EDITION 17 – MAY / JUNE 2014

MAKING THE AGENDA

THE VALUE OF TVO –

A MOTHER’S PERSPECTIVE

PREPARING FOR

EQAO TESTING

MAKINGThere are about 14 people sitting around a table strewn with newspapers and magazines. Steve Paikin is not wearing his familiar suit and tie, but rather a retro-styled Maple Leafs jersey. It’s Tuesday morning at TVO, which means it’s the weekly editorial meeting for the team from The Agenda with Steve Paikin.

The so called “pitch session” is being chaired by Acting Executive Producer, Stacey Dunseath. Before the producers get an opportunity to suggest a story idea to the group, the team takes a moment to recognize the efforts of all those who were involved in the Mental Health Matters series, which has received a Media Award in the category of Television Broadcast, Best In-Depth Feature Story from the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario.

Back to the job at hand: pitching ideas, asking questions and examining different angles of potential stories. The themes range from jobs in Ontario, to a question as to whether our idea of “community standards” has changed. Someone suggests a story on Children’s Aid, another on data-

mining. There’s talk of conspiracy theorists and various mayoral races in Ontario.

So which of the hugely diverse stories are eventually chosen?

“There are “Agenda stories” and “non-Agenda stories”, Stacey explains.

“The lines are fairly clear as to what works as a story for us, and what doesn’t,” she adds. “I’ll look over all of the ideas, approve the stories that immediately ‘fit’, eliminate others, and suggest ‘beefing up’ ideas that might work.”

And what constitutes an “Agenda story”?

“The Agenda excels at providing analysis,” says Stacey. “We have to be able to give context to an issue and offer a different perspective – something other programs won’t offer. We also have to play to our strengths: Steve knows Ontario really, really well. Provincial stories, both political and social, take prominence.”

Although politics ranks pretty high on the list – and at The Agenda politics refers to policy, not who is up and who is down – the team also pays special attention to stories around education, health and science, economics and business, and socio-cultural issues.

And, while most of the topics being pitched and discussed in this meeting tend to be on the serious side, the tone of the room is convivial. It’s been said that laughter can

“We have to be able to be able to give context to an issue and offer a different perspective – something other programs won’t offer.” STACEY DUNSEATH

THE AGENDA

help unlock creative thinking in a group setting, and this team seems to be a case in point. The witticisms are flying thick and fast and at the same time great story ideas are being proposed and built upon. But Stacey and the team are not only concerned with stories for the flagship broadcast program.

Over the last number of years, the Internet has had a profound effect on the nature of journalism. And The Agenda is always finding new ways to use our connected world to engage with Ontarians. In the meeting, ideas like, “maybe it’s an interactive” or a “this might work as Google + Hangout” are being voiced. Part of the role of the producer is to find the best platform for the story.

“Web is much more agile than the broad- cast,” says Stacey. “We can jump on a story much more quickly. As well, platforms like Google + Hangouts enable us to draw from a large pool of experts to bring a certain focus to the story. Ideally, web leads, and broadcast follows.”

And of course, through the web, there are also more opportunities for viewers to participate in the conversation.

“Our viewers don’t hold back,” laughs Stacey. “We get emails, phone calls, tweets, Facebook and blog comments about our

coverage. They also suggest guests and stories. These interactions are helpful to us. They help us to respond. And we’re able to gauge their expectations. Plus, every Friday viewers get to choose our ‘Story of the Week’.”

There’s a lot of work to be done after the meeting is adjourned and Stacey and Steve Paikin agree to meet later in the day.

What’s clear is the camaraderie and the desire to bring Ontarians truly interesting, important and engaging content.

“I love the people I work with,” says Stacey. “We have an incredible team. Fortunately, that also extends outside of our unit. We have great people at TVO. I really believe in the value and integrity of public media. Public media – especially TVO – can reach people and tell stories that aren’t being told elsewhere.”

Whichever stories eventually make it to broad- cast or to the web, there’s an understanding that it will be of the highest quality, that it will be comprehensive and considered, and that it will matter to Ontarians.

And it is thanks, in part, to donors like you that we can find the in-depth discussion about issues that matter on The Agenda with Steve Paikin. Thank you for your continued support of TVO.

STACEY DUNSEATH, ACTING EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

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PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS Schedule subject to change. Download the full programming guide at tvo.org.

David & Me World Broadcast Premiere Wednesday, June 4 at 9 pm Two lives where changed forever when troubled teen Ray Klonsky began writing letters to prison inmate David McCallum. David & Me is the story of that unlikely friendship. Now a filmmaker, Ray joins forces with a dedicated team of lawyers and activists to uncover new evidence that could exonerate McCallum, who has maintained his innocence since he was imprisoned for murder in 1986 at the age of 16.

Pain, Pus & Poison: The Search for Modern MedicinesNorth American Premiere Starts Tuesday, May 20 at 9 pm Michael Mosley reveals how the most useful and valuable drugs were created. The search to cure ourselves of the most common, to the most life threatening of ailments, has led to a profound understanding of chemistry, and of how pharmaceuticals were discovered. It has transformed – and saved – the lives of millions.

