Breakfast Television (Citytv Toronto)

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BT logo 1989 - 2005

Liza and Kevin on the set, 2004.

Breakfast Television, also known as BT, is a Canadian morning news and entertainment program which airs on the Citytv Toronto. The program is simulcast on Toronto news channel CP24, and A-Channel Barrie, who edits the program with their own news content.

Five other channels use the format (see Breakfast Television), creating content relevant to their own local audiences.

BT tends to be more relaxed and spontaneous than American morning shows. Unlike American morning shows, it does not have pre-taped segments that are focused on current events or socio-political issues. The guests tend to be more human interest, informational, and promotional in nature and there is less of a focus on true celebrities.^[1]

The show has a segment called LiveEye, in which Jennifer Valentyne tours around the Greater Toronto Area, to businesses, tourist attractions, etc. Valentyne has also broadcast from Walt Disney World^[2] and Newfoundland.^[3]

After the CTVglobemedia takeover of CHUM Limited, Frankish told viewers that "I have it on good authority that they are also big fans of BT and don't want to mess with it."^[4]

1 History
2 Set
3 Events
4 Personalities
- 4.1 Past personalities
- 4.2 Guest co-hosts
5 Crew
6 Notes
7 References
8 External links

[edit] History

Breakfast Television debuted in 1989, with host Ann Rohmer and news anchor David Onley. In 1994, Onley left the show to focus on Citynews, being replaced by CKVR (now A-Channel Barrie) personality Kevin Frankish.

Co-host Liza Fromer quit her job at BT on 25 July, days after the birth of her child. Kevin Frankish has blogged that her departure from the show was "on the absolute best of terms." Fromer is negotiating returning to BT in some form.^[4] BT encouraged people to send audition tapes for consideration.

On October 13, 2006 Dina Pugliese became the new co-host of the show.

[edit] Set

Like MuchMusic, the Breakfast Television studio has windows facing Queen Street West. As a result, passerbys are shown on camera, in behind the hosts and guests. While most American morning shows now have similar areas, Citytv was the first to have such a layout. As a result, area employees are repeatedly seen,^[5] as well as people marketing nearby businesses while wear chicken costumes.^[4] On topless street performer, "Zanta", was so much of a visual distraction that CHUM filed court documents to have him banned from the building's area.^[6]

Sixty minutes after BT ends, the studio is used for another series, CityLine.

[edit] Events

Every August since 2005, BT has organized a "Viewer Appreciation Day", held in the BT parking lot.^[7] Gates open at 6 am, and closed due to capacity crowds early into 7 am. Some people began camping out at BT at 5:30 pm the day before.^[7]

They hold an annual public Christmas party, in promotion of the ChumCity Christmas Wish and Daily Bread Foodbank. In 2006, the event was at the Sheraton Centre.

[edit] Personalities

Main anchor: Kevin Frankish (1994 - present)
Co-host: Dina Pugliese (October 13, 2006-present)^[8]
Weather: Frank Ferragine (September 26, 2005 - present)
LiveEye: Jennifer Valentyne
Top story reporter (LiveEye): Tracy Moore (September 2005 - present), Pam Seatle (occasionally in summer 2006)
Transit/traffic reports: Mika Midolo of TTC Transit Control, Bob Summers (of CHUM-FM Traffic Centre)
A-Channel News: Sharon Posius
A-Channel York Region Transit, Gary Archibald (July 2006-present)

[edit] Past personalities

Ann Rohmer (host, 1989 - 2001, reassigned to CP24, and is an occasional fill-in host for Kevin Frankish)
David Onley (news, 1989 - 1994)
John Whaley (sports)
Steve Anthony (LiveEye)
Roger Petersen (top story reporter, LiveEye, now at Citytv Vancouver (CKVU)
Hugh Burrill (sports, reassigned as a sports anchor on CityNews)
Nalini Sharma (weather, August 2003 - September 23, 2005, re-assigned to CityNews weekend editions)
Dave Pinton (top story reporter, LiveEye, 2004 - September 2005)
Liza Fromer (host, 2001 - July 2006)

[edit] Guest co-hosts

Kathryn Humphreys (July 2006)
Traci Melchor (July 2006)
Frank Ferragine (31 July-4 August 2006)
Laura DiBattista (14-18 August 2006, as well as "a few years ago")^[9]
Jee-Yun Lee (28 August-1 September 2006)
Merella Fernandez (5-8 September 2006)
Melissa Grelo (September 2006)
Dina Pugliese (September 25-28, 2006)
Nalini Sharma (September 29, 2006)

[edit] Crew

Note that this list is purposely incomplete, and only includes crew that Frankish's "Inside BT" blog has devoted an entire post to.

Producer: Robert Lawlor^[10]
Floor director: Jessica Vander Kooij,^[11] who appears semi-regularly on camera
BT Diner operator, BT contest line operator^[12]: Angelica Montesano^[13] (Off BT, Montesano is a singer^[14] and actress, who has a lead role in The Adventures of Fuming Chu.

[edit] Notes

In July 2006, Frankish has blogged that producers were considering facilitating a studio audience.^[4] The renovated set did not include this.
Just as many people within the CityNews team started off on the CHUM phoneline, both Jennifer Valentyne and segment producer Kevin Forreget started by working at "the BT Diner".^[15]
Kevin Frankish has publicly discussed his panic attacks with viewers, on air.^[16]
Frankish still lives in Barrie with his family, despite hosting the Toronto-based series since 1994. He generally wakes up at 2 am to get to the studio on time, often filming early morning incidents along the way.