Chris Van Vliet

Christopher "Chris" Van Vliet (born 1983 in Pickering, Ontario) is a Canadian television/radio personality, professional film critic, and competitive sport fisherman currently living and working in Miami, Florida.

He is an entertainment reporter for FOX affiliate WSVN in Miami on the show Deco Drive. Prior to coming to Miami, he worked at WOIO in Cleveland and was a radio personality on WDOK. He is also known for his work in his native Canada as the former co-host of the Sun TV show Inside Jam! and the co-host of Razer's (now MTV2) 969 program.

Van Vliet serves as a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association.^[1]

Education and early career

Van Vliet attended Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario, where he completed the university's communication studies program. While attending he held jobs at Rogers Community Television and AM570 News in Kitchener. His first on-air job was with CHEX-TV in Peterborough, Ontario, where he was a news reporter and videographer immediately following graduation.^[2]

969

Following his early days in Peterborough, Van Vliet eventually moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, where he was hired as a host and producer for Razer Television's (what would eventually become MTV2) 969 program.^[3] 969 aired from November 2004 until it was cancelled in 2007. While there, he also hosted Razer News, a celebrity news program. In 2007, Van Vliet was voted as the third favorite Vancouver TV personality by the readers of TV Week Magazine.

Inside Jam!

Following 969, Van Vliet returned to Toronto where he co-hosted the program Inside Jam! with Tara Slone on Sun TV. While the program was initially an hour-long daily entertainment news program, on March 23, 2006, it was reported that the program was moving to a 1-hour Saturday format.^[4] Inside Jam! has since been scaled down to a half-hour program airing Saturdays and Sundays.^[5]

WOIO

In February 2010, Van Vliet announced on air on Inside Jam! that he would be leaving the show, having accepted a position as an entertainment reporter at CBS affiliate WOIO in Cleveland, Ohio.^[6] In April 2010 he was voted by Inside Edition as one of Cleveland's hottest bachelors.^[7]

In October 2011 he was named by Cosmopolitan Magazine as the Bachelor of the Year. He donated the $10,000 prize to The Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland. ^[8]

On June 2, 2012 Van Vliet won two Emmy Awards for Best Host and Best Single Sports Story for his report on Gregory Iron, a professional wrestler from Cleveland who wrestles despite being born with cerebral palsy.^[9]

On June 7, 2014 Van Vliet won his third Emmy Award for Best Host. He has a total of eight nominations.

Outside Interests

Bass Fishing

In addition to his media work, Van Vliet also is involved with competitive bass fishing, having entered numerous Bassmaster and FLW Outdoors tournaments,^[10] and even winning an Amateur Division Big Fish of the Day title when the Bassmaster Northern Open took place from September 12-14, 2013 in Sandusky, Ohio with a 6-pound, 7-ounce smallmouth bass.^[11] He also has recorded two overall top ten finishes in previous Bassmaster Northern Opens.

Professional Wrestling

Van Vliet is also a professional wrestling fan, having worked as an announcer for Cleveland based independent promotion Prime Wrestling,^[12] as well as several companies in Toronto. He frequently conducts interviews with professional wrestlers from national companies such as WWE and TNA.^[13][14]

Awards

• Three-time Lower Great Lakes Emmy Awards recipient^[9][15]
• 2011 Cosmopolitan Magazine Bachelor of the Year^[16]
• 2012 Broadcasters Hall of Fame Personality of the Year^[17]
• 2012,2013 Society of Professional Journalists Best of Ohio Award recipient
• 2013,2014 Ohio Excellence in Journalism award recipient
• 2013 Bassmaster Bass Pro Shops Northern Open - Amateur Division Big Fish of the Day (6lb., 7oz. smallmouth bass)^[11]

References

External links

• Chris Van Vliet