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September 17, 2020 6:58 pm  #1


CTV Personality Running For Federal Political Office

Marci Ien has been on several CTV shows over the years, the latest as a co-host on “The Social.” But she won’t be there anymore, after confirming Thursday she's taking a leave of absence to try and replace the departed Bill Morneau for the Liberals in Toronto Centre. She may be off the air for a while if no election is called this fall.
 

 
Ien is the latest broadcaster to seek office. There are, of course, many advantages to running. They’re high profile, they have less selling of themselves to do, they tend to get more coverage and if they lose, there's often a job waiting for them back at the network. 
 
She joins a long list of ex-on air types looking to shift jobs. Mike Duffy was a CTV reporter before he won for the Conservatives, then got into trouble with his leader. Peter Kent left the CBC and is now the PC MP for Thornhill. Seamus O’Regan once hosted Canada AM and is now the federal Minister of Natural Resources. Ex-City TV reporter Adam Vaughan is a Toronto MP, while Ben Chin is a senior advisor to the Prime Minister. And Peter Shurman was an Ontario MPP before returning part time to radio.
 
And there are plenty more examples, including Bob Bratina in Hamilton, and John Tory in Toronto.   

Broadcast journalist Marci Ien seeks Liberal nomination in Morneau's former riding

 

September 17, 2020 7:14 pm  #2


Re: CTV Personality Running For Federal Political Office

IIRC Peter Kent was a Global meat puppet (an embarrassing one at that) before his transition. Pamela Wallin was a network-hopping news staple until treatment for colon cancer, which apparently removed parts of her brain to the point of becoming a Conservative asset. She now lives comfortably in the Senate.

Last edited by Chrisphen (September 17, 2020 7:14 pm)

 

September 17, 2020 8:04 pm  #3


Re: CTV Personality Running For Federal Political Office

Peter Kent actually worked for all three of the majors - CBC, CTV and finally Global, with a brief stop at NBC. 

I crossed paths with Adam Vaughan over the years. A bit abrasive but a nice enough guy at the time. But he completely lost his mind once he became a city councillor. His offensive and constant irritating attempts at humour and jabbing at Rob Ford became far more annoying than anything the late mayor ever did, despite the latter's controversial tenure. 

Adam was finally silenced when he was elected federally. And it hasn't escaped my notice that he's never been given a major post in the government, likely because he's such a polarizing figure who ends up alienating people. He's high profile yet not rewarded. That speaks volumes about how the leadership views him. 

Speaking of Vaughan, I remember being stunned when he ran as a Liberal. If there was ever anyone who fitted the NDP to a "T," it was Adam. But Liberals always win in downtown Toronto, so I'm thinking that's why he became one.

Weren't there also a few former CHCH staffers who went into politics? I think Donna Skelly is a PC MPP at Queen's Park. Seems to me there were others from that station who are now feeding at the public trough.

     Thread Starter
 

September 17, 2020 8:29 pm  #4


Re: CTV Personality Running For Federal Political Office

A few CHCH people come to mind.

Jennifer Mossop was MPP for Stoney Creek, defeating incumbent Brad Clark. She was a last minute substitute for the original candidate, in the McGuinty years. She didn't bother to run for a second term.

Stan Keyes is also another, I believe he was federal.

Bill Kelly hosted their call in show, Talk Live. He was on Hamilton City Council. He ran for higher office, but didn't win. Now he hosts 9-12pm on CHML.

I know Dan McLean was courted by the Liberals after his forced retirement, but backed out.

 

September 18, 2020 8:14 am  #5


Re: CTV Personality Running For Federal Political Office

Chrisphen wrote:

  IIRC Peter Kent was a Global meat puppet (an embarrassing one at that) before his transition.

Your memory is obviously better than mine -- please define meat puppet & describe the transition
 

 

September 18, 2020 9:28 am  #6


Re: CTV Personality Running For Federal Political Office

geo wrote:

please define meat puppet & describe the transition 

A 'meat puppet' is an idiom for a news announcer who reads content from a script or teleprompt device. Good ones make the narration indistinguishable from natural conversation. Mr. Kent had a habit of straying from the copy when it suited his beliefs on certain issues.

I recall that climate change denial was a particular passion, and one that he championed after his career change, or transition, from broadcasting to elected office. He briefly held the post of Environment Minister where he attempted to put his theories into practice. 

 

September 18, 2020 10:23 am  #7


Re: CTV Personality Running For Federal Political Office

RadioActive wrote:

 
She joins a long list of ex-on air types looking to shift jobs. Mike Duffy was a CTV reporter before he won for the Conservatives, then got into trouble with his leader. Peter Kent left the CBC and is now the PC MP for Thornhill. Seamus O’Regan once hosted Canada AM and is now the federal Minister of Natural Resources. Ex-City TV reporter Adam Vaughan is a Toronto MP, while Ben Chin is a senior advisor to the Prime Minister. And Peter Shurman was an Ontario MPP before returning part time to radio.
 
And there are plenty more examples, including Bob Bratina in Hamilton, and John Tory in Toronto.

A few corrections - Duffy didn't win anything, he was appointed to the Senate after years of personal lobbying for an appointment and then using his on air position on CTV to sandbag Stephane Dion. Kent left CBC in 1984 (after famously quitting his anchor role at the National 9 years earlier) and was actually at Global when he entered politics in 2006. As for Tory, he actually became a radio host *after* quitting provincial politics, though he had earlier been a Rogers exec and gave himself a talk show on Rogers's Cable 10 community channel.

