W-FIVE
Encyclopedia
W5 is a Canadian
news magazine television series produced by CTV News
. The program is currently initially broadcast Saturday nights at 7 p.m. on CTV
, with repeat broadcasts at later times on CTV as well as co-owned channels CTV Two, CP24, and Investigation Discovery.
The title refers to the Five Ws
of journalism
: Who, What, Where, When and Why? It is the longest-running newsmagazine/documentary program in North America and the most-watched program of its type in Canada.
W5 is the longest-running current affairs/newsmagazine program in North America and the third longest-running Canadian television program.
It was launched as W5 in 1966 just after the demise of CBC Television
's This Hour Has Seven Days
, at a time when the CTV network was on the brink of bankruptcy
. The program's magazine format is considered an inspiration for a number of similar programs, including the American series 60 Minutes
which premiered two years later.
The program's first executive producer was Peter Reilly
, who later went on to become first host of the CBC's later current affairs offering, The Fifth Estate
. Peter Rehak was executive producer through the 1980s and 1990s.
Robert Hurst
oversaw a revamping of the program look in the mid-nineties. He was succeeded by Malcolm Fox, who was the program's executive producer from September 2000 until September 2009. Anton Koschany
is the current executive producer.
The program's first regular host was Ken Cavanagh, with reports from CTV National News journalists such as Doug Johnson
and Frank Drea
, who later became a Progressive Conservative
Member of Provincial Parliament in Ontario
and Trina McQueen, later president of CTV. During the 1970s, Henry Champ
was a long-time host, along with Ken Lefolii and Tom Gould. Helen Hutchinson
, was one of the first women to gain a prominent position television news in Canada
. Jim Reed joined the programme in 1972 as a field producer and was later appointed as host along with Helen Hutchinson and Henry Champ.
Eric Malling
joined W5 in 1990 from CBC's rival news magazine, the fifth estate
. In 1991, a new team of reporters also joined the program: Susan Ormiston, Christine Nielsen, and Elliott Shiff. Under Malling's guidance, the program was called W5 with Eric Malling. It is nearly single-handedly credited with bringing the rising amount of government debt to Canadians' attention. An in-depth report on New Zealand
showed the results of a nation that had suffered the effects of a debt wall
. Malling left W5 in 1996, and then died from an accident at his home in 1998.
In 1994, the program was rebranded to W-FIVE and became more populist. Hosts included top CTV journalists, including Lloyd Robertson, Craig Oliver and the late Jim O'Connell.
With broadcast shifting to HD for the 2009–2010 season
the program reverted to its traditional title W5 with a revised graphic treatment and a new theme that reflects its investigative nature and culminates in five notes representative of the five Ws of journalism.
Today's hosts are Sandie Rinaldo
and Lloyd Robertson
. Victor Malarek
and Paula Todd
are the principal reporters and are joined by CTV News correspondents. Anton Koschany
is executive producer. W5 has produced such stories as a possible cure for multiple sclerosis, an investigation into fatal shootings by RCMP officers, exposing used car dealer trickery, rampant corruption in Canada's immigration
system, and personal stories of burn recovery from the Bali Bombing.
Since 2000, the program has officially been designated a "documentary
series", with only one or two segments filling an hour-long episode, due to CRTC regulations that count documentaries, but not older-style newsmagazines, as "priority programming".
For a period of time in the late 1970s and into the 1980s, the program's introductory theme music used part of "Fool's Overture
", a song by the UK band Supertramp
. The current theme was composed by Doug Pennock, who has also composed music for other CTV special projects, including the 2007 two-hour documentary Triumph & Treachery: The Brian Mulroney Story.
On October 24, 2009, CTV unveiled a new look for W5, introduced a new logo and began broadcasting for the very first time in high definition
. The title was once again rebranded, back to its original title as W5.
