Breakfast Television (Citytv Toronto)

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Liza and Kevin on the set, 2004.
Liza and Kevin on the set, 2004.

Breakfast Television, also known as BT, is a Canadian morning news and entertainment program produced by Citytv Toronto. It also airs on CP24 and A-Channel Barrie, the latter of which edits the program with its own news content. This arrangement came when the three stations were under the common ownership of CHUM Limited; although they have since been sold to different owners (Citytv Toronto to Rogers Media, and the other two to CTVglobemedia), the CTV-owned outlets continue to air the program.

Five other stations in the country use the name and the format (see Breakfast Television), creating content relevant to their own local audiences. All other A-Channel stations also produce their own similar morning shows under the name A-Channel Morning.

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]

Contents

[edit] History

Breakfast Television debuted on September 6, 1989, with host Ann Rohmer and news anchor David Onley. In 1994, Onley left the show to focus on CityPulse, being replaced by Kevin Frankish, who up to that point was BT's traffic specialist and previously was a reporter for Barrie's CKVR. Liza Fromer replaced Ann Rohmer in 2001, but then left the show in July 2006, after the birth of her child. Kevin Frankish blogged that her departure from the show was "on the absolute best of terms." On October 13, 2006 Dina Pugliese became the new co-host of the show, after a summer of guest co-hosts.

Jennifer Valentyne was previously the singing weather girl; she replaced Steve Anthony on the LiveEye segment after he left the station. Hugh Burrill presented the sports segment and also took part in early morning host chats before being assigned to a later time slot.

With the absence of Hugh Burrill, Nalini Sharma joined the BT team as a weather presenter. She went on maternity leave in 2005 and returned that September, before being reassigned to a different time slot. Frank Ferragine, the fill-in presenter during her maternity leave, returned.

Roger Petersen used to be the morning reporter on BT before moving to Citytv Vancouver in 2004 (he is currently at CFTO-TV). His replacement, Dave Pinton, left in 2005, and Tracy Moore is currently the live reporter for BT.

[edit] Set

Like MuchMusic, the Breakfast Television studio has windows facing Queen Street West. As a result, passers-by are shown on camera, behind the hosts and guests. While many American morning shows now have similar storefront studios, Citytv was the first to have such a layout[citation needed]. As a result, area employees are repeatedly seen,[4] as well as people marketing nearby businesses while wearing chicken costumes.[5] A 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.

On October 22, 2007, Rogers Media announced plans to move its television stations in Toronto (Citytv, OMNI.1 and OMNI.2) and its sports radio station The Fan 590 to 35 Dundas Street East, the former Olympic Spirit building on Dundas Square. The move is scheduled for March 2009.[7] Citytv has indicated that the program will continue with its traditional streetfront studio format in its new location. On January 18, 2008, BT held its first-ever broadcast from 35 Dundas Street East where the morning team was getting ready to begin the renovation of the new studio location. [1]

In 2008, CTV's eTalk moved its entire base of operations to 299 Queen Street West and taking up residence in the same studio as BT/CityLine. One entire wall and several pillars have been fitted with video screens and a red and white color scheme displaying the eTalk logo. Citytv covers this up with a blue curtain for Breakfast Television and CityLine. CTV-owned Star! sometimes uses this set for its weekly film based program, Star! at the Movies as well as for Star! Update on CP24.

[edit] Events

Every August since 2005, BT has organized a "Viewer Appreciation Day", held in the BT parking lot.[8] 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.[8]

The BT team also holds 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

[edit] Past personalities

[edit] Guest co-hosts

[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[11]

[edit] Past crew

  • Floor director: Jessica Vander Kooij,[12] who appears semi-regularly on camera - Jessica has taken a position @ BT in Vancouver in a production role.
  • BT Diner operator, BT contest line operator[13]: Angelica Montesano[14] (Off BT, Montesano is a singer[15] 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.[5] 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".[16]
  • Kevin Frankish has publicly discussed his panic attacks with viewers, on air.[17]
  • 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.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Note that Leslie Nielsen, Marie Osmond, and Lucas Rossi have all appeared in recent months.
  2. ^ Inside BT blog: "Jenn's Disney Trip", 10 November 2006.
  3. ^ Inside BT blog: "A Visit from J.D. FORTUNE & Getting Ready for VIEWER APPRECIATION DAY", 11 August 2006.
  4. ^ CityNews: Inside BT
  5. ^ a b Inside BT blog: "Why Did The Chicken Cross Queen Street", 22 November 2006.
  6. ^ Burnett, Thane. "Zanta's claws pulled by a court", The Toronto Sun, 2005-11-07. Retrieved on 2006-12-06. 
  7. ^ "Preview Citytv's New Home", CityNews.ca, January 11, 2008.
  8. ^ a b Inside BT blog: "Second BT Viewer Appreciation Day A Smash Success", 11 August 2006.
  9. ^ Inside BT Blog: "DINA IS THE ONE!!!!", 13 October 2006.
  10. ^ Inside BT Blog: "The Wink", 14 August 2006.
  11. ^ CityNews: Meet Our Producer, Robert Lawlor
  12. ^ Inside BT blog: You Asked about..."JESSICA", 20 July 2006
  13. ^ Inside BT blog: "The Contest Phone", 18 July 2006.
  14. ^ Inside BT blog: You Asked About..."The Diner Girl", 10 July 2006.
  15. ^ Myspace: Angelica Montesano
  16. ^ CityNews: Inside BT
  17. ^ Inside BT blog: "Panic Attacks", 31 July 2006.

[edit] External links

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