This event starts at 2:15 p.m. in the ALBERTA ROOM on Mezzanine level.
Session is about to start.
Sophia Hadzipetros was unable to make it due to illness
Amar Sodhi is also ill and absent. Hope everyone gets well soon!
Steve from CTV is starting
"I truly believe that viewers in TO and the GTA are very well served" - Steve
"To get an exclusive these days, you gotta come up with something really special" - Steve
CFTO (now CTV) started in 1961
Our viewers are a little older - Steve
That's not to say we don't try to embrace change - Steve
There is something to be said for leaving things as they are. We are aware of that, and we try to make very subtle changes. - Steve
Only two weathermen in the history of CFTO
It's not a bad thing to remind viewers that we've been with them for a long time - Steve
Now that Steve has opened up the discussion, Ellin is asking Ward "What has Global done to expand over the last year or so?"
Ratings don't reflect the work that all of us do on a daily basis - Ward
What we can do as local broadcasters is provide context to stories - Ward
There's great joy and satisfaction in covering those stories and getting that exclusive - Ward
Global News Toronto first started in 1974
Five years ago, there's no doubt we were in hot water - Ward
We cut jobs, we cut programming - Ward
But we're growing in local news, and programming, and right across the country Shaw has been building newsrooms - Ward
A good day's job is when we've told the story and not missed anything
Alan is here subbing for Sophia
Alan is exec producer of radio, TV and online for CBC Toronto
That job didn't exist before. It was created.
Off-air we've spent a lot of time integrating our newsroom in Toronto
Last couple of years, we make sure radio and TV are served by one assignment desk
Alan was in Washington for CBC for four years
Now to Stephanie Smyth from CP24.
Ellin: How do you guys differentiate and be unique?
CP24 was part of the CHUM City group when it began 40 years ago
CP24 is now part of the CityTV family
CP24's strength is we're live fro breaking news, on scene, 24/7
Stephanie: We're always on the move, breaking as much news as we possibly can
Stephanie: Twitter is part of the scope of what I do now
Getting there, getting live, watching it unfold, then moving on - Stephanie
To me, local news has never been more of a place to be than now - Stephanie
Stephanie has worked in all news radio at 680 News for ten years.
I'm starting to see some of the news channels correct each other on Twitter (laughs) - Stephanie
Ellin: It's all great to say it's fun to be on your side of the camera. But how well are Toronto viewers and consumers being served in such a fragmented TV news market?
Stephanie: Well I'm not saying everybody's great
Stephanie: People are media-savvy. They're educated enough as viewers and listeners to know where to go.
Stephanie: Ratings determine who they turn to
Ellin: Want to talk about overnights?
Alan: Overnights are very quick ratings on how we did the day before
