Just what exactly is Polkaroo? Marney Malabar is TVO's director of Kids TV, and her answer is simple: what do you think? The answer allows imaginations to fly - and that's the whole point. Malabar joins host Steve Paikin to discuss how TVO's educational mandate made it an early leader in children's programming.

On September 27th, 1970, TVO signed onto the airwaves for the first time. It was an experiment in public broadcasting using television for education at a time when TV was considered the root of all evil. It went on to produce programming that shaped entire generations and change what it means to educate.

Hosted by Steve Paikin, TVOat50 brings you the story behind shows like The Polka Dot Door, Today’s Special, and Saturday Night at the Movies. Join us as we dive behind the scenes of half a century of programming.

On September 27th, 1970, TVO signed onto the airwaves for the first time. It was an experiment in public broadcasting using television for education at a time when TV was considered the root of all evil. It went on to produce programming that shaped entire generations and change what it means to educate.
Hosted by Steve Paikin, TVOat50 brings you the story behind shows like The Polka Dot Door, Today&rsquo;s Special, and Saturday Night at the Movies. Join us as we dive behind the scenes of half a century of programming.

The stories behind half a century of programming.

TVOat50

An early leader in children's programming

This is it, our last episode. So, we're going back to where TVO started: Queen's Park. Fifty years ago, the provincial broadcaster was created by former Minister of Education Bill Davis -and it still falls under the responsibility of that ministry.

Two former education ministers - Sandra Pupatello and Kathleen Wynne - and the former minister of training, colleges and universities, Dianne Cunningham, join Steve to gossip (remember when everyone thought Pupatello was cutting TVO's funding?) and swap stories.

This is it, our last episode. So, we're going back to where TVO started: Queen's Park. Fifty years ago, the provincial broadcaster was created by former Minister of Education Bill Davis -and it still falls under the responsibility of that ministry. Two former education ministers - Sandra Pupatello and Kathleen Wynne - and the former minister of training, colleges and universities, Dianne Cunningham, join Steve to gossip (remember when everyone thought Pupatello was cutting TVO's funding?) and swap stories.

The view from Queen's Park

Lisa de Wilde was TVO's longest-serving chief executive, spending over 14 years in the job. Her main goal was to bring the broadcaster into the 21st century. She joins Steve Paikin to discuss leading the digital transformation, the difficult process of cancelling shows, and what it was like to work with a government bent on budget cuts.

Leading TVO's Digital Transformation

Ontario is massive - the riding of Kenora alone is almost the size of Germany. And despite what some Torontonians might tell you, the provincial capital is not the centre of the universe. 

That's why former chair and CEO Isabel Bassett saw covering the entire province as a huge part of her mission. She joins Steve to discuss her term, pushing TVO to speak to all Ontarians, and what she learned along the way.

Ontario is massive - the riding of Kenora alone is almost the size of Germany. And despite what some Torontonians might tell you, the provincial capital is not the centre of the universe. That's why former chair and CEO Isabel Bassett saw covering the entire province as a huge part of her mission. She joins Steve to discuss her term, pushing TVO to speak to all Ontarians, and what she learned along the way.

An early leader in children's programming

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