It has been alleged that the feature was specifically directed to form a negative view towards Chinese and Chinese Canadian
s. As well, it did not determine if the people filmed in that particular episode were actually Chinese or Chinese Canadian. After protests by Chinese Canadians, including Dr. Joseph Wong
(later founder of the Yee Hong Centre for Geriatric Care
), W5 retracted this statement and apologised. The president of CTV of the time, Murray Chercover, issued the following statement on April 16, 1980:
This event also led to the formation of the Chinese Canadian National Council
in order to form a stronger voice representing Chinese Canadians nationwide.
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...
news magazine television series produced by CTV News
CTV News
CTV News is the news division of the CTV Television Network in Canada. The name CTV News is also applied as the title of local and regional newscasts on the network's owned-and-operated stations , which are closely tied to the national news division...
. The program is currently initially broadcast Saturday nights at 7 p.m. on CTV
CTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
, with repeat broadcasts at later times on CTV as well as co-owned channels CTV Two, CP24, and Investigation Discovery.
The title refers to the Five Ws
Five Ws
In journalism, the Five Ws is a concept in news style, research, and in police investigations that are regarded as basics in information-gathering. It is a formula for getting the "full" story on something...
of journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
: Who, What, Where, When and Why? It is the longest-running newsmagazine/documentary program in North America and the most-watched program of its type in Canada.
History
It was launched as W5 in 1966 just after the demise of CBC Television
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
's This Hour Has Seven Days
This Hour Has Seven Days
This Hour Has Seven Days is a controversial CBC Television newsmagazine which ran from 1964 to 1966. The show, inspired by the BBC-TV and NBC-TV satire series That Was The Week That Was, was created by Patrick Watson and Douglas Leiterman as an avenue for a more stimulating and boundary-pushing...
, at a time when the CTV network was on the brink of bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
. The program's magazine format is considered an inspiration for a number of similar programs, including the American series 60 Minutes
60 Minutes
60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
which premiered two years later.
The program's first executive producer was Peter Reilly
Peter Reilly
Peter Reilly may refer to:*Peter Reilly, politician* Peter Reilly, host of the fifth estate* Peter Reilly, a member of the 29th Canadian Parliament* Peter Reilly, a fictional character on the television show Rescue Me...
, who later went on to become first host of the CBC's later current affairs offering, The Fifth Estate
The fifth estate
the fifth estate is a Canadian television newsmagazine, which airs on the English language CBC Television network. The name is a play on the fact that the media are sometimes referred to as the Fourth Estate, and was chosen to highlight the program's determination to go beyond everyday news into...
. Peter Rehak was executive producer through the 1980s and 1990s.
Robert Hurst
Robert Hurst
Robert Hurst is the president of CTV News. He was senior producer for the newsmagazine W-FIVE for much of the show's existence. In 1983, he won the New York International Gold for Best Documentary....
oversaw a revamping of the program look in the mid-nineties. He was succeeded by Malcolm Fox, who was the program's executive producer from September 2000 until September 2009. Anton Koschany
Anton Koschany
Anton Koschany, is the Executive Producer of CTV W5 and the network's News Elections Unit.Anton Koschany is a television journalist with 37 years experience as a newsmagazine and documentary producer, news correspondent and program manager. During his career he has covered Canadian, American,...
is the current executive producer.
The program's first regular host was Ken Cavanagh, with reports from CTV National News journalists such as Doug Johnson
Doug Johnson
Doug Johnson is the keyboardist for the Canadian rock band Loverboy. Loverboy just celebrated their 29th year and were honoured at the 2009 JUNO Awards with induction to the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. Doug Johnson is also a published classical music composer. He wrote the classical quintet "The...
and Frank Drea
Frank Drea
James Francis Drea was a Canadian journalist, broadcaster, politician and racehorse enthusiast.-Background:...
, who later became a Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario , is a right-of-centre political party in Ontario, Canada. The party was known for many years as "Ontario's natural governing party." It has ruled the province for 80 of the years since Confederation, including an uninterrupted run from 1943 to 1985...
