Breakfast Television

This article is about the Canadian television show. For the concept of breakfast television shows in general, see Breakfast television.
Breakfast Television
Genre Breakfast television
Starring Various hosts
Country of origin Canada
Original language(s) English
Production
Location(s) Toronto
Vancouver
Edmonton
Calgary
Montreal
(locally produced in each city)
Production company(s) Rogers Media
Broadcast
Original channel City
Original run September 9, 1989 (Toronto)
July 22, 2002 (Vancouver)
August 2, 2005
(Edmonton and Calgary)
August 2, 2005-January 6, 2015
(Winnipeg)
August 26, 2013 (Montreal) – present
External links
Website

Breakfast Television (BT) is a Canadian morning news and entertainment program which airs on five City stations (in Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, and Montreal). Each of these stations produce their own local edition of Breakfast Television. CHMI-DT in Winnipeg produced its own version of the show up until January 6, 2015.

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 little focus on celebrities. This was likely born out of necessity in the early years of BT, but it is most likely a simple matter of preference or style now.

When celebrity guests come on the show, they most often reminisce about their career in general, or are promoting charitable causes. This differs from the American standard of appearing to promote new movies or television series. That said, in recent years, as City has moved towards a series-based primetime schedule, appearances from celebrities featured on its own programs have increased.

On September 5, 2011, each of the local editions of Breakfast Television across all of the City owned-and-operated stations began starting a half-hour earlier, running from 5:30–9 a.m.[1] In April 2012, the Winnipeg edition reverted back to the 6-9 a.m. runtime. The Montreal edition, which launched on August 26, 2013, also runs from 6-9 a.m.

Toronto edition

Breakfast Television premiered on September 9, 1989 with co-hosts Ann Rohmer and David Onley, with MuchMusic VJ Steve Anthony broadcasting from a different spot around the area each day.

Co-host Liza Fromer quit her job at BT in July 2006, days after the birth of her child. Kevin Frankish has blogged that her departure from the show was "on the absolute best of terms". BT has encouraged people to send audition tapes for consideration. During the summer of 2006, a number of CHUM personalities were invited to guest co-host with Kevin Frankish in the search for the next permanent host. The guest hosts included CityNews sports anchor Kathryn Humphreys, health specialist Laura DiBattista, consumer specialist Jee-Yun-Lee, former Citytv weather specialist Nalini Sharma, former reporter Melissa Grelo, etalk correspondent Tracy Melchor, BT's own Jennifer Valentyne, and Star!'s Dina Pugliese. On October 13, 2006, Dina Pugliese became the new co-host of the show.

While the Live Eye tours around the Greater Toronto Area most of the time, Jennifer Valentyne has broadcast from Walt Disney World and Newfoundland.[2] Frankish has blogged that producers are considering facilitating a studio audience.[3]

Every August since 2005, BT has organized a "Viewer Appreciation Day", held in the BT parking lot.[4] Gates open at 6 a.m., and closed due to capacity crowds early into 7 a.m. Some people began camping out at BT at 5:30 p.m. the day before the 2006 Viewer Appreciation Day.[4] Breakfast Television has also held other events, such as a successful world record attempt and a Christmas party.

Just as many people within the CityNews team started off on the CHUM phoneline, both Jennifer Valentyne and producer Kevin Forget started by working at "the BT Diner".[5]

Kevin Frankish has publicly discussed his panic attacks with viewers, on air.[6]

Notable on-air presenters

Current

Anchors/hosts

Former

Vancouver edition

CKVU launched Breakfast Television in 2002. Since its launch, little has changed in the show, with the exception of the news/weather/time bars on BT. At its launch, the screen consisted two small see through bars, one bar vertically on the left side and one bar horizontally along the bottom providing news, weather and traffic. As consistent with other Breakfast Television variations on its sister stations, there currently sits one large horizontal bar at the bottom of the screen providing flash news, weather and traffic. On January 19, 2010, the length of BT was shortened from four hours to three hours, and six employees as a result of "severe financial issues" with the Citytv stations.

The original hosts of Breakfast Television were Michael Eckford and Fiona Forbes, then they were replaced by Shane Foxman and Beverley Mahood, and since 2005, Simi Sara and Dave Gerry hosted the morning show, but as of August 13, 2008, they were let go.

