The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum » Former City TV Reporter & CBC Host The New Leader Of The Federal NDP

RadioActive · March 29, 2026 11:42 am

This is not meant to get political, but it's worth noting that the new leader of the federal NDP used to work as a reporter at City TV in Toronto. Avi Lewis was at 299 Queen St. W. from 1996 to 1998, and later went on to host two different CBC News Network shows.

He's constantly referenced on the news covering the race as a "filmmaker," ignorning his TV past. Either way, he now has his work cut out for him, with the federal party at historic lows in Ottawa.

RadioActive · March 29, 2026 11:46 am

Lewis is not the first former broadcaster to get into the political game.

Off the top of my head, the others I can think of, include:

-Donna Skelly, who was a longtime regular at CHCH. She's now the Speaker at Queen's Park.

-John Tory went from leading the Conservative Party in Ontario to CFRB to the Toronto Mayor's Chair and then back to Newstalk 1010.

-Mike Duffy went from CTV to an elected position and then to the Senate, where troubles followed him.

-Charles Adler was also appointed to the same chamber.

-Evan Solomon was at both CBC and CTV, and is now a federal minister.

-Danielle Smith is now the Premier of Alberta, but used to be a radio talk show host in Calgary.

-And Stephanie Smyth worked at 680 News, Global TV, CP24 and AM 640 and is now an Ontario MPP.

Easily Amused · March 29, 2026 11:51 am

Lisa Hepfner, MP for Hamilton Mountain. Formerly with CHCH News.

RadioActive · March 29, 2026 11:56 am

Mark Sutcliffe was on CFRA Ottawa, but is now the mayor of the city.

67GreenRambler · March 29, 2026 12:59 pm

Former host of The New Music and then was Political Specialist for Much Music.

Walter · March 29, 2026 2:00 pm

Justin Trudeau got into power on his family name. How'd that work out for Canada?

cash · March 29, 2026 2:07 pm

Jim Munson
Pamela Wallin
Charles Adler

Last edited by cash (March 29, 2026 2:08 pm)

Radio Bob · March 29, 2026 2:28 pm

Marci Ien, CTV to Parliament.

Was Mike Duffy elected or just appointed to the Senate?

RadioActive · March 29, 2026 6:29 pm

I don't believe Canada elects our Senators. It's an appointment, which is why it's often controversial. (Charles Adler, anyone?)

Chrisphen · March 29, 2026 6:47 pm

They're appointed, and yes it's safe to say that standards have calamitously fallen over the past few decades.

scrand · March 29, 2026 8:49 pm

Seamus O'Regan - CTV and Federal Liberal MP and Cabinet Minister

Daiene Vernile - CKCO-TV and Ontario Liberal MPP

Ed Doyle - CKCO-TV/CHCH-TV and Ontario Conservative MPP

Last edited by scrand (March 29, 2026 8:58 pm)

mic'em · March 30, 2026 6:31 am

Good luck to Lewis. The NDP federally have a long way to climb.

g121 · March 30, 2026 7:23 am

Walter wrote:
Justin Trudeau got into power on his family name. How'd that work out for Canada?

Did you miss the 147 times RA has pleaded about refraining from partisan political bleating?

Shorty Wave · March 30, 2026 7:58 am

RadioActive wrote:
This is not meant to get political, but it's worth noting that the new leader of the federal NDP used to work as a reporter at City TV in Toronto. Avi Lewis was at 299 Queen St. W. from 1996 to 1998

Avi started working at 299 Queen before 1996 as I worked with him on The NewMusic from 1993-1994, and he had worked in the newsroom for a while before that by a year or two, so probably starting there around 1991 I’m guessing. We were also on the company’s soccer team together, back when I could run!

RadioActive · March 30, 2026 8:31 am

Shorty Wave wrote:
RadioActive wrote:
This is not meant to get political, but it's worth noting that the new leader of the federal NDP used to work as a reporter at City TV in Toronto. Avi Lewis was at 299 Queen St. W. from 1996 to 1998

Avi started working at 299 Queen before 1996 as I worked with him on The NewMusic from 1993-1994, and he had worked in the newsroom for a while before that by a year or two, so probably starting there around 1991 I’m guessing. We were also on the company’s soccer team together, back when I could run!

Looks like he's now the only one running!

Shorty Wave · March 30, 2026 8:45 am

RadioActive wrote:
Shorty Wave wrote:
RadioActive wrote:
This is not meant to get political, but it's worth noting that the new leader of the federal NDP used to work as a reporter at City TV in Toronto. Avi Lewis was at 299 Queen St. W. from 1996 to 1998

Avi started working at 299 Queen before 1996 as I worked with him on The NewMusic from 1993-1994, and he had worked in the newsroom for a while before that by a year or two, so probably starting there around 1991 I’m guessing. We were also on the company’s soccer team together, back when I could run!
Looks like he's now the only one running!

