Speakers' Corner (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Citytv
Citytv is a Canadian English language television system owned and operated by Rogers Communications under its Rogers Broadcasting Ltd. division...
and A (formerly A-Channel) stations in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, featuring numerous unscripted short segments on a variety of topics as recorded by members of the general public such as rants, big-ups, shoutouts, jokes, music performance, etc. After the video was complete, it was edited for television. The show was an example of Citytv founder Moses Znaimer
Moses Znaimer
Moses Znaimer, M.A., O.Ont is a co-founder and former head of Citytv, the first independent television station in Toronto, Canada, and the current head of ZoomerMedia.-Early life and career:...
's philosophy of interactive broadcasting.
Rogers Media
Rogers Media
Rogers Media Inc is a subsidiary of Rogers Communications Inc., which owns Canada's largest publishing company, Rogers Publishing Limited, which has more than 70 consumer and business publications. Rogers Media Inc...
, owners of Citytv since 2007, announced the cancellation of the series effective from 31 August 2008, citing the emergence of other interactive media.
History
Speakers' Corner began in 1990 with the original booth outside the CitytvCITY-TV
CITY-DT, Channel 57 , is a television station based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada owned and operated by Rogers Media...
studios in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. The booth has been used for everything from heartrending pleas for assistance in locating missing children or pets, to humorous rants on things that annoy the speaker. It has also been used by musicians looking to get exposure — most famously, the then-unknown Barenaked Ladies
Barenaked Ladies
Barenaked Ladies is a Canadian alternative rock band. The band is currently composed of Jim Creeggan, Kevin Hearn, Ed Robertson, and Tyler Stewart. Barenaked Ladies formed in 1988 in Scarborough, Ontario, then a suburban municipality outside the City of Toronto...
reached their earliest audiences, prior to the release of The Yellow Tape, by performing their future hit single "Be My Yoko Ono
Be My Yoko Ono
"Be My Yoko Ono" is a song by the Canadian musical group Barenaked Ladies.The song was written by Steven Page and Ed Robertson and first appeared on their 1989 demo tape, Buck Naked...
" in the Speakers' Corner booth.
Versions of the show began on other regional CHUM
CHUM Limited
CHUM Limited was a media company based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada from 1945 to 2007. Immediately prior to its acquisition, it held full or joint control of two Canadian television systems — Citytv and A-Channel — comprising 11 local stations, and one CBC Television affiliate, one...
-owned television stations such as CHRO
CHRO-TV
CHRO-TV is a television station serving the National Capital and Ottawa Valley regions of Ontario, Canada. Owned by Bell Media, it is part of the CTV Two television system....
in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
and CFPL
CFPL-TV
CFPL-DT is a television station based in London, Ontario, Canada, owned by Bell Media. Part of the CTV Two television system, the station serves London, Sarnia and much of southwestern Ontario north of London, including Wingham since its former sister station, CKNX-TV which ceased operations and...
in London
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
. Citytv Bogotá
Citytv Bogotá
Citytv Bogotá is a local television station in Colombia's capital city. It is owned by the Casa Editorial El Tiempo , which publishes the main national Colombian daily newspaper El Tiempo, as well as other magazines such as Portafolio, Cambio, Motor, and Carrusel. CEET licensed the Canadian...
(which licensed the brand from CHUM) also launched its own 'Speaker's Corner'-esque booth called 'Citycapsula' when it signed on in 1996; unlike the Canadian versions, Citycapsula is free.
An Albertan version, Speakers' Corner Alberta, aired on Access TV
Access (TV channel)
CTV Two Alberta is a Canadian English language entertainment, information, and educational television channel in the province of Alberta...
from October 2003 until April 2008. In the fall of 2006 the Citytv stations in Calgary and Edmonton started airing the AccessTV Speaker's Corner Alberta as they were both owned by CHUM. Speakers' Corner Alberta was cancelled in April 2008 due to changes in both companies.
A French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
version of Speakers Corner operated at MusiquePlus
MusiquePlus
MusiquePlus is a Canadian French language Category A specialty channel owned by Astral Media operating from Montreal, Quebec.MusiquePlus is devoted to music and music related programming from various genres including pop, rock, RnB and focuses on a younger demographic than its sister station, MusiMax...
, and was called VoxPop inside the MusiquePlus building in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
. It operated from the early 1990s until the early 2000s.
Operation
Each Speakers' Corner booth consists of a video camera, recording technology and in most cases a coin slot. Any member of the general public may enter a Speakers' Corner booth, deposit a coin (normally one dollar), then record a short video segment on any topic. Each segment is limited to a maximum of two minutes, but the content is determined by the person using the booth.Typically, Speakers' Corner Alberta booths are free, offer a few questions, and usually have a limit of 60 seconds.
The show's producers then review the booth recordings and select the "compelling" segments for the weekly show. Segments are sometimes broadcast outside of the regular show or may even appear on other CHUM
CHUM Limited
CHUM Limited was a media company based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada from 1945 to 2007. Immediately prior to its acquisition, it held full or joint control of two Canadian television systems — Citytv and A-Channel — comprising 11 local stations, and one CBC Television affiliate, one...
television outlets, such as MuchMusic
MuchMusic
MuchMusic is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media. MuchMusic is dedicated to music-related programs, pop and youth culture.-History:...
