known for providing the most in-depth analysis and debate on the big issues shaping the province and the world, on air and online.

In his career at TVO Steve has interviewed newsmakers as diverse as Stephen Harper, Paul Martin, Jean Chrétien and Brian Mulroney, Mikhail Gorbachev, Henry Kissinger, Conrad Black, Jane Goodall, Salman Rushdie, Randy Bachman, fellow native Hamiltonian, Martin Short, and Ontario premiers and former premiers from William Davis to Dalton McGuinty. Thoughtful questioning and a drive to tackle complex issues are hallmarks of Steve's work. In an environment where traditional long-format interviews and debates are becoming increasingly rare, Steve has proven that citizens still want - and benefit from - engaged nuanced discussion.

"If anyone said to me 20 years ago that I would get to meet and talk to all the fascinating people that I've had the good fortune to interview during my time at TVO I would have said they were crazy," says Steve Paikin. "I feel privileged to have worked with such a talented group of people as I have at TVO and to anchor a program such as The Agenda."

Before The Agenda, Steve co-hosted Between the Lines for two years and Studio 2 for 12 years, and anchored Fourth Reading for 14 years, and Diplomatic Immunity for eight years. He has also moderated the past three federal and two Ontario election debates.

"Congratulations to Steve for 20 years of engaging and informative journalism that has helped Ontarians to better understand our province and the world around us," says Lisa de Wilde, Chief Executive Officer of TVO. "Steve's dedication to public service and his leadership in embracing new opportunities for citizen engagement in the digital space have really helped to elevate public discourse across the province."

This fall TVO will roll out a series of on air and online vignettes to mark Steve's 20 years with the organization, in which the tables are turned on the renowned interviewer and he is the one answering questions about his life and career. The organization will also celebrate Steve's 20 years at a special fundraising dinner for TVO on November 8 at Grano Restaurant in Toronto. Special guests at the sold-out event will include former Ontario premiers William Davis, David Peterson, Bob Rae, Mike Harris and Ernie Eves. This celebration is presented by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario, who also sponsor The Agenda with Steve Paikin.

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. TVO is funded primarily by the Province of Ontario and is a registered charity supported by sponsors and thousands of donors. For more information, visit tvo.org.

Where to Find TVO

On air: Cable channel 2 (may vary in some areas) Bell TV channel 209 TVO HD on Bell Fibe TV channel 1209 Rogers TVO HD channel 580 Rogers-On-Demand channel 100 Shaw Direct channel 353	Websites: tvo.org tvokids.com tvoparents.com ilc.org	Online: Yahoo! YouTube Rogers-On-Demand-Online iTunes BlackBerry App World™	Connect: Facebook Twitter

 

 

SOURCE: TVO

Media Contact:

Paul Ginis
TVO Communications and Marketing
416.484.2600 x 2445
[email protected]