The Agenda with Steve Paikin

I've been working as a producer on The Agenda with Steve Paikin since it launched in the fall of 2006. Although I'm proud of all of my work, I'm especially proud of the discussions I produced for Season 3 of The Agenda. It was an exciting year to be a current affairs producer with both a Canadian and a historic American election to cover - not to mention the global economic downturn.

I wasn't sure how best to present this body of work so what I've done is select a few of my blog posts and embedded in these posts is a video of the panel discussion it pertains to. Enjoy!

Wanted: Good News in an Economic Downturn
Show title: Consumerism in Crisis

The Internet Killed the TV Star
Show title: Trouble in TV Land

Technology IN the Brain
Show title: Your Brain on Technology

Please Read and RSVP
Show title: Etiquette, Civility & Good Manners

Big Ocean Blues, Blues

Show Title: Big Ocean Blues

Studio 2

Like many great jobs this one started out as an internship. In the spring of 2001, after completing a Journalism/New Media certificate from Sheridan College, I joined the "specials unit" of Studio 2 at the tail end of season 7. The rest, as they say, is history.

I worked for Studio 2, TVOntario's flagship program, for its last 5 seasons. It was the best first "real" job anyone could ask for. There I honed my skills as a field producer and cut my teeth as a journalist. I produced interviews with many different federal and provincial ministers (Bob Rae, Ernie Eves, Dwight Duncan, John Manley). I produced two full-edition specials as well as coproduced a number of full edition shows. I covered elections, by-elections, and protests. I produced panel discussions, two on one debates, and one on one interviews.

I wish I could provide you with some video examples of the work I did for Studio 2 but in the sort term that just isn't possible. (I'm making it one of my long term objectives.) You'll just have to take me at my word and believe me when I say that after working for Studio 2 for five years I became a very good producer.

Cottage Life Television

Here is a small example of the kind of work I did for Cottage Life Television:



I produced and edited these two items.

Sorry about the quality of the video. It was transfered from VHS. Remember VCRs?

Toronto Star Television

Here is a sample of a script I wrote for Blue Moon. Blue Moon is and was a production company I worked for in between seasons of production for Cottage Life Television. They produced a number of two minute mini-documentaries (or minidocs) for Toronto Star Television (TSTV). Later I went on to produce the minidocs directly for TSTV which was either quite a scandal or quite entrepreneurial depending on your standpoint. I myself prefer to view it as the latter.





And here is the final product: