For years and years - really, since the invention of microwave, satellite transmission and other live sources - nearly every TV station in the city did at least one live hit from the CNE on almost every 6 PM newscast. Or at the very least, a pre-taped story. Most of the time, they put their weather person on the midway or into one of the buildings and let them do a brief Q&A and showed what producers call "great viz" as they went into their forecast. 

Then came COVID and for a while the Ex was closed and became an ex-Ex. But now that it's back, almost no one from T.O. TV outlets is there. Outside of the media day preview and the official opening day last week, I can't recall seeing anyone doing anything live from the CNE this year. (Except for City TV, which did have their weather person there on the weekend.) 

Not that I miss these live segments, exactly, because they were usually overly long, completely irrelevant to me, had interview subjects who were not good speakers, and delayed the real reason a reporter was there in the first place. (Just get to the forecast - I don't care about the ketchup-flavoured ice cream or the 10-minute Q&A with the carny worker.) 

The reason the Ex was catnip to producers in the old days was because a) they usually had time to fill in the slower news month of August, b) they wanted to put one of their feature personalities on display and c) it was always assured of being a colourful background with lots of great ambient sound and pictures. 
 
But not this year.

So what happened? I have no idea other than perhaps a lack of live-eye operators, reporters or equipment. In other words, budget cuts. (Although I assume they'll be back for the air show and the last day when the gates close for another year.) But this is the first time in decades the near-fall fair has been virtually ignored on local TV.

Can't really say I miss it. But it seems to be another summer tradition that's fallen by the wayside. And I'm pretty sure CNE brass aren't happy about losing all that free publicity.