, as interstitials
Interstitial program
In television programming, an interstitial program refers to a short program which is often shown between movies or other events, e.g. a cast interview after movies on premium channels...
.
The broadcast segments have traditionally taken on a campy atmosphere, with each segment (such as "rants", "complaints", "kudos", etc.) being introduced over clips of B-grade 1950s and 60s sci-fi movies. Of recent, however, the show has taken a more polished feel, and has included text messages on-screen from viewers during broadcast.
Several local celebrities have been created by the show, such as "The Old Man" and his opinions, and "The Devil's Advocates", a comedy duo claiming to speak for Satan.
Money collected from the Speakers' Corner booths goes to charity.
Booth locations
- British ColumbiaBritish ColumbiaBritish Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
- VancouverVancouverVancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
(CKVUCKVU-TVCKVU-DT is a television station based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Owned by Rogers Media , it was the second station to become part of the Citytv system in Canada.-History:CKVU's history dates back to 1975, when Western Approaches Ltd...
): 180 West 2nd Avenue (station building), with a second booth at Coquitlam CentreCoquitlam CentreCoquitlam Centre is a shopping mall in Coquitlam, British Columbia, built in 1979 and expanded in 2001. It is located at the southern edge of the Coquitlam Town Centre area, near Coquitlam Central Station and several other smaller shopping centres... - VictoriaVictoria, British ColumbiaVictoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
(CIVICIVI-TVCIVI-DT, also known as CTV Two Vancouver Island, is a television station based in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Currently owned by Bell Media, the station serves the Vancouver Island area, and operates as part of the CTV Two system...
): Broad Street and Pandora Avenue (station building) - Nanaimo (CIVICIVI-TVCIVI-DT, also known as CTV Two Vancouver Island, is a television station based in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Currently owned by Bell Media, the station serves the Vancouver Island area, and operates as part of the CTV Two system...
)
- Vancouver
- AlbertaAlbertaAlberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
- Calgary (AccessAccess (TV channel)CTV Two Alberta is a Canadian English language entertainment, information, and educational television channel in the province of Alberta...
, CKALCKAL-TVCKAL-DT is a television station based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It is part of the Citytv system as of August 2, 2005, and was previously branded as A-Channel. The station is owned by Rogers Media through its Rogers Broadcasting, Ltd. division...
): Citytv Building, 535 7th Avenue SW, Calgary - EdmontonEdmontonEdmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
(AccessAccess (TV channel)CTV Two Alberta is a Canadian English language entertainment, information, and educational television channel in the province of Alberta...
, CKEMCKEM-TVCKEM-DT is a television station based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Owned and operated by Rogers Media, it is part of the Citytv system and was formerly the flagship station of Craig Media's A-Channel system between 1997-2005...
): West Edmonton Mall
- Calgary (Access
- OntarioOntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
- LondonLondon, OntarioLondon is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
(CFPLCFPL-TVCFPL-DT is a television station based in London, Ontario, Canada, owned by Bell Media. Part of the CTV Two television system, the station serves London, Sarnia and much of southwestern Ontario north of London, including Wingham since its former sister station, CKNX-TV which ceased operations and...
): Galleria Mall, and Covent Garden Market. Richmond and Oxford Street location was removed due to high vandalism. - OttawaOttawaOttawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
(A-ChannelCHRO-TVCHRO-TV is a television station serving the National Capital and Ottawa Valley regions of Ontario, Canada. Owned by Bell Media, it is part of the CTV Two television system....
): 87 George Street; Ottawa-Pembroke Speakers' Corner show is cancelled, its final broadcast aired 11 February 2007. - PembrokePembroke, OntarioPembroke is a city in the province of Ontario, Canada, at the confluence of the Muskrat River and the Ottawa River in the Ottawa Valley...
(CHROCHRO-TVCHRO-TV is a television station serving the National Capital and Ottawa Valley regions of Ontario, Canada. Owned by Bell Media, it is part of the CTV Two television system....
): Pembroke Mall; regular Speakers' Corner show no longer airs (see Ottawa). - TorontoTorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
(CITYCITY-TVCITY-DT, Channel 57 , is a television station based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada owned and operated by Rogers Media...
): The Jays Shop at Rogers CentreRogers CentreRogers Centre is a multi-purpose stadium, in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated next to the CN Tower, near the shores of Lake Ontario. Opened in 1989, it is home to the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League...
, interim location as of June 2008; previously the ChumCity Building 299 Queen Street West at John Street; a new booth will be established at Citytv's new facility at 33 Dundas Street East; The Much Store was also a booth location at times. - WindsorWindsor, OntarioWindsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
(CHWICHWI-TVCHWI-DT is a Canadian television station owned by Bell Media. It is part of the CTV Two system. The station is licensed to Wheatley, Ontario, but operates out of Windsor. CHWI also has offices in Chatham....
): Palace Cinemas Building, 300 Ouellette Avenue (South-east corner of University Avenue and Ouellette Avenue)
- London
For other Citytv and A-Channel outlets, either there is no Speakers' Corner program for that market, or the booth locations are not currently known. In Alberta, Access: The Education Station, which is the provincial broadcaster - owned by CTVglobemedia, operates Speakers Corner.
Mobile booths are also available to increase public access. These are occasionally deployed at special events but are not for private use. There are many requests to rent a mobile video recording booth for weddings and corporate events as seen in Citytv's Speaker's Corner FAQ.