Sad trombone SFX!

ED1 · March 30, 2026 9:02 am

Binson Echorec wrote:
Avi Lewis was the front runner and shoo-in. Avi's father, Stephen, once ran the Ontario NDP while Stephen's father, David, led the NDP at the federal level. I don't know of any other cases where a father and son ran two levels of one party simultaneously.

RadioActive wrote:
-Danielle Smith is now the Premier of Alberta, but used to be a radio talk show host in Calgary.
Danielle Smith still hosts a weekly show on Corus' CHED in Edmonton and Calgary's CHQR.

She’s more of like the permanent guest on the show. Someone else hosts, or “facilitates” the conversation between her and the callers. She’s definitely not throwing to commercial breaks.

Jonathan W · March 30, 2026 10:53 am

Radio-Canada presenter before politics: René Lévesque
CFCN TV and radio reporter before politics: Ralph Klein
CBC presenter before politics: Wab Kinew

MJ Vancouver · March 30, 2026 5:13 pm

Several in London:

- Anne-Marie DeCicco-Best was mayor from 2000-2010 and was a city councillor and deputy mayor before that. She worked for CHYR Leamington, CJBK and BX93 in London before entering politics.

- Former CHCH and CFPL-TV anchor Jack Burghardt was Liberal MP for London West from 1981-1984, winning a byelection. He was later a member of London’s elected Board of Control from 1985-1994, then ran for mayor of London in but lost in a very close race.

- Longtime CFPL-TV anchor Kate Young represented the same riding as Burghardt for the Liberals, from 2015-2021.

- Andrew Lawton, formerly of CFPL Radio is current Conservative MP for Elgin-St. Thomas-London South

- Former CFPL-TV reporter Fred Tranquilli was a London city councillor from 1997-2006.

Former CJBK, CKSL and CHRW talk show host Jim Chapman also ran provincially for the PCs in the 2007 election in London-Fanshawe, but came in second place.

Last edited by MJ Vancouver (March 30, 2026 5:20 pm)

MJ Vancouver · March 30, 2026 5:30 pm

One I thought of from Toronto is Adam Vaughan - he was city hall reporter for CBLT in the 90s (alongside his father Colin over at CITY). He was on Toronto city council from 2006-2014 then entered federal politics, and was Liberal MP for Spadina-Fort York from 2015-2021.

Chrisphen · March 30, 2026 6:22 pm

MJ Vancouver wrote:
One I thought of from Toronto is Adam Vaughan - he was city hall reporter for CBLT in the 90s (alongside his father Colin over at CITY). He was on Toronto city council from 2006-2014 then entered federal politics, and was Liberal MP for Spadina-Fort York from 2015-2021.

...and now he'a a PR muffin. Undoubtedly circling his way back to broadcasting.

RadioActive · March 31, 2026 1:53 pm

Worth a mention that, in an irony of timing lost to no one, just days after his kid Avi won the federal NDP leadership, his father, Stephen Lewis, the former Ontario NDP leader, passed away.

There's a broadcast connection there, too. After he left politics, Stephen Lewis did daily commentaries for CKEY radio. I often had the privilege of recording those and talking with him about his opinions after he was done.

We didn't always agree but he was an obviously thoughtful and very erudite man. And the timing of his loss so close to the weekend NDP convention is almost unbelievable.

MJ Vancouver · March 31, 2026 5:35 pm

RadioActive wrote:
Worth a mention that, in an irony of timing lost to no one, just days after his kid Avi won the federal NDP leadership, his father, Stephen Lewis, the former Ontario NDP leader, passed away.

There's a broadcast connection there, too. After he left politics, Stephen Lewis did daily commentaries for CKEY radio. I often had the privilege of recording those and talking with him about his opinions after he was done.

We didn't always agree but he was an obviously thoughtful and very erudite man. And the timing of his loss so close to the weekend NDP convention is almost unbelievable.

He also did commentaries on CityPulse during the 80s.

RadioActive · March 31, 2026 5:38 pm

MJ Vancouver wrote:
RadioActive wrote:
Worth a mention that, in an irony of timing lost to no one, just days after his kid Avi won the federal NDP leadership, his father, Stephen Lewis, the former Ontario NDP leader, passed away.

There's a broadcast connection there, too. After he left politics, Stephen Lewis did daily commentaries for CKEY radio. I often had the privilege of recording those and talking with him about his opinions after he was done.

We didn't always agree but he was an obviously thoughtful and very erudite man. And the timing of his loss so close to the weekend NDP convention is almost unbelievable.
He also did commentaries on CityPulse during the 80s.

Yes, I believe you're right. I'd completely forgotten about that part of his broadcasting career.

Retrontario · April 2, 2026 2:48 pm