Member of Provincial Parliament in Ontario
Ontario
Ontario 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....
and Trina McQueen, later president of CTV. During the 1970s, Henry Champ
Henry Champ
Henry Champ LLD is a veteran Canadian broadcast journalist and currently a correspondent for CBC Newsworld based in Washington, DC....
was a long-time host, along with Ken Lefolii and Tom Gould. Helen Hutchinson
Helen Hutchinson
Helen Hutchinson is a Canadian television personality. She is a former co-anchor of W5, Canada AM, Arts '73 and WTN's Point of View: Women. She graduated from University of Toronto with a master of library science degree from in November 1994....
, was one of the first women to gain a prominent position television news 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...
. Jim Reed joined the programme in 1972 as a field producer and was later appointed as host along with Helen Hutchinson and Henry Champ.
Eric Malling
Eric Malling
Eric Malling was a Canadian television journalist.Born in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, he graduated from the University of Saskatchewan with a BA degree in English literature then continued his studies at Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario where he graduated from the School of...
joined W5 in 1990 from CBC's rival news magazine, the fifth estate
The fifth estate
the fifth estate is a Canadian television newsmagazine, which airs on the English language CBC Television network. The name is a play on the fact that the media are sometimes referred to as the Fourth Estate, and was chosen to highlight the program's determination to go beyond everyday news into...
. In 1991, a new team of reporters also joined the program: Susan Ormiston, Christine Nielsen, and Elliott Shiff. Under Malling's guidance, the program was called W5 with Eric Malling. It is nearly single-handedly credited with bringing the rising amount of government debt to Canadians' attention. An in-depth report on New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
showed the results of a nation that had suffered the effects of a debt wall
Debt wall
Hitting the debt wall is a dire financial situation that can occur when a nation depends on foreign debt and/or investment to subsidize their budget and then commercial deficits stop being the recipient of foreign capital flows. The lack of foreign capital flows reduces the demand for the local...
. Malling left W5 in 1996, and then died from an accident at his home in 1998.
In 1994, the program was rebranded to W-FIVE and became more populist. Hosts included top CTV journalists, including Lloyd Robertson, Craig Oliver and the late Jim O'Connell.
With broadcast shifting to HD for the 2009–2010 season
2009–2010 Canadian network television schedule
The 2009-10 Canadian network television schedule indicates the fall prime time schedules for Canada's major English and French broadcast networks...
the program reverted to its traditional title W5 with a revised graphic treatment and a new theme that reflects its investigative nature and culminates in five notes representative of the five Ws of journalism.
Today's hosts are Sandie Rinaldo
Sandie Rinaldo
Sandie Rinaldo is a Canadian television journalist and anchor for CTV News.-Youth and education:...
and Lloyd Robertson
Lloyd Robertson
Lloyd Robertson, OC is the currently the co-host of CTV's weekly magazine series, W5. Robertson previously served as the chief anchor and senior editor of CTV's national evening newscast, CTV News with Lloyd Robertson, until September, 2011, when he retired from the CTV National News...
. Victor Malarek
Victor Malarek
Victor Gregory Malarek is a Canadian journalist and author. Currently, he is a senior reporter for CTV Television's W-FIVE-Biography:...
and Paula Todd
Paula Todd
Paula Todd is a Canadian journalist, lawyer and author, currently an investigative reporter for W5. She was the founding host of "The Verdict with Paula Todd" a prime-time legal and justice affairs program on CTV News Channel...
are the principal reporters and are joined by CTV News correspondents. Anton Koschany
Anton Koschany
Anton Koschany, is the Executive Producer of CTV W5 and the network's News Elections Unit.Anton Koschany is a television journalist with 37 years experience as a newsmagazine and documentary producer, news correspondent and program manager. During his career he has covered Canadian, American,...
is executive producer. W5 has produced such stories as a possible cure for multiple sclerosis, an investigation into fatal shootings by RCMP officers, exposing used car dealer trickery, rampant corruption in Canada's immigration
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
system, and personal stories of burn recovery from the Bali Bombing.
Since 2000, the program has officially been designated a "documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
series", with only one or two segments filling an hour-long episode, due to CRTC regulations that count documentaries, but not older-style newsmagazines, as "priority programming".
For a period of time in the late 1970s and into the 1980s, the program's introductory theme music used part of "Fool's Overture
Fool's Overture
"Fool's Overture" is the closing track from Supertramp's 1977 album Even in the Quietest Moments. Written and sung by guitarist, keyboard player, singer and songwriter Roger Hodgson, the song tells about World War II Britain and the lessons learned from it. The song, which is over 10 minutes long,...
", a song by the UK band Supertramp
Supertramp
Supertramp are a British rock band formed in 1969 under the name Daddy before renaming to Supertramp in early 1970. Though their music was initially categorised as progressive rock, they have since incorporated a combination of traditional rock and art rock into their music...
. The current theme was composed by Doug Pennock, who has also composed music for other CTV special projects, including the 2007 two-hour documentary Triumph & Treachery: The Brian Mulroney Story.
On October 24, 2009, CTV unveiled a new look for W5, introduced a new logo and began broadcasting for the very first time in high definition
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
. The title was once again rebranded, back to its original title as W5.
Controversies
W5 came under controversy during the 1970s when it aired a feature called "Campus Giveaways" that used incorrect statistics to conclude that foreign students were eroding white Canadians' opportunities for a secondary education and benefitting from public universities funded by Canadian taxpayers, without exploring the statement's backgrounds. The host of the program stated:- ... there are so many oriental foreign students that they rarely mix with their Canadian classmates. It's as if there are two campuses at Canadian universities—foreign and domestic. Certainly this Chinese theatre attracts a full house, but not one Canadian student attended.1
It has been alleged that the feature was specifically directed to form a negative view towards Chinese and Chinese Canadian
Chinese Canadian
Chinese Canadians are Canadians of Chinese descent. They constitute the second-largest visible minority group in Canada, after South Asian Canadians...
s. As well, it did not determine if the people filmed in that particular episode were actually Chinese or Chinese Canadian. After protests by Chinese Canadians, including Dr. Joseph Wong
Joseph Yu Kai Wong
Joseph Yu Kai Wong, CM is a notable philanthropist in the Chinese Canadian community. He founded The Yee Hong Centre for Geriatric Care in 1987 . He served as the chairman for the United Way of Greater Toronto from 1990 to 1992 and has been honorary chair since 1994. He was awarded the Order of...
(later founder of the Yee Hong Centre for Geriatric Care
Yee Hong Centre for Geriatric Care
The Yee Hong Centre for Geriatric Care in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is a residential community for senior citizens, particularly those unable to care for themselves. It came about when Dr. Joseph Wong witnessed the lack of emotional support and difficulty in communicating for Chinese seniors...
), W5 retracted this statement and apologised. The president of CTV of the time, Murray Chercover, issued the following statement on April 16, 1980:
- ... our critics—particularly Chinese Canadians and the universities—criticized the program as racist; they were right.... We share the dismay of our critics that this occurred. We sincerely apologize for the fact that Chinese Canadians were depicted as foreigners and for whatever distress this stereotyping may have caused them in the context of our multicultural society.2
This event also led to the formation of the Chinese Canadian National Council
Chinese Canadian National Council
The Chinese Canadian National Council , known in the Chinese-Canadian community as Equal Rights Council , is an organization whose purpose is to monitor racial discrimination against Chinese in Canada and to help young Chinese Canadians learn about their cultural history.The organization was...
in order to form a stronger voice representing Chinese Canadians nationwide.