 

September 18, 2020 10:36 am  #8


Re: CTV Personality Running For Federal Political Office

Thanks for the clarifications. I should have been more specific. What I was really trying to say was that these people were all at one time associated with major broadcasters and eventually wound up in the political arena.

As for Duffy, while he's often considered persona non grata in many circles these days, he still shows up almost on a weekly basis on Sauga 960's Marc Patrone show, for whatever that's worth. In fact, he was the lead-off guest on Friday morning talking about election speculation.

Where Ien is concerned, I believe CFRB had it nailed on their Roundtable Friday - this riding is as safe a Liberal seat as there is and when you combine her celebrity with that fact, she's practically a shoe-in. John Moore noted he knew a number of well qualified people who were also vying for the nomination, but the party choose Ien, because she fits all the demographics they want and she's famous to boot. Which likely means she may never be back on The Social or CTV as an employee again.

     Thread Starter
 

September 18, 2020 11:13 am  #9


Re: CTV Personality Running For Federal Political Office

Chrisphen wrote:

IIRC Peter Kent was a Global meat puppet (an embarrassing one at that) before his transition. Pamela Wallin was a network-hopping news staple until treatment for colon cancer, which apparently removed parts of her brain to the point of becoming a Conservative asset. She now lives comfortably in the Senate.

Totally uncalled for

Last edited by Jay Baxter (September 18, 2020 11:13 am)

 

September 18, 2020 11:18 am  #10


Re: CTV Personality Running For Federal Political Office

Thanks for pointing that out. It went by me. It was a bit over the top. As a cancer survivor (so far!) I should be more sensitive to that kind of thing. It's another reason I try to avoid politics here as much as possible. Passionate people sometimes leads to passionate declarations. And nothing seems to inflame both sides as much as politics. Especially these days.  

     Thread Starter
 

September 18, 2020 11:39 am  #11


Re: CTV Personality Running For Federal Political Office

Don't forget Ed Doyle who worked at CHML and CHCH and served a term in the Ontario legislature and Jason Farr is a former CHAMer now on Hamilton City Council.

 

September 18, 2020 11:47 am  #12


Re: CTV Personality Running For Federal Political Office

Senator Jim Munson...  previously with CTV National News...


 

 

September 18, 2020 12:47 pm  #13


Re: CTV Personality Running For Federal Political Office

Ien could wind up in the House of Commons sooner than we think. A by-election has just been called in that riding for Oct. 26th. 

     Thread Starter
 

September 18, 2020 12:59 pm  #14


Re: CTV Personality Running For Federal Political Office

Former City TV reporter Liz West tried and failed to dethrone longtime Toronto Councillor Paula Fletcher about 10 years ago. CTV's Karlene Nation also tried  - and failed - to win a seat at Toronto City Hall. It's possible she could try again in the future. For now, she's back in radio, with a 2 PM Mon.-Thurs. show on Sauga 960.

     Thread Starter
 

September 18, 2020 4:26 pm  #15


Re: CTV Personality Running For Federal Political Office

Bernard Drainville and Andre Arthur from Quebec. 

 

September 18, 2020 5:31 pm  #16


Re: CTV Personality Running For Federal Political Office

i get the whole, reporter turned politician, however... if they lose the election should they be allowed to return to their "news" job? seems to me. it would be tough to go back to "appearing" to be impartial.
 

 

September 19, 2020 8:22 am  #17


Re: CTV Personality Running For Federal Political Office

Dan Carter, the current Mayor of Oshawa was a long time CHEX-TV Durham staple, producing and hosting many hours of local programming for many years. An interesting guy, he overcame much adversity in his early years and was homeless for most of his late teens and twenties. He didn't squeak in either, he got 69% of the vote in the 2018 municipal election. 

Last edited by zed (September 19, 2020 8:23 am)

 

September 19, 2020 9:37 am  #18


Re: CTV Personality Running For Federal Political Office

the original hank wrote:

   if they lose the election should they be allowed to return to their "news" job? seems to me. it would be tough to go back to "appearing" to be impartial.   

Some time ago, this forum generally agreed that it's all "show" business, so there should be no problem
 

 

September 19, 2020 9:47 pm  #19


Re: CTV Personality Running For Federal Political Office

geo wrote:

Some time ago, this forum generally agreed that it's all "show" business, so there should be no problem
 

"It's all entertainment." Lord Haw Haw would have found comfort in those words. At the end.

 

September 19, 2020 11:25 pm  #20


Re: CTV Personality Running For Federal Political Office

it appears at least one national broadcaster is using some of its news "talent" as pawns, which makes it "show" business. it's sleazy... very sleazy.

 

September 19, 2020 11:41 pm  #21


Re: CTV Personality Running For Federal Political Office

Bob Bratina (CKOC, CHML) was mayor of Hamilton a few years ago.


"Life without echo is really no life at all." - Dan Ingram
 

September 20, 2020 7:37 am  #22


Re: CTV Personality Running For Federal Political Office

CJOY in Guelph's longtime sportscaster Norm Jary was also a longtime municipal politician, including I believe the city's longest serving mayor.