1 of 1- Binson Echorec
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Ben Mulroney to host Global's The West Block
Ben Mulroney distances himself from the "red carpet" entertainment persona he cultivated at CTV's etalk.
From Milkman Unlimited:
Global News is excited to announce the return of its political affairs program, The West Block, entering its fifteenth season beginning September 14 on Global and streaming live on STACKTV, with brand-new interim host, Ben Mulroney.
The award-winning news network’s political program features timely conversations with must-see guests touching on the political and economic issues that matter most to Canadians. Veteran Canadian broadcaster, Ben Mulroney, will take the hosting seat while Ottawa Bureau Chief Mercedes Stephenson is away on parental leave this season, bringing his distinguished television experience, law background and political expertise to each episode.
“The West Block sets the tone, pace and conversation for the week ahead around politics,” said Ben Mulroney. “I feel privileged to be a part of the team bringing Canadians the number one political show in the country.
”Viewers can expect information-packed episodes on the latest in Canadian politics every Sunday starting September 14, at 12 p.m. AT, 11 a.m. ET/CT, and 10 a.m. MT/PT, with encore broadcasts Sunday nights on Global and STACKTV.
With this move further into the political sphere...do you think we'll ever see an election campaign?
- Aytononline
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Re: Ben Mulroney to host Global's The West Block
I can see Ben in Politics at the National level, but not at the provincial or city level.
The fun question would be. If he was not the leader of a party, what job would he be promised. My guess is he would not want to be a back bench MP.
For now I think he is having to much fun on the radio and now back on tv.
- RadioActive
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Re: Ben Mulroney to host Global's The West Block
Whenever he is asked about his political ambitions on his Corus show - and it comes up a lot more often than you'd think - he insists he has absolutely no interest in running for any kind of office.
Of course, they all say that until they do.
- TomTV
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Re: Ben Mulroney to host Global's The West Block
Ugh, please don't add to my nightmares.
I suppose that this is the route to take if one wants to someday be PM. You need to be popular among the rabble first (at least among the right-wing, for which he obviously caters to). Either that means a social media influencer or a Joe Rogan podcaster, these days. Certainly not for anything that he's done that would actually benefit society, you just need to be popular.
Once the Reform Party sees he has a certain minimum number of supporters, they would do the same as what the Liberals did with Justin Trudeau and approach him, coax him, wine and dine and flatter, until he caves in. With his ego, I have no doubt that it would take about 10 seconds to agree.
- cash
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Re: Ben Mulroney to host Global's The West Block
His brother Mark is the one seen as a future leader of the federal Conservatives.
- Radio Bob
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Re: Ben Mulroney to host Global's The West Block
Benedict is a lightweight who's been trading on his last name all his life, and fooling producers into falling for it.
- ckg927
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Re: Ben Mulroney to host Global's The West Block
Was Rick Mercer not available? (Yes, I know he's a satirist/comedian, but he also knows his politics.)
- AspectRatio
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Re: Ben Mulroney to host Global's The West Block
ckg927 wrote:
Was Rick Mercer not available? (Yes, I know he's a satirist/comedian, but he also knows his politics.)
He's not. He's starting up a cross-country tour coinciding with the premiere and through October.
- RadioAaron
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Re: Ben Mulroney to host Global's The West Block
Interesting that Toronto is listed as a "show added". It wasn't part of the original proposal?
2nd show added on the same night.
- RadioAaron
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Re: Ben Mulroney to host Global's The West Block
Interesting that Toronto is listed as a "show added". It wasn't part of the original proposal?
2nd show added on the same night.
Gotcha, thanks. Guessing the same goes for Hamilton. It doesn't read that way though, at least to me.
Yeah, a quick "2nd" would have gone a long way there.
- RadioActive
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Re: Ben Mulroney to host Global's The West Block
I just watched the first Ben Mulroney hosted "West Block" on Global. What a disappointment! It was a pre-produced piece on a new military helmet and they spent the entire half hour showing how it was made and how it worked.
That's fine, I suppose, but the allure of these kind of shows is to get an actual politician in the hot seat and grill them on their plans for the coming session, contradictions in policies and to challenge them on things they've previously said that may have changed.
There was none of that on the first show of the season, and I hope that was an anomaly to just let Mulroney get his feet wet. Otherwise, there's no real point to it.
Meanwhile, over on CTV's Question Period, Vassy Kapelos was going after Government House Leader Steve MacKinnon over flips flops, economic misstatements and general inconsistencies in the government's policies and what to expect when they all return to the House of Commons for the first time in months on Monday. It was great to watch someone do it right and she asks hard questions of all parties, which is why I enjoy her work so much.
I hope that Mulroney does better in the coming weeks or there's no reason to watch him chip off this old Block.
- RadioActive
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Re: Ben Mulroney to host Global's The West Block
Akin would have been great as host and I think he's filled in before. Really knows his stuff.
But Mulroney is a well known name, has tons of TV experience and was literally born into politics. I just hope he does some interviews with actual politicians on the coming shows. He may as well not even have been there on the first one that ran Sunday morning.
- Chrisphen
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Re: Ben Mulroney to host Global's The West Block
Born into politics? So was Fyodor Ivanovich. Like wee Ben, he liked to ring bells.
- RadioActive
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Re: Ben Mulroney to host Global's The West Block
Now that Ben Mulroney is hosting the show on a temporary basis, 640 is running The West Block Sundays at 2 PM. I'm not sure if they put it on when Mercedes Stephenson was there, but this makes a kind of strategic sense. But it's nowhere near as good as Question Period on CTV.
- Dial Twister
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Re: Ben Mulroney to host Global's The West Block
Born into politics? So was Fyodor Ivanovich. Like wee Ben, he liked to ring bells.
I admit that I had to look that one up. That's reaching way, way back. 😄
"I love the poorly educated."
.......Donald J. tRump
- RadioActive
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Re: Ben Mulroney to host Global's The West Block
We had a whole bunch of Fedors on our old mixing board.
- RadioAaron
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Re: Ben Mulroney to host Global's The West Block
LOL. What a twat.
The attempt to disguise himself as anyone but the intellectual lightweight he is with the grey hair and glasses is hilarious.