The Man Who Shot Beautiful Women – Erwin BlumenfeldNorth American Premiere Saturday, May 24 at 9 pm Erwin Blumenfeld’s gripping life story is uncovered through his stunning photographs, fashion films, home-movies and self-portraits, to reveal a man obsessed by the pursuit of beautiful women, but also by the endless possibilities of photography itself.

Muse of Fire: A Shakespearean Road Movie North American Premiere Saturday, June 7 at 9 pm Giles Terera and Dan Poole, travel the world to find out everything they can about tackling Shakespeare. They aim to demystify and illuminate Shakespeare’s work: from actors, directors and students of all disciplines, right through to the person on the street. Featured interviews include Dame Judi Dench, Ewan McGregor, Sir Ian McKellen, Jude Law, Tom Hiddleston, Sir Derek Jacobi, and many more.

Battery ManNorth American Premiere Wednesday, May 14 at 9 pm Biba Struja, known as Electric Biba, can conduct electricity and consciously control its power. Suffering from ectodermal dysplasia, he is unusually resistant to high voltage. Since his teenage years, he has spent his life experimenting with electricity and proving that it can’t harm him. With his performances, he becomes a star of countless shows, but his physical condition introduces a lot of pain in his life. Biba’s struggle with the anomaly is the central narrative in this quirky observational piece.

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PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS CONTINUED… Schedule subject to change. Download the full programming guide at tvo.org.

Space Racers Weekdays at 3:40 pm, starting Monday, June 9 Eagle, Robyn, Hawk and the rest of the Stardust Space Academy cadets soar through the stratosphere with a staggering burst of power and speed, breaking free of Earth’s orbit and screaming into space toward the exciting missions that lie ahead. Space Racers leads us on adventures that teach children how exploration, investigation, observation and collaborating as a team are important foundations of Scientific inquiry. NASA experts evaluate every episode of Space Racers to ensure accuracy in the depiction of science and space technology.

Monty Don’s French Gardens Starts Friday, June 13 at 7 pm Monty Don explores France’s most important historic gardens. Viewer’s tour walled gardens designed to please the mistress – and then the wife – of a king, gardens that involved thousands of soldiers moving land and inciting jealousy in another monarch, and a modern- day chateau garden that almost left its owner bankrupt. Monty depicts how the French have used gardens as a public expression of money, power and passion.

In Search of Science North American Premiere Starts Tuesday, June 17 at 9 pm Professor Brian Cox goes in search of the best of British science. Brian visits places where his heroes made their discoveries, recreating experiments and examining their legacy to scientific descendants. He finds this tradition of innovation and discovery owes everything to the early pioneers, and also exposes the themes that define modern science. Brian finds out what science is, where science came from, and where science may be taking us.

Fake or Fortune - Season 2 Canadian Premiere Starts Thursday, June 19 at 9 pm Art detective Philip Mould finds paintings that hide dark secrets. Pictures whose true authorship has been confused, masterpieces lost beneath years of dirt and over-painting. This season, he focuses on paintings by Degas and JMW Turner, as well as his own purchased work of art. In order to prove its authenticity as a portrait by Sir Anthony Van Dyck, later layers of paint will have to be removed to uncover the truth.

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Since their creation in 1996, EQAO tests have been the subject of much debate. For many parents and students these standardized tests can be an unnerving experience.

Fortunately, TVOParents can help prepare parents and students for the tests with their EQAO toolkit. This online resource includes preparation tips, practice tests and other information about the EQAO.

“Our goal is to give parents information and tools to support their child’s learning,” says Supervising Editor of TVOParents.com Zeelaf Majeed. “EQAO testing is part of the learning process for every student in Ontario. Our EQAO toolkit has all the information families need in one place that can help your child prepare.”

Toronto elementary school teacher, Craig Ashton, has used the toolkit in previous years. “It’s a great resource,” he says. “It really helps to prepare the kids so that they know exactly what to expect. I recommend it to parents as well.”

THE VALUE OF TVO – A MOTHER’S PERSPECTIVE

PREPARING FOR EQAO TESTING

Thank you, Anika for lending your voice in support of what TVO brings to families across Ontario.

You can find the EQAO toolkit at tvoparents.tvo.org/article/eqao

If you’ve been watching TVO lately, you’ve most likely met Anika. This full-time teacher and mother of two is currently appearing in one of our appeals for support on TVO.

Anika’s life is a constant juggling act between her work and her family. As an teacher, Anika knows

the importance of a strong educational foundation. Learning in her household is a priority and her

daughters, Alina and Jasmine, enjoy the wealth of educational content that TVO has to offer.

“TVO definitely makes my life easier,” she says. “It entertains my children while educating them. It’s just a fantastic resource.”

TVO has become part of the family’s daily routine. “We really like watching The Space in the hour or so while I’m preparing dinner. I can trust that what they’re watching is educational.”

Anika says that she would encourage other parents to support TVO. “TVO provides everything our family needs. We don’t even have cable,” she laughs.