Breakfast Television

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This article is about the television show Breakfast Television. For the concept of breakfast television shows in general, see Breakfast television.

The last minutes of Breakfast Television (Toronto) on November 16, 2004

Liza playing ping-pong with the previous guest (now off screen), while the camera begins to cut to Kevin for a news update

Breakfast Television, also known as BT, is a Canadian morning news and entertainment program which airs on the Citytv stations (in Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Edmonton and Calgary), CP24, A-Channel Barrie, CTV Atlantic, and ASN.

Each Citytv station produces its own Breakfast Television, as does ASN. A-Channel Barrie airs the Toronto edition of the program with local news inserts. CP24, a local Toronto news channel, simulcasts the Toronto edition of Breakfast Television (along with all other news programming airing on Citytv Toronto), and CTV Atlantic simulcasts the ASN version.

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.

1 Citytv Toronto / A-Channel Barrie
2 CTV Atlantic
- 2.1 Personalities
3 Citytv Vancouver
4 Citytv Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Citytv Toronto / A-Channel Barrie

Wikinews has news related to:

Toronto and Rockettes kick into the records book

BT logo 1989 - 2005

Liza and Kevin on the set, 2004.

On-air personalities

Main anchor: Kevin Frankish (1994 - present)
Co-host: Dina Pugliese (October 13, 2006-present)^[1]
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)

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")^[2], 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)

Crew Note that this list is incomplete, and only includes crew that the "Inside BT" blog has devoted an entire post to.

Producer: Robert Lawlor^[3]
Floor director: Jessica Vander Kooij,^[4] who appears semi-regularly on camera
BT Diner operator, BT contest line operator^[5]: Angelica Montesano^[6] (Off BT, Montesano is a singer^[7] and actress, who has a lead role in The Adventures of Fuming Chu.

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)
A-Channel News: Irene Preklet

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.^[8] BT has encouraged people to send audition tapes for consideration. On October 13, 2006 Dina Pugliese became the new co-host of the show.

While the LiveEye tours around the Greater Toronto Area most of the time, Jennifer Valentyne has broadcast from Walt Disney World and Newfoundland.^[9] Frankish has blogged that producers are considering facilitating a studio audience.^[8]

Every August since 2005, BT has organized a "Viewer Appreciation Day", held in the BT parking lot.^[10] 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.^[10]

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".^[11]

After the Bell Globemedia 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."^[8]

Kevin Frankish has publicly discussed his panic attacks with viewers, on air.^[12]

[edit] CTV Atlantic

The name Breakfast Television is also licensed to CTV Atlantic (formerly known as ATV), the Maritime CTV affiliate, which was formerly owned by CHUM Limited, Citytv's parent company. The show runs for one-and-a-half-hours. The entire program is broadcast live on ASN with the first half hour being simulcast on CTV Atlantic.

The show was relaunched on October 24, 2005 with a unique, more news-oriented format that differs from the Citytv versions of BT. Coming around the same time as the end of late-night news on ASN, this appears to be designed to have BT count towards ASN's local news commitment. The main difference is that very few guests appear in the studio live. Instead, pre-taped segments featuring guests are shown. Occasionally, a guest will appear in the studio live but this is not common.

A major feature of the show since the relaunch is the Hot Topic which is the daily subject of conversation. The hosts discuss an issue based on news, sports, or general interest, and read email comments from viewers.

Breakfast Television has once again returned to live broadcasts which had been phased out around 2002. A new set was constructed for the relaunch and the logo was revised. The viewer mail segment of the show, which had existed since its inception, has been dropped.

CTV Atlantic/ASN are the only stations in the CTV network which produce their own local morning program in addition to Canada AM. During its time as an independent station, and for several months following its affiliation with CTV, CIVT in Vancouver, British Columbia also produced a local morning program, however it was cancelled by early 2002 when Citytv Vancouver began broadcasting.

[edit] Personalities

Main Anchors: Jayson Baxter, Maria Panopalis, Cyril Lunney
News: Joanne Clancy
Past Hosts:
- Scott Boyd (host)
- Liz Rigney (host) - now reporter for CTV Atlantic
- J.C. Douglas (host) - now Program Director of Q104 radio in Halifax, Nova Scotia
- Jay MacNeil (host) - co-host of morning show on Mix FM radio in Toronto, under the name Jay Michaels
- Kurt Stoodley (host) - now co-host of A-Channel Morning, Ottawa, Ontario
- Mark Scholz (host) - former host of The Big Breakfast on A-Channel Edmonton
- Jill Krop (host) - now anchor of NewsHour Final on Global BC

[edit] Citytv Vancouver

Main Co-hosts: Simi Sara (August 15, 2005 - present), Dave Gerry (August 15, 2005 - present)
News: Mark Docherty (2003 - present)
Weather/Traffic: Dawn Chubai (2003 - present)
LiveEye: Tasha Chiu (August 15, 2005 - present)

Past hosts:
- Michael Eckford (host, 2002 - 2003)
- Fiona Forbes (host, 2002 - 2003)
- Karen Khunkhun (LiveEye, 2003 - 2004)
- Shane Foxman (host, 2003 - July 28, 2005)
- Beverley Mahood (host, 2003 - July 28, 2005) - now co-host of CMT Canada's flagship program, CMT Central
- Zain Meghji (LiveEye, 2004 - July 28, 2005) - now co-host of CTV's eTalk Daily

[edit] Citytv Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton

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

In March 2005, CHUM announced that the A-Channel stations would be rebranded as Citytv stations for the upcoming fall season. The morning show on the original A-Channel stations, The Big Breakfast, was re-launched as Breakfast Television on August 2, 2005.

[edit] Winnipeg personalities

Main anchors: Jon Ljungberg (August 2, 2005 - present), Erin Selby (August 4, 2005 - present)
News: Brian Yasui (August 2, 2005 - present)
LiveEye: Jimmy Mac (August 2, 2005 - present)

[edit] Edmonton personalities

Main anchor: Wendy Sandwith and Rob Hislop (September 5, 2006 - present)
LiveEye: Bridget Ryan (August 2, 2005 - present)
News: Rob Hislop (August 2, 2005 - present)
Weather/Traffic: Michele McDougall (September 5, 2006 - present)

Past personalities:
- Co-host: Bill Welychka (August 2, 2005 - August 2006)
- Co-host: Stacey Brotzel (August 2, 2005 - September 2006)
Weather/Traffic: Wendy Sandwith (August 2, 2005 - September 2006)

[edit] Calgary personalities

Main anchors: Dave Kelly (August 2, 2005 - present), Tara McCool (August 2, 2005 - present)
News: Susanne Fox (2006 - present)
Weather/Traffic: Andrew Schultz (2006 - present)

Past personalities:
- News: Jeff Valin (August 2, 2005 - August 2006)
- Weather/Traffic: Michele McDougall (August 2, 2005 - September 1, 2006)
- Anchor (temporary): Barb Mitchell (February 6, 2006 - September 1, 2006)^[13]