Everything about Your Morning, eh?

Ben Mulroney announces departure from Your Morning

From a media release:

As announced today on CTV’s YOUR MORNING, Co-Host Ben Mulroney is departing the national morning show to focus on a new career developing scripted and unscripted projects, following a 20-year career with the broadcaster. Mulroney’s last day on YOUR MORNING will be this Friday, October 1 on CTV.

“After 20 years, I have made the difficult decision to leave CTV and YOUR MORNING to pursue a career as a producer, developing unique projects for both Canadian and global audiences,” said Mulroney. “I have had an incredible run at CTV, but it’s time to take the leap and fulfill what has been a life-long dream for me. I look forward to connecting with Canadians in this new way and for the opportunity to develop ideas with Bell Media in the future.”

“Ben is regarded as one of Canada’s premier TV hosts, a broadcaster who helped to put Canada on the map in the world of entertainment news,” said Karine Moses, Senior Vice President, Content Development and News, Bell Media. “As Ben transitions from reporting on stories in front of the camera to telling stories from behind it, we look forward to the opportunity to collaborate with Ben again, and we wish him nothing but the best in his new venture.”

Ben joined CTV as an entertainment reporter for CANADA AM in October 2001, before joining ETALK in its debut season as Co-Host in 2002. Ben was also a member of the broadcast team for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, reporting on entertainment news for CTV, and was the host of CTV’s CANADIAN IDOL for six seasons, which at the time was the most-watched English-language Canadian television show on record. He became Co-Host of YOUR MORNING when it debuted in 2016.

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Comments and queries for the week of August 26

Your Morning not a hit with fans

Watched the first show of CTV’s Your Morning for maybe 20 minutes and will not be back. Huge disappointment! I agree with previous comments re: The View and The Social ( two other very uninteresting shows). Also very disappointed that both CTV channels broadcasted the same content. I envision a large boardroom with some hired (big bucks) consultant presenting this wild idea to members who have no clue of their audience. You drank the Kool-Aid! Terrible show! Gather any remaining senses and bring back Bev, Marci, Anwar, Todd and Michael—at least they know how to connect with an audience and present information worth knowing. —CJ

This new show is such a letdown. Where is the actual news? Having to see and listen to Ben, and his harem of chatty ladies, is extremely annoying first thing in the morning. They seem to be speaking over one another in a quest to get the most attention. I have to admit that I was happy to say goodbye to Jeff and good riddance to his ridiculous videos, but this new team is too much! Surely, you can do much better CTV! —From Ottawa

Terrible! Used to watch every morning and loved it. I can’t stand the new version. Bring the old format back and the former hosts! Unless they change the format I will watch another channel/competitor! —Pat

Agree there no class on this show. Can’t stand The Social and this is what this is. If you only appeal to the young you will lose millions. The young watch the Internet for news, not TV. The Social is immature and yappy and so is this. Weather girl trying to compete with other noisy people. Not to criticize, but this generation has no intelligence emotionally, no sophistication and can’t pull off charm. And you can’t fake charm. —Sharon

Please cancel this new morning show! It is unbearable. I gave it a third chance! Couldn’t do it. Thirty minutes later and I switched channels again! It is terrible. Please bring back the Canada AM we all knew and loved in the mornings! Ben and the gals have to go! —F&B

I watched Canada AM every morning since the early 80’s. Sorry, not a fan of the new show. I also don’t like the change to the news channel. The whole point of a news channel is to watch the news, not some poor version of The Social. —April

I truly don’t understand the mindset of creating Your Morning! Our kids are thirtysomethings and watch Breakfast Television. One tuned in and found it “noisy” due to hyper-like chatter. We agree. If an updated format was needed, why not update Canada AM? It seemed a well-oiled machine, relaxed, great hosts! The Social is successful—why duplicate it? What is CTV trying to accomplish? It’s too early in the morning for this crew and the type of program this is! We’re now watching CBC. —Kathy

Very very sad when Canada AM was cancelled. I enjoyed starting my day with the the wonderful hosts and easygoing format. I was not able to enjoy a morning show when I was working, and once I retired Canada AM fit the bill perfectly! I think CTV made a mistake by trying to appeal to a younger age group. They are probably all at work and won’t be watching anyway. I decided to give Your Morning a chance and watched a few episodes—very disappointing :(. There is not much on TV  to appeal to 60-plus demographic anymore. I think I will probably turn off the TV and either read a good book or go for a walk instead! —Jane

Got a question or comment about Canadian TV? Email greg.david@tv-eh.com or via Twitter @tv_eh.Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail

CTV welcomes a new day with Your Morning

It’s been just over two months since Bell Media announced Canada AM was being cancelled, replaced by a new morning show called Your Morning and hosted by the team of Ben Mulroney and Anne-Marie Mediwake, with Melissa Grelo as Late Morning Anchor, Lindsey Deluce as News Anchor and Kelsey McEwen handling the weather.