Hosts and producers
Hosts, reporters, and producers associated with the program have included:- Heinz Avigdor
- Ken Cavanagh
- Henry ChampHenry ChampHenry Champ LLD is a veteran Canadian broadcast journalist and currently a correspondent for CBC Newsworld based in Washington, DC....
- Wei ChenWei Chen (journalist)Wei Chen is a television and radio journalist from Canada. She has worked for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and its main rival CTV. In 2003, Chen surprised many by leaving CTV, where she was a national correspondent, to work for a new local station called Toronto 1 , where she would host...
- Tom Clark
- Bill Cunningham
- Gordon DonaldsonGordon Donaldson (journalist)Archibald Gordon Clark Donaldson was a Scottish-Canadian author and journalist. He appeared on television and also produced television programming.- Early life :...
- Frank DreaFrank DreaJames Francis Drea was a Canadian journalist, broadcaster, politician and racehorse enthusiast.-Background:...
- Malcolm Fox
- Tom Gould
- Helen Hutchinson
- Doug JohnsonDoug JohnsonDoug Johnson is the keyboardist for the Canadian rock band Loverboy. Loverboy just celebrated their 29th year and were honoured at the 2009 JUNO Awards with induction to the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. Doug Johnson is also a published classical music composer. He wrote the classical quintet "The...
- Peter KentPeter KentPeter Kent, PC, MP is a Conservative member of parliament for the riding of Thornhill, and the current Minister of the Environment in the 28th Canadian Ministry.Previously, he was Deputy Editor of Global Television, a Canadian TV network...
- Anton KoschanyAnton KoschanyAnton Koschany, is the Executive Producer of CTV W5 and the network's News Elections Unit.Anton Koschany is a television journalist with 37 years experience as a newsmagazine and documentary producer, news correspondent and program manager. During his career he has covered Canadian, American,...
- Ken Lefolii
- Michael MaclearMichael MaclearMichael Maclear is an award-winning Canadian journalist, documentary filmmaker,and former correspondent for various CBC programs and for CTV's W5.He is the great-great-grand-nephew of South African astronomer Sir Thomas Maclear....
(1977–78) - Victor MalarekVictor MalarekVictor Gregory Malarek is a Canadian journalist and author. Currently, he is a senior reporter for CTV Television's W-FIVE-Biography:...
- Eric MallingEric MallingEric Malling was a Canadian television journalist.Born in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, he graduated from the University of Saskatchewan with a BA degree in English literature then continued his studies at Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario where he graduated from the School of...
(1990–1996) - Christine Nielsen
- Susan OrmistonSusan OrmistonSusan Ormiston is a Canadian television journalist, currently a correspondent for CBC Television's The National and guest host for several CBC radio and television programs...
- Jim Reed
- Peter Rehak (1981–1996)
- Morley SaferMorley SaferMorley Safer is a Canadian reporter and correspondent for CBS News. He is best known for his long tenure on the newsmagazine 60 Minutes, which began in December 1970.-Life and career:...
- Merle ShainMerle ShainMerle Shain was a Canadian author and journalist.As a journalist, she worked as a feature writer for the Toronto Telegram, as an associate editor of Chatelaine, as a columnist for the Toronto Sun and as a host of the CTV news program W5...
- Elliott Shiff
- Sylvia SweeneySylvia SweeneySylvia Sweeney is a Canadian Executive Television Producer and Olympian. Sweeney is the daughter of music teacher Daisy Sweeney and railway cook James Sweeney, and the niece of jazz musician Oscar Peterson....
- Carole TaylorCarole TaylorCarole Taylor, OC is a Canadian journalist and former politician.She is currently serving as the Chancellor of Simon Fraser University since June 17, 2011. She previously served as British Columbia's Minister of Finance from 2005 until 2008 in the government of Liberal premier Gordon...
- Rosemary Vukmanich
- Patrick Watson
External links
- Show website
- Protesting racism on TV - CBC Archives