Is Canada ready to step onto the Eurovision stage, and what would that say about how the country sees its cultural role internationally? After the federal government said in the 2025 budget that it was "working with CBC/Radio-Canada to explore Canada's participation in Eurovision," questions remain about how such a move would work, what it would cost, and whether it is a gamble worth taking. From Ottawa, Nomi Claire Lazar, professor of public and international affairs at the University of Ottawa, examines the political and public value of the proposal, while Toronto-based Brock University adjunct professor Karen Fricker brings a critical perspective shaped by her long engagement with Eurovision as a cultural institution.
We then look inward, to the cultural legacy Canada has already built. Toronto-made children's television, from Mr. Dressup and Degrassi to Polka Dot Door and Today's Special, shaped generations of viewers in Ontario and beyond. Rundown producer Colin Ellis speaks with cultural historian Ed Conroy about his new book, ImagiNation: The Golden Age of Toronto Kids' TV, and why revisiting these shows is not just an exercise in nostalgia but a way of understanding how public broadcasting, cultural ambition, and national identity have been constructed and contested over time.

Hosted by Jeyan Jeganathan, The Rundown delivers original journalism and in-depth analysis of the social, political, cultural, and economic issues that shape life in Ontario. Each episode focuses on one topic that’s making headlines, examining it from different angles and through diverse points of view — providing the context you need to understand what’s happening in the province and around the world.

<p data-renderer-start-pos="1">Hosted by Jeyan Jeganathan, The Rundown delivers original journalism and in-depth analysis of the social, political, cultural, and economic issues that shape life in Ontario. Each episode focuses on one topic that&rsquo;s making headlines, examining it from different angles and through diverse points of view &mdash; providing the context you need to understand what&rsquo;s happening in the province and around the world.</p>

Hosted by Jeyan Jeganathan, The Rundown delivers original journalism and in-depth analysis of the social, political, cultural, and economic issues that shape life in Ontario. 