Live at 5 (CTV TV series)
Live at 5 (known officially as CTV News: Live At 5) is a popular hour-long television newsmagazine airing weekdays at 5:00 p.m. on the CTV Atlantic system in Atlantic Canada.
History
The program was first broadcast in September 1982 as The ATV Evening News: Live At 5. It is loosely based on and named after the now defunct WNBC-TV program Live at Five and was suggested as a concept by News Consultant Jacques De Suze.[1] The program evolved out of its predecessors: I-D or In-Depth, and The Notebook, both of which were also hosted by Live at 5's first host, the late Dave Wright.
Live At 5 became part of the first ninety minute block of news on a local television station in Canada, the first 5:00 p.m. newscast in the country and the first daily, local television newsmagazine in Canadian television history.[2]
The program is unique in that name of the anchor of the six o'clock newscast was always included in the opening credits of the program and that tradition continues to this day.
For many years, it was Canada's highest rated local television program based on market share. It remains the most watched television show in the region according to the Bureau of Broadcast Measurement, even ahead of any prime time programming.
The program celebrated its 20th anniversary with a Maritime province tour and a book about the show's history, Live at 5: The Story Behind it's Success, written by former co-host Steve Murphy, in 2002.
Format
After an update and preview of the 6 p.m. newscast, the program starts with First at 5, a series of 3-4 reports centering around a single topic that is frequently influenced by the news of the day. The next segment is usually an interview of a newsmaker, community leader or celebrity, followed by a health or consumer report. The first 30 minutes is rounded out by the Milestones segment, where the hosts read a list of viewers celebrating 50-year and 60+ year wedding anniversaries or 100th+ birthdays, accompanied by photos.
The second half hour starts with a weather forecast, followed by another human interest report and another news update at 5:40. Section 6, a daily arts and entertainment segment hosted by Maria Panopalis, follows the news update. Section 6 is best known for its showcase of funny and bizarre YouTube videos along with the entertainment news of the day. The content of two final segments vary from day to day. Section 6 is the third name for the entertainment segment on Live At 5 and replaced Take 5 in the fall of 2010.
Regular features
- Maritimer of the Week - It is an award presented each Friday to a person nominated by a viewer for community service or heroic deeds.
- Plays of the Week - One of the most popular features of the program. It started in 1983. Each Friday, CTV sports reporter Paul Hollingsworth presents a recap the top sports plays.
- Live at 5 Gets Cookin' - A weekly cooking segment that features host Starr Dobson and a culinary instructor from NSCC (Nova Scotia Community College) preparing a dish and providing the recipe for viewers.
- Live at 5 Garden Guide - A segment focused on gardening tips that mainly airs in the spring and summer seasons. It was originally hosted by Ron Kronstein. Since he was let go in 2003, the segment has aired much less frequently.
- Milestones - One of the oldest features of the program, the two co-hosts read anniversary and birthday wishes of those who have been married 50 years or more and those who are turing 100 years old or more. The greetings are mailed or e-mailed in by viewers along with a photo that accompanies the greeting. This feature happens usually once or twice during each program, depending on the amount of time alloted during each program.
- Weather Watchers - Another long-running feature. Cindy Day or the fill-in weather anchor feature three weather-related drawings, which young viewers mail to the station, during the weather forecast. This is also a feature on CTV News at 6:00 p.m. weekend editions.
- In Our Backyard - A weekly feature in which Maria Panopalis travels to a different Maritimer's home, a point of interest or a hidden gem each Monday to showcase the unique way of life and beautiful surroundings in the Maritimes. Originally, this segment was a promotional vehicle for Nova Scotia Tourism and ran each week during the summer of 2010. The segment became so popular that it became a regular, weekly feature in the fall of 2010. It airs each Monday.
Past regular features
- ATV On Your Side - Consumer report
- ATV House Calls - Medical report
- Pete's Frootique - A bi-weekly segment featuring unique and obscure fruits and vegetables with Pete Luckett
- The Scene - a daily entertainment segment. It was eliminated after former host MariAnna Bachynsky left to become an entertainment reporter for the show Inside Jam! on the now-defunct Sun TV.
- Ask a Vet - A local veterinarian answers e-mail questions relating to pet health and behaviour.
- Mrs. Fixit -- Syndicated home improvement feature hosted by "Mrs. Fixit" (Terri McGraw).
- Take 5 - The second incarnation of the entertainment segment that added stories on upcoming events and local artists and artisans. Became Section 6 after Liz Rigney became Director of Promotions and Community Relations in the fall of 2010.
Personalities
- Main anchors: Starr Dobson (2003–present), Bruce Frisko (2003–present)
- Weather: Cindy Day (September 17, 2007 – present)
- News: Steve Murphy (1993–present)
- Entertainment (Section 6)/In Our Backyard: Maria Panopalis (September 7, 2010 – present)
- Past hosts:
- Nancy Regan (anchor) (1988–2003)
- Ron Kronstein (anchor) (1998–2003)
- Yvonne Colbert ("On Your Side" consumer reporter) (1993-1998), (anchor) (1997–1998) - also former co-anchor of ASN's Atlantic Pulse
- Paul Mennier (Sports) (1983–1993), (anchor) (1993–1997)
- Steve Murphy (anchor) (1986–1993), (commentator) (1982–1986)
- Laura Lee Langley (anchor) (1986–1988) - later at CIHF-TV
- Dave Wright (anchor) (1982–1986), (news anchor) (1988–1993) - died Feb. 17, 2011, age 82.
- MariAnna Bachynsky (entertainment) (2002 - October 2005)
- Todd Battis (entertainment) (1998–2002) - later at CBAT-TV, as anchor of CBC News: New Brunswick at Six, returned to CTV Atlantic in August 2009.
- Peter Coade (meteorologist) (1998 to August 31, 2007) - now meteorologist for CBHT-DT and CBAT-DT's CBC News at Six newscasts
- Bruce Graham (news anchor) (1982–1988) - later at CIHF-TV, now retired.
- Richard Zurawski (meteorologist) (1988–1993) - now at CJNI-FM
- Steve Weagle (meteorologist) (1993–1998) - now at WPTV-TV West Palm Beach, Florida
- Liz Rigney ("Take 5" Entertainment) (2005–2010) - now Promotions and Community Relations Director for CTV Atlantic
- Paul Lethbridge (Sports) (1982–1983)
- Past segment reporters/hosts:
- Yvonne Colbert ("On Your Side" consumer reporter)
- Dr. AJ ("House Calls" health reporter) - later at CBHT Halifax
- Dr. Stewart Cameron (Health reporter)
- Debi Forsyth-Smith (Consumer reporter)
- Susan Dunn (Environmental reporter/ Weather presenter)
- Pete Luckett (Host of "Pete's Frootique" segment) - now with Food Network Canada
- Terri McGraw (Host of syndicated Mrs. Fix-it segment)
References
- ^ Murphy, Steve. Live at 5: The Story Behind it's Success. Halifax: Nimbus Publishing, 2002. p. 16.
- ^ Murphy, pp. 7, 16.
External links