So, how did the new crew and show do on its first day on the job? Anyone expecting an innovative way of delivering morning news and entertainment was going to be disappointed. There are only so many ways you can package news, interviews, weather and talk into a three-hour program, though Your Morning does it with a glitzy, energetic vibe. Boasting a lead-off sit-down with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and performance by Florida Georgia Line, Mulroney and Mediwake welcomed Monday with smiles, sitting on a bright set highlighted by blue with yellow piping. (Your Morning‘s theme music—a jaunty affair—was composed by Grammy nominee Stephan Moccio.)

“Here’s what’s topping your morning,” Mulroney said before the headlines of the day were presented in a package like an eTalk bundle, with music and pictures covering a Summer Olympics wrap-up. National and regional headlines and weather were presented in an easy-to-read crawl at the bottom of the screen. After a brief back-and-forth between Mulroney and Mediwake, Lindsey Deluce jumped in to cover more serious news stories before throwing back to the co-hosts, who chatted about what Deluce had just reported. Like other morning shows, Your Morning is big on reaction to the news, aiming to connect with viewers over something they’ve said.

Kelsey McEwen from CTV Calgary was doing her thing with weather across the country. McEwen used easy-to-read map icons and augmented her delivery by utilizing YouTube video of a volcano spewing ash and Twitter images of weather that was reminiscent of Canada AM‘s Jeff Hutcheson.

Mulroney’s much-ballyhooed interview with Trudeau wasn’t the love-in I was expecting. He queried the PM on his inquiry into murdered Aboriginal women and girls tied to possible police misconduct and Indigenous boys and men in Manitoba in jails connected to a racism issue in Canada. Filmed in Gatineau, QC, with Parliament Hill in the background, talk turned to back-to-school issues for Trudeau’s kids and how he’s urging them to listen to The Tragically Hip.

Your Morning‘s first show ended with country duo Florida Georgia Line playing just before 9 a.m. in the Bell Media parking lot in front of a hundred or so fans, and this is where the program sets itself apart from competitors. Being at the corner of Queen St. and John St. rather than Canada AM‘s Scarborough digs means access to big stars staying in the downtown core. That will make a big difference in a few weeks when the Toronto International Film Festival arrives and celebrities drop by.

Like I said, Your Morning isn’t doing anything innovative, but what it is doing is packaging it via a new look with new voices. And it is entertaining. Say what you want about Mulroney—and many, many do—but he’s a capable ringleader, able to drive conversation and elicit responses from the rest of the team. I feel like Mediwake may be figuring out exactly where she fits in—she’s used to reporting the news and is being called on to be more personal here—but that will come with time.

What did you think of Your Morning? Comment below or @tv_eh.

Your Morning airs weekdays between 6 and 9 a.m. ET on CTV (Ontario, Québec and Eastern Canada) and nationally on CTV News Channel.

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CTV announces Your Morning to première on Aug. 22

From a media release:

CTV announced today that YOUR MORNING, its new national morning show, will premiere Monday, Aug. 22 on CTV and CTV News Channel. The announcement was made as the first team photo from the program was revealed, featuring Ben Mulroney and Anne-Marie Mediwake (Hosts), Melissa Grelo (Late Morning Anchor), Lindsey Deluce (News Anchor), and Kelsey McEwen (Weather Anchor).

The program is currently in pre-production at Bell Media’s Queen Street West campus in Toronto, from where it will broadcast each weekday from 6-9 a.m. on CTV (Ontario, Québec, and Eastern Canada) and nationally on CTV News Channel.

As announced last month, YOUR MORNING will deliver original perspectives and unique insights into the stories of the day, while showcasing lifestyle topics of interest to Canadians from coast-to-coast-to-coast. Additional details will be announced in the weeks to come.

Image courtesy of Bell Media.Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail