TVO

Purpose

TVO is an agency of the Government of Ontario’s ministry of education, as well as a non-profit social impact charity. The organization lists the importance of equitable education as one of its core values. It aims to represent the diversity of Ontario communities, and also lists diversity, equity and inclusion as core values.

Background History

The Government of Ontario first began considering the possibility of developing its own public broadcasting channel for educational purposes around 1965. It was the brainchild of Ontario’s education minister at the time, Bill Davis. He went on to serve as Ontario’s premier from 1971 to 1985.

Between 1965 and 1970, a proposal for a provincial educational television network was developed. The idea for a public broadcaster unique to the province of Ontario was developed in the 1960s as part of a three-pronged strategy to improve education in the province. The other components included the province’s public college system and the creation of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE).

TVOntario was developed to produce and broadcast television that was educational, rather than simply entertaining. However, not everyone thought it was a good idea: the opposition Ontario Liberal Party of the day thought it would be both cheaper and just as effective for teachers to record their lessons to videotape, and send those tapes to other teachers and schools around the province.

1970s–1980s

When TVO first went on the air as CICA-TV Channel 19 on 27 September 1970, it was Canada’s first high-powered UHF (ultra-high frequency) television station. Upon launching, French-language content produced for the Franco-Ontarian community represented five per cent of the station’s programming.

The children’s program Polka Dot Door premiered in 1971. It quickly became one of TVO’s flagship programs. It was sold to various broadcasters around the world. In the same year, the OECA signed an agreement to distribute original TVO programming throughout the United States.

By 1973–74, TVO had produced North America’s first weather report using the metric system, which was being introduced in Canada at the time. (See Metric Conversion.) By this time, French-language programming by the broadcaster had grown to 17 per cent. TVO was broadcasting an average of 15 hours per day.

In 1976, TVO began broadcasting from the recently completed CN Tower. The same year, it became the world’s largest producer of French-language educational content for schools. In 1977, TVO became one of the first educational broadcasters to use satellites for direct transmissions into people’s homes, and for video teleconferencing. Students in California and Ontario participated in pioneering electronic classrooms.

By 1979, TVO had become the largest foreign supplier of instructional television programming to the United States. The broadcaster continued its expansion through Ontario with the development of new transmitters, along with continued expansion in the United States with the development of an American sales office. By 1983, TVO programming had reached remote communities in Northern Ontario thanks to the Anik C3 satellite.

In 1987, the Government of Ontario created the French-language sister station, La Chaîne française. It was renamed TFO (short for Télévision française de l’Ontario) in 1995.

1990s–2000s

By 1991, TVO had developed a direct teaching series that allowed students to complete their high school education at home (High School on Air), and further developed a Distance Learning Division to offer skills training and professional development.

In 1992, journalist Steve Paikin joined TVO, launching a political series called Between the Lines. That same year, Peter Herrndorf — known as the “godfather of Canadian arts” — became TVO’s chairman and CEO. By this point, roughly 98 per cent of Ontarians could access TVO programming. In the mid- to late 1990s, Ontario’s Conservative government under Premier Mike Harris considered privatizing TVO. It also considered allowing TVO to air advertising to make the broadcaster more profitable. But the station was able to reduce its costs without being privatized or resorting to advertising.

In 2006, TVO launched The Agenda. The panel discussion program, hosted by Steve Paikin, became TVO’s flagship news and current affairs program.

TVO made the transition to digital broadcasting in 1997. This transition required significant technological improvements. New transmitters were built throughout the province in 2011. In 2016, TVO launched a network of local hubs to improve coverage and accessibility. In 2017, TVO became the first media network in Canada to stream its content on social media, with The Agenda appearing on Twitter’s Periscope.

As part of the network’s commitment to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, TVO began translating its programming into Indigenous languages in 2019. In May 2022, The Agenda produced and hosted the Ontario provincial leaders’ debate. TVO partnered with the Association of Municipalities of Ontario and the Rural Ontario Municipal Association for their 2022 and 2023 annual conferences, respectively. TVO Today Live with Steve Paikin, a public affairs series examining the state of democracy in Ontario, Canada and the world and broadcast six times a year, debuted in 2023.

Components

TVO has evolved over the years and has several distinct components. These include:

• TVO Today: TVO’s home of current affairs journalism, including its flagship news program, The Agenda, hosted by Steve Paikin. TVO Today also produces documentaries and podcasts focused on news and current affairs.
• TVO Learn: provides learning resources aligned with the province’s curricula from kindergarten through Grade 12.
• TVO ILC (Independent Learning Centre): serves as the Government of Ontario’s principal provider of distance learning education, provided through online services.
• TVOKids: Provides programming and games through its television and online services, for children from kindergarten through Grade 5.

(See also Educational Broadcasting; Television Programming; Community Broadcasting.)