A new format for Breakfast Television debuted in September 2008, with a new traffic and TransLink reporter. As part of Rogers Media's May 3, 2012 renewal of its affiliation agreement with Jim Pattison Group-owned Citytv affiliates CKPG-TV/Prince George, CFJC-TV/Kamloops and CHAT-TV/Medicine Hat, the three stations will begin simulcasting the Vancouver edition of Breakfast Television on September 1, 2012 as part of an expansion of Citytv programming on the stations, which will follow the program grid of CKVU (with breakaways from the Vancouver program grid for their weekday evening and midday newscasts and other locally-produced programs).[7]

Notable on-air presenters

Current

Former

Calgary and Edmonton editions

CHUM Limited purchased Craig Media in late 2004. The $265 million (CAD) deal included, among other things, Craig's three A-Channel stations (CKAL-TV in Calgary, Alberta; CKEM-TV in Edmonton, Alberta and CHMI-TV in Winnipeg, Manitoba - more on their version below.

In February 2005, CHUM announced that the A-Channel stations would be relaunched as Citytv stations by that fall. The morning show on the original A-Channel stations, The Big Breakfast, was relaunched as Breakfast Television on August 2, 2005, when stations were overhauled as Citytv. The A-Channel brand was subsequently transferred to CHUM's NewNet stations whose own morning programs were retitled A-Channel Morning.

Edmonton presenters

Notable former presenters

Calgary presenters

Current presenters

Past presenters

Montreal edition

Rogers was granted approval by the CRTC on December 20, 2012 to acquire CJNT Montreal and convert it from a multicultural station to a fully English City station. As part of the approval, Rogers had until September 1, 2013 to produce local programming on the station, which included a three hour Montreal edition of Breakfast Television.[9]

On June 6, 2013, Rogers announced that the Montreal edition of Breakfast Television would premiere on August 26, 2013, and would be hosted by Alexandre Despatie and Joanne Vrakas.[10]

Notable on-air presenters


Current

Former Editions

Winnipeg

CHMI-TV in Winnipeg, Manitoba produced a version of Breakfast Television from August 2nd, 2005 to January 6th, 2015 - the station was purchased along with CKAL-DT in Calgary and CKEM-DT in Edmonton. It was replaced with a simulcast of 92 CITI FM's Wheeler in the Morning starting on January 12, 2015. The final hosts were Courtney Ketchen, Jeremy John, Jenna Khan and Drew Kozub. Jenna Khan and Drew Kozub were retained as co-hosts for TV-only exclusive segments of Wheeler in the Morning.

Notable former presenters

Atlantic Canada

From 1992 to 2011, the Atlantic Satellite Network (ASN) in Atlantic Canada, now known as CTV Two Atlantic, aired its own local version of BT. At the time of its launch, ASN and Citytv (Toronto) were both owned by CHUM Limited, and both channels had a similar overall movies-focused format. The Atlantic edition of BT was similar to the Toronto version, but with a greater emphasis on the culture of the region, as matters such as commuter traffic are typically less of a concern in Atlantic Canada.

ASN was acquired by Baton Broadcasting (predecessor of the present-day Bell Media) in 1997, but was permitted to continue using Breakfast Television as the title of its morning show. In August 2011, the Atlantic Canada program finally adopted a new name, CTV Morning Live, in keeping with the launch (or relaunch) of local morning shows under the same title on CTV and CTV Two stations in various parts of Canada.

References

  1. ↑ Citytv Launches News at Five and Breakfast Television at 5:30 am
  2. ↑ Inside BT blog: "A Visit from J.D. Fortune & Getting Ready for Viewer Appreciation Day", 11 August 2006.
  3. ↑ Inside BT blog: "You Asked...", 28 July 2006.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Inside BT blog: "Second BT Viewer Appreciation Day A Smash Success", 11 August 2006.
  5. ↑ CityNews: Inside BT
  6. ↑ Inside BT blog: "Panic Attacks", 31 July 2006.
  7. ↑ Citytv and Pattison Group Sign Affiliate Agreement, Broadcaster Magazine, May 3, 2012.
  8. ↑ Flug, Shane (February 3, 2014). "On-Location with Breakfast Television's Jill Belland". Freq. Magazine. Retrieved May 9, 2014.
  9. ↑ Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2012-697, December 20, 2012.
  10. ↑ "Alexandre Despatie named co-host of City Montreal’s morning show". The Gazette, June 8, 2013.
  11. ↑ Scurfield, Maureen (6 October 2010). "Popular host says sayonara to Breakfast Television". Winnipeg Free Press (Winnipeg MB). Retrieved 25 July 2011.

External links